IGN addresses XBOX/Square conferance (1 Viewer)

[Kelly Scott Rickards]

Link Removed
Rumor Report: Square Announcing Secret Games?
Is the company about to announce three Xbox titles on Monday?
September 21, 2001
Here's what we know at this time – some of the world's press has been called to Japan in order to receive what could be a pre-TGS briefing on Square's Xbox game announcements. Rumors on the web have been spilling in on the unconfirmed information that the Square announcement might actually hit on Monday morning during a press conference in Tokyo. Others have rumored that this is actually just a pre-TGS briefing for major magazines, and that all information released is to ensure that magazines with long lead times have the information for print around the same time as the show in October.
Square's been rumored to have Xbox titles under its sleeve for over a year now, but what could they be? From what we've heard from sources and flying monkeys, these are the titles that will be announced (when, of course, Square finally announces them):
Final Fantasy XI (Square's online world, for multiple platforms)
Bushido Blade X (realistic fighting with one-hit kills)
Chrono Cross X (if you don't know what this is, then you've missed out on one of the best RPG series ever)
Final Fantasy XI has been rumored (and not-so-subtly hinted at by the company) for the system for months now, but the announcement of the other games, particularly Chrono Cross X, comes as welcome surprise to those worried that Japanese support of the Xbox will be sparse and second-hand. But what's this about Nintendo scooping up Square altogether? More rumors, folks. Whose rumors are beating out whose rumors? We'll find out soon enough -- but at the very least, we know that Xbox and cross-platform people were invited to this event, and that our Nintendo editors are still sitting at their house in SF instead of in Tokyo, so...
-- IGN

 

[Camp]

So, Monday has come and gone...what happened?

 

[BrianB]

So, Monday has come and gone...what happened?

It was a heavily NDA'ed PR briefing for print magazines. They're not going to leak stuff rightaway
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Kelley_B]

I sent an email to my friend on who works on the Xbox team to get more info for me, as all my normal contacts have said that they don't know what is happening and that they didn't get an invite. I bet if they did NDA it this hard, then it must be REALLY BIG.....will Squares boring titles move to Xbox?? I personally think Microsoft gave them too much money to turn down.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I personally think Microsoft gave them too much money to turn down.

After that movie debacle, can Square turn any money down?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

will Squares boring titles move to Xbox??

First off, the games aren't boring. Maybe they aren't for you, but they make money, which is a big thing for any company or business.
Second, MS wants them to move to X-Box, even if they are "boring" because they will give people a reason to buy an X-Box. Even if the Final Fantasy series gets ported to X-Box (which I doubt, other than FFXI) it will still be on PS2, so anyone with a PS2 probably won't buy the X-Box version over the PS2 version, so its not exactly going to be too much of a leg up for MS.
Third, I doubt anything new was announced, and if it was, then the stuff that was announced was something along the lines of a new game sequel or a new game altogether that is on the X-Box. Nothing ground breaking.

 

[Kelley_B]

Square games boring, how could I say that.......hmmm well lets see.....walk two steps, random battle, unlesh monster, get attacked, unlesh monster, get attacked, repeat until either you or the creature are dead, walk two steps, random battle, repeat for about 40 Hours.
The last game that Square published that I like was Einhander.
Sure Square games sell, and they sell well, but I personally think they are some of the most boring titles around. I personally do not like Square RPGs at all.

 

[Kelley_B]

Nothing ground breaking.

The fact that a company who has been so tied to one platform every console generation is going multiplatform, that is a VERY big deal as it levels the playing field of the three consoles. If Square releases their games on each console, that right there gives GCN and Xbox a big boost in Japan, especially with GCN costing $100 cheaper than the other two.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Then again, Square did make games for things other than NES, SNES, and PSX. Wonderswan color got revamped FF1-3 and is still getting more. They also were originally making FF7 for N64.
If you had played through an entire FF game or all of Chrono Cross, you wouldn't think they were boring. Personally, I would rather have a game with a compelling storyline than a game where you just press two buttons and things start to blow up. The FF series is not boring, but rather is focused to one group of gamers. If you don't like it, then thats your opinion. You just seem to state it like fact.

 

[Graeme Clark]

I would rather have a game with a compelling storyline and fun gameplay.
I'm not sure why finishing the game would make it any more fun.
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[BrianB]

You just seem to state it like fact.

As do you, Morgan.
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Brian-
Actually, you're right. I'm sorry for sounding like a FF brat.
Graeme-
Finishing any game can make or break a game. There are scientific studies that show that the end of something (a movie, a TV show, a game, a book) leaves the lasting impression that sticks in people's minds. Think of movies that were great but had bad endings. The bad ending probably made it a bad movie or a worse movie, so a good ending makes it better. If a game has a good ending, then the game is made a little better.
Finishing a game also has a sense of accomplishment, especially an RPG. FF games also have some of the most compelling videogame storylines, if not some of the best presentations of those storylines (that is pretty much fact). I think it was Thi Them who said in another thread that the storylines were enough to warrant the purchase of any FF game, and I agree. Some call them interactive movies, but those people probably played few, if not none of the games or have played a little bit of one game. Anyone who has played FF9 will say that the game is more than an interactive movie. The battles involve strategy (less in 8 because of the summons, but those had limits, too) and the game overall has a lot of things to do. The sidequests can be complex and deep, there can be hidden weapons or characters to get, and there are sometimes side stories that are further explained through side quests.
What am I saying? The games are more than you think. If you have played one of the games, please tell me which game and which aspects you didn't like, otherwise, I'm not going to take your opinion of the games being boring very seriously.