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Today's CoNcast addresses one of the questions about Square Enix that has been burning for the better part of a decade. That question has probably already leapt to some of your minds: when will there be a Final Fantasy VII remake added to the sea of other Squenix reduxes? We talk about the history of false starts towards this game, the opinions expressed by Squenix employees over time, what it would take to make the fanbase happy, the impact of the 2013 re-release to PC on future work, and even whether we actually care ourselves. But, really, who doesn't care? Is it you? Let's talk about this a little bit - the CoNcast is not meant to be a one-way street.

Don't forget that you can also talk to us about the CoNcast in all the usual means, whether that's at the forums, via email, Facebook, Twitter, et cetera. We could be looking for people to suggest topics, tell us how wrong we are, or even possibly participate in a recording (especially for episodes where we'd be looking for a more female point of view). We need to hear from folks to know that we're on the right track!

Source: The CoNcast Subscription Feed, The CoNcast on iTunes

Certainly didn't expect a Mean Girls reference. Didn't expect to get it either.

I agreed with a lot of what Tiddles said. On the Steam release I changed the midi tracks before even starting. Seriously, that's not a difficult change to make, there really is no excuse for leaving the crappy chip tune tones in there. One thing you guys didn't mention (I don't think, sorry if I'm wrong) was the achievements. I know a lot of people don't really care about them but for those like me that are happy to play the game again there's a bit of an opportunity to add some interesting challenges. None of them are very interesting and I think it's a waste. But hey, it's accessible so I'm playing it.

The best thing I heard there was when Tiddles said that FFVII is a sort of holy grail of remakes. They just can't remake it; it would be wrong. The saga must continue. The fans need something to search for in their lives. And I'm very happy that this endless search for a remake mirrors the Ancients' search for the Promised Land. It's beautifully hopeless.

In terms of a podcast you're certainly on the right track IMO. I don't usually reply because I think they're very nicely self-contained.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

Quote (Rangers51 @ 4th November 2013 14:18)

tell us how wrong we are

lol i read the forum started by Alien Hunter and that was just so funny

This post has been edited by Raiden314 on 6th November 2013 20:51

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So Zetta Slow!

Fun facts:

The original recording was at least 90 minutes. Josh cut 20+ minutes of Tiddles, DP, and myself talking about open world action games.

Also cut was a boring, brief discussion on whether voice actors are interchangeable or not.

I saw Mean Girls like once and as a result rarely understand when people enthusiastically reference it.



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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

I think the longer Square waits, the more pressure they put on themselves to make it "perfect" and therefore impossible to make. What I don't get is that they have character models and voice actors for a decent chunk of the cast. Between Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus (which I never played), and Dissidia, they've explored bringing the FF7 world into the PS2/3/Portable range of graphics. I think if they had revamped the cinematics from the original with Advent Children level graphics (which they proved they could do with their tech demo), then changed the super-deformed polygon models to the types of models they used in the extended universe games, they could have made a good remake. In fact, when Advent Children and those in-universe games came out, THAT is what got me hoping for a remake of the original game. As for new content, they could add a few new types of materia, unlockable costume packs (for the extended universe looks), new weapons, new bosses, etc. I can't imagine that it would be so hard to design such things, they already DID it when they made a prequel and some sequels.

I don't really get the premise of trying to bring the original team back. The story is already written, they don't have to change it. The content is there, they just need to update the graphics and fix the grammar and spelling stuff. Throw in some bonus content and you have yourself a remake that I would definitely buy.

Now with all their rhetoric of it being the high mark int he series and having to top it before they can remake it, they're either making it harder for themselves or they're just making excuses.

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Wha? Thanks to me?

There are many reasons given for an FF7 remake, such as the graphics, despite being revolutionary for the time, having aged poorly. But for me, there is one major reason that I would want an update - new translation.

Even FF6 already got a new translation for the GBA version, and I thought Woolsey's original translation was just fine, working within the limitations of Nintendo of America's censorship policy. There might be a split of opinion on his work, but man, I don't think anyone can deny that FF7 took a huge dip after his departure.

The story in FF7 can be confusing as is, and the typos and grammatical errors don't make it any easier. This is in need of a new translation much more than the games that have already received one, IMHO.

I second the call for a new translation of VII.

Just so, I also don't share MMB's view of Woolsey. The VIa translation is ten thousand times better, even without the unintentionally hilarious at times Woolseyisms.

http://www.playeronepodcast.com/forum/inde...p?showtopic=145

^Mogmaster, take a look at that transcript. I understand people might not like Woolsey's translation, but I think they also don't understand the circumstances under which he translated the game. He was only given 30 days, and had to err on the side of caution in order to avoid NOA's censorship policies (he says in the interview he hated censoring Celes' attempted suicide). Under those circumstances, I think he gets way too much flack, especially when comparing his translation to the butchered job in FF7. I mean, from the opening credits that translation was messed up! "Executive produce?"

I haven't played through the GBA version, so I can't comment on the translation. From what I've seen, it's a bit more literal, and uses more archaic language (Atma/Ultima Weapon saying "your time is nigh" instead of "die"). But lots of people seem to think it's better. However, take into consideration that the translator probably had a lot more time to work on it. If he was a fan of the game upon its original release, he may have had about 15 years!

Finally listening to this one.

First of all, I am certain that I'm not the only one who has thought of the pun "Redead Redemption". Someone had better made fanart of this idea.

Anyway...

As far as I can tell based on the chatter, it seems that FFVII is basically just a port of the old PC version, fixed to work on modern machines, and -- for the Steam version -- without DRM. The Squenix store version has DRM.

That said, the Steam version still requires you to sign up for a Squenix account in order to make the game work. You can disable Cloud cloud saves (Cloud saves cannot be disabled until he leaves your party) but you still need to make an account there.

Unfortunately, a thread on the Steam forums telling people how to change the music from the MIDI files to OGG files got shut down. That said, I presume such a mod is still floating around the internets somewhere.

Anyway, pretty much all the issues with a full FFVII remake that I can think of were raised in the podcast. Unrealistically high expectations and a high risk of offending half of everyone with their remake design decisions. The amount of budget that would have to go into graphical detail, voice work, and more. Good for one of you to note that the biggest piece that people will care about is the fact that the graphics will now look much, much better.

Should they remake it? Really, I'm not sure. I guess the "short time between announcement and release" idea is probably good, but I was actually thinking, maybe wait a number of years more, until the hype dies down, and then release it out of the blue.

Here's an idea: Make it a long-term project right now. Incorporate the plot of the spinoffs. Make it just one HUUUUUGE thing. Don't tell anyone. Then about a decade later, release The Ultimate FFVII Compilation Of All Time. Of ALL TIME!

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Sorry to double-post, but I think this is a separate enough point that warrants its own post.

Probably the two most sought-after classic gems in Squenix's library are Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger. Both are from the 90s, and fans have clamored for remakes of both.

In the case of FFVII, Squenix has made occasional overtures to the idea, such as the HD intro and a letter not quite quashing the idea. Perhaps as a result, it seems widely expected that, while unlikely, Squenix might actually make an FFVII remake, somewhere down the road. The fact that FFIII and IV remakes and FFX HD exist seems to help with that case.

On the other hand, Chrono Trigger has seen a similarly appreciative fanbase but a much less friendly Squenix. Dunno if a 3D anything for Chrono Trigger has been made yet. The game has kinda barely been remade in its GBA form -- mostly with the extra dungeon that (as I hear) ties it in better with its sequel Chrono Cross -- but the reputation I've seen is more of a trail of cease-and-desist letters, first to the fan remake attempt Chrono Trigger Resurrection and later even to the unique romhack sequel Crimson Echoes (which was much more unexpected). If there might be an official Chrono Trigger remake, the only hint of it is "why else would they C&D fan remakes?". Otherwise, it doesn't even seem to be a thing at all.

Why the difference?

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 2nd December 2013 09:28

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )