FF7 Remake shows ambition hitherto undreamt of in this industry. Do you see other companies following Square’s method for the remake if successful?

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

Sometimes I realize how ambitious and risky square is being by splitting a single game from the 90s into likely 3+ huge big budget modern AAA games.

The level of detail and scope of this remake exceeds any other by a wide margin. It's got a lot of buzz, but I was wondering ERA:

If FF7R succeeds at what it's setting out to do (big if), do you see other companies with popular old games that could be expanded on drastically trying to do something similar? If so, which companies with which games?

Ometeotl · Sep 17, 2019

Remaking something already released and hyper popular is definitely how I would define "ambitious"

Dark Knight · Sep 17, 2019

They're remaking what is debatably the most popular entry in their most popular franchise in beautiful and attractive high definition graphics utilizing a riveting, modernized battle system.

Ambitious, but I wouldn't call it risky. It will do well regardless of the chapter format. The content speaks for itself regardless of how they chop it up.

oni-link · Sep 17, 2019

I hope FF7R does well and ends up being a great game, but I hope this trend of people wanting every notable game from more than a decade ago to be remade goes away

I swear people want gaming to go the way of cinema, where most big films are remakes/reboots of something from the past (or endless sequels, which is a problem gaming already has) and new games/ideas/IP are few and far between

Loads of people also want Resi 3 remake, but that sounds awful to me. Give me a new Resi game telling a new story with the engine of Resi 2 remake any day of the week

Onebadlion · Sep 17, 2019

Did you seriously just say "hitherto undreamt of?"

Deleted member 15428 · Sep 17, 2019

Ambitious and risky? By remaking an already-existing game in one of the oldest franchises around?

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

Ometeotl said:
Remaking something already released and hyper popular is definitely how I would define "ambitious"

I mean they're splitting one game into three or more full sized parts and expanding it drastically, it will probably take the better part of the next decade to get it all out. It's an incredibly ambitious project. No one knows if it's can succeed and it's got a ton of expectations to live up to.

Madao · Sep 17, 2019

there's not many companies that could remake a game and have it hyped like how SE has FF7 remake hyped up.

from Nintendo all i could think of is OoT and even that game got a partial remake already which reduces a lot of the impact a full remake announcement would have.

Deleted member 8196 · Sep 17, 2019

Capcom did it with RE and again with RE2, the scale is different, for obvious reasons, but high quality remakes happened and will happen regardless of FF7R success.

Ambitious sure, risky? Nah, we are talking about one of the PS1 classics, people will eat that shit even if it's bad.
RE2 was supposed to be risky as well, but turned out good.

Glio · Sep 17, 2019

Milking your most popular game in three parts seems ambitious in the worst sense of the word. Like Peter Jackson's ambitious Hobbit

cw_sasuke · Sep 17, 2019

You do realize REmake 2 just came out earlier this year ? Its not like ambitious Remakes werent a thing before 7R.

FF Seraphim · Sep 17, 2019

One of the most beloved games is considered a risk to remake? I mean they probably had to make sure they don't screw up. The demo is amazing btw so yeah if the whole game is like that its going to be fine.

Com_Raven · Sep 17, 2019

I'd have to disagree, to be honest. In terms of scope and ambition, I'd argue that the Master Chief Collection still sets the bar. Having four different games from three different console generations all working within one package, with seamless cross-game playlists is unheard of, and I am not surprised that the game had a ton of issues when it came out, tbh.

That is in my book still way more impressive on a tech level than what FFVIIR does, which is "only" making a series of completely new AAA games.

Daysean · Sep 17, 2019

Not to derail your thread, but i want to give Square some credit for fucking giving us Trials of Mana AND annoucing a Remake of it at the same time in 2020

RockmanBN · Sep 17, 2019

It's possible for FF7 because they know that this will sell. Outside of the Crash N Sane Trilogy and Pokemon remakes which aren't as ambitious, I don't know many games that warrant something so ambitious.

RedRum · Sep 17, 2019

I hitherto dreamt of a game that came as a whole and not broken into parts.

giapel · Sep 17, 2019

I takes forever to make and we only get 1/3 of the story to start with.
It's an event game for sure, but I don't want others to follow suit. No thanks.

jviggy43 · Sep 17, 2019

What in the world? No op. Just no. Remaking a popular game that everyone has been asking for for years is not how i would define ambition. Least of which is the fact they cut the game up to sell us pieces.

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. How they are doing it is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

They've basically announced a nearly decade spanning AAA game trilogy (or more) years ahead of time and they have to follow though and. And deliver on expectations while successfully integrating new things into a classic and heralded game without disappointing people. Idk how that can't be called ambitious.

RedRum · Sep 17, 2019

Wrong thread!

Deleted member 2254 · Sep 17, 2019

Com_Raven said:
I'd have to disagree, to be honest. In terms of scope and ambition, I'd argue that the Master Chief Collection still sets the bar. Having four different games from three different console generations all working within one package, with seamless cross-game playlists is unheard of, and I am not surprised that the game had a ton of issues when it came out, tbh.

That is in my book still way more impressive on a tech level than what FFVIIR does, which is "only" making a series of completely new AAA games.

Yeah, this. The launch may have been rocky but this is about ambitions, and since FF7R isn't out it's impossible to compare finished products in that sense. But attempting to make a fully backwards and forwards compatible, smooth-transitioning collection of your entire franchise in one handy package with shared playlists and whatnot has to be the most ambitious attempt at a remake in a long while, even beating what Nadeo did with TrackMania United that successfully unified their last three games into one smooth and coherent package.

hank_tree · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. Splitting it into multiple parts is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

Where's the risk? If the first one doesn't sell enough or is poorly received, they don't have to make the sequels.

Splitting into multiple games reduces the risk/ambition. It doesn't increase it.

Deleted member 2254 · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. Splitting it into multiple parts is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

Eh, it's Final Fantasy 7. Even if the first remake disappointed many, it would still sell bazillions, and many would still be on board for the sequel considering that Square Enix would likely take their sweet time to make sure they iron out the first game's issues too, which would be a change that's heavily advertised and hyped.

Harry Potter Obama · Sep 17, 2019

If someone said "hitherto undreamt of" to me IRL with a straight face I would slap them

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

hank_tree said:
Where's the risk? If the first one doesn't sell enough or is poorly received, they don't have to make the sequels.

Splitting into multiple games reduces the risk/ambition. It doesn't increase it.

Uh except for the insane backlash they'd get from the people who did like it or want them to improve on the next one?

Jaaake · Sep 17, 2019

I'll have what you're drinking.

Zippo · Sep 17, 2019

Onebadlion said:
Did you seriously just say "hitherto undreamt of?"

Kismet · Sep 17, 2019

There are three episodes planned? I didn't know this.
So this is a ~15-years remake project...

Not worth it.

Glio · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. How they are doing it is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

They've basically announced a nearly decade spanning AAA game trilogy (or more) years ahead of time and they have to follow though and. And deliver on expectations while successfully integrating new things into a classic and heralded game without disappointing people. Idk how that can't be called ambitious.

I mean, if your definition of ambition is "They have invested a lot of money," then yes, it is ambitious.

hank_tree · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Uh except for the insane backlash they'd get from the people who did like it or want them to improve on the next one?

So the ambition you are talking about is just that splitting the game means that they are risking a backlash? That's hardly ambition.

hank_tree · Sep 17, 2019

Kismet said:
There are three episodes planned? I didn't know this.
So this is a ~15-years remake project...

Not worth it.

Nobody knows how many episodes it is yet. People just say 3 cos there were originally 3 discs.

Com_Raven · Sep 17, 2019

Glio said:
I mean, if your definition of ambition is "They have invested a lot of money," then yes, it is ambitious.

I think that is what the OP's argument kinda comes down to. By that reasoning of course, any game development (especially AAA) is always ambitious, cause you invest a lot of money without guarantees you will make it back.

Serene · Sep 17, 2019

RestEerie · Sep 17, 2019

ambitious is remaking Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

Glio said:
I mean, if your definition of ambition is "They have invested a lot of money," then yes, it is ambitious.

hank_tree said:
So the ambition you are talking about is just that splitting the game means that they are risking a backlash? That's hardly ambition.

Then how would you guys define ambition?

Aiming to successfully retell the story of a classic game in multiple parts that massively expand the scope of the game over the next 7 or so years and please the fans at the same time isn't a lofty goal?

EarthPainting · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. How they are doing it is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

They've basically announced a nearly decade spanning AAA game trilogy (or more) years ahead of time and they have to follow though and. And deliver on expectations while successfully integrating new things into a classic and heralded game without disappointing people. Idk how that can't be called ambitious.

I get what you're saying, but I think it would actually make it less risky. If they were to remake FF7 in one package, all of those resources would have to be spent up-front. If they release it in parts, they can scale the budget of subsequent releases if the previous ones don't sell to their expectations, or if their marketing research warns them of a drop in prospective sales. The FF13 games got noticeably lower budget with each release for instance.

immortal-joe · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Remaking FF7 alone isn't risky guys. How they are doing it is. It's taking a ton of development resources for a single remake. If the first one isn't up to standards, the next one could be less successful. And with how much they're adding and expanding, they have to be sure to add stuff that people will like to a game that they treasure very deeply.

They've basically announced a nearly decade spanning AAA game trilogy (or more) years ahead of time and they have to follow though and. And deliver on expectations while successfully integrating new things into a classic and heralded game without disappointing people. Idk how that can't be called ambitious.

- The popularity of the IP is precisely what makes splitting the game feasible, since fans will 'let it go' to dive back into their beloved world

- One would say the truly ambitious thing would be to recreate the full scope of the original FFVII in this style within a single game, because of the ridiculous time and budget required

All in all, they are in fact taking a safer approach, splitting the game into parts, and giving themselves breathing room to pivot and adjust their creative / strategic approach based on customer and market input.

acheron_xl · Sep 17, 2019

The discourse around this game is something else.

RockmanBN · Sep 17, 2019

Something truly ambitious would be funding $500 million for a Glover remake

Paz · Sep 17, 2019

I kinda hope the idea of splitting up what used to be one game into a bunch of games that span multiple console generations doesn't become a thing, but I'm onboard for the remake because I adore ff7.

Resident evil 2 seems to be the ideal middle ground for remake ambition.

Glio · Sep 17, 2019

Phendrift said:
Then how would you guys define ambition?

Aiming to successfully retell the story of a classic game in multiple parts that massively expand the scope of the game over the next 7 or so years and please the fans at the same time isn't a lofty goal?

It seems a fairly safe way and with little risk of earning a lot of money taking advantage of nostalgia and how much the graphics sell, yes.

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

EarthPainting said:
I get what you're saying, but I think it would actually make it less risky. If they were to remake FF7 in one package, all of those resources would have to be spent up-front. If they release it in parts, they can scale the budget of subsequent releases if the previous ones don't sell to their expectations, or if their marketing research warns them of a drop in prospective sales. The FF13 games got noticeably lower budget with each release for instance.

I mean, kind of what I'm saying is that they COULD have done it one package. The game could've just been easily graphics and gameplay changes alone, like RE2. With the same length, pacing and everything else. Add voice acting, new cutscenes and Fans would've been fine with that.

Wouldn't you say it's way more ambitious to go for what they're going for now?

aspiegamer · Sep 17, 2019

I'm not sure about the "hitherto undreamt" part, but I do respect that they stayed away from more of a straight shot-for-shot style remake which is still something millions of people would still have been entirely pleased with. Doing things differently is a little risky when the top selling point you're putting out there is nostalgia, and I'm glad that's seemingly not the only selling point they're going for.

The Spoony Hou · Sep 17, 2019

It's the safest thing S-E could do.

Phendrift · Sep 17, 2019

aspiegamer said:
I'm not sure about the "hitherto undreamt" part, but I do respect that they stayed away from more of a straight shot-for-shot style remake which is still something millions of people would still have been entirely pleased with. Doing things differently is a little risky when the top selling point you're putting out there is nostalgia, and I'm glad that's seemingly not the only selling point they're going for.

Avengers: Infinity War joke lol

But Yeah, this is what I'm pretty much saying.

Which wasn't even the point of the OP lol

Zeouter · Sep 17, 2019

A bit of an exaggeration, but I get you OP, they are at least not playing it 100% safe.
They're really going for it. They want it something they can be very proud of, I'd guess?

However - I do wonder FF7R isn't called FF7R: Part One?
Wouldn't that be a slightly more honest title?

Is the next one FF7R-2?

fourfourfun · Sep 17, 2019

I think commentary on this is best saved until the final episode is delivered.

Manipular · Sep 17, 2019

Onebadlion said:
Did you seriously just say "hitherto undreamt of?"

Came for this reply and was not disappointed lmao.

jdstorm · Sep 17, 2019

Madao said:
there's not many companies that could remake a game and have it hyped like how SE has FF7 remake hyped up.

from Nintendo all i could think of is OoT and even that game got a partial remake already which reduces a lot of the impact a full remake announcement would have.

OoT, PoP Sands of time, Mass Effect/Kotor, Final Fantasy 6,

It's a pretty short list

Edit: Pokémon Red/Blue would also be in that list but Gamefreak messed that up with the Letsgo remakes

Gamer @ Heart · Sep 17, 2019

Remaking one of their most popular games of all time with a remix of their other popular games series already established combat system while trying to sell us 1/3 of the original games scope is super brave OP.

FF7 Remake shows ambition hitherto undreamt of in this industry. Do you see other companies following Square’s method for the remake if successful?

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