Jason Schreier: "Final Fantasy VII Remake's Box Art Sure Is Misleading"

[Deleted member 49438]

Official E3 FF7R trailer description https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCJZg7pVtiI&t=1s
As i've stated 100x, they're not hiding this information, it's everywhere.

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Literally does not matter. Schmucks will still walk into Wal-mart, swing by the game aisle, see the box-art and buy the game on nostalgia, being none the wiser. I worked in the electronics section at target for a few months & believe me, most consumers I interacted with are that dumb.

There isn't a good reason to not add part 1 to it, other than to deceive people about the actual contents of the game. The only reason people have seem to come up with to not add a subtitle is, "well it isn't absolutely necessary." I mean sure, technically, but that's a pretty shit reason to deceive any # of customers.

Edit: only other reason I see people saying is to put it on the back of the box... you know, the back of the box you can't see when you go to many stores because they're locked behind a glass window with only the front facing out...

 

[Sumio Mondo]

They are probably already on production for part 2. Don't be disingenuous.

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Exactly. As if Square are sitting on their hands until Part 1 is out since they think this is some niche project that just mught not make bank is a funny prospect. They should have put Part 1 on the cover art, regardless of whether they say as such on the back of the box or not.

 

[Trejo]

It is most definitely misleading. They should really stick a "Midgar Arc" or something on the cover.

I can assure you without a shadow of a doubt that there will be a not insignificant number of people who are gonna go into the game expecting it to be the full thing.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Stop being disingenuous. No one reads the description of a YouTube video. Is it stated clearly in the video?

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Ahh yes, reading a small paragraph on a page that you're already on is asking alot huh?

But i'll play along with your bad faith argument. This is their E3 presentation, it's not even official and it's over 1 million views so no need to pretend like nobody watched it, oh and don't worry that it's 20 minutes long because it's one of the first things they say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvzzivkK28

 

[Schaft0620]

Official E3 FF7R trailer description https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCJZg7pVtiI&t=1s



As i've stated 100x, they're not hiding this information, it's everywhere.

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What about the other 2 million people that didn't watch this trailer that are going to buy the game the first week? What about the other 5 or 6 million on top of that next year?

 

[MarvelousIntent]

Then they're being misleading purposely for sales.

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Probably, yeah.

 

[DL Clyde]

Basically this; calling it FFVII Remake is obviously meant to rely on people's memories/nostalgia for FFVII to make them want to purchase it, and sticking Part 1 in the title would probably lead to some people hesitating since it's not the full game/may not contain their favorite parts.

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Definitely this because it's exactly what I'm doing.

 

[RockmanBN]

Ahh yes, reading a small paragraph on a page that you're already on is asking alot huh?

But i'll play along with your bad faith argument. This is their E3 presentation, it's not even official and it's over 1 million views so no need to pretend like nobody watched it, oh and don't worry that it's 20 minutes long because it's one of the first things they say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvzzivkK28

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The whole purpose of this thread is about the general public whom may only see one or two trailers. You're going to convince me that those people will open a 20 minute video?

 

[HereticGrin]

Ahh yes, reading a small paragraph on a page that you're already on is asking alot huh?

But i'll play along with your bad faith argument. This is their E3 presentation, it's not even official and it's over 1 million views so no need to pretend like nobody watched it, oh and don't worry that it's 20 minutes long because it's one of the first things they say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvzzivkK28

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So much projection you could operate an IMAX theatre with it. They weren't making 'bad faith's arguments at all, however you sure seem to be lol

 

[Lobster Roll]

Sometimes it's important to step outside of one's bubble and consider the perspective of another person. There are plenty of people who still go into their local big box electronics store and casually browse the game section for something that might interest them. There are plenty of people who do zero pre-purchase research and buy games that have cool-looking covers. There are plenty of people who don't care about E3 presentations, interviews, trailers, leaks, or other forms of online information.

The fact remains that a number of people greater than zero will purchase this game because they see "Final Fantasy 7 Remake" on the shelf and will also be confused when the game ends after Midgar. The remake even uses the exact same imagery as the original, complete game. What's an easier road to take ... supporting the slapping of the words "Part 1" on the cover, or throwing one's self on their sword and coming up with every excuse imaginable as to why it's more reasonable to be deceptive? It's ok to be critical of companies whose products you consume and enjoy.

 

[TDLink]

Sometimes it's important to step outside of one's bubble and consider the perspective of another person. There are plenty of people who still go into their local big box electronics store and casually browse the game section for something that might interest them. There are plenty of people who do zero pre-purchase research and buy games that have cool-looking covers. There are plenty of people who don't care about E3 presentations, interviews, trailers, leaks, or other forms of online information.

The fact remains that a number of people greater than zero will purchase this game because they see "Final Fantasy 7 Remake" on the shelf and will also be confused when the game ends after Midgar. The remake even uses the exact same imagery as the original, complete game. What's an easier road to take ... supporting the slapping of the words "Part 1" on the cover, or throwing one's self on their sword and coming up with every excuse imaginable as to why it's more reasonable to be deceptive? It's ok to be critical of companies whose products you consume and enjoy.

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Great post that I couldn't agree with more.

 

[Deleted member 27471]

1. You are inconsistent. People are both informed enough to know it's only Midgar and also uninformed enough to be confused if we slap Part 1 on the box.
2. You ignored the entire history of gaming purchases to falsely equivocate your wild claim that there are "basically no uninformed consumers buying this game".
3. You are basically saying it's ok to mislead people as long as they didn't know what they were missing in the first place.
4. Your backpedaling ends up at "Well, I just don't think it'll be an issue."

Basically, you've been pulling claims out of your ass and then backing up to not being able to fathom that this issue is an issue. Discussing with you is just as much of a waste of time as that other guy.

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1. I wouldn't think im being inconsistent. Ive said that the people going into this game not knowing anything and remaining ignorant before purchasing something they know nothing about with the outcome of being outraged that they just played a full game but wasnt what they wanted is small. I dont think we will see outrage. I dont think we will see millions of people racing to twitter or their local game store to complain about it.

I then also said that putting part 1 on the box could aim to confuse people as well because its suppose to be a full RPG worth of content.

2. i never said what you quoted... but i did say what i just wrote above.

3. im basically saying? lol, wow. I'm not basically saying anything. If you want to have an actual conversation why dont you first understand what im saying instead of making shit up. I said that the people who know nothing about this game, are buying the game as is, with no expectations of its design. They will play a full RPG title from Square and if its a good game, they will enjoy it. The title of the game will have zero influence on them. thats what im saying.

4.again, i never said what you quoted. Someone asked me what the reason for my stance was and it being that i think is a non issue is exactly my stance. Its called having a conversation where we can discuss reasons, and different ideas. Its okay to disagree you know. You dont need to be so hurt by it.

 

[headspawn]

Final Fantasy VII-R: Midgar

 

[The Unsent]

As long as it has a reasonable play time - who cares? If they extend it and do it good it'll feel like a full game any way.

The Last of Us was part 1 too, part 2 comes out next year ;)

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Playtime isn't everything, traditionally I'd want to see my favourite moments of the original recreated with modern talent in a game that is called a remake. The box art and branding raises an eyebrow.

Last of Us comparision doesn't have that context.

 

[Dogui]

People are so caught up with Jason saying Part 1.

Here's a thing:

DON'T call it Part 1 then. Or Episode 1.

Give it a subtitle like they do for the Kingdom Hearts games! There. You no longer have to worry about lower sales because of the evil "Part 1".

And do people really expect Final Fantasy VII to not sell??? Final Fantasy VII??? The darling of the Final Fantasy series that people can't stop talking about?

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I don't know how to say this, people mostly assumes you're part of SE's defense force or even care for FFVIIR's sales because you don't agree with them, but hear me out for a sec. I don't really give much of a shit to FFVIIR sales, i don't have a PS4 right now and sure are not purchasing the actual game at release, or even at 2020.

I don't even think it's a bad idea to wait all the games to be released or something. People wanting to play the remake most for nostalgia reasons will hate to ending the game after Midgar no matter what else.

But back to the topic, i think putting "part 1" on the cover would be a stupid move from SE and atleast as misleading as not putting anything at all. Maybe the term remake itself could be seen as misleading if you think how much stuff will change.

But yeah, i think FFVIIR: Midgar would be cool, as it's "AAA naming convention" enough.

 

[MrConbon210]

1. I wouldn't think im being inconsistent. Ive said that the people going into this game not knowing anything and remaining ignorant before purchasing something they know nothing about with the outcome of being outraged that they just played a full game but wasnt what they wanted is small. I dont think we will see outrage. I dont think we will see millions of people racing to twitter or their local game store to complain about it.

I then also said that putting part 1 on the box could aim to confuse people as well because its suppose to be a full RPG worth of content.

2. i never said what you quoted... but i did say what i just wrote above.

3. im basically saying? lol, wow. I'm not basically saying anything. If you want to have an actual conversation why dont you first understand what im saying instead of making shit up. I said that the people who know nothing about this game, are buying the game as is, with no expectations of its design. They will play a full RPG title from Square and if its a good game, they will enjoy it. The title of the game will have zero influence on them. thats what im saying.

4.again, i never said what you quoted. Someone asked me what the reason for my stance was and it being that i think is a non issue is exactly my stance. Its called having a conversation where we can discuss reasons, and different ideas. Its okay to disagree you know. You dont need to be so hurt by it.

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Even if there aren't millions of people bscklashing, it doesn't mean it's a good thing to do. There will be a good amount of people buying this game believing it is a remake of a game they are nostalgic for. Even with all the expanded sections. It's still missing the other 2/3 of the original game. People will bound to be disappointed by that.

 

[Sir Hound]

Because it's a full game?

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Perhaps but it isn't the full final fantasy 7 remake

 

[blitzblake]

Perhaps but it isn't the full final fantasy 7 remake

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sounds more like a reimagining to me. If they've expanded the first 4 hours of the original into a full 20 hour + game. People who have only played the original and pick this up off the shelf are gonna be pretty confused/think they have dementia.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Sometimes it's important to step outside of one's bubble and consider the perspective of another person. There are plenty of people who still go into their local big box electronics store and casually browse the game section for something that might interest them. There are plenty of people who do zero pre-purchase research and buy games that have cool-looking covers. There are plenty of people who don't care about E3 presentations, interviews, trailers, leaks, or other forms of online information.

The fact remains that a number of people greater than zero will purchase this game because they see "Final Fantasy 7 Remake" on the shelf and will also be confused when the game ends after Midgar. The remake even uses the exact same imagery as the original, complete game. What's an easier road to take ... supporting the slapping of the words "Part 1" on the cover, or throwing one's self on their sword and coming up with every excuse imaginable as to why it's more reasonable to be deceptive? It's ok to be critical of companies whose products you consume and enjoy.

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Thank you.

 

[wartime]

What will they call the next part? Final Fantasy VII Remake again? Or will they call that Part 2 without having called this part 1?

 

[Radishhead]

I'm excited about this game, but I agree it's a bit shady how SE is not willing to declare it's not the full story people remember from the PS era.

 

[MarvelousIntent]

But yeah, i think FFVIIR: Midgar would be cool, as it's "AAA naming convention" enough.

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But that doesn't suggest it isn't a full remake or that it's part 1 of 2 or 3.

 

[Papacheeks]

Exactly. As if Square are sitting on their hands until Part 1 is out since they think this is some niche project that just mught not make bank is a funny prospect. They should have put Part 1 on the cover art, regardless of whether they say as such on the back of the box or not.

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Honestly from what I've read and heard, since they changed over to Unreal 4 they have been in a great production status. Kingdom hearts 4 helped a lot with some of the custom tools they sued and I believe documentation information between teams was shared. I mean they literally showed the game off in 2015 and I think within a year of that rebooted production in unreal 4.

So thats what a little over 3 years for the first entry? Which is nutts, hopefully that extra content shows in the exploring of midgar.

 

[Mr. Genuine]

I can see how people might be confused, disappointed after the game ends after Midgar, but if this game is really 40 hours, I'm not sure how, by the end, they're really going to be expecting... 300 more hours of story left?

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

What will they call the next part? Final Fantasy VII Remake again? Or will they call that Part 2 without having called this part 1?

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I think FF7R-2 makes the most sense.

 

[MrConbon210]

But that doesn't suggest it isn't a full remake or that it's part 1 of 2 or 3.

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it's a happy middle ground for those who hate the idea of naming it Part 1. We have no idea how many parts there will be so calling it Midgar let's players have an idea of what the game entails.

 

[RockmanBN]

But that doesn't suggest it isn't a full remake or that it's part 1 of 2 or 3.

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It suggests only Midgar which is better than plain "Remake" which suggests a remake of the entire PS1 game.

 

[Burrman]

Just put part 1 in the title. That would turn off a lot of customers tho. But it's probably the right thing to do.

 

[Lumination]

1. I wouldn't think im being inconsistent. Ive said that the people going into this game not knowing anything and remaining ignorant before purchasing something they know nothing about with the outcome of being outraged that they just played a full game but wasnt what they wanted is small. I dont think we will see outrage. I dont think we will see millions of people racing to twitter or their local game store to complain about it.

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Ah ah ah. Don't change your story now.

How were you confused about all this during TGS when they've already stated its only in Midgar? Also the person you replied to is right, the amount of people living under a rock is low. All the other new people to the series will enjoy it just fine as long as it's a full $60 dollar good game. It's not like someone new to the series is going to boot it up, finish it in 4 hours and wonder where the rest of the game is.

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The context was always about whether or not uninformed consumers exist, not how angry they would be or whatever other attempt at moving the goalposts you've tried here.

3. im basically saying? lol, wow. I'm not basically saying anything. If you want to have an actual conversation why dont you first understand what im saying instead of making shit up. I said that the people who know nothing about this game, are buying the game as is, with no expectations of its design. They will play a full RPG title from Square and if its a good game, they will enjoy it. The title of the game will have zero influence on them. thats what im saying.

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I fail to see how you've said anything differently here. People who know nothing about the game have no expectations, and if they get a good game that's not what you and I know as the FINAL FANTASY VII, that's fine. That's your claim, right? So. People who don't know any better are not getting the game you and I know as FINAL FANTASY VII and this is ok because they don't know any better. That's what you're saying.

4.again, i never said what you quoted. Someone asked me what the reason for my stance was and it being that i think is a non issue is exactly my stance. Its called having a conversation where we can discuss reasons, and different ideas. Its okay to disagree you know. You dont need to be so hurt by it.

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You keep claiming that you're having a discussion, but I've asked you like twice now and you haven't really answered it. Why are you against slapping Part 1, Vol. 1, Ep. 1 on the front? Remember, the amount of people living under a rock is low, so they shouldn't think it's a 5hr game. You've also said just now that, the title of the game will have zero influence on them, so I'm glad we can agree to add that subtitle now since there's no harm in doing so.

 

[Burrman]

What will they call the next part? Final Fantasy VII Remake again? Or will they call that Part 2 without having called this part 1?

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Return of Cloud
Then
Rise of cloudo

 

[Dogui]

But that doesn't suggest it isn't a full remake or that it's part 1 of 2 or 3.

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Imo it suggests a different naming convention, which means a completely different stuff, and encourages the consumer to inform themselves.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Return of Cloud
Then
Rise of cloudo

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Final Fantasy VII: The Clouds Part

 

[lightchris]

Absolutely.

I hope they just haven't revealed the full official title/box art yet (and maybe they too weren't sure how to call it after deciding to split it into multiple parts).

 

[Yarbskoo]

I'm sure it'll say "multi-part series" or something on the back, but yeah, it's a stupid name. It may be a "full game", but it's not a full remake.

 

[AlexFlame116]

I don't know how to say this, people mostly assumes you're part of SE's defense force or even care for FFVIIR's sales because you don't agree with them, but hear me out for a sec. I don't really give much of a shit to FFVIIR sales, i don't have a PS4 right now and sure are not purchasing the actual game at release, or even at 2020.

I don't even think it's a bad idea to wait all the games to be released or something. People wanting to play the remake most for nostalgia reasons will hate to ending the game after Midgar no matter what else.

But back to the topic, i think putting "part 1" on the cover would be a stupid move from SE and atleast as misleading as not putting anything at all. Maybe the term remake itself could be seen as misleading if you think how much stuff will change.

But yeah, i think FFVIIR: Midgar would be cool, as it's "AAA naming convention" enough.

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But that's the problem with the title of the game. Not only that, but the box art as well.

Everything in the front of the box implies that this is a full remake of the entire story of Final Fantasy VII. For PS4.

It's the perfect nostalgia catch. People will eat that in droves. And many will realize that, uh oh, the game ends somewhere around the end of Midgar. Where's the rest of the game? A second part? Oh and you can't ask for a refund, especially when purchased digitally.

And like I said, they can easily put a subtitle the way that Ground Zeroes did.

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Midgar
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Awakening
Final Fantasy VII Remake: First Class
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Avalanche
Midgar: A Final Fantasy VII Remake Story
(Probably not that last one)

That helps dissuade the fear that having a Part 1 in the title could hurt sales according to some people here.

I'm buying this game. I have the First Class Edition preordered. I'm not trying to put down the game or tarnish it.

 

[Voytek]

I sorta agree but I don't care enough about it to be upset or anything. It is what it is.

 

[Yarbskoo]

It's the perfect nostalgia catch. People will eat that in droves. And many will realize that, uh oh, the game ends somewhere around the end of Midgar. Where's the rest of the game? A second part?

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It's literally the opposite of what happened when people reached the end of Midgar in the original game. It's kind of amazing.

 

[Deleted member 3010]

I'm surprised there's even 30% of people in that poll that think that this is not misleading like, this many?!

It's like these guys have no firm grasp of the context at hand here or even what FFVII is and just voted no to troll because I just don't get it.

I mean, come the fuck on. It's like saying 2+2=5 and some people come out of the woods with some elaborate ways to explain and legitimize that result.

 

[Border]

Kinda funny that we just had a thread where someone said the first time he played FF7 his mind was blown when he thought the game was going to end as the characters escaped Midgar, and he discovered that there was a whole gigantic game outside of Midgar.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going to have the opposite effect, where you get out of Midgar and people will be like "What the fuck? That's all?"

 

[Yarbskoo]

Kinda funny that we just had a thread where someone said the first time he played FF7 his mind was blown when he thought the game was going to end as the characters escaped Midgar, and he discovered that there was a whole gigantic game outside of Midgar.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going to have the opposite effect, where you get out of Midgar and people will be like "What the fuck? That's all?"

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The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past Remake
The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past Remake 2: The Dark World

 

[Deleted member 27471]

Ah ah ah. Don't change your story now.

The context was always about whether or not uninformed consumers exist, not how angry they would be or whatever other attempt at moving the goalposts you've tried here.


I fail to see how you've said anything differently here. People who know nothing about the game have no expectations, and if they get a good game that's not what you and I know as the FINAL FANTASY VII, that's fine. That's your claim, right? So. People who don't know any better are not getting the game you and I know as FINAL FANTASY VII and this is ok because they don't know any better. That's what you're saying.


You keep claiming that you're having a discussion, but I've asked you like twice now and you haven't really answered it. Why are you against slapping Part 1, Vol. 1, Ep. 1 on the front? Remember, the amount of people living under a rock is low, so they shouldn't think it's a 5hr game. You've also said just now that, the title of the game will have zero influence on them, so I'm glad we can agree to add that subtitle now since there's no harm in doing so.

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I've literally answered all your questions in my posts to you and other members. There's been no goal posts movement here. If you like, go read all my posts and you'll see that I've said exactly what I've claimed I've said.

 

[XaviConcept]

Its not misleading, its just not very good

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Kinda funny that we just had a thread where someone said the first time he played FF7 his mind was blown when he thought the game was going to end as the characters escaped Midgar, and he discovered that there was a whole gigantic game outside of Midgar.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going to have the opposite effect, where you get out of Midgar and people will be like "What the fuck? That's all?"

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I find it hard to believe that someone is going to be 40 hours into the game and think they're only a small part into it.

 

[TDLink]

I find it hard to believe that someone is going to be 40 hours into the game and think they're only a small part into it.

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There is no actual indication this is going to be a 40 hour game. It may be closer to around 20, or less. Which could still be enough to justify a $60 price tag, plenty of games are around that long, but people assuming this is going to be a 40+ hr RPG are pulling that purely out of their imagination.

Also, gameplay and pure "Hours it takes" aside, the point where they leave Midgar is not really a conclusion to any sort of story. It's literally just the beginning of the story.

 

[Border]

I find it hard to believe that someone is going to be 40 hours into the game and think they're only a small part into it.

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That's no more absurd than thinking Final Fantasy 7 was going to end at Midgar when there were still 2 more discs yet to be played.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

There is no actual indication this is going to be a 40 hour game. It may be closer to around 20, or less. Which could still be enough to justify a $60 price tag, plenty of games are around that long, but people assuming this is going to be a 40+ hr RPG are pulling that purely out of their imagination.

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Square Enix explicitly compared this project to the XIII trilogy, those are 30-40 hours depending on your play style, with an additional 20-40 hours of post game content.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Square Enix explicitly compared this project to the XIII trilogy, those are 30-40 hours depending on your play style, with an additional 20-40 hours of post game content.

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That really just means "it's going to be three games you have to pay full price for", not "they're all going to be 40 to 60 hours long".

 

[Rotimi]

I honestly agree with him. It was at E3 I found out it was going to be a complete remake. And I wondered why the Title doesn't make that clear.

 

[Ruby-Eyed Witch]

I mean, come the fuck on. It's like saying 2+2=5 and some people come out of the woods with some elaborate ways to explain and legitimize that result.

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It's not misleading at all to say that 2+2=5, because the informed consumer knows better. Frankly, stating that 2+2=4 makes it look like you're not getting as much out your addition, and it's still a full-length equation, so why does the sum even matter? The equation manufacturer is totally justified in marketing 2+2 in a way that will sell more equations, and honestly, if you don't know that 2+2 doesn't equal 5, you got the equation you deserve.

/s

 

[TDLink]

Square Enix explicitly compared this project to the XIII trilogy, those are 30-40 hours depending on your play style, with an additional 20-40 hours of post game content.

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That really just means "it's going to be three games you have to pay full price for", not "they're all going to be 40 to 60 hours long".

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Agreed.

I am personally extremely skeptical, even with some additions, that they can eek 40 hours out of story that covered ~4 hours. Nothing they have shown in trailers has indicated a drastic amount of new story content either.

It's -possible- there could be ~40 hours of gameplay if you take into account some amount of filler side quests or something that most people won't 100%. But even then, I really don't know.