New details on Project Athia

[SolidSnakex]

Imran discusses it a bit here



- Square is very heavily invested in the game. Internally the expectations are that they want it to be their next big thing
- Their CEO (Yosuke Matsuda) sometimes has a pet project, and at the moment it's PA
- He believes that they've expressed their expectations about it to Sony and that they're going to go hard on marketing it. To some extent you could probably see this when people were surprised after the initial announcement because all of Sony's social media accounts switched to it as their head
- He says he knows some things about exactly what the game is, but is hesitant to say it because he doesn't know what's publicly available knowledge yet
- He says the star is someone from Charlie's Angels, so i'm going to assume that means it's Ella Ballinska based on the characters appearance in the trailer

- The game was such a secret project for so long that they were intentionally misleading people by telling them that it was FFXVI, and that led to confusion as to when it was even going to be announced

 

[Spring-Loaded]

don't get my hopes up about the protagonist

 

[Vimto]

I'm very interested in this game, can't wait to learn more.

The game was such a secret project for so long that they were intentionally misleading people by telling them that it was FFXVI, and that led to confusion as to when it was even going to be announced

Click to shrink...

I'm hopeful this means the game has been in development for a while, hopefully it's ready soon.

 

[Mr. Genuine]

Square executives having high hopes for this means it's doomed.

 

[Chumunga64]

- The game was such a secret project for so long that they were intentionally misleading people by telling them that it was FFXVI, and that led to confusion as to when it was even going to be announced

Click to shrink...

you guys think tidbit was the source of all the confusion about FF16 in the PS5 reveal

 

[Afrikan]

NICE! I hope the videogame model retains her gap.

 

[Uzupedro]

Square is very heavily invested in the game. Internally the expectations are that they want it to be their next big thing
Their CEO (Yosuke Matsuda) sometimes has a pet project, and at the moment it's PA

Click to shrink...

idk if this is good or bad lmao

 

[Raigor]

Another >100-150 million USD project incoming.

Good luck

 

[Unkindled]

Avengers was the last pet project. Well that's not a good sign.

 

[Wracu]

Has Lightning been forgotten???

 

[nelsonroyale]

I am starting to get hyped for this...is it an rpg though?

 

[A.M.R]

NICE! I hope the videogame model retains her gap.

Click to shrink...

What gap?

 

[Chaserjoey]

I was surprised this didn't turn out to be FFXVII and SE would hit with a double whammy of two unrelated mainline FF games being made at the same time, but if they want this to be a brand new series that's fine.

Hope we get a lot more official info and details about the game soon. These little details are nice but I want something to really dig in to.

 

[Herb Alpert]

It's weird, this kind of talk that should give confidence (next big thing, high expectations, etc), now just kinda kill my interest...
I'm curious cause I'm always curious about square output, but I watch this from a distance.

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

- The game was such a secret project for so long that they were intentionally misleading people by telling them that it was FFXVI, and that led to confusion as to when it was even going to be announced

Click to shrink...

Haha

The trailer was cool. Looking forward to it.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I have yet to see literally anything about this game that justifies any hype. Kind of confused as to why Square is pinning all their hopes on it.

 

[Chumunga64]

What gap?

Click to shrink...

between her teeth

 

[The Last One]

Reading this I'm kinda shocked that they have both XVI and PA announced in such a small gap of time.

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

This is big talk and also, if this is true, this seems awkward considering FFXVI is right around the corner too?

 

[Wracu]

Kind of confused as to why Square is pinning all their hopes on it.

Click to shrink...

This reads as hyperbole.

 

[LaneDS]

Still expecting this to be a Final Fantasy branded product in the end, but am interested to find out more regardless of what happens with it.

 

[Ovvv]

I have yet to see literally anything about this game that justifies any hype. Kind of confused as to why Square is pinning all their hopes on it.

Click to shrink...

Because they've seen more than we have?

 

[Afrikan]

between her teeth

Click to shrink...

Just looked it up and it does! Great!

 

[Neutra]

as hyped as i am for FFXVI this game is the real Square mystery project that i'm dying to know more about.

in a previous thread i think Imran mentioned that some of the development is happening at Square's western studios.

 

[entrydenied]

This is big talk and also, if this is true, this seems awkward considering FFXVI is right around the corner too?

Click to shrink...

I think Luminous Productions' aim was always to come up with a new IP that can stand with FF, KH and DQ but on a global level. So I don't see how it's awkward. FF16 is basically business as usual but this project could mean a lot to SE if they succeed.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Because they've seen more than we have?

Click to shrink...

Then they should actually show literally anything, not just a bland tech demo trailer. Show some gameplay, some combat, actually tell us what bloody genre it is.

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

I think Luminous Productions' aim was always to come up with a new IP that can stand with FF, KH and DQ but on a global level. So I don't see how it's awkward. FF16 is basically business as usual but this project could mean a lot to SE if they succeed.

Click to shrink...

It would seem like you would want to space out KH, FF, DQ, and this. Especially if it's supposed to be a tentpole. That's why it seems awkward to me.

 

[Smoshow]

I hope we see and learn more about this game. Looks interesting but we know so little

 

[entrydenied]

Then they should actually show literally anything, not just a bland tech demo trailer. Show some gameplay, some combat, actually tell us what bloody genre it is.

Click to shrink...

Give it time. It's not like SE is the one telling us this. This is just Imran telling people what he has heard.

It would seem like you would want to space out KH, FF, DQ, and this. Especially if it's supposed to be a tentpole.

Click to shrink...

They can announce and will always announce multiple projects and talk about multiple projects at any given time. The time that changes seems to be when they do full blown marketing. It's not like Althia is coming out in the same time frame anyway. 16 is probably going to be released 1 year before Athia?

 

[The Last One]

Then they should actually show literally anything, not just a bland tech demo trailer. Show some gameplay, some combat, actually tell us what bloody genre it is.

Click to shrink...

You do realize that this info about "Square expecting to be their next big thing" is not coming from them but from a source on the known, right? They aren't hyping the game yet.

 

[Nauren]

I am very interested in the game. I just want to see more than a spell or hopping across rocks.

 

[Neutra]

which game is gonna have a blow-out unveiling first do you think -- FFXVI or Athia? various journalists/insiders have said that both games are coming "sooner than you think".

 

[Einchy]

Here's hoping it's a full on action game.

 

[The Lord of Cereal]

I hope that the timed exclusivity doesn't kill this game like what happened with Rise of the Tomb Raider and lots of other games. 2 years timed exclusive just seems detrimental to the game being successful to me

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Give it time. It's not like SE is the one telling us this. This is just Imran telling people what he has heard.

Click to shrink...

True. Fair point.

which game is gonna have a blow-out unveiling first do you think -- FFXVI or Athia? various journalists/insiders have said that both games are coming "sooner than you think".

Click to shrink...

XVI probably.

 

[Quinton]

The thing about misleading folks into thinking this was XVI sounds so strange that I'd forgive anyone for suspecting it isn't true. But frankly, it explains so much to me.

 

[Azerth]

Next big thing excludes xbox fanebase from game for 2 years

 

[BasilZero]

I hope it turns out well.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Next big thing excludes xbox fanebase from game for 2 years

Click to shrink...

I mean, FF7R excluded both the Xbox and PC player bases for a year and that's sold over 5m copies already.

 

[Ovvv]

Then they should actually show literally anything, not just a bland tech demo trailer. Show some gameplay, some combat, actually tell us what bloody genre it is.

Click to shrink...

Dawg this is Square Enix we're talking about. Mind you, the information today isn't from Square themselves. Internally they can have high hopes for something that has yet to be shown to everyone else lol.

 

[Deleted member 5725]

Good to hear that they've been working on this for a long time already. Maybe XVI release in 2022, Athia in 2023?

 

[entrydenied]

which game is gonna have a blow-out unveiling first do you think -- FFXVI or Athia? various journalists/insiders have said that both games are coming "sooner than you think".

Click to shrink...

XVI will probably have a full blowout next year, timing dependant on how Covid19 has affected development. If the insider who posted here about 16 originally being planned for Summer 2021 is correct, I'm expecting the game to be pushed and released in early 2022. Athia will probably get a bigger trailer next year that is similar to XVI's first trailer.

XVI started development sometime in 2016 while Athia probably sometime in 2017/2018, depending on how much was decided/canned after Tabata's departure.

 

[Dinda]

really looking forward to more info on Athia, and Ella Ballinska would be great!

 

[Malkier]

More excited for this then 16 tbh.

 

[abrack]

I have yet to see literally anything about this game that justifies any hype. Kind of confused as to why Square is pinning all their hopes on it.

Click to shrink...

Probably safe to assume they've seen way more of it than you or me. Weird comment. The amount we've seen, at this point, is irrelevant to whether their hopes have merit or not.

 

[Atolm]

Will it be a new IP in the end? I wonder.

 

[karmitt]

I hope that the timed exclusivity doesn't kill this game like what happened with Rise of the Tomb Raider and lots of other games. 2 years timed exclusive just seems detrimental to the game being successful to me

Click to shrink...

Plenty of exclusives are successful no? If Sony gives it the same spotlight as a first party title, I'm sure it'll do fine.

 

[entrydenied]

Will it be a new IP in the end? I wonder.

Click to shrink...

Yes because that's what the aim of Luminous Productions is, from from the beginning, and that didn't change even after Tabata left.

 

[Azerth]

I mean, FF7R excluded both the Xbox and PC player bases for a year and that's sold over 5m copies already.

Click to shrink...

And it would have sold more had it come out on the other platforms

 

[Atolm]

Yes because that's what the aim of Luminous Productions is, from from the beginning, and that didn't change even after Tabata left.

Click to shrink...

I know but it seems like a project with a very big scope and production values, maybe in the end they'll feel more secure attaching the FF brand there.