You own Square-Enix: What's the next step for Final Fantasy?

[JasonKaotic]

My first step is to throw Enix into the cold, dark pits of abandonment. Freedom from modernisation and the other things they've added to FF that I hate. Then, I quit, and allow Final Fantasy to be how it used to be before Enix hijacked the bandwagon. :')
Oh, but I maintain some power of the company and burn anyone that tries to make a spin-off or a modernised remake of an older game at a stake.

 

[xorinite]

Make a good final fantasy game that I would enjoy playing myself.
I would also fight against the name "JRPGs" instead promoting them as "RPGs developed by square enix" since I would feel that it marginalises my games as sub genre which can be dismissed by people who don't happen to like products produced by other companies that also happen to be Japanese even if they are nothing alike, I have never heard anyone call Gothic and The Witcher ERPGs for instance.
I would try to bring up the standards of writing so that you don't have to read any cliff notes to enjoy the games, and try to bring in more choices, even if they are merely flavour options spending more time on that than on the visuals.
Although I would rather be producing a worthy sequel to Chrono Trigger. (Note: worthy)

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

It's my opinion that the current final fantasy games rely on an ancient mechanic: turn-based RPG. They're great, and hell, there were some classics back in the day, but it's become old. That was back when they lacked the processing power to actually portray battles, so picking the ATTACK button, and then afterward having the computer tell you how much damage you did was the most they could do.

Nowadays we have the power to create and portray fantastic, unscripted battles against monsters and enemies and what have you, but final fantasy, in most cases, sticks to the tried and tested model of turn-based action.

I mean think about it. Turn-based action? The very word is an oxymoron. I say let it die, and create a more action-oriented rpg where the "you encountered a monster. Kill it. Pick up lewtz. Repeat," ritual isn't such a drag.

It is more an issue of doing it right.They keep the formula for Dragon Quest and it still does amazingly well in my view.They just try to make it seem different with all the cinematic cluttering that makes your experience with Final Fantasy.It is a story after all,not meant to be a game.Best one in my view was FF9.

 

[D Moness]

Dump FF and make a REAL mana series rpg (not some dungeon crawler or RTS like game).

Call Treasure and make sequels of games that were made with Treasure/enix combo I want a mischief makers sequel "shake shake shake" <3

 

[Saviordd1]

A conversation struck up between me and my mates recently about JRPGs and how Final Fantasy has gradually been getting...not "worse", but maybe "out-dated". It then dawned us. What do you actually do with a series like Final Fantasy? Square-Enix is obviously trying to expand into new areas with Just Cause 2, Tomb Raider, Deus Ex and...err...Mindjack...but what about it's baby of sorts?

*A reboot seems pointless when the next big number in the series usually changes everything.
*Remakes are done on a regular basis, or left alone completely. (Final Fantasy VII for example)
*Straight sequels are often...dodgy. (X-2 and XIII-2 are very mixed opinions)
*A new direction has been done. A lot. There's way over 100 spin-offs like Tactics, Versus and Dissidia and THEIR sequels combined.
*Ending it would destroy Square-Enix. Not in sales, but in shares held by investors.

So to cut to the chase, you own Square-Enix now. What do you do next with FF?

As yahtzee said, finally fulfill their dreams and stop making games so they can make movies

 

[mireko]

Hire some writers who can actually write, train the directors to manage pacing, take some fucking risks.

Other than that, all my suggestions for FF are things that would maybe only appeal to me, so they wouldn't help much.

I would want them to cut down on the melodrama [small](but lots of people loved FFX, so maybe that wouldn't help)[/small], make sure the main story is grounded in some kind of logic [small](but lots of people love Evangelion, so maybe that wouldn't help)[/small], and finally I would take the setting to anywhere but the pseudo-steampunk sci-fi fantasy kitchen sink setting they've had for a while [small](but lots of people love, well, that)[/small].

OP: XIII-2 isn't even out yet, how can it have mixed opinions?

 

[Major_Tom]

Fuck Final Fantasy, I would make a new Parasite Eve.

 

[Ace of Spades]

Fire the entire staff and start from the ground up. No more pretension to being real-time. Back to turn-based combat. Multiple ways to develop a character's skills, but not all characters have access to venues of combat. No more having the AI subroutines play the game for the player. Less annoying transition sequences when you find random battles. Make the maps less linear, and more open, like the world map from FF12, with plenty of optional areas and side-quests to do. More practical and less ridiculous character and costume design, and I'd hire some decent writers to come up with the story.

 

[TheCommie12]

shut down the Final fantasy franchise.

 

[Vern5]

As my first act as owner of Square-Enix, I would like to begin a line of Middle-eastern/Arabian nights themed games called First Fantasy. And then a line of self-parodying games called Middle Fantasy.

 

[btrash]

Just cut the series entirely and start something new..

comeing.. FF started going downhill after X

 

[Blood Countess]

reboot the whole damn series and stop trying to make a god damn anime out of it with each game

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I would give it to the FF Tactics/Tactics Ogre team and say "Take as long you need. And if anyone bugs you, don't hesitate to reprimand them". Seriously, XII would have been the best FF since VI and VII had Matsuno actually finished it instead of losing his mind. I doubt the FFT boys will ever touch FF again though

 

[Drakmorg]

I'd just start taking away more player interactivity with each new iteration, until eventually Final Fantasy XVII is just a 50 hour long movie.
That's where the series is going anyway, might as well keep going with the business model that is guaranteed to make embarrassing amounts of money.

That, and remake FFVII. That alone will make me enough that I can make a money pile big enough to have it's own damn ski lift.

 

[Stammer]

I'd say stop making Final Fantasy games for a while and let people care about the series. Work on some other good games like Deus Ex. Maybe continue remaking a bunch of older titles for handhelds, etc.

Then after a few years really start to pay attention to their fans. The biggest problem with Square-Enix is its lack of communication, especially with its two MMORPG's. (Seriously in the XIV beta they didn't even allow the testers to submit feedback...)

 

[Blitzkrieg64]

First, why the hell would I own Square-Enix?

Second, make movies and games that expand on the movies by exploring bit characters that people would care about.

Third, put it up on eBay for $0.01 and see where it goes from there.

 

[Snotnarok]

Put it on hiatus for a few years and when it gets brought back, keep the twiggy teenagers with emo haircuts and horribly done angst out of the next one. Keep the main focus off of graphics (so it's not one giant boring hallway for 25 boring hours) and keep it on gameplay and story. And for god sakes not let some other company in China make a MMO out of it.

 

[Pancake Madness]

Somehow get BioWare (either the company or the devs themselves) on my side, then do a joint project with Atlus. There, problem solved.