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Japanese Developers Talk About PS3 RPGs
ByYoshi Sato,06/27/2007
The latest issue of Dengeki Playstation featured a special article on the future of PlayStation3 RPGs. Most of the article talks about how hardware technology has brought changes in development of RPGs, a genre which is synonymous with lengthy development time and higher production costs. Here are some excerpts from various developers of upcoming PS3 titles.
Last Remnant, one of Square Enix's brand new IP, is one of the few titles which will be released simultaneously in both Japanese and North American market. Executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu commented, "We wanted everyone in the world to play this game at the same time, so this title is not just for the Japanese market, but worldwide." Director Hiroshi Takai spoke on their challenges in development, "We have to deal with both Japanese and English versions at the same time, so it is a big job for us." Chief Planner Masato Yagi adds, "The script also had to be worked on earlier than the usual schedule for translation. In the press conference, the dialogues in the footage were all English, but rest assured the script, including the Japanese counterpart, is already completed."
When asked what is the highlight of this game, Takai goes on to say that "the battle scene, which involves a total of 70 player and enemy characters on screen is probably one of the things that demonstrates what we can do with next generation technology. Although there are party restrictions, players are able to control half of the total which is 35 characters. Originally, the idea was to have players control a group of characters by selecting commands, then we proceeded with the idea of having pair of characters, and eventually multiplied to a maximum of 70 characters. A large scale battle involving large number of characters is what we intended to accomplish when we started developing a RPG for a next generation console."
Square Enix's latest Final Fantasy XIII projects Fabula Nova Crystallis seems to be taking a bolder step perhaps blurring the lines between RPG and action game. Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase comments, "in [Final Fantasy XIII], there is drama even in just a swing of the sword. How many enemies are there in the direction you are swinging? Are there differences in reaction depending on which enemy you attack? Will the enemy take the blow or leave unwounded after the attack? Just selecting the "Attack" command will become interesting. With next generation technology, RPGs will require real time elements like those of action games." Meanwhile Final Fantasy Versus XIII director Tetsuya Nomura, explains that the game "will be very action oriented, where players will feel more engaged in the battle rather than just watching it unfold. While retaining the Final Fantasy **** our goal is to deliver the excitement and immersion like you would in a third person shooter. In that sense, it will be a different type of game from the previous Final Fantasy games."
As for Level 5's White Knight Story, company president Hino Akihiro says that the development "has been progressing fairly well. We should be able to show everyone something really soon." Regarding the visual quality of the game, he adds by saying, "You will continue to see some of that [level of quality], but there are also new elements beyond the scope of the footage."
When asked what are Hino's childhood super hero memories, "My memory of a super hero are Kamen Rider during kindergarten. I still watch this series to date. But Gundam might be closer to the image of the game. The initial concept of the game was actually not morphing into the white knight, but much closer to 'piloting' it. For me, both Kamen Rider and Gundam are the prime examples of a super hero story. But the game's story won't be a simple good vs. evil story. It will be adults see as something cool and touches their inner child."
While the numbers are definitely in the decline, there are enough titles to serve the appetites of RPG fans around the world. While details are scarce, Gust (Atelier series), Takuyo (Panic Palette) and Namco Bandai have new games currently in development. Hudson is planning to bring its PSP cult title Rengoku to the PS3, while Sunrise Interactive is working on their latest installment of the super robot RPG, Sunrise Eiyuutan. Nipponichi Software, known for their Disgaea series, is also working on the latest title based on the same universe, tentatively named Makai Wars. We'll be sure to bring any new information on upcoming PS3 RPG titles in the future.
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