New MMO by SE

[Kiarax]

They're arguing that a company as big as SE cannot effortlessly stay in the black by only releasing a winner here and there (even if its cheap to produce, like Dissidia or the handheld ports) when countless other titles fall by the wayside and out-and-out fail.

They don't HAVE "countless other titles" that fall by the wayside or fail. Pretty much every game they release is successful, some more than others, of course. XIV is their only failure in recent years. The reason they lost money last year was because of canceled developments since they took on a much more "tightened selection standard" for titles (their words, not mine) due to the state of both our economy currently and trends amongst gaming, they can't afford to take as many risks now. Their sales figures only dropped from 130,000 million net profit to 125,000 million because the shit they are releasing is still doing well.

SE isn't Nintendo. The "FF" brand is not the same as "Mario" brand. If SE was doing everything right and everything was peachy keen golly gee wiz, then the SE profit thread wouldn't have been created. Moreover, people have a right to be skeptical or even worried about this new SE MMO. They're 1 and 1 for actual released MMOs in terms of quality, with at least 2 that were scrapped either early in development or changed to single player, then scrapped. I'd say people have a right to have at least a little doom and gloom in regards to SE based on how the company has handled itself within the last decade.

Of course they're not Nintendo (who might I add, make profit off of hardware and very little off of software comparatively). But you grossly underestimate the FF franchise. No, it's not Mario, but it is still one of the biggest selling franchises of all time in gaming (hell, if you don't count the sales on EVERY Mario title released including spin offs, I'm fairly certain it's the single largest, but I'm not gonna dig up those numbers).

Yes, yes, XIII sold well. Yes, I have a copy downstairs. But shit, I also have a copy of XIV. Its a thin line between making money and losing tons. How much profit did SE pull in from XIII (factor in development costs, advertising, ect.)? How much has it lost in the development process of XIV? I'd like to see those numbers stacked up.

XIII brought in plenty of profit for them. It sold something ridiculous like 6-7 million copies, which is a hell of a lot. They've also reused (and will still be using) the crystal tools engine they built.

If Square were to stick with their "safe" series (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, etc) they would be making nothing but profit (natural disasters aside I suppose! The earthquake made them lose something ridiculous like half a billion yen). But they constantly pick up and fund other games from outside developers to try and make more money, which is apparently something they won't be doing so frequently anymore.

[Hyan]

I figure if they're smart at all, it'd be great to work for them as opposed to larger western devs like activision and EA. They might try to affect the development of their other studios, but the culture gap is too large. They'll just hurt themselves if they try to control their western devs.

Granted they were assholes when it came to GRIN, but that was most likely them trying to get out of the deal with GRIN without having to pay them.

Anyway, I generally don't like what their other studios put out. Eidos is alright I guess (the new tomb raider looks neat) but they need something like what Bioware is for EA.

[Charismatic]

There's also no proof that the stuff about their dealings with GRIN is even true... but yeah.

[miokomioko]

The Crystal Chronicle Gameboy games were really quite fun.

I wish i could find mine right now... -.-

Maybe its cause i played them with like, 2-3 Friends over wifi D:

Oh I fucking loved playing both of the first two Crystal Chronicles games (even though the Wii version was a fucking DS port)... then there was Crystal Bearers. The worst "Final Fantasy" title I have ever touched.

[Lordender]

I think SE could put out a quality MMO, they just need to get their management issues straightened out.

[Pikarya]

I think SE could put out a quality MMO, they just need to get their management issues straightened out.

Which will never happen, way too hard headed.

[Karbuncle]

Oh I fucking loved playing both of the first two Crystal Chronicles games (even though the Wii version was a fucking DS port)... then there was Crystal Bearers. The worst "Final Fantasy" title I have ever touched.

Never played Chrystal bearers, Kinda sad it sucked ass.

I played the Original CC game on the Gamecube with my brothers all the damn time. So many fun memories with that game.

I think i sold the DS game, And that pisses me off I really wanted to play it now after thinking about it.

[Pikarya]

Never played Chrystal bearers, Kinda sad it sucked ass.

I played the Original CC game on the Gamecube with my brothers all the damn time. So many fun memories with that game.

I think i sold the DS game, And that pisses me off I really wanted to play it now after thinking about it.

If you have a hacked Wii just download that version, identical, can even play online with DS users.

[Karbuncle]

If you have a hacked Wii just download that version, identical, can even play online with DS users.

I don't :X, I'm so vanilla when it comes to game products, I have almost 0 'hacked' items. I think my brother did my PSP for me (I wanted ot play MML1/2 Damnit), but thats it.

[solracht]

Dropping by to join the FFCC nostalgia train. Spent countless hours playing the gamecube one and Echoes of Time with relatives and friends.

Would love if they made a huge online-based FFCC game but it doesn't feel like enough people liked the series to support that.

[Pikarya]

I don't :X, I'm so vanilla when it comes to game products, I have almost 0 'hacked' items. I think my brother did my PSP for me (I wanted ot play MML1/2 Damnit), but thats it.

If you ever need help just ask, takes 1 game, a sd card and an external hdd, extremely easy.

[Ksandra]

They're arguing that a company as big as SE cannot effortlessly stay in the black by only releasing a winner here and there (even if its cheap to produce, like Dissidia or the handheld ports) when countless other titles fall by the wayside and out-and-out fail.

To the bolded part, 1 failure =/= only releasing a winner here and there. Every game in recent years outside of 14 (and that other mmo, but it doesn't seem like they lost huge on it so much as weren't making profit) has been a success to some degree.

companies are about profit, yes 14 gave them a huge hit in the face, that does not mean a company like SE will collapse if they only make smaller games. As long as those games are producing profit whether big or small it is still a profit.

"countless" is also a huge exaggeration.

Moreover, people have a right to be skeptical or even worried about this new SE MMO.

I never argued that not sure why you mentioned it. I am arguing against those who say "SE KEEPS MAKING FAIL GAMES FFXIII SUCKED"

Yes, yes, XIII sold well. Yes, I have a copy downstairs. But shit, I also have a copy of XIV.

comparing an offline game to an MMO is almost apples to oranges. SE expects you to only ever spend 50$ on FF13. They expect (or expected) you to continue to pump money into FFX14.

Its a thin line between making money and losing tons. How much profit did SE pull in from XIII (factor in development costs, advertising, ect.)?

As of last year 107$ million in profit (yes that's after cost)

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps2-news/4878.html

[Lucavi]

Ksandra, you're saying that every SE game outside of 14 in the last decade has been a rousing success? I'm not strictly speaking about the FF series. I think you need to take a look at some of their other IPs.

Edit: Its no secret that XIII made a profit. Its also no secret that their console FF's will make bank regardless of the quality, which is subjective in itself. Can you be so certain about every other non-FF, though?

[Ksandra]

Ksandra, you're saying that every SE game outside of 14 in the last decade has been a rousing success?

has been a success to some degree.

nope, not saying that at all.

[Lucavi]

Then my point stands. SE isn't as doing as well as those who parade XIII's profits around like to think.

[Ksandra]

It's like you're trying to argue past me for the sake of arguing.

Let's try one more time: All I am saying is those that keep taking about the "stream of SE failures" are grossly exaggerating more based on disappointment and bitterness vs. actual sales count and facts.

this:

SE isn't as doing as well as those who parade XIII's profits around like to think.

has zero to do with what I'm talking about.

[Enedin]

This should be an MMO about catching and raising chocobos together and winning races, at something like the Gold Saucer.

[Elcura]

This should be an MMO about catching and raising chocobos together and winning races, at something like the Gold Saucer.

That needs to be an MMO?

[Kiarax]

That needs to be an MMO?

GOD YES IT DOES. I'LL TAKE TEN.

[Lucavi]

It's like you're trying to argue past me for the sake of arguing.

Let's try one more time: All I am saying is those that keep taking about the "stream of SE failures" are grossly exaggerating more based on disappointment and bitterness vs. actual sales count and facts.

And all I'm saying is that those who say that SE hasn't dropped the ball many times over the last decade are only looking at KH, FF and Dissidia sales. You're forgetting about the Front Mission Evolved, Chocobo Racing, Kayne and Lynch 2, Crystal Defenders R1, The Crystal Chronicles series on the Wii, Infinite Undiscovery, Nier and others. Those are just off the top of my head, and I'm not simply talking about games they've developed, but games that they've published, or put their seal of approval on.

They have some successes; Thief, Just Cause 2, ect., but if they were actually doing -well-, they wouldn't be posting such massive losses. You cannot pin their terrible company growth over the last decade simply on XIV and a tsunami.