Hello everyone!
A Ninja wanted to tell all the FF7 fans a little story, (be prepared to rage at Square);
About 3-4 months ago, I finished work on a full immersion VR headset rig similar to the HTC Vive. Instead of using the lighthouse system for tracking, it used an attached SLAM (Synchronized Location and Mapping), system similar to Google Tango, (which uses stereo recording to detect movement in a 3D space). It was a fully enclosed system, which means all the hardware was on the user playing the game. Furthermore, the system is capable of Augmented reality if the dongle'd tablet/laptop has a dedicated graphics card.
This is important, because my goal was go create a FUNCTIONAL, mobile, & safe immersion demo of FF7's battle system. The project would create RPG random battle encounters at national, state, and local parks. Imagine a world where you walk down the road and receive a GPS text message of a monster at a local park. You would walk to the GPS location, scan the area, (until enough vertexes were calculated), and a random battle encounter would occur. You could also encounter random battles on paths and trails if their digital information was updated on a seasonal basis.
The goal of the project was to show the following:
1- Immersive gaming anywhere;
Make gamers take real adventures! Travel the USA fighting monsters and leveling up your character! Climb a 14000ft mountain to face a dragon boss, or dive deep within a cave to fight Sepheroth himself!
2- 100-300FPS positioning calculations at 1-5mm accuracy;
Run, jump, tumble, use gesture controls, and foam weapons! We can track airsoft weapons via mechanical components if they were in view!
3- Total freedom;
The positioning system is enclosed and runs on battery power as long as there are stable markers within 10m of the user, (trees, buildings, etc. NOT bushes/leaves/moving objects).
4- Modular;
The project uses commonly purchased hardware from RadioShack and BestBuy! Use any VR headset if it has a battery adapter, (including GearVR, however GearVR can't do augmented reality at more than 30fps just yet).
So I have this cool headset, and wanted to choose a popular RPG for some Nintendo reps. After discussing with the team, we decided to go with a modded FF7 for the following reasons:
1- Graphics
The simple unity polygon build allowed us to dedicate all CPU/GPU power on the vision & safety systems. This greatly extended our ability to render augmented reality scenes on more devices at a higher FPS.
3- Nostalgia
FF7 is one of the first mass marketed 3DRPG. It was my favorite game as a kid, and personally I've beaten it every summer on my PSX for as long as I can remember.
4- Modding community
There's already a fairly large community dedicated to modding the PC version of the game. This would drastically expedite the development process of the prototype.
It seemed like a match made in heaven. Square is currently working on a FF7 remake, and is probably looking to VR dev the title. Furthermore, FF7PC is on steam, and we could greenlight the addon application as a freely downloaded mod. The cross marketing would allow us to promote the platform, and establish future business. Therefore, I contacted Square about the project, and asked where I could send update information to. Instead, what I received was an insulting email from someone who may or may not be one of their reps, (it wasn't an official square email address, but they said they worked for the company). The rep said; "Final Fantasy 7 is our number one title, and no outside parties are allowed to modify or use the assets; even for free without express written consent." Furthermore, they stated, "Square only works with AAA quality game developers with decades of experience. Modification of the FF7 assets; even for free would degrade the reputation of the title and it's future releases." There were additional statements that were insulting on a personal nature. I won't repeat them out of respect for Square.
This was very confusing to our team. Our backups Capcom and Valve Software, (Megaman Legends, Resident Evil, HL1/Source), are VERY excited to see what we can do. Nintendo asked us to submit a prototype for consideration, and we've been up to our ears in work trying to get the Kickstarter videos completed. To be frank, Square was the only company that flat out refused, and was insulting in their response. Ironically, when I spoke to reps at a MAJOR game console manufacturer, they replied, "yeah, Square is notoriously hard to work with, especially with their baby FF7".
Since then we've moved on. Honestly it's not difficult for us to design our own title in the spirit of FF7 using basic polygon VR monsters. Still; every time I speak to buyers they ask for a IVR Golden Saucer battle arena. Therefore, as the member of the team whose from New York City, I've decided to issue an official response via these forums.
(Ironically, you get a faster response via these forums then emailing their reps directly. Obviously this forum is trolled by Square legal).
To whom it may concern,
I was deeply saddened by the response we received in regards to making a free IVR demo port of Final Fantasy 7. As stated in our first email, It was never our intention to sell your company assets. In actuality, Final Fantasy 7 is by far my favorite game. The level of honor you've received is only matched by my respect and admiration for your games. Over the decades, I've beaten FF7 dozens of times, and spent thousands of hours exploring the wonderful world you've created. Final Fantasy 7 represented a fundamental shift in the way games are created. Prior to it, most were two dimensional. Final Fantasy 7 opened our eyes to a world filled with depth that, at the time, seemed like virtual reality. Creating a free Immersive Virtual Reality demo is our way of honoring you!
In our opinion, Immersive Virtual Reality is the next step in gaming evolution. Having a chance to be "in" the game gives us a greater connection to the characters, and the game worlds they represent. IVR will represent a fundamental shift in how we will entertain ourselves. Instead, one of your representatives decided to insult our character without allowing us to explain our project in further detail.
To begin, most gamers agree that better graphics and changing the gameplay mechanics isn't enough to remaster FF7. The new title, like the original, must fundamentally change the way we play video games. In our opinion, IVR is the natural evolution of this technology, and even a simple port using the original FF7 assets would probably become a financial juggernaut.
Secondly, Even Square Enix was called Squaresoft at one time. When you started, you were a tiny game developer only slightly larger than independent teams here in the USA. We all start off small, but that doesn't mean we will always remain that way. Refusing to do business with any party without decades of experience significantly reduces your ability to establish fruitful business ventures. Furthermore, Virtual Reality is a concept less than a year old. No company has over 1 year experience developing VR titles using the current formats. The technology is still new, and 99.99% of the developers are considered "independent" by your standards.
Third, as a resident of New York city, the idea of FF7 should insult me. In 2001 USA terms, here's the starting storyline;
You play a member of a terrorist splinter cell nicknamed "Avalanche" who blow up the twin towers killing over a thousand innocent people. In videos, they can be seen using huge swords and guns to kill anyone in their way. SuperWalmart power company, and their soldier subsidiary Blackwater, is tasked with protecting the residents afterwords. A few days later, they strikes again, toppling the very structure of the city killing 1/16 of the poorest people.
Granted it's all a huge conspiracy by Lucifer, (Sepheroth), and SuperWalmartBlackwater, (Shinra); It's still a highly volatile concept with the current level of terrorism in the world. I remember September 11th VERY clearly, and I still feel anxiety every time I take the subway to Time Square. Instead of insulted, we feel this uniquely allows us to emphasize with the titles characters. This is one of the reasons why I fell in love with FF7 in the first place. It has just enough danger and intrigue to keep us enthralled despite its controversial nature. In reality, I used the game to deal with the trauma I endured.
Considering all these points, I hope your company reconsiders allowing outside community members to help you. I want nothing more in life than to work for your company. Numerous studies have proven that a healthy modding community drastically increases the longevity and financial return of their respected titles. The idea that free mod communities like Qhimm harm you title contradict reality. We give square free publicity, and prove Final Fantasy 7 is still the most popular title you've released. If you wish to submit a formal response, please feel free to post on these forums, or send me an email. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak about the project. Preventing collaboration due to ignorance and preconceptions irreparably damages Square's reputation in the gaming world. Please, reconsider your business model, and allow us to help bring your worlds to life.
Thank you!
