FF7 remake - if it happens, will it go PC? |OR| Your first FF7 experience?

[LimitBreak]

We all know that Eidos released FF7 and 8 on the PC, but after that, despite their wonderful translation fixes and optimization, they didn't get to do FF9. Of course, we haven't had a FF game on the PC since - not even one of the numerous remakes. Okay, Final Fantasy Online, but not releasing a MMO on the PC would be like Capcom making Street Fighter 4 a Wii exclusive - i.e. no sense at all. We know the next FF game probably won't be coming out on the PC (hell, I won't even be leaving Japan until mid 2010).

Recently though, Square has been bringing all their adventures to the 360 instead of or in addition to the Playstation. Last year, Square said they would bring Last Remnant to the PC. Unfortunately, they haven't said anything since so who knows, but at least they did admit that the PC still exists as a gaming platform.

Now, this brings me to the topic. The fabled FF7 remake where Aeris is revived and Yuffie takes it off... er... well, no, not really. The completely true-to-original-except-for-the-bare-minimum-needed-enhancements remake. Would there be any incentive to bring it to the PC where the game still gets played and all this great modding work has been done? A few years ago back when that CGI "tech demo" (just a movie, really) was shown it would have been absurd to think it would come to any platform but the PS3. However, with all the recent work towards utilizing the 360 by Squeenix, if a remake was to happen, it's probably not too far fetched to believe it would also come to the 360. Now, I have a 360, but the PC is where I experienced Final Fantasy 7. I still have the September 1998 demo disc from PCGamer. My computer couldn't run Grim Fandango, so I grudgingly checked out the next game on the list - FF7 - and was amazed... just by staring at Mount Corel (I hadn't read the readme so it took me a while to figure out the numpad controlled the game... so I did literally just stare at the Mount Corel starting area).

Now, Final Fantasy sells wherever it goes, and the money invested into a PC port would all return, but the main question is whether Square would think they could make enough profit to be viable. There's also the issue of piracy - which has been blown out of proportion by several large companies to, apparently, scare developers away from the PC platform (or, at least unless they seek the support of one of these large companies... but that's a whole different story).

Then again, there's no evidence to suggest that Square is even interested in a remake, much less proof that they're working on one, so this could all be a moot point. But it's fun to speculate.

Second question, in case the first one just ignites sighs: what was your first FF7 experience? Corel remains my favorite place in the game because of that demo, which I played over and over before I saved up enough cash to by the game (triangle boxes, ftw!). I even bought the strategy guide, which I stupidly developed a habit of skipping ahead a few pages of where I was, which eventually led to me finding out about Aeris' death when I was in Bone Village.

[Kudistos Megistos]

I doubt it, especially as consoles seem to have pulled away from PCs over the last few years, and a FF7 remake may well really push the boundaries of whatever console for which it is made (and it might not be made in this console generation).

And my first FF7 experience was probably the classic one: I got it for the PSX soon after it came out (when I was ten) and it was my first RPG; unfortunately very few RPGs were released in Europe before that: none of the FFs were (it's only since we've become the world's biggest gaming market by quite a big margin that they've realised we exist, and even now we are third in order of priority). Rant over.

I had heard all the talk about it being the greatest game ever, but for me it wasn't love at first sight, mainly due to getting stuck in Aeris' house for too long for there to be a reasonable explanation . After putting it down and playing other games for a while I eventually picked it up again for some reason and managed to get out of there. After that an unhealthy obsession began which has waxed and waned over the years but never really disappeared.

Thankfully, despite finishing it a long time after most people had done so and probably having had a play time of over 9000 hours on my first run through, I never got any spoilers Aeris' death was quite a shock to me, and I felt bad not because I liked her, but because I didn't; she was never in party and I always treated her badly. It was how I imagine one would feel after finding out that someone to whom one's last words were "f*ck off" has just died. Still, it wasn't sad as the scene where we find Red XIII's father (Red XIII was always my favourite character). I had to be very British and stiff-upper-lipped to avoid crying; that was like the death of Littlefoot's mother in The Land Before Time, or the episode of Futurama with Fry's dog (even spambots cry at that).

[itoikenza]

I hope it comes out for psp!!! My favourite moment was the first time I saw Omnislash!!! Loved the Hi-poly count cloud!!!

[LimitBreak]

LKM,
Hey, I had the same sentiment towards Red and Aeris. I had used Red a lot. I never used Aeris, and in fact loathed the game for sticking her in my party when I went to the Temple (What? You mean I gotta choose between Red XIII and Barret discovering this cool stuff? Damn you, Square!), so the strategy guide spoiler wasn't as bad as it could have been, but still... I felt bad because I had shrugged her off the entire game and here she goes and sacrifices herself.* I didn't find out about Red's father ahead of time since I didn't really consult the guide during Cosmo Canyon, so that was a powerful moment.*




*Truth be told, I was kind of relieved that she wouldn't be forced into my party anymore. Sue me.
*More powerful when he returns. I was worried at first that I would have to continue the game without him!

[Timu Sumisu]

i first encountered ff with ff8, as my brother in law came over as he had just rented it (it had come out several days prior) and i played it with him. later i bought it, n by the time i was botu 2 discs through that, he came by n was like.. wtf you havnt played 7? so i get a hold of it n it blew my mind... despite the graphics, it easily tore me away from 8. I found it much more gripping and fun (ff8 gameplay drives me nuts). i recall the first time i playd my sis n i ran through the midgar segment and the disc got stuck at the flashback, and would crash at the scene with sephirtoh stepping into the flames. being about 8 years old at the time the shot of the mako monster and headless jenova creeped me out quite a bit. despite that i was greatly entertained.

[Tsetra]

Probably not, which is a shame especially if they choose to release it on PS3 because I have no plans to buy one ever plus I'm a PC gamer in general. If they did though I'd certain buy the game, and I'm sure enough people would to justify the port.

[guitar_dudester91]

Well my memory:

I was in the tech crew for the play my school was doing, and a very good friend of mine, happened to be my math teacher, was playing FF7 on his computer at some of the rehersals. So, I asked him if I could get a burn from him (I mean I asked him where he bought it so I could go buy it and legally own it). So he burned me one (I bought one), and then played it, and fell in love with this game. It has so much emotion in it, and the story is stupendous. My favorite part has to be the whole first disc, but since I hadn't ever played RPGs before, I got angered alot by all the tediousness, or the random battles, lol.

[Jaitsu]

i know this ain't been posted in 60 days, but i thought sinse i got something to add (found it while searching around for crap)

http://electronictheatre.co.uk/index.php/industry-news/3665-final-fantasy-vii-remake-green-lit

as for my first experience, i was only 6 or 7, when my uncle came over and gave it to me as a gift, i freaking loved it but never understood a thing, now my friends call my the ff7 knowitall.

[Covarr]

That article takes his quote horribly out of context.

He's basically saying, "someone's bound to do it"

They interpret that generalization as confirmation that the project is actually greenlit, rather than what it is, a mere comment.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Nomura recently said that a remake isn't going to happen.

Of course, people in the video game industry don't always tell the truth, but that doesn't mean everything they say is false either.

[Tekkie.X]

Of course, people in the video game industry don't always tell the truth, but that doesn't mean everything they say is false either.

Unless they work for Activision, then everything is a lie.

[Jaitsu]

a guy can dream though ^_^ i'd love a remake, then i could play both the original and the remake

[titeguy3]

Of course, people in the video game industry don't always tell the truth, but that doesn't mean everything they say is false either.

Unless they work for Activision, then everything is a lie.

Or if your name is "Hideo Kojima"

[guitar_dudester91]

You know its funny I was just going to start another one of these. When I first played it was in late febuary/early March. Since then I have played at that time every year. So seeing as that time is almost upon us, I just wanted to get back into the lore of the game and share with everyone haha.

[Covarr]

Nomura recently said that a remake isn't going to happen.

Now you're taking Nomura out of context. He said one isn't being worked on. He also heavily implied that doesn't mean it's never going to happen, just not now.