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Final Fantasy XIII bringing e-commerce to sci-fantasy photo

[As posted on Japanator]

Many RPGs claim to be based in some kind of high-technology science fiction-y setting, but are surprisingly devoid of the things that would likely make up a real-life future. Some RPG folks still use swords in the far future and get everywhere by walking. 

Furthermore, where is the internet? I mean, it's become such an essential part of our lives in the present, but why is it somehow excised from our future? About the only games I can think of that have made effective use of it are of the .hack series. Where are my forums, my page comments, my RSS news feeds? I need to stay up-to-date with the latest skateboarding dog videos while in the middle of a random encounter!

However, thanks to Final Fantasy XIII, which you're probably sick of hearing about, the wonderful world of online shopping is coming to its in-game "Cocoon" city-world. Thankfully, I'm not talking about microtransactions or DLC - not for real money - yet. Instead, save points inside Cocoon will allow access to an "online" item store from which characters can do the buy-and-sell.

Director Motoru Miyama thinks that it's all rather "cool" and "different from the traditional FF series," also implying that some secret characters might appear on the faux-digital storefront. Wait, what? Secret characters? We can buy people online? Perhaps FFXIII's use of the intertubes is even more realistic than I imagined...ewww.

Anyway, I hope their item shop includes product commercials. Imagine being encouraged to buy Elixirs by the videos below...

 








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Josh Tolentino is Destructoid's associate editor, specializing in Japanese video games. He is also a contributing editor to Japanator.com Meet the rest of the team



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16 comments | showing # 1 to 16
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The Phazer's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 07:44
The Phazer
Is this really that different from the Gaidien network in Final Fantasy VIII?
The Phazer's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 07:44
The Phazer
Is this really that different from the Garden network in Final Fantasy VIII?
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 10:11
wanderingpixel
That's pretty cool. Online dating? Also, VIII sucked, so FFXIII came up with it first.
timtheterrible's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 10:18
timtheterrible
Have there been any secret characters in an FF game since VII? I really missed that aspect of the series.
braulio09's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 11:01
braulio09
timtheterrible, i'm not sure about FFXII, but in FFX there were three secret characters (summons, actually, but they count!)
Cyber Altair's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 11:17
Cyber Altair
.hack is awesome.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
JynxShot's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 12:34
JynxShot
Sounds like Crisis Core's system, as well.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 13:53
Darren Nakamura
I wonder if it takes a few in-game days to ship items.
Cyber Altair's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 14:28
Cyber Altair
We're sorry but the item you ordered through e-bay turned out to be a butt-plug. better luck next time.
thisissami's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 14:31
thisissami
@braulio09

there were a bunch of secret summons in FFXII as well, though in XII summons weren't anything like the aeons in FFX. in FFX they actually felt like characters and they were a real challenge to get to. but of course even the FFX summmons don't compare to vincent or yuffie in FFVII.
HEL105's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 17:12
HEL105
FFVII did not suck. It WAS different, and I can understand that some people didn't like the changes, but that doesn't make it any more terrible than a car that is blue, when you would prefer it to be red.

Also, I wants this game. I wants it.
HEL105's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 17:38
HEL105
Whoops, I meant FFVIII, not VII.
makesfive's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/29/2009 22:16
makesfive
eh I like the home shopping channel in the Persona games.
lewness's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2009 01:40
lewness
Interesting, does it involve Lightning getting addicted to some WOW-ish game?
CrocBox's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/30/2009 11:42
CrocBox
haha there should totally be ads like that
jemmincoaster's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/07/2010 01:57
jemmincoaster
Reach Halo: The game that lets you take up walking gives the turtles! The face of Mweh been there, done that.

Mario game that lets you step on top gives the turtles!

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