It's a case of handbags at dawn as two Japanese RPG developers got involved in a little verbal jousting over Mistwalker's upcoming Wii game, The Last Story. Mistwalker boss and Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi was mocked by Final Fantasy Gaiden director Takashi Tokida for "rehashing" the very series he built. While most likely in jest, Sakaguchi still took the opportunity to justify his game.
The debate started when Tokida asked Sakaguchi, "How about stopping with the Final Fantasy rehashes?" The accusations were carried on in a more serious tone by a simple fan, who stated that he felt The Last Story did indeed look like it was just recreating Square Enix's franchise.
"I think you'll feel this once you've tried it. LS is not a rehash," stated the Mistwalker chief, defending his game.
Considering we haven't really seen anything of The Last Story yet, outside of some artwork and plot details, it's a little early to make accusations. I think most of the "rehash" comments come simply from the fact that it's called The Last Story, which of course sounds very similar to Final Fantasy. Just goes to show you how easy it is to influence perception with a few simple words.
Hironobu Sakaguchi: The Last Story Not a Final Fantasy Rehash [Andria Sang]
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Contest:
6:00 PM on 04.06.2010 | 
Anyway, it's not the story being told that matters, but how you tell it.
But if you're gonna rip-off a Final Fantasy game, I hope something like Final Fantasy IX comes out of this. Just because I think it's the best FF ever and Sakaguchi himself said that IX is his personal favorite.
Seriously, that's just childish.
That being said, I'm about 50 hours into Final Fantasy XIII,and I'm loving the hell out of it. But I think it would have gotten better reception if they named it something else since, aside from the story and characters, it plays completely different from what we've come to know. I also thought Final Fantasy XI should have been called Final Fantasy: Online and Final Fantasy XIV called Final Fantasy: O2, but what do I know?
Note: I'm not trying to start anything, it's just my opinion. :)
Haha, never even thought of that. It's pretty much the same title.
13 main games and endless spin-offs are enough. They should really stop making these games, and they would if they had any respect for themselves or their fans.
Of course, their fans still haven't realized that practically every FF game is the same shit as the last one, so I guess more power to them.
The article states Tokida asking Sakaguchi , "How about stopping with the FF rehash?". The source article (with twitter screenshots) shows that it's Sakaguchi jokingly talking to Tokida about the remakes he's done.
The entire conversation is very friendly and you can tell it's a social conversation between the two designer. The whole twitter convo seems like Tokida was talking about wrestling, and Sakaguchi just came in and sorta taunted him about the remakes Tokida has done. In the tail end Sakaguchi even apologizes for the comment, and Tokida replies with "no prob, planning other things as well!!" That's where a fan tweet brought up Last Story.
I agree 100%. Lost Odyssey was phenomenal; SE seems to have lost their touch.
No matter how hard they try, people will find some way to compare the games.
So please, make the Last Story just as Lost Odyssey was, with loveable characters and plot. And SOMETHING PLEASE!!!!! along the likes of the lost odyssey dreams. the music should be just as good if not better since the legend himself is doing the music. ;D
Personally this game will win no matter what, if you consider the pedigree of the devs behind this if they create a new RPG formula it can only be awesome and if they go for an old school FF style formula they'll automatically grab the half of the market felt alienated by FF13, it's a WIN-WIN in any case.
@Shadowiii: THIS!
@EternalDeathSlayer: "Of course, perhaps Square should stop rehashing FF themselves."
AND THIS TOO!
@project2501: You most definitely win it.
"Increasingly Ineptly-named Video Game Series."
With the FF series trying overly hard to reinvent itself, I'm left in desperate need of a traditional, turn-based RPG that actually has decent production values, a story that isn't garbage, and a battle system that isn't tripping over itself to be "new and innovative".
Is that too much to ask?
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/04/07/father-of-final-fantasy-stop-rehashing-final-fantasy/
We don't know yet whether The Last Story is something that actually relates to the content of the game, but either way, rehashing a title is not the same thing as rehashing a game.
Labels =/= Reality
But in all seriousness, I'm positive the name "The Last Story" is the ultimate marketing strategy. Instead of calling it "Lost Mana worlds" or something even more unnoticeable, Sakaguchi decided to put himself in the hot chair and 'thesaurus' Final Fantasy.
The chair is VERY hot: When the game debuts, it'll be good or bad, but most importantly the press is gonna eat it alive because of it's name.
Nice one Gooch!
And I'm being dead serious. I was actually hoping this game would be Lost Odyssey 2 before it was announced, but I'm still excited.
I find it very halarious, and am exspecting the last story to be what Final fantacy has failed to be on a nintendo system for decades.
It's all really retarded when you think about it, I mean would you walk up to him and say this equivalence "Dude, Sakaguchi, why are you rehashing the Sakaguchi style man?" Better yet it's like resurrecting Stradivarius, have him making violins, then complain that he's just rehashing the violin maker's Andrzej Swietlinski's present Stradivarius copies and variations.