As time progresses and technology races forward gaming engines start to get old. At some point game developers must put their old game engines out to pasture and start to develop new ones so that they can keep up with the ever advancing gaming marketplace. Square Enix is preparing to do just that by hiring a plethora of developers and programmers to get them where they need to be.
In a Japanese ad featuring the eyes of Cloud from Final Fantasy VII the company has put out the call for a new game engine system programmer, 3D graphics core programmer, online system programmer, Windows application programmer, rendering programmer, server/DB programmer, plug-in programmer, technical artist and technical writer. The positions are all based in Tokyo and require experience with both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, with the online system programmer position dealing heavily with MMOs. In the ad they explain that in order "to meet the quality demanded of games in the coming years while dealing with costs, game development environments will need not just 'reforms,' but 'revolution.'"
Going on to say, "At Square Enix, in anticipation of the appearance of next generation platforms, we've started development on a new generation game engine for competing beyond the level of the strong developers throughout the world, and are presently seeking a lot of talent."
This sounds like a pretty major overhaul for Square Enix's game engine, which could mean very good things for us. But lets not think about that. Instead we can all jump on the train of speculation and wonder why they chose Cloud's face in the advertisement. Is it because he's one of their most popular characters and instantly recognizable? No, this clearly means that we will be getting a remake of Final Fantasy VII. Confirmed.
スクエニ、次世代プラットフォームも見据えた新世代ゲームエンジンの開発をスタート [Game Jouhou, via andriasang]
[Thanks, Carlito]
Contest:
11:00 AM on 03.13.2010
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Or maybe I'm asking the wrong dev. :/
And let's be frank here. The PS3 and the 720 [or whatever name MS uses] are still, I'd garner, 2-3 years away and hopefully 3-4 years away. And the work is getting heavier each gen which means starting earlier and earlier to keep up.
FFVIII and FFIX didn't use the same engine FFVII did. FFX engine got two shots. FFXI and FFXII each had their own engine.
I don't know why SE always builds new engines, but they're pretty adamant about not reversioning code. They've been puzzled but the frothing demand for an FFVII remake the last two generations because you can still play the damn thing on PS2 or download it off PSN for PSP and PS3.
There was supposed to be a DX9 update for FFXI, but I think they just said that to get PC gamers to shut their fucking traps for once. Either it was a mistranslation or it never happened.
You're probably talking about Yoshitaka Amano. This guy is fucking crazy, I've got two of his artbooks. Psychedelic art in pastel shades mixed with traditional japanese style. He just blows my mind.
If you're into art you should definitely see his 1001 Nights animation, it will destroy you.
Hope they do something creative... for a Xenogears prequel!
But @ the article: Why? Didn't they only use the Crystal Tools for ONE game? I can't figure out if this is completely confirming the "5 more years" plan, or completely denying it.
...even if that were true, I'd hope to some imaginary-guy-in-the-sky that it never got off the ground. Needlessly remaking an already decent game is completely pointless.
Oh, and I still really want a FFVII remake, I don't get why so many people are so against it. Unlike the sprite games before it that have held up fine, FF7's graphics aged horribly, it's music format quality just sounds bad now, there are so many cool places in that world that I wish they could expand upon, a new better translation is always nice, and after they teased us with how incredible it could look with Advent Children why not let that kind of beauty be in something with an actually good story? I mean I still do love FF7, I might go play it again after I beat FF13 because I still love the story, characters, and I enjoy traditional RPG combat, but the rest of the game could use a serious improvement.
But to go full out and remake it to look on-par, if not better than, Final Fantasy XIII? I realize the fans would love it, it'd further build its fanbase, but will someone -please- think of the developers?
The people making the game would be bored to -tears- rehashing something they had put behind them. How would you like to spend a year + of your life reliving 10 + years ago because someone wanted something to be "prettier"?
And really, the crystal engine performs quite well for what it does, so I doubt they're just scrapping it any time soon.
As soon as HL1 was finished Valve started working on HL2, which became Source, and as everybody knows wasn't released until a full century later.
Epic has been working on UE4 for 4+ years already; and they're still updating/supporting UE3 to their customers.
Its a positive direction to go in, but all their characters will still look like andro dolls regardless of what they make. I still long for characters that look like real people.
As for a FF7 remake, I say leave it alone. Its had its time in the sun, and japanese studios already have enough problems trying to move positively forward in the genre. I'm sure they have more stimulating and fresh stuff they can work on. Besides, we've had Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus already revisited that FF7 ground. I only see Square doing such an FF7 remake if they were in real trouble, and they are far from such financially.
Sarcasm. He used it.
LOl!Seven year wait, so true.