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Tabata: We Really Thought Final Fantasy Was A “Dead IP”

Ben-Dutka 98 Comments

Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata believes FFXV is the most promising entry since the legendary Final Fantasy VII .

…no, really.

In a recent Game Informer interview , Tabata said that when he accepted the role of director for FFXV in 2012, his first move was to conduct an analysis of the FF brand in Japan. As you might expect, the results were a little depressing, which caused Tabata to say Final Fantasy was in critical condition:

"The gravest situation of all was that, at the time we were starting Final Fantasy XV, we didn't see an increase in new fans of the franchise. The brand image of Final Fantasy wasn't really clear.

The reality is not that the situation is okay or in favor of us. Rather, it is more grave and serious than we had initially thought. The way we understood Final Fantasy after our analysis is that it was a dying IP that had already peaked."

So, why push forward with FFXV? Well, Tabata said it's because despite fan disappointment, most followers still held out hope for the future. He then said the game had three "core qualities" that have defined the brand in the past:

"A willingness to challenge the status quo"

"An exceptional, out-of-the-ordinary experience"

"Cutting-edge technology to use the hardware to the fullest"

Tabata said the last installment to have all three qualities was FFVII back in 1997 and he added:

"Any Final Fantasy released after [Final Fantasy VII] lacks in one or the other. But what Final Fantasy fans desire is a new entry that encompasses all of these elements, and that is our objective with Final Fantasy XV."

I have no comment. It's like he's speaking Swahili. And has anyone noticed that in just about every interview with a Square Enix executive, they say at least once that something turned out to be different than they thought? Like, every single time?

Anyway. Final Fantasy XV is set to release on September 30 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and a PC release may follow at a later date. Tabata and Co. have set a lofty sales goal for the impending title, given the immediate popularity Square Enix has considered producing more Ultimate Editions , and they swear they're still working to optimize the frame rate .

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XV

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FFXV Director Says Team Continues To “Optimize” Frame Rate

Ben-Dutka 16 Comments

Ever since Square Enix announced the new demo , the developers have received plenty of flak for the lower-than-anticipated frame rate.

Well, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata has addressed this issue, along with a few other topics, in a recent JeuxVideo interview (as translated by DualShockers ).

He first confirmed that they'll start talking about extra content for the game this summer, and they're not interested in "ordinary DLC." He added that the PC version, which won't be ready for the game's September 30 PS4/Xbox One launch date, could "push the game to a new technical level." Tabata says when it does arrive, it won't merely be a port of the console version.

As for the frame rate, he said the team is working to optimize that problem even as we speak. …I'm sorry, but you've had many, many years to get this right, and you said – direct quote – that the FFXV Platinum Demo would let consumers see the "finalized graphics and combat and magic systems." This doesn't imply any frame rate optimization, I guess.

Whatever. Tabata recently clarified his 10 million sales goal for the anticipated game, and he says he wants FFXV's ending to generate plenty of emotion , though our community was evidently split on the issue .

Will you be getting FFXV later this year?