Gamekult: Hajime Tabata Interview (English translations)

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Redichi24

PSICOM Soldier
Oct 1, 2013
68
37
#1
I translated most of it except the part he starts talking about FFXV. Someone else translated that part.

We thought to make a next gen version of it a year ago, just after the Tokyo Game Show of the past year. It was just after launching the project to Final Fantasy XV, we had a good feeling overlooked. The next generation consoles and we said that we would take well over Final Fantasy Type 0. To see what would happen. We discussed with the various teams and everyone thought it was a good idea, so that’s the time we decided to do it. I would probably say that the reason we did this port is 100% because the Europeans and the Americans request. When we decided to make the port, we first had a discussion internally about the necessary technology, we would need once we saw it all in-house and determine that it was possible, I decided to approach one of our partner developers in which I totally trust, Hexadrive. We asked them if they can ensure a port and they accepted. So we decided to give them it. This is a brand new engine, based on Direct X11 but we used all the experience accumulated by HexaDrive on PS3 and Xbox 360 and on their engine and have used the technology that we developed for Final Fantasy XV. We combined all this to create a new engine, different from that of FFXV. Many people want a vita version think we have, but we thought otherwise. Develop carry out the same game on many platforms is a big challenge, it is quite complicated. So we have decided to focus on the technology needed to make the port. This is easier when not dealing on the type of console. We thought that the form should be the game to be fun to play for a maximum of players as possible in the West and we concluded that it was on the consoles, we thought that this was the best solution.

The kind of multiplayer that had been on psp could not clearly be adapted to consoles, this is why we got rid of it. Of course there was the option of asynchronous multiplayer, we have believed. There we thought, but we mainly reflected the experience we wanted deliverer. In Japan, the feedback we had received from players indicated that they like and what they are really talking about is the solo mode. The idea of playing a range of characters in a mature Final Fantasy game to face hopeless battles with these characters and to get to know this kind of experience in solo, it was the main quality of the game and that is why we are focused by porting over to create the best gaming experience possible. In addition, playing on a large screen enhances the appearance kinematics and that is why we focus all the above efforts rather than trying to make a multiplayer mode.


At the Tokyo Game Show, we were in fact part of that our biggest problem was the camera. We have therefore focused on improving it. The first changes were made for the version presented at Paris Games Week. When you go from a small to a large television screen, we have to change the operation of the camera, this obviously raises concerns that must adjust. We're not going to keep it like this, we will continue to improve throughout the development. During the coming months and we will up the output trying to make it perfect.

The basis of the mode is easy to place and statistics capacity of many characters higher, they are much more powerful. For example, the amount damage caused by each attack is much higher on the enemies, even if they keep the same techniques in other ways, they deal less damage so you can beat many more opponents in much less time, it is much easier. That's how we've simplified the gameplay. The main difficulties encountered against enemy be the same as the PSP version, but we added some subtle changes to improve the balance of difficulty: some attacks they use some magical powers, etc…. Also, how the characters evolve and gain power has been modified to be more regular. The time it takes to earn some capacity should be more regular now, before it was sometimes slightly fluctuating but now it should be fine curve progress. We tried to correct a lot of things, but the problem remains the same in normal mode.

The most popular characters is clearly Ace, one who used magic tricks with cards to attack. After that, the female characters are also popular, especially that Seven who uses a whip and Rem that uses daggers in combat. How people choose their favorite characters in Japan is pretty obvious. Not based on their way of playing, their style fight or what they use, it is generally more links their appearance and the first impression we on them. But it turns out that it is those they will choose to use in battle. It must be understood that Japanese people choose their favorite characters on appearance than anything else.

The progress of Final Fantasy XV is going very well. For now we managed to release the debut trailer at Tokyo Game Show and the reception has been extraordinaire and the morale of the team is great. Everyone is working very hard on the development. Regarding the question of whether we have enough members in the team, it is a concern that we have to answer ourselves at this time, because the more we move towards the final version, the more we have to produce huge amounts of content, we are really in a phase of mass production. To do this, we need more people to help us, so we are in recruiting in full force to strengthen the team. We are trying to find the right people to lead the development to completion.

I cannot give the exact date, but I can tell you it has already been set – the final release date and the countries in which it will be released. We are working to release the game on time, but it might take a little more time than you think.


You can watch the inteview here: http://www.gamekult.com/video/final-fantasy-type-0-hd-interview-hajime-tabata-3050364303v.html
 
Last edited:

Takoyaki

SOLDIER Second Class
May 27, 2014
339
124
31
#3
Nice job, Redichi! With the internal release date set, seems like it'll be Japan - Holiday 2015, NA/EU Spring 2016
 
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Lulcielid

Warrior of Light
Oct 9, 2014
3,826
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Argentina
#4
"It might take a little more than you think" if you say so Tabata i think maybe 2016 (dont know when) for japan, assuming everything goes rigth. Holiday 2015 is possible but very little changes(i give it a 25%).
 
May 26, 2014
625
172
#6
Thanks for translating it. It's nice to hear they have a release date set, whether or not they can tell us yet.

Also,
It must be understood that Japanese people choose their favorite characters on appearance than anything else.
For better or worse, that's very interesting.
 

LeonBlade

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Oct 25, 2013
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#9
I expected 2016, that means we're going to get it on 2017?
Yeah, what if I thought it was coming out in 2017, would it be 2016? This expectation thing doesn't really explain itself, what audience is Tabata talking to? The people that think the game will be out in December? Early 2015? Mid 2015? Late 2015?

Based on the game's current progress and the expectation to have the engine done in March next year, late 2015 seems reasonable at the earliest.
 

KOKAYI5

Knight of Death
May 28, 2014
458
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VIRGINIA
www.behance.net
#11
I wish they didn't post any interviews that are just basically saying "it's not done yet, need more time". People just start venting and arguing due to it.
If I were these sites I'd only post information that showed progress or a serious change in the game development (like it getting cancelled or switched systems or dev teams).
 

LeonBlade

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Oct 25, 2013
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#12
I wish they didn't post any interviews that are just basically saying "it's not done yet, need more time". People just start venting and arguing due to it.
If I were these sites I'd only post information that showed progress or a serious change in the game development (like it getting cancelled or switched systems or dev teams).
Tabata is being honest, I think it's important that people know.
 

KOKAYI5

Knight of Death
May 28, 2014
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#14
Tabata is being honest, I think it's important that people know.
True. I'm not mad at him. I'm just saying I know what people will say to this, and I'm gonna try to avoid the trolling and arguments spawned from it.
Being honest is fine, but sometimes I feel it's best to say nothing, to not give an interview in this case, until good news and lots of progress is made. I wouldn't, just for example, give an interview just to let people know that the car design had been finalized. Or that grass and rock textures were finally done in all towns and fields.
 
Likes: LeonBlade
May 26, 2014
625
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#15
sometimes I feel it's best to say nothing, to not give an interview in this case, until good news and lots of progress is made. I wouldn't, just for example, give an interview just to let people know that the car design had been finalized. Or that grass and rock textures were finally done in all towns and fields.
Normally I'd agree with you, but come on. This is Versus we're talking about. After years, literally years, of silence it's nice to be updated so frequently.
 

Infest

Blitzball Champion
Sep 8, 2014
540
346
Germany
#16
After 8+ years of waiting they should really take all the time they need to finish this game. It'd be ridicoulous if they couldn't accomplish their vision in the end because a set release date is limiting them.
 

LeonBlade

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Oct 25, 2013
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#17
After 8+ years of waiting they should really take all the time they need to finish this game. It'd be ridicoulous if they couldn't accomplish their vision in the end because a set release date is limiting them.
The release date isn't a limiting factor, it simply describes their estimated completion time. The work that needs to be done now is bulk asset work, which is something that requires manpower more than anything. Creative vision and goals have nothing to do with this, it's just a long tedious process that needs to be done, which is why the projected release date is said to be longer than expected, because they are low on manpower currently.
 

KOKAYI5

Knight of Death
May 28, 2014
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#18
I don't think release date windows or the system capabilities or lack of man-power are holding them up. I think what they're shooting for is gran scale and so-much-so that they now have to really deliver or risk losing new and old fans and likely a serious down-turn on home-based JRPGs.

That's why I'd not just update with any ol' thing. All the info and interviews thus far have been good. New info abound. I'm happy about that. But this one right here seems like another one of those forced interviews with no new info and just something people will quickly see as "please be excite" meme-bait.

EDIT:
@LeonBlade If they doing that long tedious process back going over the whole game for problems, do you think that means the game is done story and sidequest wise and now they just have to double check for glitches?
 

LeonBlade

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#19
@LeonBlade If they doing that long tedious process back going over the whole game for problems, do you think that means the game is done story and sidequest wise and now they just have to double check for glitches?
No, they still have engine porting to do, they still have towns, enemies/bosses, dungeons, etc to make. Asset creation isn't like programming, it's possible that a model rigging will made wrong for example, but in most situations if the person knows what they're doing, little can go wrong in this part of the development. The programming of the engine and its systems is where the uncertainty comes in with bugs and what not.

Of course, we don't know what they're working on in the fullest of detail, so who knows.
 
Sep 26, 2013
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626
#20
After 8+ years of waiting they should really take all the time they need to finish this game. It'd be ridicoulous if they couldn't accomplish their vision in the end because a set release date is limiting them.
If it’s draining money, which it most likely is, then no, it’s not really ridiculous at all.

And there are not really many developers who are successfully able to achieve and add everything they want in a game. Tons of assets get created and cut all the time in game development. It’s normal. This happens because of time and budget constraints, something isn’t working properly, capable key individuals are unable to get involved because they have to focus on something that's more important, or it hurts the pace or theme of the game.

FFXV will have stuff cut. It’s not immune to the realities of game development.

One thing you don’t want to do as a game developer is make promises that can’t be kept. ;)