Points that reveal Hiroyuki Ito (FFVI, FFIX, FFXII Director) is working on FFXVI (Ver 2.0)

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#81
Alternatively, there's the window seat. When a veteran disappears for the better part of a decade without resurfacing once (as a company will shuffle idle staff to other projects, even if it's only in a supervisory capacity), there's a good chance that something is wrong.

It's correct that as a Final Fantasy producer, there's no going back. Hiroyuki Ito has his own team (even if it's one person) and the right to lead a new project. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's doing anything besides endless proposals that will never be approved. As of now, we can only confirm that he writes proposals, loves to challenge new things, puts together plans, etc.
It's also possible that he just pitches in for production in the mean time rather than being involved with something that drastic.
 

1Truth2Lies

Sphere Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
224
129
London
#83
There are a lot of other reasons for all these HD remasters we've been getting lately.

One reason is that they're cheap and fast to make and can be used to help disguise these droughts we've been experiencing as we wait for brand new AAA titles. They allow publishers to put something out on store shelves every year.

Another reason could be that some of these HD remasters didn't perform well last generation because console and software sales were on a decline. They came out during the death march. They came out during a time where people experienced all that they could with last generation consoles and were moving on to other things.

Another reason is to establish that user base, which I think is what you're suggesting. I can agree with this but I see it as establishing the Final Fantasy fan base in general and not something that's really specific like the world of Ivalice.

That said...

When you look at Square Enix's E315 line-up this year, it was pretty packed. Instead of jam packing everything for one event, they probably thought it would be best to space things out. I kinda feel bad for some of Square Enix's other offerings because once that FFVII remake announcement was made, it overshadowed everything else. That shadow would have grown bigger and darker if FFXV had a big presence. World of Final Fantasy you say? What's that?
I doubt a FFXII HD Remaster will be cheap to make. Not only does the game have a vast number of locations compared to both FFX and FFX-2 combined, it also has the most ornate and meticulously detailed art direction of any Final Fantasy. Assuming the development team don't cut corners, it would probably be one of the most tasking HD Remasters to make. Even in Square Enix's situation, they don't really have any release window space to release it right now. They have a crowded schedule through til Q2 2016, which means a FFXII HD Remaster would have to be released sometime after that. FFXV is likely a Q3/Q4 2016 release, meaning FFXII HD Remaster would have to be even after that. We're looking at 2017 release at the earliest.

FFXII HD Remaster needed to be made more than FFX|X-2 HD Remaster for the sales reason you mention. Seeing as Square Enix saw to do otherwise, I'm further lead to believe they're holding on FFXII for a specific reason, which is the Producer/Director of the game being busy with another project. Even back at E3 2013, Kitase said in an interview with RPGSite that FFXII was the most deserving game for a HD Remaster, but he couldn't speak anymore on the matter because he didn't work on the original game. In another interview by Eurogamer in early 2014, he further clarified by saying whether a FFXII HD Remaster happens or not is fully dependant on the team that made FFXII, and he has not heard any plans about them doing it. This interview was published on the exact same day I met Kitase in London for the European launch of LRFFXIII, and he told me Ito has his own development team in Square Enix and busy on his own projects, which is why he has been absent from AAA titles since FFXII. It all adds up. FFXII HD is being held back because of Ito is busy on whatever the fuck he's been working on for the past decade.

Also, establishing the fanbase on current gen is a definite reason for these HD Remasters. Shinji Hashimoto even said at the China PS4 press event that they plan to make every mainline Final Fantasy (besides MMOs) available on the platform, so everybody in China that owns a PS4 has access to all the numbered FF games.

Lastly, I'm in full agreement that their line-up this year was bloated, but I think that was a good thing. It showed that Square Enix was still gaming force to be reckoned with and had not fallen off like some people claim. That the FFVII Remake announcement stole the show alongside Shenmue III, which shows there's still love for Final Fantasy. If there was a FFXII HD Remaster and a FFXVI by Ito announcement to add to that, it would have been complete overkill. That being said, I honestly doubt FFXII HD will be announced this year. Not after that packed E3 lineup. My realist self is expecting it to be announced alongside FFXVI by Ito, whenever that will be.

Alternatively, there's the window seat. When a veteran disappears for the better part of a decade without resurfacing once (as a company will shuffle idle staff to other projects, even if it's only in a supervisory capacity), there's a good chance that something is wrong.

It's correct that as a Final Fantasy producer, there's no going back. Hiroyuki Ito has his own team (even if it's one person) and the right to lead a new project. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's doing anything besides endless proposals that will never be approved. As of now, we can only confirm that he writes proposals, loves to challenge new things, puts together plans, etc.
The window seat is still a possibility, but my evidence points to otherwise. The man is definitely working on something. It's just that what it actually is he's making is on some highly classified, CIA-level shit. No idea why that's the case, but the secrecy surrounding the title makes me believe it's highly ambitious in nature.

I think that proposal statement by Shinji Hashimoto only cements how Ito is working on something big. Hashimoto said he's making proposals, not a single proposal, but proposals for the project. On just one project, he's making multiple proposals of what he wants to achieve. This indicates he's trying to accomplish many different goals with this one title. Hashimoto even added that it would take time for this project to materialise because of how much depth Ito was adding to the gameplay systems and mechanics. Also, he even said he was excited to see Ito's ideas soon. The game can't be stuck in the planning stage if the Final Fantasy Brand Manager is excited to see Ito's ideas.

Further more, Hashimoto said something similar to me when I did a follow up report based on his replies in that interview. I met him at the KH I.5 ReMIX European launch event in September 2013, around 2 months after this interview was published, and I made sure ask about Ito. He said that Ito's been busy planning his own project, which is why he hasn't worked on any FFXIII games, FFXIV ARR, and FFXV. I then asked when this project will be announced, to which he replied that Ito was adding a huge amount of depth to the gameplay systems and mechanics, meaning development of this project would take some time. He ended by saying I should please be patient while awaiting more details. By the sounds of it, the game is already in dev, but the scale and ambition of it has it being made at a glacial pace. Ito's already gone on record to say PS3/Xbox 360 couldn't handle his ideas for the next evolution of ATB. I'm starting to think PS4/Xbox One can't handle it either.
 
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Likes: LeonBlade
Oct 19, 2013
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#84
I doubt a FFXII HD Remaster will be cheap to make. Not only does the game have a vast number of locations compared to both FFX and FFX-2 combined, it also has the most ornate and meticulously detailed art direction of any Final Fantasy. Assuming the development team don't cut corners, it would probably be one of the most tasking HD Remasters to make. Even in Square Enix's situation, they don't really have any release window space to release it right now. They have a crowded schedule through til Q2 2016, which means a FFXII HD Remaster would have to be released sometime after that. FFXV is likely a Q3/Q4 2016 release, meaning FFXII HD Remaster would have to be even after that. We're looking at 2017 release at the earliest.

FFXII HD Remaster needed to be made more than FFX|X-2 HD Remaster for the sales reason you mention. Seeing as Square Enix saw to do otherwise, I'm further lead to believe they're holding on FFXII for a specific reason, which is the Producer/Director of the game being busy with another project. Even back at E3 2013, Kitase said in an interview with RPGSite that FFXII was the most deserving game for a HD Remaster, but he couldn't speak anymore on the matter because he didn't work on the original game. In another interview by Eurogamer in early 2014, he further clarified by saying whether a FFXII HD Remaster happens or not is fully dependant on the team that made FFXII, and he has not heard any plans about them doing it. This interview was published on the exact same day I met Kitase in London for the European launch of LRFFXIII, and he told me Ito has his own development team in Square Enix and busy on his own projects, which is why he has been absent from AAA titles since FFXII. It all adds up. FFXII HD is being held back because of Ito is busy on whatever the fuck he's been working on for the past decade.

Also, establishing the fanbase on current gen is a definite reason for these HD Remasters. Shinji Hashimoto even said at the China PS4 press event that they plan to make every mainline Final Fantasy (besides MMOs) available on the platform, so everybody in China that owns a PS4 has access to all the numbered FF games.

Lastly, I'm in full agreement that their line-up this year was bloated, but I think that was a good thing. It showed that Square Enix was still gaming force to be reckoned with and had not fallen off like some people claim. That the FFVII Remake announcement stole the show alongside Shenmue III, which shows there's still love for Final Fantasy. If there was a FFXII HD Remaster and a FFXVI by Ito announcement to add to that, it would have been complete overkill. That being said, I honestly doubt FFXII HD will be announced this year. Not after that packed E3 lineup. My realist self is expecting it to be announced alongside FFXVI by Ito, whenever that will be.


The window seat is still a possibility, but my evidence points to otherwise. The man is definitely working on something. It's just that what it actually is he's making is on some highly classified, CIA-level shit. No idea why that's the case, but the secrecy surrounding the title makes me believe it's highly ambitious in nature.

I think that proposal statement by Shinji Hashimoto only cements how Ito is working on something big. Hashimoto said he's making proposals, not a single proposal, but proposals for the project. On just one project, he's making multiple proposals of what he wants to achieve. This indicates he's trying to accomplish many different goals with this one title. Hashimoto even added that it would take time for this project to materialise because of how much depth Ito was adding to the gameplay systems and mechanics. Also, he even said he was excited to see Ito's ideas soon. The game can't be stuck in the planning stage if the Final Fantasy Brand Manager is excited to see Ito's ideas.

Further more, Hashimoto said something similar to me when I did a follow up report based on his replies in that interview. I met him at the KH I.5 ReMIX European launch event in September 2013, around 2 months after this interview was published, and I made sure ask about Ito. He said that Ito's been busy planning his own project, which is why he hasn't worked on any FFXIII games, FFXIV ARR, and FFXV. I then asked when this project will be announced, to which he replied that Ito was adding a huge amount of depth to the gameplay systems and mechanics, meaning development of this project would take some time. He ended by saying I should please be patient while awaiting more details. By the sounds of it, the game is already in dev, but the scale and ambition of it has it being made at a glacial pace. Ito's already gone on record to say PS3/Xbox 360 couldn't handle his ideas for the next evolution of ATB. I'm starting to think PS4/Xbox One can't handle it either.
Maybe he's trying to do larger-scale battles like Kitase described as a possibility for future FFs on PS4/X1:
"And while Kitase isn't directly overseeing Final Fantasy XV or Kingdom Hearts 3, he also shared his thoughts on how the power of Xbox One and PS4 could improve future Final Fantasy titles, hinting at the possibility of larger battles and bigger parties.

"We are quite aware of [PS4 & Xbox One's] capabilities and certainly one thing that's going to come up is having battles with a lot more participants involved," he continued. "Having a lot more characters, a lot more things happening, that's one of the things that the new hardware does really well, so to maybe make a battle system for a Final Fantasy game or a future game that fits with that, I think it would be quite good to have more characters for the player to control and more participants in the battle.""
 

1Truth2Lies

Sphere Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
224
129
London
#85
That's the most likely cause.

You didn't include it in your quote, but Kitase also mentions in that the Gambit system could return to help provide deeper customisation for the player to manage all the party members at their disposal. Considering that Ito is the only person at Square Enix who wants to reuse the Gambit system in another game, he's likely the person that's making this large-scale battle system that Kitase is describing. Then you have the speculation that The Last Remnant team have been added to the FFXII team and therefore are now under Ito. I don't know if you've played the game, but The Last Remnant has you controlling up to 18 party members in a single battle. I wouldn't be surprised if Ito's next game would have an even higher figure than that.
 
Oct 19, 2013
410
617
#86
That's the most likely cause.

You didn't include it in your quote, but Kitase also mentions in that the Gambit system could return to help provide deeper customisation for the player to manage all the party members at their disposal. Considering that Ito is the only person at Square Enix who wants to reuse the Gambit system in another game, he's likely the person that's making this large-scale battle system that Kitase is describing. Then you have the speculation that The Last Remnant team have been added to the FFXII team and therefore are now under Ito. I don't know if you've played the game, but The Last Remnant has you controlling up to 18 party members in a single battle. I wouldn't be surprised if Ito's next game would have an even higher figure than that.
Haha, actually I once speculated the same thing about it possibly being like TLR after reading that interview with Kitase. Can't wait to see FFXVI someday.
 
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Sep 26, 2013
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#87
I'm betting Kitase was talking about FFXV in regards to the Gambit System. He tends to hint at what's to come in some of the interviews he does.
 

1Truth2Lies

Sphere Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
224
129
London
#88
I've updated the 2015 section of the OP with some recent and relevant points.

I'm betting Kitase was talking about FFXV in regards to the Gambit System. He tends to hint at what's to come in some of the interviews he does.
FFXV doesn't use the Gambit system, though. Tabata has confirmed this. The system used for AI in FFXV is only similar to Gambits, but not the actual Gambit system. Also, FFXV doesn't have a battle system where the player can control many party members. The only person you can control in Noctis. Kitase was very clear in stating that PS4/XB1 would allow for battles where the player can control many party members, and that Gambits returning would be a way of allowing the player to more easily control all the characters at their disposal.

Also, Kitase always hints at what's to come. He confirmed the existence of Mobius Final Fantasy before it was even announced, as he said in interviews around the time LR FFXIII launched in NA/EU that his next game would likely be for Smartphones or Tablets.
 
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Sep 26, 2013
1,612
626
#89
No, FFXV doesn't use the Gambit System. That's just how Tabata described it. Describing it like the Gambit System suggests that they borrowed some ideas from it but made some modifications to it to suit their needs.

And that's what Kitase is talking about. It's not just about reusing stuff from previous Final Fantasy games as is but adapting or recreating it as well.

He gave an example, which was reusing the Gambit System as a way to make it easier for players to control a lot more characters in battle. But that's just one of many examples.
 
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1Truth2Lies

Sphere Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
224
129
London
#90
No, FFXV doesn't use the Gambit System. That's just how Tabata described it. Describing it like the Gambit System suggests that they borrowed some ideas from it but made some modifications to it to suit their needs.

And that's what Kitase is talking about. It's not just about reusing stuff from previous Final Fantasy games as is but adapting or recreating it as well.

He gave an example, which was reusing the Gambit System as a way to make it easier for players to control a lot more characters in battle. But that's just one of many examples.
Tabata clarified that comparison to Gambits, though. The AI system in FFXV is not based or adapted from the Gambits systems. It's instead just similar to it. He only used the comparison to Gambits to better describe how the system functions. He was very clear when stating this, so I don't know how some FF fans missed it.

Furthermore, FFXV is not even the game Kitase is referring to in that quote. I suggest you read the entire article and see that he's actually referring to FF game that will release after FFXV. He's talking about the future of the series beyond FFXV. Then there's the fact he says, "I think it would be quite good to have more characters for the player to control and more participants in the battle." That alone should prove he's not referring to FFXV. You can only control one character in that game, and even with a full party and Guest, there's only 5 at most. Kitase's referring to a future FF game with many party members, like 20+. This corroborates with The Last Remnant team making the game, as that game's battle systems allows the player to control up to 18 party members in a single battle. Even before the worldwide release of The Last Remnant in November 2008, Yusuke Naora (Art Producer) said The Last Remnant used an AI system called "Gambits 1.5". This is completely different to Tabata saying FFXV uses an AI system that's only similar to Gambits.
 
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1Truth2Lies

Sphere Hunter
Jul 3, 2014
224
129
London
#91
Found the source of Yusuke Naora saying The Last Remnant uses "Gambits 1.5".

It was in November 2008, not long before the worldwide release of game. He said The Last Remnant used an AI system called "Gambits 1.5" and that during development, the team worked with Gambits. As you can see, this is completely different to Tabata saying FFXV uses an AI system that's only similar to Gambits in function and actually a completely different system. One is an adapted evolution of Gambits, while the other is only similar to it.

Much of Remnant's staff previously worked on Romancing SaGa and Final Fantasy XII, and it shows through in their work. "We've avoided comparisons to SaGa and FFXII, because this is something completely different," Takai demurs. "We'd like to avoid preconceptions." Later, however, he did admit that he feels Remnant brings together the best aspects of SaGa and FFXII while adding new concepts and refinements. A paternity test would definitely prove the game's Final Fantasy heritage: Remnant's large-scale battle system runs on what art director Yusuke Naora calls "Gambit 1.5," an evolution of FFXII's Gambit system, which allowed for intelligent, automated A.I. control of nonplayer party members. "Players can't actually edit their party A.I.," says Naora, "but during the development process, the team worked with Gambits" -- the tool to define the rules by which the player's party would behave in the finished game.
http://www.1up.com/previews/the-last-remnant?pager.offset=0

If FFXVI is directed by Hiroyuki Ito and developed by the FFXII/The Last Remnant/Tactics Ogre staff, I fully expect it to use the Gambit system to give the player ease of control over the many party members and large-scale battles that Kitase is hinting at.
 
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