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[jiggle]

Didn't see this posted yet. First confirmation?

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3142454&did=1


As we reported in our recent news story, former director Yasumi Matsuno is no longer working on Final Fantasy XII, but you wouldn't know it to look at the game at Square-Enix's Party 2005 going on in Japan, thanks to the strong, omnipresent character designs of longtime collaborator, Akihiko Yoshida, whose remaining involvement is unknown now that character designs (and reportedly, the entire script) are complete. For the first time since it debuted at E3 2004, we were able to get some hands-on time with the game, which is coming along quite well despite Matsuno's leaving.

 

[Error]

why?

 

[sly]

Uh oh

 

[Amir0x]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Red Scarlet]

*shrug*

 

[Simo]

Really? Well that's odd considering he's still credited as the director in the listing for next weeks Siggraph presentation...

 

[Mupepe]

=( Hopefully they're still sticking with what he was trying to do.

Quit fucking smiling Chris Farley

 

[TheJollyCorner]

why? because he got in over his head and probably didn't realize how difficult it was to helm a full-fledged Final Fantasy. All of his projects prior have been much smaller, much more concentrated.

boohoo. Hope he got his contract money.

 

[Lionheart]

Wasn't there also supposed to be a big announcement regarding FF XII? It wasn't the release date, was it?

 

[GaimeGuy]

PLEASE MAKE A NEW OGRE BATTLE GAME

 

[JackFrost2012]

 

[Tea Master]

why? because he got in over his head and probably didn't realize how difficult it was to helm a full-fledged Final Fantasy. All of his projects prior have been much smaller, much more concentrated.

boohoo. Hope he got his contract money.

That's bullshit.

 

[bitwise]

why? because he got in over his head and probably didn't realize how difficult it was to helm a full-fledged Final Fantasy. All of his projects prior have been much smaller, much more concentrated.

boohoo. Hope he got his contract money.

way to make shit up

 

[Neex]

So... :/

 

[Pellham]

I don't know what to say. I'm a huge Matsuno fan, and I think it's sad that he couldn't pull this off.

Interest in FF12 -1000000000000000 (especially if Kitase took over)

 

[Amir0x]

I don't know what to say. I'm a huge Matsuno fan, and I think it's sad that he couldn't pull this off.

Interest in FF12 -1000000000000000 (especially if Kitase took over)

Apparently the designs/script and battle system etc were all cemented before Matsuno left, so hopefully his influence remains large enough so that it won't suck.

 

[Zilch]

Fuck. Fucking shit. This really sucks.

 

[jarrod]

So then.... what is Matsuno working on now? Is he still at Square Enix even?

 

[Shaheed79]

The only reason I would take this as good news is if he would get busy working on next-gen OB games using the super-awsome power of the PS3G.

 

[Johnas]

I am somewhat disappointed in this news. I'm sure he worked on it long enough that it will be evident in the final product.

No biggie.

 

[AssMan]

Jesus. Don't make it like FFX now. PLEASE!

 

[Madame M]

Good, he'll move onto a project that won't suck and be filled with Tidus clones.

VAGRANT STORY 2!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[Rei_Toei]

W

T

F

 

[Simo]

Eh so then this is just basically the same rumour that was going around then? As mentioned earlier, FFXII has a slot at the Siggraph 2005 Conference on August 3rd/4th with "The Making of Final Fantasy XII" where Matsuno is supposed to attend and is even listed as the game's director:
http://www.borndigital.co.jp/seminar/Siggraph.html

http://www.siggraph.org/s2005/main.php?f=conference&p=caf&s=at

If he was no longer the director then surely SE wouldn't of submitted the listing details with Matsuno still onboard.

 

[Zilch]

Eh so then this is just basically the same rumour that was going around then? As mentioned earlier, FFXII has a slot at the Siggraph 2005 Conference on August 3rd/4th with "The Making of Final Fantasy XII" where Matsuno is supposed to attend and is even listed as the game's director:
http://www.borndigital.co.jp/seminar/Siggraph.html

http://www.siggraph.org/s2005/main.php?f=conference&p=caf&s=at

If he was no longer the director then surely SE wouldn't of submitted the listing details with Matsuno still onboard.

Maybe he's "executive producer" now?

 

[TheJollyCorner]

way to make shit up

well no shit, genius. Since no specific reasons have come out of Square (and if they are smart, they will keep this under the rug), all we can do is speculate how and why.

 

[SantaC]

what's going on with this game

 

[Wario64]

la bomba


is this the big news that was suppose to be revealed at the Square event? :lol

 

[explodet]

PLEASE MAKE A NEW OGRE BATTLE GAME

I concur.

 

[C- Warrior]

Interest in Final Fantasy XII has gone from "I don't give a fuck" to "I really don't give a fuck"

:lol

That was funnier in my head...

Seriously, I bought a freakin' PS2 just for FFX, and now I really can't stand Final Fantasy at all. God damn FFX-2 really pissed me off or something, that or I woke up and realized how much better the Shadow Hearts series is...

 

[neo2046]

the rumor gets the confirmation then?

the rumor also says that not only Matsuno,
Akihiko Yoshida and almost the whole originally FF12 team have gone to Mist Walker

 

[SantaC]

the rumor gets the confirmation then?

the rumor also says that not only Matsuno,
Akihiko Yoshida and almost the whole originally FF12 team have gone to Mist Walker

uh oh

 

[Gattsu25]

ugh
they better not fucking ruin the game by reverting it or substantially changing Matsuno's concept

Here's hoping Matsuno and those he works best with continue to make RPGs...through squeenix or otherwise

 

[Zilch]

You guys really should note that Matsuno IS presenting the game at Siggraph next week... not that that really helps much.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Oh man. Looks like another stinker then.

 

[AniHawk]

4 years between since the last real Final Fantasy and this. Great.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

You guys really should note that Matsuno IS presenting the game at Siggraph next week... not that that really helps much.

Maybe we can get some clarification then, 'cause this SE party sure as hell hasn't cleared up the situation.

Although this does remind me, almost exactly, of the rumours about Matsuno and the whole VS team leaving/being fired, shortly after that game shipped.

 

[The_Sorrow]

4 years between since the last real Final Fantasy and this. Great.

Exactly. All blame should be put on Matsuno because this is his project. I don't blame Square at all.

 

[Brandon F]

Oh man, does this put Kawazu in the hot seat?

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Oh man, does this put Kawazu in the hot seat?

As much as I want to see Kawazu to his magic again in an FF game (that isn't a remake or a spin-off) I was in dire anticipation of Matsuno's vision. I'm praying this one is wrong.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

saw this posted on another forum- poster didn't post his source. Waiting for him to reply to the inquiry as to where this came from:

The second revelation, and far more surprising of the two, is that FFXII director, Yasumi Matsuno, is no longer working on the game. The former Quest developer (Quest made games like Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle for the SNES and Sega Saturn) is the mastermind behind such brilliant games as Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but is said to be temperamental. When part of the FFXII team was said to have left Square-Enix for Hironobu Sakaguchi's new development studio, Mist Walker, Matsuno was reported to have not shown up for work for a month until the crisis was resolved. In fact, we're not sure what Matsuno is working on now, and whether he was kicked off the team or if he voluntarily removed himself, although he is still said to be at Square. The RPG powerhouse is reported to have a replacement at the helm already, the choice of whom is likely to raise the eyebrows of many people who have been following the troubled chapter's evolution. As we learn more about this development we'll let you know.

 

[C- Warrior]

What FF games have Kawazu done before? (directed)

 

[Mejilan]

What FF games have Kawazu done before? (directed)

Oh hell no. Don't even SUGGEST that.

 

[Simo]

saw this posted on another forum- poster didn't post his source. Waiting for him to reply to the inquiry as to where this came from:

It's from the same 1UP article:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142452

the rumor gets the confirmation then?

the rumor also says that not only Matsuno,
Akihiko Yoshida and almost the whole originally FF12 team have gone to Mist Walker

Nope which is why there is confusion as to whether or not Matsuno has left. 1UP is the only site to specifically state he's gone but there's no listing of a source other than it was "news from the show" but neither GameSpot, IGN or any other site covering the event has mentioned such news. That and there's also the information that Matsuno should be present at a "Making of FFXII" presentation at Siggraph this coming week as well as still being listed as the game's director.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

damn square is falling apart, first Sakaguchi left now Matsuno? This is terrible, I don't even like Kitase and the guy who made FFX2 and just the thought of future FF games coming from these two makes me very unhappy.

 

[Prine]

If he really has left for Mistwalker +1 Sakaguchi. He must be smiling right now

I wonder if Hideo Honda will join Mistwalker...if e does, then wow, Sakaguchi will have some major talent under his belt

(that can only mean great things for Blue Dragon and Lost Oddeyse)

 

[TheJollyCorner]

damn square is falling apart, first Sakaguchi left now Matsuno? This is terrible, I don't even like Kitase and the guy who made FFX2 and just the thought of future FF series coming from these two makes me very unhappy.

so you didn't like FFVI, VII, VIII, and X... not to mention Chrono Trigger? Kitase was responsible (or co-responsible, in the cases of FFVI and CT) for those.

 

[SolidSnakex]

damn square is falling apart, first Sakaguchi left now Matsuno? This is terrible, I don't even like Kitase and the guy who made FFX2 and just the thought of future FF games coming from these two makes me very unhappy.

Yah Kitase's only been responsible for the most popular and praised games in the entire series..It'd be so horrible to see the series fall into such hands.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Yah Kitase's only been responsible for the most popular and praised games in the entire series..It'd be so horrible to see the series fall into such hands.

Popular? Yes. Praised? By idiots, maybe.

FFVII = Worst FF and terrible RPG.


Kawazu can shit out a better RPG half asleep than Kitase could ever hope for.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

so you didn't like FFVI, VII, VIII, and X... not to mention Chrono Trigger? Kitase was responsible (or co-responsible, in the cases of FFVI and CT) for those.

Yah Kitase's only been responsible for the most popular and praised games in the entire series..It'd be so horrible to see the series fall into such hands.

But Sakaguchi was the executive producer for all of those. He overlooked the development and probably guided them. Look at FFX2; they made that after he left, the game is totally fucked up.