Final Fantasy: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box announced

[Lobo_do_Norte]

What I regret about the 25th annniversary utlimate box is that it contains "original" discs of all the main episodes that were published on Sony PS consoles.

First, it means that you have to still own a PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 if you want to play the games. What about Xbox and Nintendo players ?!
Then, most of them are available on the PSN and therefore can be played on PS3 and/or PSVita... So why didn't Square-Enix think about all the games to be played on PS3 ? (Even if they don't HD-remasterize them, it would have been great if the games could be played on present generation consoles...)
And for those who will remind me that PS1 games are playable on any PS3, I would answer about the glitches, freezing, loading times and changing discs problems I often encountered while playing FFVII, VIII & IX on my slim 250 Go PS3.
As a comparison, SF 25th anniversary games are all palayable on PS3 or Xbox360.

Secondly, the goodies... A 2 CDs soundtrack compilation and an artwork ?!
Ok, the artwork is really cool. But is that really enough for a 25th anniversary of such a legendary licence ? I wonder... 2 CDs to sum up the OST masterpieces of the whole serie seem a bit light to me. they must be kidding us.
Talking about 25th anniversary editions, let's compare with the Street Fighter one for instance ! (I won't detail... You see what I mean, right ?)

Is Square-Enix putting its FF fans on a diet ???
Don't they make us wait and starve enough between releases ? (5 years between FFXII & FFXIII... 8 years between FFXI and FFXIV, plus 3 years for FFXIV availability on PS3... FF VersusXIII still "in progress"...)
Come on...

I'd have prefered different Collector's editions for each sub-series, like :
- FF Anthology (FFI to FFVI)
- Compilation of FFVII (FFVII + spin-offs + Advent Children movie)
- Ivalice Alliance (FFXII + all FF Tactics + Vagrant Story)
- Fabula Nova Crystallis (FFXIII + XIII-2 + VersusXIII + Type-O)
- Crystal Chronicles
Each would come along with proper soundtracks, artworks/artbooks and figurines, boxed in beautiful caskets.

Well, just my opinion, but Square-Enix keeps on deceiving me and most of its fans.

[Ryu Kazama]

Originally Posted by Lobo_do_Norte

What I regret about the 25th annniversary utlimate box is that it contains "original" discs of all the main episodes that were published on Sony PS consoles.

First, it means that you have to still own a PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 if you want to play the games. What about Xbox and Nintendo players ?!
Then, most of them are available on the PSN and therefore can be played on PS3 and/or PSVita... So why didn't Square-Enix think about all the games to be played on PS3 ? (Even if they don't HD-remasterize them, it would have been great if the games could be played on present generation consoles...)
And for those who will remind me that PS1 games are playable on any PS3, I would answer about the glitches, freezing, loading times and changing discs problems I often encountered while playing FFVII, VIII & IX on my slim 250 Go PS3.
As a comparison, SF 25th anniversary games are all palayable on PS3 or Xbox360.

Secondly, the goodies... A 2 CDs soundtrack compilation and an artwork ?!
Ok, the artwork is really cool. But is that really enough for a 25th anniversary of such a legendary licence ? I wonder... 2 CDs to sum up the OST masterpieces of the whole serie seem a bit light to me. they must be kidding us.
Talking about 25th anniversary editions, let's compare with the Street Fighter one for instance ! (I won't detail... You see what I mean, right ?)

Is Square-Enix putting its FF fans on a diet ???
Don't they make us wait and starve enough between releases ? (5 years between FFXII & FFXIII... 8 years between FFXI and FFXIV, plus 3 years for FFXIV availability on PS3... FF VersusXIII still "in progress"...)
Come on...

I'd have prefered different Collector's editions for each sub-series, like :
- FF Anthology (FFI to FFVI)
- Compilation of FFVII (FFVII + spin-offs + Advent Children movie)
- Ivalice Alliance (FFXII + all FF Tactics + Vagrant Story)
- Fabula Nova Crystallis (FFXIII + XIII-2 + VersusXIII + Type-O)
- Crystal Chronicles
Each would come along with proper soundtracks, artworks/artbooks and figurines, boxed in beautiful caskets.

Well, just my opinion, but Square-Enix keeps on deceiving me and most of its fans.

Just by releasing collected sets you'll be paying well over $500, so that's a bad idea straight off the bat. FFI-VI in a set? With all the fancy stuff you want? Probably a US equivalent of $200 at the very least. The FNC collection, given how recent they are, they can and will charge you a higher price just for that...you see what I'm getting at. Oh, and don't forget manufacturing all these individual pieces, rating everything, licensing everything, getting the legal go ahead on everything etc etc.

I'd like to stress again, this is a Japanese item for a Japanese market. Not anyone else. The price reflects that. This stuff just. Isn't. Cheap. For Japan. Go look at their standard game, music and movie prices. Remember, what costs US $25 for a nice season of a TV Show costs Japan a ton more. 35,000Yen is probably normal for something like. For Japan. It's just how entertainment is in that country.

NES/SNES carts are Nintendo's property. They would need to manufacture that again and pay for it all. Why bother when it's easier and cheaper to stick with discs, thus PSOne versions.

Sure, a 2 disc soundtrack is a bit on the small scale but once again, you're looking at going through a whole process just to secure all the content you want and they'll charge consumers more to recoup. In an ideal world they'd include the OST for every single game and every single version...

Then you speak of SF25th...as major SF and FF fan I know which one I easily prefer. For a 25th Anniversary, the fact I am getting a COMPLETE set of core games from the FF line to date in a physical format is amazing. SF25th (let's pick PS3 as it has way more content) is good but almost all of it is digital. I'd much rather have a physical release of SFII, Alpha etc than physical versions of their soundtrack counterparts.

Ideally that collection should've been a physical version of the best version of each game e.g. Super Turbo, Third Strike OE, Alpha 3 Upper, IVAE and no xTekken but hey, they didn't even include Alpha 3. Again, most of this comes down to re-rating stuff that hasn't been rated in the modern age and reacquiring expired rights.

As far as both sets go, I simply prefer FF's for it includes all 13 games. Both sets aren't for me to play. They're to keep as a commemeration of two of my favourite franchise.

Edit: Oh, and the time delay between games...unfair to even say IX-XIV was 8 years. You had XII and XIII....

XII's delays were, from what was said ages ago, commonly to do with staff. One of the seniors falling sick a great deal into the development of the game.

The no show of XIV on PS3 is only a good thing given how few even like how XIV was. A game is clearly bad if has to be redesigned and the original producer leaves. Versus XIII, that was SE just being silly and announcing it way too early.

Not backing up SE, they're making questionable decision right now (Lightning Returns..ugh) but some assumptions or accusations are failing to see the bigger and real picture.

[Lobo_do_Norte]

Hi Ryu,

I won't quote your whole post and I won't discuss your point of view and your arguments because there's no right or wrong in this case.
I understand and I agree with you on most facts...
The rest is just feelings about being fan and frustrated by not necessarily getting what you expect or wish to get from such collector editions.

I own, owned and play, played most the FF games. So, I'm not waiting for having them again unless they are HD-remastered or including add-on, new cinematics, etc. and I'd prefer more goodies.
That's why I prefer SF 25th anniversary edition. Few games in their latest versions but with a complete OST, a statue, an artbook and Ruy's belt replica.
It seems to have more added value to me.
But it's not flawless... "xTekken" ? WTF ?! It'd be better with Alpha 3 instead, for sure !!! Screw you too, Capcom !!!

Concerning your lastest remarks in your 'edit'... I'm sure you'll agree with me if I say that disappointed and frustrated people are not objective because feelings overcome reason. That's my case concerning FF 25th.
Objectively, I recognize that it's a nice piece of work from SE that will please some fans and collectors... It's just not for me 'cause it's not what I expected.

[Edit] "Cinematics" seems to not exist in English... I meant the cut-scenes and introduction/conclusion movies.

[aizen59]

Originally Posted by Ryu Kazama

As far as both sets go, I simply prefer FF's for it includes all 13 games. Both sets aren't for me to play. They're to keep as a commemeration of two of my favourite franchise.

+1, that's exactly how i feel about it.