Final Fantasy creator reveals how mobile game Fantasian Neo Dimension made the jump to consoles and PC

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You could call it a desire to revisit a dear old friend who eventually turns into his new best friend. It was originally released as a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) exclusive to Apple Arcade handhelds. imaginary This was the latest creation of famous game designer Wagd. Final Fantasy privilege, Hironobu SakaguchiDespite the game's good reception from critics and players who tried it, it went practically unnoticed due to its platform exclusivity and lack of visibility.

Hironobu Sakaguchi (left), Naoki Yoshida (right).
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But three years after its launch on mobile, Imagination: The New DimensionAn enhanced version of the mobile title will finally be released on consoles and Windows PC, bringing the complete Fantasian package to a wider audience.

During a hands-on session and extended interview with Sakaguchi, along with the co-producer, Naoki YoshidaThe Geek Culture team had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the team's design process when adapting their mobile game to a more mainstream platform, even as few realized that the mobile game stemmed from a desire to bring a classic console game to a modern smartphone-using audience.

The idea of ​​making the original version imaginary In fact, I arrived in Sakaguchi via the familiar face of an old friend.

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“A few years ago, console makers were producing mini versions of their consoles, and it was the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) that had a mini version of Final Fantasy 6“The video game legend, who designed the original game, recalls, Final Fantasy In 1987, he played a role in everything that followed. Final Fantasy The game all the way to Final Fantasy X-2 In 2003.

“While playing Final Fantasy 6 During a livestream on Famitsu, I realized that the title was a reflection of my work in JRPGs. So after playing it, and having spent 20 years away from the series, I realized what kind of feeling I wanted to capture in my new game, and this is how I imaginary “It turns out it is.”

One of the ways in which it is adjusted imaginary Unlike its peers, it uses hand-crafted holograms as the basis for its environmental art style. This results in a unique visual style rarely seen in games, and according to Sakaguchi, the idea for this came out of nowhere.

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“Early on in the game’s development, these items were sitting in my office, which made me think it would be really fun to have the characters explore and adventure among the same items, and have handcrafted worlds to roam around in.” That was the moment he decided to use holograms to create all of the environments in the game.

Of course, incorporating realistic images into a video game isn’t easy. Sakaguchi explains how his team had to go through multiple stages of trial and error, as well as dedicate resources to research and development, to find the perfect way to incorporate it into the game.

Ultimately, he notes, “the team eventually settled on a technique used to create 3D models or meshes of entire cities, where hundreds of still images are taken and stitched together to render a 3D model.”

Since the game was originally released exclusively on Apple Arcade, there were some restrictions on how big the game could be. “Apps (on Apple Arcade) come with their own restrictions, which is that (developers) are only allowed to create apps up to 4GB in size,” Sakaguchi notes.

So, by bringing the game to consoles and PC, the team has more freedom of action, especially when it comes to asset resolution, and hence the enhanced version. “We actually shot all the stereoscopic images in 4K but couldn’t fully utilize it. Now with the switch to console and PC versions, the details that make stereoscopic images magical, like the small imperfections that are only visible when you make something by hand, will be better expressed,” he adds, noting how the team was able to extract “the essence of stereoscopic images” due to the shift in platforms.

Porting a mobile game, especially one designed from the ground up for the platform, has proven to be a huge challenge for the team. “We assume that the majority of players will play[the Apple Arcade version]using a touch-based UI, but now that the game is available for PC and consoles, it’s likely that the controller will be the primary way to play,” Sakaguchi explains.

Much attention has been paid to optimizing the game for controller input, as well as other quality-of-life improvements, such as making characters move faster. Of course, players using a mouse and keyboard will still be able to experience the game in the same way it was originally presented on iOS. In fact, this is Sakaguchi’s preferred way to play, describing how he “personally enjoys clicking around the mouse cursor.”

In order to bring the game to a larger audience, Sakaguchi and his team at Mistwalker have partnered with Square Enix to The new dimension of imaginationAccording to producer Naoki Yoshida, the game needed updating more than they thought.

“We knew Apple Arcade was already available, but when we did a focus group test, it turned out that a lot of people weren’t aware of it.” imaginary“He admitted it,” so the team knew they had to find a way to get the title to a wider audience.

In any partnership, there will always be disagreements, and this was no different. “We initially disagreed about having voiceovers in the game, because Mr. Sakaguchi came from an era where text was the primary means of conveying information,” Yoshida explains, noting that Sakaguchi claimed that voiceovers could “narrow the scope of the experience, as players can read and absorb the text at their own pace, expanding their imagination in the process.”

Ultimately, Sakaguchi changed his mind once he played the game and listened to the voiceovers. “After playing the game (with the voice acting), I think there’s a different kind of emotion that’s presented, and a lot of nuance that you can feel from the characters,” he admits. The duo believes their initial disagreements actually helped establish a level of trust between them as partners on the project.

For Sakaguchi and Yoshida, working together on The new dimension of imagination It was an incredible learning journey. “It was a great honor to be able to work with Mr. Sakaguchi,” Yoshida concludes. “We are happy that more people will have the opportunity to experience this journey, and we hope that this title will serve as motivation for Mr. Sakaguchi to continue his creative endeavors in the future.”

Sakaguchi, who now considers himself more of a consumer of video games than a producer, is not too worried about the future and is happy to enjoy the present by playing his favorite game, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Final Fantasy 14an FF title he did not participate in developing.

He concludes jokingly: “I play (Final Fantasy 14) “Every day since I arrived in Japan (yesterday), I have been playing several games. I think it's no coincidence that we can share this experience (interview) with all the different outlets, and I would love to be invited to any gaming events, big or small, just please put me in a hotel with good Wi-Fi so I can play video games.”

The new dimension of imagination It is scheduled to be launched in December 5, 2024 On PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam.





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