Rumor: Final Fantasy Versus XIII Is Dead

Normally I don’t enter this part of the forum, but after reading this… thought I’d share it…

It’s been six years since Square Enix first showed Final Fantasy Versus XIII’s debut trailer. Six long years. When that trailer premiered, George W. Bush was president, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden were alive, and the global financial crisis had not yet hit. 2006 was a different world, a long, long time ago.

Now Kotaku has learned that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is no more.

Kotaku has heard from several sources that the game, as originally intended, is done for.

One source tells Kotaku that Final Fantasy Versus XIII was officially cancelled within the last few weeks. The decision impacted morale at Square Enix and staff were reportedly saddened by the move.

Square Enix, this source added, has also decided to let Final Fantasy Versus XIII die quietly on the vine and fade away, instead of officially announcing its cancellation. This would likely be due to the fact a public acknowledgement of a Versus’ cancellation could impact things like Square Enix’s stock prices.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been M.I.A. for the past few months, save for the occasional, brief mention. Earlier this spring, Final Fantasy Versus XIII designer Tetsuya Nomura spoke with Japanese game mag Famitsu about the title, which has only ever been seen in trailer and screenshot form.

"We’re almost done with preparing the latest info for the game," Nomura told Famitsu. "Because of a totally unrelated reason, there are circumstances in which that info cannot be released."

That was March.

Then in May, Nomura once again commented on the game, saying to Game Informer, "We would like to ask for your patience on an official announcement for this title. It always takes time when tackling the challenge of doing something completely new, but we are doing our best to bring information to the fans as quickly as we can. Your patience is greatly appreciated."

Then E3 came and went with no sign of Versus, which wasn’t that strange if you remember the game was not at last year’s Tokyo Game Show either.

Whatever happened to the game over those six years—whether it underwent radical changes or simply couldn’t come together—it seems Square Enix has finally decided to cut its losses.

Another source tells Kotaku that, a few months back, Final Fantasy Versus XIII’s development and resources had actually been folded into another game, which is to be the next numeric Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy XV. Whether this meant actual game assets and code or simply the movement of staff was unclear. This information was independently corroborated by yet another source, though it’s important to note both had learned of the "folding" prior to the more recent news of its outright cancellation.

The Final Fantasy XIII branded types have not been set in stone: another spinoff title Final Fantasy Agito XIII had its name changed to Final Fantasy Type-0. So what was originally planned as an entire mini-franchise by Square, with multiple titles spanning various platforms, looks now to be focused on the adventures of Lightning.

Whether it’s been cancelled entirely or had resources absorbed into a newer, larger project, the game we once knew as Final Fantasy Versus XIII would seem to be no more. Even if Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been cancelled, I’m inclined to believe that whatever Versus was, or whatever had been created for the game, will turn up in some form in Final Fantasy XV. Surely, Square Enix would not cancel a game and completely dump all the work it’s done? Right?

When Kotaku contacted Square Enix about whether or not Final Fantasy Versus XIII was still in development, the game maker released the following statement: "We have no information on the status of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but will be sure to update you as it becomes available." Keep in mind, I wasn’t asking for an update per se, I simply asked if Square Enix was still making a game it had already announced six years ago. Square Enix did not reply to Kotaku’s requests for clarification regarding whether Versus was still in development or not.

Square Enix has a Final Fantasy event coming up in Tokyo in late August and September. One of the stage events is centered around the Final Fantasy XIII Project and the Lightning saga (so a Final Fantasy XIII-3 reveal?). None of the announced stage events center around Final Fantasy Versus XIII, something that Japanese gamers were quick to point out on game sites and blogs.

So, is Final Fantasy Versus XIII finally and officially dead? Without confirmation from Square Enix, we can’t say for sure. While these reports certainly indicate the long-awaited game has been cancelled, Square’s reluctance to acknowledge them means those desperately wanting to see more of the project still have a glimmer of hope to hold onto.

But if the game fails to make an appearance at either the upcoming Final Fantasy celebrations or the 2012 Tokyo Game Show? Then yeah, given what we’ve heard (particularly of Square’s reported desire to kill the game quietly), you’d be a lot safer assuming Versus XIII is kaput and start looking forward to the next big FF game.

Source: Rumor: Final Fantasy Versus XIII Is Dead (http://kotaku.com/5927645/rumor-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-is-dead)

As someone who vehemetly despises FFXIII… personally I find this laughable. However… playing Devil’s Advocate here, I can understand some fans being upset about this.

Discuss…

I’m calling it now: FFvsXIII will be shewn of it’s Fabula Nova Crystalis connections and re-branded as FFXV.

Which is what it should have been in the first place.

I wish S-E would stop building on the XIII plot/franchise and move on. If they were going to make a FFvsXIII, I—as one who absolutely hated almost everything about XIII—wouldn’t buy it, much like I didn’t buy XIII-2 or Type-0. So if they’re going to strip this game of its Fabula Nova Crystalis connections, I’m glad.

In all likelihood, Enkidoh’s probably right. S-E is most likely funneling their work on XIII-Versus into XV. As we discussed earlier, I’ll bet (and I hope) S-E makes this game for the new platforms.

That being said, I thought the trailers to XIII-Versus were terrible, so I’m holding out hope that either the trailers don’t do justice to the game or they’re only going to take a bare minimum from their XIII-Versus venture into XV.

It reminds me of the saying ‘when taken by surprise step forward’. with a similar driving sentiment said by hideo kojima.

i get the idea japan (square enix) was hit hard by the economic crisis and a tsunami. they decided to split up their team and release everything at once!

it was just announced way to early. its like them saying they are working on agni’s philosophy now but actually it will be out in 7 years.

bad marketing i suppose.

Making it into Final Fantasy 15 would be a massive own goal, for the simple reason that people will still associate it with FF13. This thread amply shows that already, even though Versus had nothing to do with FF13 beyond marketing sleight of hand.

But hey, we never thought we’d see Duke Nukem Forever either…

Completely Relevant Revan: Thread 118171

Also there’s been other rumors. That Hiroyuki Ito is developing FFXV and that will have a battle system that will have elements from FFXII and Vagrant Story.

Rumor: ‘Final Fantasy XV’ to feature series’ largest map, open-world environment (http://videogamewriters.com/rumor-final-fantasy-xv-to-feature-series-largest-map-open-world-environment-51098)

EDIT: We cannot confirm the sources of all these stuff though.

But I see all this as pretty much possible. We’ll have to wait to the next Tokyo Game Show or if S-E has the dignity to make an anouncement or at least throw some information instead of all this speculation.

Maybe so topopoz, but I it was a little different than yours… not by much though. In any event, just thought I’d post it… Don’t really post much here anymore as this site has gone to the dogs…

Well, looks like it is indeed still on the cards, according to Yoichi Wada: Final Fantasy Versus XIII Not Canceled, Says Square Enix CEO | Siliconera (http://www.siliconera.com/2012/07/23/final-fantasy-versus-xiii-not-canceled-says-square-enix-ceo/)

Funny how he basically came out and laughed at the doomsayers. :p

So basically, the way I’m reading it, the project is so under wraps that fans didn’t even know that the game was still happening because they didn’t release an official statement about it. But when fans began to doubt that the game was secretly cancelled, Wada just laughs and brags about a city they created? That’s disappointing and pretty unprofessional. They’re telling fans to be patient for an official confirmation but are backhandedly confirming it. I know they want to make a big splash but would it be too much to have them simply confirm by saying, "Yes, we are working on the game, but would like to ask for your patience while we prepare for material to present at the next convention"? They’re being unnecessarily mysterious.

MEH…it’s SE, I’m not surprised.

Personally, I’m waiting for the next GREAT JRPG for the PS3, which is probably going to be from Atlus.

Anything SE makes seems to be mediocre anymore, at least they’re pretty good at publishing.

But exactly how long is that wait supposed to go on? Atlus haven’t released a new RPG this whole gen (6 years and counting!), nor are they intending to release a new RPG in the foreseeable (or heck, even the non-forseeable) future. Is Persona 4: Arena really what we were all waiting for? Did Atlus fans ring them up and say ‘Hey guys, don’t waste your time on new Shin Megami Tensei games or original and interesting JRPGs – hell no! A fighting game tie-in based on a 6 year old game – that’s what we want!

I love Atlus’ JRPGs, but the fact is, they don’t make them anymore!

But exactly how long is that wait supposed to go on? Atlus haven’t released a new RPG this whole gen (6 years and counting!), nor are they intending to release a new RPG in the foreseeable (or heck, even the non-forseeable) future. Is Persona 4: Arena really what we were all waiting for? Did Atlus fans ring them up and say ‘Hey guys, don’t waste your time on new Shin Megami Tensei games or original and interesting JRPGs – hell no! A fighting game tie-in based on a 6 year old game – that’s what we want!
I love Atlus’ JRPGs, but the fact is, they don’t make them anymore!
They still make them for handhelds…so maybe there’s hope?

But just remakes of older games, unless I’m missing something. Don’t get me wrong – I *want* a new Atlus JRPG. I want it soooo bad, but its been 6 years since their last original RPG. 6 god damned years! Their recent output has been remakes, cash-ins and games like Trauma Center, Catherine etc which are interesting, but they’re not RPGs. Instead they’re games that are decent enough, but for Atlus fans who are almost certainly there for the story, basically charge a toll of sheer boredom and/or frustration, just to get to the bits you actually care about!

And now we have Persona 4 Arena, which boggles the mind even more completely (its like if Nintendo released Mario Kart: Call of Duty or something). What on they doing wasting their time on this stuff?! Are they that desperate for tie-in cash?!

But just remakes of older games, unless I’m missing something. Don’t get me wrong – I *want* a new Atlus JRPG. I want it soooo bad, but its been 6 years since their last original RPG. 6 god damned years! Their recent output has been remakes, cash-ins and games like Trauma Center, Catherine etc which are interesting, but they’re not RPGs. Instead they’re games that are decent enough, but for Atlus fans who are almost certainly there for the story, basically charge a toll of sheer boredom and/or frustration, just to get to the bits you actually care about!

And now we have Persona 4 Arena, which boggles the mind even more completely (its like if Nintendo released Mario Kart: Call of Duty or something). What on they doing wasting their time on this stuff?! Are they that desperate for tie-in cash?!

Don’t forget:
Persona 3/4 was really Atlus’ first BIG MAINSTREAM HIT.

They’ve had a VERY loyal fan-base for, well since the SNES/PS1, but Persona 3/4 REALLY tossed them in with ‘the big boys and girls’.

I really don’t blame them for wanting to milk it for all they can.

The more money they make with P4, the more money they can sink into ‘barely gonna break even’ games like Hammerin’ Hero and SkyGunner.

Selling out is selling out, no matter how popular the people in question are. History is littered with the rotting reminders of previously amazing authors, directors, games companies etc who thought it’d be a great idea to milk a popular franchise for a while, fully intending to use the proceeds for even greater future works.

Never quite happens though, does it?

6 years and counting with no new RPGs – its not looking like Atlus are going to be the ones who buck the trend. The longer they wait, the more they pile up the pressure for their next RPG to be an all time classic. If it is (assuming they ever make one), then that’s great. But if it isn’t, it could finish them for good. Once people start saying you’ve sold out, its pretty much impossible to win them back over.

I’m not saying they won’t be able to do it – I hope they do. I’m just saying they’re playing with fire, the way they’re going about things.

You keep using this ‘6 years’ crap but you fail to mention games on handhelds.

They – are – not – new – games.

Which part of that do you find hard to understand? You talk about Atlus releasing the ‘next great JRPG’, but I don’t know where you getting this confidence from. This whole gen has come and will very likely go with still no original RPGs from them. All they’ve done is milk their franchises and publish other people’s games. Look at their output of original games that they themselves have developed this gen – a block jumping puzzle game and a fighting game (which isn’t even based on a new IP – its Persona 4 again!)

This kind of milking the cash cow *never* goes down well with fans. If they had at least released an original RPG at some point in this gen (and if it had been at least reasonable), then that would have been something. But they haven’t, and Persona 4: Arena sends a very ominous sign about where Atlus’ priorities are right now.

To put it into perspective, do you think Bioware fans would be happy if the whole of the next gen, they just released remakes of their games. If in 2017 say, the last original RPG they made was still Mass Effect 3?! Would they be happy then, or would they just be mugs, owning 3 versions of Dragon Age Origins, 2 versions of Mass Effect 2, a cooking game spin off of Jade Empire, a football management spin-off of KOTOR?

Fan loyalty is a wonderful thing when the developers appreciate it and reward it. Its a terrible thing when they abuse it and get complacent because of it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time
Gungnir
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Luminous_Arc_2
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Etrian Odyssey 1
Etrian Odyssey 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier
Legacy of Ys: Books I & II
Spectral Force 3: Innocent Rage

…
…
…
…
…
Well, some of them are PORTS, but they add enough (or weren’t released in PAL/NTSC-U) to be included.

So…6 years with no new RPGs, right?

Sorry, Tanis most of the games you mentioned were only published by Atlus and only few of them were co-developed with another company. Vrykolas ir right this time, their last good RPG was made 6 years ago and that was Persona 4. But what Vrykolas fails to understand is that the reason why there is a long pause after Persona 4 is that the team responsible for the last 2 Persona titles were busy working on Catherine. So it’s pretty logical if Atlus decided to wait while the team finishes working on Catherine rather giving the next Persona title to another team that might jeopardize their most popular series.
On a hunch, I did some checking and looky what I found.

This year, famed Persona role-playing game maker Atlus is going to apparently announce a new game. It’s more than that, though. Atlus is going to reveal a game that everybody’s waiting for "soon".
The Tokyo-based game company supposedly said as much in its New Year’s card, leading to online speculation that the eagerly awaited Persona 5 is right around the corner.
In Mar. 2010, Persona producer Katsura Hashino told Japanese game mag Dengeki PlayStation, "We are preparing to start work on the next Persona."
"I want to add things that are being expected of the series," Hashino added at the time. "I also want to change things that can be changed within those boundaries."

Kotaku is following up with Atlus and will update this post should the company comment.

Heres the link: Persona Developer Will Reveal the Game �Everyone�s Waiting For� (http://kotaku.com/5872665/persona-developer-will-reveal-the-game-everyones-waiting-for)

Also here’s something for all you folk who have doubts about FF Versus XIII development.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII is still in development, according to Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada.

In a post on Twitter, Wada said he had just attended a meeting about the game�s development.

The tweet reads: �It appears someone is spreading false rumors of Versus XIII�s cancellation. Ha ha� just now, a regular Versus meeting ended. If you saw the city presented today, you would be unable to stand, lol.�

The tweet comes after �several sources� tied to Kotaku claimed that the game was canceled, and that it would be allowed to �die quietly on the vine and fade away� to avoid damaging the publisher�s stock prices.

Originally announced in 2006, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is set to be released on PlayStation 3. Eventually.

Source:Square: Final Fantasy Versus XIII still in development (http://gematsu.com/2012/07/square-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-still-in-development)

Also here’s something for all you folk who have doubts about FF Versus XIII development.

Source:Square: Final Fantasy Versus XIII still in development (http://gematsu.com/2012/07/square-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-still-in-development)

See Enkidoh’s post (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f75/rumor-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-dead-118380/#post2046846) above. Also, a company confirming information regarding the development of its products to consumers via Twitter is unprofessional. The doubt over S-E’s commitment to the game and speculation as to its dissolution were entirely warranted if they’re not going to officially confirm anything (I don’t consider a tweet to be an official statement).

Not that I care much. If this game has anything to do with FFXIII, I’m most likely going to pass on it.

@Aniki

I think Vry said was that it’s unlikely that Atlus is the big JRPG Company that’s gonna dethrone Square in response to Tanis allegations. In that because it’s been so long that they developed an RPG. I don’t think that this has anything to do with the release of Catherine at all. Regardless of having the Persona Team developing the game(Catherine) or not.

That’s my interpretation.

@Olde

XIII Versus is going to have the battle system of Kingdom Hearts. I know you hate the XIII gameplay. But just to let you know that it’s going to be a pretty different game that the other XIII games.

I’m mostly intersted on that.

My speculation of this game is that the development is taking so long because it’s the Kingdom Hearts Team that it’s in charge of this game. And as you can see KH is getting release after release after release.

See Enkidoh’s post (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f75/rumor-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-dead-118380/#post2046846) above.

Ooops, missed that. Sometimes happens when you scroll fast through posts.

Also, a company confirming information regarding the development of its products to consumers via Twitter is unprofessional. The doubt over S-E’s commitment to the game and speculation as to its dissolution were entirely warranted if they’re not going to officially confirm anything (I don’t consider a tweet to be an official statement).

Not that I care much. If this game has anything to do with FFXIII, I’m most likely going to pass on it.

Maybe confirming via Twitter is unprofessional, still better than being completely silent on the matter.
We’re just gonna have to wait for official confirmation… if there’s going to be one that is.

As for Versus, I don’t care if it has anything to do with FFXIII or not, I’m gonna pass on it anyway. Watching trailers and looking at the artwork was enough for me to lose interest in this game.

@Aniki

I think Vry said was that it’s unlikely that Atlus is the big JRPG Company that’s gonna dethrone Square in response to Tanis allegations. In that because it’s been so long that they developed an RPG. I don’t think that this has anything to do with the release of Catherine at all. Regardless of having the Persona Team developing the game(Catherine) or not.

That’s my interpretation.

Read my post again, whether Atlus can dethrone SE or not is not what my post is directed at. I was merely giving an answer to Vrykolas’ statement on why there aren’t any new RPG’s developed by Atlus in the past 6 years. So it does has to with Catherine.

Yes, I know that their people were working on Catherine – I simply pointed out that Atlus chose to devote its very limited manpower and money to making a block jumping puzzle game, rather than an RPG. What with Persona slowly becoming more and more of a dating/life sim than honest to goodness JRPG, its hard to stay excited and positive about upcoming RPGs from them. I want a new RPG from then, but how long do they plan on leaving it? They’re starting to make Valve look fast…

As for who will dethrone Square or whatever, Top is right that I don’t think Atlus will do it, but then I don’t think pondering such things are helpful or useful in any way. The whole concept of whether a company is ‘better’ than another is pointless, as nobody knows how good a game will be until it is out or unveiled in some at least half finished form. Fanboyism for or against companies themselves is pointless though, IMO. If a game is good, I’ll play it and praise whoever made it; if its rubbish, I’ll say that as well, but I won’t boycott all their future games nor pledge to buy all games by the former because ‘I know they’ll be great’ etc etc.

Games should be judged on their own individual merits – no other approach makes any sense to me.