Thursday, May 18, 2006
Why was Final Fantasy 7 So Successful?
So why is Final Fantasy VII the best-selling console RPG of all time? It outsold the other games in the series by about at least 25%. Personally, I loved the game, though I never got into it's immediate sequel or Final Fantasy 8 very well. I appreciated the artwork in Final Fantasy X, and enjoyed it "well enough" to completion, but it didn't suck me in (or my wife in) like the original, in spite of it's technological wizardry.Besides the financial success, it was a critical success as well. The old reviews gush over the graphics, the game play, the summoning spells, the cut scenes... but those are all things we have seen since. And we saw much of it done better on the PC before. What was the magic of Final Fantasy 7 that made it so successful? Was it the story? The graphics? The sacrifice of Aeris? The timely "eco-friendly" and spiritual theme? The gothic, beautiful bad-boy Sephiroth? The Mr. T. jokes that Barret inspired?
My WIFE even loved the game. That was about the only game where she actually asked me to play it every night, so she could watch. It was our entertainment. Few television shows were watched in the evenings in the Barnson household for those three magical weeks.
Squaresoft is still trying to rekindle that magic, years later. Over the last couple of years there have been several new games taking place in the Final Fantasy VII world, including a niche-but-rocking movie, "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children." So maybe they don't quite know the answer, either, as they haven't been able to repeat the success of the original game.Was it just a combination of being the right game at the right time? There was a dearth of RPGs available when Final Fantasy VII was released. In fact, game critics and business executives alike were proclaiming the role-playing games "a dead genre." It took a long time (and several TRST reports) after the humongous success of Final Fantasy VII, Diablo, Baldur's Gate, and several other RPGs before they finally woke up and admitted that perhaps rumors of the RPG's death had been somewhat exaggerated. The market was probably hungry for it - and there's no question Squaresoft and Sony did a great marketing job!
So - what do you think made FF7 work so well? And hey, if you didn't play it (or - heresy - didn't LIKE it!), but you are a fan of other RPGs - why did they work so well for you?
If you don't feel like posting in public, go ahead and send me a message. I'm feedback at rampant games.com (drop the spaces, replace the 'at' sign, spam prevention, you know the drill...)
Labels: Game Design, Mainstream Games, retro, Roleplaying Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 6:38 PM (Permalink)
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Coming from someone who tends to shy away from RPGs and had never played a Final Fantasy game up to that point, FF7 blew me away at the time. The characters, the "epic" feel of the storyline and the unique graphical style were probably the biggest contributing factors to my overall enjoyment.
I enjoyed playing through the storyline, watching the characters develop, learning more about the world, etc. moreso than any boss fight. The game for me was what happened leading up to and after a big battle and I suspect that's where casual RPG fans/newcomers to the genre really got sucked in.
I'd be interested to know if this little tidbit is a common feature in all popular RPGs.
I enjoyed playing through the storyline, watching the characters develop, learning more about the world, etc. moreso than any boss fight. The game for me was what happened leading up to and after a big battle and I suspect that's where casual RPG fans/newcomers to the genre really got sucked in.
I'd be interested to know if this little tidbit is a common feature in all popular RPGs.
I tried playing FFVII last year for the first time, because everyone said it was "so good" and that it was the "best RPG ever", but I never got sucked into it. Frankly, the characters failed to hook me in the beginning, particularly Cloud, and it was very boring. I gave up waiting for it to get interesting.
Chris:
Console RPGs (particularly the Squaresoft titles) tend to be way heavier on storylines and less "open ended" than western RPGs. Western RPGs tend to be truer to their pen & paper roots, giving the player the ability to create their own characters and make up their own stories.
Both approaches work - Oblivion and and Morrowind epitomize western-style RPG design, and have done very well on the XBox & 360 as well as the PC. Not FF7 numbers I don't think, but they've done very well.
Console RPGs (particularly the Squaresoft titles) tend to be way heavier on storylines and less "open ended" than western RPGs. Western RPGs tend to be truer to their pen & paper roots, giving the player the ability to create their own characters and make up their own stories.
Both approaches work - Oblivion and and Morrowind epitomize western-style RPG design, and have done very well on the XBox & 360 as well as the PC. Not FF7 numbers I don't think, but they've done very well.
This game had me hooked from the beginning, course it was easier to be hooked back then. I find now, nothing truly can hold me for long.
I got so into the character's story, Cloud's perpetual lie. When Aeris met her end, I was very upset. Partly because I had a phoenix down, how fair is that I ask? There was so much to explore, so many things to unlock. I tried to get the ultimate weapons be eventually I gave up. 72 hours of my life went into that game, I still have the save. But when I got to the final battle, I just stopped playing.
Something inside was just done at that moment. I could not carry on any further, so I put it away.
Things that really grabbed me in the game was the epic storyline, the characters interactions (great dose of drama and laughs), and the mini games. Those mini games rocked.
Seems to be the big things that drive me when playing a RPG is Story, collectables/unlockables, and exploring.
As epic as this game was, my favorite of all time is Chronotrigger. I beat that game 3 times.
I got so into the character's story, Cloud's perpetual lie. When Aeris met her end, I was very upset. Partly because I had a phoenix down, how fair is that I ask? There was so much to explore, so many things to unlock. I tried to get the ultimate weapons be eventually I gave up. 72 hours of my life went into that game, I still have the save. But when I got to the final battle, I just stopped playing.
Something inside was just done at that moment. I could not carry on any further, so I put it away.
Things that really grabbed me in the game was the epic storyline, the characters interactions (great dose of drama and laughs), and the mini games. Those mini games rocked.
Seems to be the big things that drive me when playing a RPG is Story, collectables/unlockables, and exploring.
As epic as this game was, my favorite of all time is Chronotrigger. I beat that game 3 times.
I vote for the beautiful bad boy...not enough beautiful bad boys. ;)
Though honestly I do think one of the issues was how the beautiful bady boy wasn't just a random kill everything villian, but was directly connected to the player character. For all that he was evil you could see his point.
~J
Though honestly I do think one of the issues was how the beautiful bady boy wasn't just a random kill everything villian, but was directly connected to the player character. For all that he was evil you could see his point.
~J
Hmmm --- sounds a little like the magic (or lack thereof) was in the characters. They worked in spite of (or because of) looking extremely cartoony and kind of silly. And their funky translated dialog.
It was at once cute and endearing; angsty and melodramatic; and cornily humorous (the whole sequence with Cloud in the dress trying to "out-beauty" Tifa and Aeris to protect them from being selected as the lecherous crime-boss's date... I don't know why it worked, but somehow it did.)
It was at once cute and endearing; angsty and melodramatic; and cornily humorous (the whole sequence with Cloud in the dress trying to "out-beauty" Tifa and Aeris to protect them from being selected as the lecherous crime-boss's date... I don't know why it worked, but somehow it did.)
It sucked me in when i played it, think i was 14/15 at the time. was the best game i had ever played, really couldn't stop playing it.
I'd never played a RPG at the time, but now I've played well over a hundred. I'm still looking for what I found when I played FF7 the first time. I can see why it wouldn't appeal to people that are new to RPG's in the present day as the graphics are quiet dated now. Still FF12 graphics are immense and that really did nothing for me. strange one that.
I'd never played a RPG at the time, but now I've played well over a hundred. I'm still looking for what I found when I played FF7 the first time. I can see why it wouldn't appeal to people that are new to RPG's in the present day as the graphics are quiet dated now. Still FF12 graphics are immense and that really did nothing for me. strange one that.
i think a lot of it has to do with it being someone's first rpg too. people who's first rpg was final fantasy 6 often say that's the best one ever. people who's first rpg was chrono trigger say that's the best. same with final fantasy 8, 9 , 10 etc etc. most people's first rpg was final fantasy 7 compared to the rest of them, therefor it's the best/most magical to them. no game will ever compare to final fantasy 7 to me... even though i liked the characters and story of 9 better, and 10 was also really good, none of them have that magic because 7 was the first one i played and nothing will ever be the "first" again.
# posted by 
: May 16, 2007 3:31 AM
: May 16, 2007 3:31 AM
I agree with the last person who said it's the "first" hit of something magical that cannot be recreated. Also I have known a lot of people who played FF7 just becasue a freind or someone told them it was "great!" and these people have never seem to get into it. It's the same with anything that anyone tries to get into becasue of hype... the outcome never lives up to it. I never got into Jack Bouers 24 becasue I only watched it because of the hype and it never met my expectations. FF7 was one of those moments where you had to find it yourself and be there at the right time; the right moment within history, and even though we may never be able to rekindle that magic we once found and loved within FF7, it doesn't matter becasue we where there, and we lived it; we lived history...
# posted by : October 25, 2007 5:26 PM
: October 25, 2007 5:26 PM
I have personally never played FFVII although I plan to one day, just to see if it is what everyone makes it up to be.
My first RPG was Golden Sun, a relatively new RPG which in all honestly to me (despite it's minimal character developement and more plot focused storyline) still my favourite RPG mainly because of it's easy to play appeal and friednly djinn orientated combat system. I find the gameplay of that to outclass Final Fantasy.
However I also emmesnly enjoy FFVI and story wise I believe it is superior to Golden Sun. The characters are also much more developed. However I wouldn't neccesarily say either is better. However I didn't find FF 1, 2, 3 or 8 very good at all. Played them for a few hours and found the stories much to plain and in the case of 8 the skills system too complicated.
My first RPG was Golden Sun, a relatively new RPG which in all honestly to me (despite it's minimal character developement and more plot focused storyline) still my favourite RPG mainly because of it's easy to play appeal and friednly djinn orientated combat system. I find the gameplay of that to outclass Final Fantasy.
However I also emmesnly enjoy FFVI and story wise I believe it is superior to Golden Sun. The characters are also much more developed. However I wouldn't neccesarily say either is better. However I didn't find FF 1, 2, 3 or 8 very good at all. Played them for a few hours and found the stories much to plain and in the case of 8 the skills system too complicated.
# posted by : December 25, 2007 1:25 PM
: December 25, 2007 1:25 PM
Final Fantasy 7 gave a feeling of perfection in a RPG which i have never seen before or after.
As you pointed out there has been attempts into making sequals, but it has never succeeded. After the merge between squaresoft and enix the excitement and feeling in the games have gone down so much(in my oppinion). The history, music, challenge, combat system, humor, everything helped make final fantasy 7 a game that went into the history of rpg's.
Enough said this game is strongly recomended, along with all the other Final Fantasy games up to 9 (After 9 Square soft merged with enix and became what we know today as square enix).
This is truly the best game ever created, and it should never be recreated only made availeble again so that people can play the best RPG ever created.
I have tried most rpg's but the older ones is the best ones. Oblivion and newer ones cannot be compared with the old ones.
Square Soft should reemerge from Square-Enix bringing Final Fantasy back as it was oldschool. Do not buy the new Final Fantasy's i strongly recommend you not to. Anhoter Final Fantasy game worth mentioning is Final Fantasy 9. That is also a genious game in my oppinion even though the characters look kind of wierd in the start you will get used to them and you will LOVE the game.
As you pointed out there has been attempts into making sequals, but it has never succeeded. After the merge between squaresoft and enix the excitement and feeling in the games have gone down so much(in my oppinion). The history, music, challenge, combat system, humor, everything helped make final fantasy 7 a game that went into the history of rpg's.
Enough said this game is strongly recomended, along with all the other Final Fantasy games up to 9 (After 9 Square soft merged with enix and became what we know today as square enix).
This is truly the best game ever created, and it should never be recreated only made availeble again so that people can play the best RPG ever created.
I have tried most rpg's but the older ones is the best ones. Oblivion and newer ones cannot be compared with the old ones.
Square Soft should reemerge from Square-Enix bringing Final Fantasy back as it was oldschool. Do not buy the new Final Fantasy's i strongly recommend you not to. Anhoter Final Fantasy game worth mentioning is Final Fantasy 9. That is also a genious game in my oppinion even though the characters look kind of wierd in the start you will get used to them and you will LOVE the game.
# posted by : January 22, 2008 11:29 AM
: January 22, 2008 11:29 AM
I still haven't gotten into FF XII - tried, and my daughter got excited about it, but nothing has yet recaptured the magic of FF7 for me.
I think to some degree, the realism of modern graphics has worked AGAINST the Final Fantasy games. So much of what was cool about the earlier FF's was actually in your mind.
I think to some degree, the realism of modern graphics has worked AGAINST the Final Fantasy games. So much of what was cool about the earlier FF's was actually in your mind.
I remember back in 97 or 98, trying out the demos for FF7 and Fallout in the same day. In that competition FF7 didnt last 10 minutes.
it's not that i have a problem with JRPGs, I had played chrono trigger, FF6, and a few others, but something about fallout just blew me away.
Now I have recently started playing FF7 for the first time since then (the full game) and although it isnt as bad as i initially thought, it doesnt hold a candle to fallout (a game i have since then beaten over a dozen times) in the fields of immersion, freedom, and originality.
I cant really say why FF7 is so successful, but part of the reason I avoided it for so long was because no one could shut up about how amazing it was and the whole time i would listen to their reasons and say in my head 'hey, fallout beats that in this way...' or 'so what? fallout let me TALK THE FINAL BOSS INTO SUICIDE IF I WANTED'
maybe it was because it was advertised so strongly as WOW! 3D RPG AMAZING!!! which seems kind of cheap to me...
it's not that i have a problem with JRPGs, I had played chrono trigger, FF6, and a few others, but something about fallout just blew me away.
Now I have recently started playing FF7 for the first time since then (the full game) and although it isnt as bad as i initially thought, it doesnt hold a candle to fallout (a game i have since then beaten over a dozen times) in the fields of immersion, freedom, and originality.
I cant really say why FF7 is so successful, but part of the reason I avoided it for so long was because no one could shut up about how amazing it was and the whole time i would listen to their reasons and say in my head 'hey, fallout beats that in this way...' or 'so what? fallout let me TALK THE FINAL BOSS INTO SUICIDE IF I WANTED'
maybe it was because it was advertised so strongly as WOW! 3D RPG AMAZING!!! which seems kind of cheap to me...
The audio and music are definatly one of the main reason's this game is so atmospheric. That, along with some quailty lighting throughout.
I remeber playing this game as a kid, (as i suspect many people reading this did) and even then it was the feeling of freedom that many other games didnt have. The way Ff7 keeps you on such a linear path at the start, (through midgar) then lets you loose on the world map is pure genius.
Also, no-one can tell me this game is so popular due to some strong advertising from sony, because I, like many other people in the u.k never saw any of that.
In terms of gamplay, maybe it isnt the best RPG ever made. I see it like more of a movie, that you edge along gradually.
I remeber playing this game as a kid, (as i suspect many people reading this did) and even then it was the feeling of freedom that many other games didnt have. The way Ff7 keeps you on such a linear path at the start, (through midgar) then lets you loose on the world map is pure genius.
Also, no-one can tell me this game is so popular due to some strong advertising from sony, because I, like many other people in the u.k never saw any of that.
In terms of gamplay, maybe it isnt the best RPG ever made. I see it like more of a movie, that you edge along gradually.
# posted by : April 19, 2008 7:24 AM
: April 19, 2008 7:24 AM
I only just picked up this game, having heard mixed reviews from the FF community, but so far it has blown me away. I thought the graphics would be a big problem, the game being 10 or so years, but as it turns out, they didn't bother me at all: I was that drawn into the story and overall feel of the game.
While the characters are definitely cliched, and are obviously not the strongest aspect of the game, their dialogue did offer some drama, and laughs:
Vincent: I have nothing to say.
Yuffie: That's OK. It was probably depressing anyway."
LOL.
Despite loving the game, I think that it is still hugely overrated, and it's doing the game's image no good. Everytime a rabid fanboy posts something, well, fanboyish, hundreds of people start hating the game. Just look at some of the FF forums out there. If that's not bad publicity, I don't what is.
But, yeah, other than some minor gripes with the cliched characters and plot holes in the story, I love the game, and the battle system is one of the best in the series. It certainly beats that conditonal turn-based junk in X, or that near-incomprehensible system in VIII.
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While the characters are definitely cliched, and are obviously not the strongest aspect of the game, their dialogue did offer some drama, and laughs:
Vincent: I have nothing to say.
Yuffie: That's OK. It was probably depressing anyway."
LOL.
Despite loving the game, I think that it is still hugely overrated, and it's doing the game's image no good. Everytime a rabid fanboy posts something, well, fanboyish, hundreds of people start hating the game. Just look at some of the FF forums out there. If that's not bad publicity, I don't what is.
But, yeah, other than some minor gripes with the cliched characters and plot holes in the story, I love the game, and the battle system is one of the best in the series. It certainly beats that conditonal turn-based junk in X, or that near-incomprehensible system in VIII.
# posted by : April 20, 2008 1:50 PM
: April 20, 2008 1:50 PMLinks to this post:
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