[FFVI] The finest fantasy, but whats next?

Eteric

Just a question I thought was interesting. With Final Fantasy I through VI being re-released on the GBA (VI releases the 5th of next month), whats going to happen now?

What are the chances of FFVII coming to the DS? Is that even possible?

It seems pretty unlikely to me. But it was really nice getting the numbered series for a while.

What do you guys think?

Zhou

This is why you're jailed.

Captain K

And now you are jailed too, for a long, long time, for assassinating this perfectly good thread.

Captain K

On topic, I think the potential of a DS remake of VII has been discussed. I think the consensus is that it just wouldn't be possible to fit the entire game on a DS cartridge--a PSP remake is far more likely.

Eteric

Did I do something wrong?

And I was jailed because I posted a pic of some fat guy, naked, behind a PS3. Not for a post asking a reasonable question.

Edit, just saw reply.

What about if they used the GBA slot as well?

Forever Zefiro

Captain K wrote:

On topic, I think the potential of a DS remake of VII has been discussed. I think the consensus is that it just wouldn't be possible to fit the entire game on a DS cartridge--a PSP remake is far more likely.

What about... what about multiple cartridge games? Come on, CD game have been doing it for years, why can't cartridges? Like, when you have to switch, couldn't it save your levels and other necessary info on the DS's RAM or something?

Andorien

Captain K wrote:

On topic, I think the potential of a DS remake of VII has been discussed. I think the consensus is that it just wouldn't be possible to fit the entire game on a DS cartridge--a PSP remake is far more likely.

I'm not so sure. The biggest space eaters are going to be the FMV, followed by the static backgrounds. However, due to the DS's smaller screen real estate they're going to have to shrink them down to fit within the device's resolution anyway, to speak nothing of that fact that with its more powerful processor and non optical based media, it could utilize much better compression techniques.

Eteric wrote:

Did I do something wrong?

And I was jailed because I posted a pic of some fat guy, naked, behind a PS3. Not for a post asking a reasonable question.

You're fine dude, Zhou's just being a cock.

Captain K

Even FFVI fit onto a four megabyte SNES cartridge. VII took three CDs--even if you consider the fact that a lot of the data in the game appeared on all three discs, you're still talking about 750 or more megs of data. Wikipedia seems to claim that a DS cart holds up to 128 megs of data... no dice.


Maybe if they removed all the FMV, it would fit. Not sure. There are some FFVII code experts around here that might be able to answer that question.

Captain K

Andorien, if you know more than I do, please tell me I'm wrong. :P


I'd love to be told it's possible to fit FF7 on a DS cart.

Evander

Does Sony have any say in this sort of thing?

Endomatic

FFVII has aged horribly. I don't know if I could stand playing it again. It really hurts my eyes after a time.

ToadTheMushroom

FF3 on the DS seems like a must buy, but I hate the final fantasy series.

This might be the one to get me into it. It looks awesome for a DS game.

Æthelred

I'm sure halkun (sp.) would know how much space FFVII takes up, to a tee.

core tactic

I tihnk they're releasing the GBA version of 6 as a DS version in America. I think I read it on IGN or somewhere.


Anyways, I doubt the PSP will get 7. We're getting Crisis Core soon, and Sony wouldn't want to detract sales.

atf487

I think it's entirely possible to put it on the DS, but why? Adding touch screen functionality isn't really necessary, and it just doesn't seem like putting it on the DS would improve it at all. Even though I am totally indifferent to the PSP, putting the PSX games on that would be a better move.

Andorien

Captain K wrote:

Andorien, if you know more than I do, please tell me I'm wrong. :P


I'd love to be told it's possible to fit FF7 on a DS cart.

I'm mostly theorizing. I do know a bit about computing, though I'm hardly an expert. I think I heard somewhere back in the day about actually being able to run any part of FFVII from any disk except when you get to an FMV, at which point it fucks up, meaning the video itself was the culprit, practically nothing else. If that's true, and it's just the video, I'd actually like to see them redo them (they'd probably look better now that they've got more experience) only shorter, to fit within the size constraints of the cart.

In addition, while a standard DS cart might only hold X amount, the great thing about carts is that you can make more specialized ones (such as the FX chip for certain SNES games, or the bigger memory size for Ocarina of Time). Obviously you can't go too high, or else it's not cost efficient, but I don't think 128 megs is the absolute limit.

As for someone's idea about a muti-cart game, the last thing I want to do on a portable is haul around 2 or 3 carts for one game.

LewieP

Æthelred wrote:

I'm sure halkun (sp.) would know how much space FFVII takes up, to a tee.

I imagine he knows more about FFVII than anyone outside of SquareEnix, and most people inside.

piL

Forever Zero wrote:

Captain K wrote:

On topic, I think the potential of a DS remake of VII has been discussed. I think the consensus is that it just wouldn't be possible to fit the entire game on a DS cartridge--a PSP remake is far more likely.

What about... what about multiple cartridge games? Come on, CD game have been doing it for years, why can't cartridges? Like, when you have to switch, couldn't it save your levels and other necessary info on the DS's RAM or something?

I don't think a company can do something like this because of how Nintendo explains that you should not remove the cartridge mid game. While my initial thought was, "Hey, that would be really volitile, and how many people would lose my saves," I then decided that it could be backed up on cartridge A so that if you lost it from the RAM, you could try again. Still, I don't think Square could get licensing from Nintendo for a game that I think would technically void the warranty.

plufim

I doubt sony has much of a say, since cloud and other FF7 guys appeared in that GBA kingdom hearts game, IIRC.

As for a DS game... how big can those carts get now? They started at one gigabit (ie 1/8 of a GB), but they did say they'd get bigger. And I do know FF7 has a LOT of repeated information over the three discs. Infact, as far as I can tell, each disc is the same aside from the cutscenes, which comprise the majority of the data (that's what having a basic gander at the disc cointents of the PC version seemed to imply, anyway).

What's next is DS crystal chronicles. If it isn't just a cruel joke.

Pooch

ToadTheMushroom wrote:

FF3 on the DS seems like a must buy, but I hate the final fantasy series.

This might be the one to get me into it. It looks awesome for a DS game.

I'm playin 3 on the DS now, and it's the first Final fantasy game I've over played.

It's rally good, but I doubt I'll play anymore of the aeries after this.

GimeC

The first multi-cart portable game?

Yeah, I'd like it, but it seems unfeasible.

core tactic

You could definitly fit 7 on a custom cartridge, of course, but I don't think Nintendo would want to try to sell 50 dollar DS games.

Pata

Andorien wrote:

Captain K wrote:

Andorien, if you know more than I do, please tell me I'm wrong. :P


I'd love to be told it's possible to fit FF7 on a DS cart.

I'm mostly theorizing. I do know a bit about computing, though I'm hardly an expert. I think I heard somewhere back in the day about actually being able to run any part of FFVII from any disk except when you get to an FMV, at which point it fucks up, meaning the video itself was the culprit, practically nothing else. If that's true, and it's just the video, I'd actually like to see them redo them (they'd probably look better now that they've got more experience) only shorter, to fit within the size constraints of the cart.

Pretty much. It's possible to switch around discs at any time and the game will run smoothly until an FMV pops up.

Torso Boy

Endomatic wrote:

FFVII has aged horribly. I don't know if I could stand playing it again. It really hurts my eyes after a time.

Agreed. I only played so far when it first came out, and when I tried to replay it, I simply couldn't stand the 3D graphics.

But man, the prerendered backgrounds are still bloody gorgeous.

ToadTheMushroom

We're at the stage now where I guess really early PS1 quality games can be dumped on the DS no probs.

Im all for this. It's like my gaming rennaisance, its brilliant. Games I could never play I can now, and portable.

Plus, there is a certain satisfaction of knowing 10 years ago these games Im playing in my lap needed a full TV controllers and a huge console to work. Kind of a technology blanket.

Oh, and I have no probs with rebuying games I played long ago for the DS. I think it works perfectly with my commute heavy lifestyle and goddamit when will SEGA just port Sonic 1,2,3 and Knuckles onto one cart and let my play that on my DS. I would pay good money for that.

Æthelred

core tactic wrote:

You could definitly fit 7 on a custom cartridge, of course, but I don't think Nintendo would want to try to sell 50 dollar DS games.

They don't mind doing it in Europe. Zing.

LewieP

Æthelred wrote:

core tactic wrote:

You could definitly fit 7 on a custom cartridge, of course, but I don't think Nintendo would want to try to sell 50 dollar DS games.

They don't mind doing it in Europe. Zing.

ouch

Mai-Kero

Captain K wrote:

Andorien, if you know more than I do, please tell me I'm wrong. :P


I'd love to be told it's possible to fit FF7 on a DS cart.

FFIII had better graphics, and a two minute long FMV of very, very good quality, and it fit well onto the DS cart.

FFVII, with modern compression and a few of the FMVs turned into in-game cutscenes, would probably fit fine onto a 128 card. Someone took the actual game files and compressed them in the same way normal DS game files are compressed, and everything filled up 7MB besides the FMVs. So if they find a workaround with that, which I think is possible, it could be done.

StriderEdge

FF7 without FMVs? It wouldn't be a port then. FF7 was made of cutscenes and removing them would be odd. Square filled that with cutscenes like the cart going to and from the Golden Saucer. There are so many video files on that game, most of which don't seem to be videos at all.

Big Dookie

I was under the impression that DS carts were similar to other solid-state memory such as compact flash and SD cards. Considering those can go up into the several gigabyte range, wouldn't it be feasible to make DS carts that can fit 3 CDs worth of data?

I know it would be more expensive and it would drive the cost of the game up, but for a game like FFVII, I imagine that they could possibly get away with it. I'd rather pay for a more expensive game than have to lug around several carts for one game.

Endomatic

I'd be willing to go for a FFVII story/settings/characters in an FFIII DS graphics style.

That would excellent.

SageinaRage

It already wouldn't be a port, since you'd have to change the engine to allow for fmv compression, since the regular files take up more space than a cd.

Eteric

Yeah, I'd like it with III graphics myself, but I think FFIII was pushing the DS's SD card to it's max. : /

piL

Big Dookie wrote:

I was under the impression that DS carts were similar to other solid-state memory such as compact flash and SD cards. Considering those can go up into the several gigabyte range, wouldn't it be feasible to make DS carts that can fit 3 CDs worth of data?

I know it would be more expensive and it would drive the cost of the game up, but for a game like FFVII, I imagine that they could possibly get away with it. I'd rather pay for a more expensive game than have to lug around several carts for one game.

Yeah, this is a good point, there are sdmini cards the size of my pinky nail with a gig that costs $15. It would be even cheaper to manufacture without flash memory I'd imagine, and I'd imagine you could fit six in the space of a DS cartridge. A reworked nonport could fit on a gig, and hell, for $30 and a LITTLE more space, you could fit all three disks on two of these sd minis which I could see inside of a thing.

And while $30 for just part of the cartridge, like I said, it would probably be a lot cheaper to make ROM the same size.

agoaj

If they can fit this on an N64 cart, then FF7 will have no problem fitting on the larger DS carts.

core tactic

Technology is funny that way. Literally less than 10 years ago, a game could take up 3 discs and be over 2 gigabytes. With modern compression and all that jazz, they could theoretically be played on a handheld. (Which people are already doing on the PSP, but I won't go into that. I've already got me my portable FF7).
In fact, someone's even shown a program that repackages PS1 games and takes out all the extra padding, taking hundreds of Megabytes out of the total file size, and still allowing it to play completely fine.

Elendil

I think I'd rather Chrono Trigger.

MegaMan001

It seems to me that provided Nintendo can secure the rights and the fact that the DS is creaming the PSP in handheld gaming, there is no reason NOT to make FF7 appear on the DS. FF7, love it or hate it, has to be one of the defining games of the recent gaming generation. More to the point, it has managed to secure a vicelike deathgrip on an entire populations' wallets. Posters, prints, action figures, a full action movie sequel - I think you'd be hard pressed to find any other game that has made that much money from strictly *non gaming* enterprises.

I mean, from an profit stand point, I don't know why Square Enix doesn't release FF7 on the DS and the PSP. Not to mention the PS3, the 360, and the Wii and just swim around in their Scrooge McDuck-esque pools of money.

I'm certain that they can engineer a way to get the FF7 game onto a DS cartridge. Would it cost $50? Maybe. However I know that I and the majority of this forum would buy it.

Dritz

I'm not sure if it was ever released but Xenosaga I & II were going to be released on a singled DS card. Of course they were completely redone graphics wise and I'm assuming in terms of FMVs as well. I think if square saw the money in it and couldn't get the FMV file size down they'd just remake the game.

Personally I don't care if this is the end of the Advance/DS games.

core tactic

I can't wait. All this talk of Final Fantasy remakes and such made me think of this article.
http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/01/10/egms-rumor-mill-hints-at-more-square-enix-love/
What games could they remake? Any is really guarenteed good. I really hope they decide to translate Live a Live, that game was FANTASTIC.

Box

Pata Hikari wrote:

Andorien wrote:

Captain K wrote:

Andorien, if you know more than I do, please tell me I'm wrong. :P


I'd love to be told it's possible to fit FF7 on a DS cart.

I'm mostly theorizing. I do know a bit about computing, though I'm hardly an expert. I think I heard somewhere back in the day about actually being able to run any part of FFVII from any disk except when you get to an FMV, at which point it fucks up, meaning the video itself was the culprit, practically nothing else. If that's true, and it's just the video, I'd actually like to see them redo them (they'd probably look better now that they've got more experience) only shorter, to fit within the size constraints of the cart.

Pretty much. It's possible to switch around discs at any time and the game will run smoothly until an FMV pops up.