PS3 Final Fantasy VII Tech Demo more than a demo?

We check in with Square to see whether we can expect to see anything more come out of the popular PlayStation 3 tech demo.
CHIBA CITY, Japan--One of the highlights of the trailer compilation shown in one of the main theaters on the show floor of the Square Enix Party 2005 is the PlayStation 3 technology demo of the opening sequence of Final Fantasy

Edited at 20:18 Mon 1/08/05 (BST)

VII. Ever since the short clip's debut in May during Sony's E3 press conference, there has been talk that the footage shown is evidence that Square Enix intends to release a remake of the FFVII. The talk started up again with renewed interest, as the clip took centerstage during a compilation of trailers shown of upcoming Square Enix games. We took the opportunity to talk to a Square Enix rep for the internal division within the company, whose focus is on the properties relating to Final Fantasy VII, to get the scoop.

FFVII Tech Demo

Square's PS3 technical demo at E3

Square Enix's initial response to our inquiry about whether the tech demo is suggestive of a full game in the works fell in the realm of a carefully worded corporate response. The reps noted that, as was mentioned at E3, the demo was created to show just how powerful the PlayStation 3 technology is. As a result, it's a tech demo only and is not intended to indicate that a PS3 remake of FFVII is presently under active development by the company.

However, when pressed, the reps also noted that further plans for content based on FFVII haven't been set, per se. They affirmed that the resulting reaction from fans over the demo footage and the content related to FFVII shown at the party has been overwhelmingly positive. As a result, provided fan reaction continues to be feverishly positive over the demo, and the very notion of a FFVII remake is certainly something Square Enix would bear in mind when planning future projects.

Does this mean it's on? Probably not at this exact moment, but at this point, we're willing to bet it's not a matter of if an FFVII remake will happen, but when.

San Andreas banned down under

Latest Grand Theft auto joins Rockstar siblings Manhunt and GTA III on the censor-board blacklist of the antipodean nation.
In the wake of the "Hot Coffee" scandal, debate is raging in the United States on whether to regulate the sale of sexually explicit and/or violent games. However, there is no such discussion in Australia, where the government's Office of Film and Literature Classification can ban games outright.

And banned it has, forbidding sales of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, BMX XXX, and Manhunt in the past. While a heavily edited version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was approved by the OFLC in 2002, Grand Theft Auto III was banned in Australia when it was released in 2001.

Today, that same fate befell its successor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Though it has been on sale in the antipodean nation for months, recent revelations about the Hot Coffee sex minigames hidden in the game's code prompted the OFLC to revoke the game's original MA15+ classification, which lets it be purchase by persons aged 15 and over. It received the classification for "Medium level animated violence, Medium level coarse language."

"Businesses that sell or hire computer games should remove existing stocks of this game from their shelves immediately," said Des Clark, director of the OFLC. "Parents are strongly advised to exercise caution in allowing children continued access to the game, particularly if they might have access to the 'Hot Coffee' modification."

Slew of 360 games revealed at Xbox Summit 2005

Ridge Racer, Winning Eleven lead list of Japanese-developed games for Microsoft's next-gen console; 37 Japanese publishers now on board

It's no secret that Microsoft's entrance into the console market has been met with tepid interest in Japan, a region dominated by the company's rivals in Sony and Nintendo. While North American gamers have welcomed the prospect of the Xbox 360 with open arms, the Japanese interest in the Western console, as shown in a recent market survey, is limited to a paltry 2 percent of gamers.

To help spark interest in the Xbox 360, Microsoft has sought some of Japan's top game designers to create games for the unit. Former Square Enix producer Hironobu Sakaguchi (Mistawalker) and Sega's Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Q Entertainment) are among the many developers that are currently developing games for the Xbox 360.

Xbox Summit

Bill Gates addresses attendees. Excitement ensues.



Today at the Xbox Summit 2005 in Tokyo, Japan, even more Japanese game developers jumped on the 360 wagon.

"The Xbox 360 has achieved a true breakthrough with far more third-party publishers support than anybody ever expected," said Peter Moore, Microsoft corporate vice president and chief of worldwide Xbox marketing. "Today, I am proud to say that every major third-party publisher right here in Japan is committed to supplying games to Xbox 360."

Moore's words were backed up by the lineup of trailers that were later shown during the summit. One of the first games shown was Ninety-Nine Nights, developed by Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment and Sang Youn Lee's Phantagram. Mizuguchi showed two of the many playable characters--in this case, sisters Inphyy and Aspharr. He then showed off an in-game trailer that featured the girls in battle, while the screen boasted nearly a hundred enemies onscreen at once without any noticeable signs of slowdown.

Capcom producer Keiji Inafune appeared at the summit to show off the latest trailers of two zombie-themed games, Dead Rising and Resident Evil 5. When asked what season the games are slated for release, Inafune replied that he had no idea, since it could take more than a year for either to come out. Inafune also announced that he is working as a producer for a new game currently in development for the Xbox 360. "I couldn't prepare a trailer for different reasons, but I should be able to announce the title by the Xbox 360's launch. I can't disclose its genre, but there won't be zombies in it," joked Inafune.

Other large Japanese publishers made some big announcements as well. Namco announced Ridge Racer 6 for the 360 but didn't show any trailers or footage of the game. The company also announced an unnamed original fantasy role-playing game. No details, trailers, or screens were available, but it's known that several members of the "Tales of" franchise development team are working on the game.

Bandai is at work on a first-person shooter set in the Gundam universe. Though a trailer was prepared for the show, the company decided not to show it, citing quality issues.

Konami is bringing three very different sports games based on existing franchises to the 360. Winning Eleven (working title), the popular soccer simulation, Rumble Roses XX, a new version of the foxy female wrestling game, and Pro Yakyuu Spirits, a baseball game, are all in development.

Team Ninja chief Tomonobu Itagaki revealed that Tecmo has five Xbox 360 games coming to the console, two of which were announced for the first time. In addition to the three Dead or Alive games previously announced (Dead or Alive 4, Dead or Alive: Code Cronus, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2), Tecmo will release the action game Project Progressive and a to-be-named game on the platform.

Smaller publishers have also announced games. Genki announced that it is working on a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer; Hudson is developing a remake of Tengai Makyou: Jiraiya; Yuke's is making a pro-wrestling game based on Japanese wrestlers, titled Wrestle Kingdom; Sega is working on a mech game named Chrome Hounds; Taito is developing an air-combat game named World Airforce; and Koei is releasing Dynasty Warriors 5 Special Edition.

Square Enix was also present at the summit to show a real-time demo of Final Fantasy XI, which was played at the stage by producer Hiromichi Tanaka. Takana revealed that the game is already close to completion and that the company is just waiting for the launch of the Xbox 360 to begin beta testing.

Other trailers shown during the summit include: From Software's EeM -eNCHANT arM-; Electronic Arts' FIFA Soccer 06, NBA Live 06, and Need For Speed Most Wanted; Atari's Test Drive Limited; Microsoft's Gears of War and Kameo: Elements of Power; and Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.

Moore explained that one of the reasons why the Japanese publishers have come forward in developing games for the Xbox 360 is Microsoft's XNA suite of development tools, which lowers the cost of high-quality games.

"XNA, together with Xbox Live, is already giving Japanese publishers the tools they need to unleash their creativity through a seamless integration between artists, producers, and programmers. That means better games can be created faster than ever," said Moore.

Xbox Japan marketing director Takashi Sensui revealed that Microsoft's support toward Japanese developers has been firm, which is the reason why so many publishers have been able to show their trailers at the summit. "Microsoft has been providing game makers throughout the world with Xbox development kits since one year ago, and there are already about 1,000 kits being used in Japan alone," said Sensui.