RPGHQ

I figured Square would be leveraging it's CG animation department for most of the assets, if they're still outsourcing then that's not a good sign at all. Doubly strange since most of the assets are carryovers from the last game, and after 4 years you'd think they'd have more than enough time to polish up the textures and models.

Despite the lack of 'rainbow employees' of varying shades, even Japanese devs like Square have a hard time releasing polished products. Maybe there's more at play here than just a lack of competency?.

Its as if all the dev talent left games to pursue actual tech jobs.

Typically Japanese devs work at the same company for much of their lives, unless conditions there are especially bad (i.e Konami and SEGA). If the same is true for Square, then yes you can say that the best talent left, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps management just sees outsourcing as a cost saving measure, despite how well the first FF7 remake sold. Either that, or even Square's best can't come to grips with the demands of modern AAA games, where every texture and chin hair has to be rendered in 8K with the finest of details present and accounted for.

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 01:29

Typically Japanese devs work at the same company for much of their lives

That was 20+ years ago. Times change.

Most of Square's big name talent has left. Sakaguchi was ousted during the corporate coup and went on to found Mistwalker. Takahashi left to go found Monolith Soft. Uematsu got bored and left and is now a freelancer. Akihiko Yoshida and Hideo Minaba left to go found Cygames and create Granblue Fantasy. And so on.

They still have some talent left, albeit more obscure. Hiroshi Takai worked on the SaGA games and directed The Last Remnant. He was ostensibly the director of FF16, but it feels like he was sidelined by Naoki Yoshida (who was a Dragon Quest dev).

Those big names were in charge of creative direction, but what about the modellers, textures and animators?. Have they remained consistent, or are they all new blood?.

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 21:36

Those big names were in charge of creative direction, but what about the modellers, textures and animators?. Have they remained consistent, or are they all new blood?.

All that shit is outsourced now.
Anyone got a link to the story about how one of the final fantasy games had so much outsourcing that they ended up having entire levels worth of art assets unused because nobody even knew who ordered them and for what?

cbight wrote: ↑ February 4th, 2024, 18:45

In defense of the ridiculously overproduced and overpaid company (sigh) Pokemon has always been like 5 years behind the times when it comes to graphics (remember how long it took them to switch to 3D) and Palworld, while an amazing game from a gameplay and design perspective, is smaller and has zero actual story. It's just a sandbox.

It's a very pretty sandbox but ultimately you have to build your own fun. Which cuts out the outsourcing middleman and just asks the customer to finish the experience.

SoLong wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 21:54

and has zero actual story

Pokemon games have an actual story? A narrative that isn't about collecting badges?

gerey wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 23:10

SoLong wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 21:54

and has zero actual story

Pokemon games have an actual story? A narrative that isn't about collecting badges?

Considering that the last few games were about alien invasions, time travel and (somehow several) literal superweapons: Yes. I can't tell whether you're joking or not though.

rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 21:37

All that shit is outsourced now.
Anyone got a link to the story about how one of the final fantasy games had so much outsourcing that they ended up having entire levels worth of art assets unused because nobody even knew who ordered them and for what?

I don't have the article, but it was FF15 / FFXV that had massive korean and pajeet outsourcing and a turbulent dev team composition.

Special shoutout to whoever's in charge of naming the Xboxes.

Crazy they didn't just go for Xbox 2 then 3 lol. They could've even changed back to that whenever they wanted but never did.

SoLong wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 23:39

gerey wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 23:10

SoLong wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2024, 21:54

and has zero actual story

Pokemon games have an actual story? A narrative that isn't about collecting badges?

Considering that the last few games were about alien invasions, time travel and (somehow several) literal superweapons: Yes. I can't tell whether you're joking or not though.

People say pokemon has no story but they are wrong, the lore is handled the same way as Dark Souls. They need to pay attention.

Breathe wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 14:43

Crazy they didn't just go for Xbox 2 then 3 lol. They could've even changed back to that whenever they wanted but never did.

They probably didn't want their newer console to have a lower number than their competitor, PlayStation. You're average consoomer would probably think they were buying a weaker console.

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 18:31

Breathe wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 14:43

Crazy they didn't just go for Xbox 2 then 3 lol. They could've even changed back to that whenever they wanted but never did.

They probably didn't want their newer console to have a lower number than their competitor, PlayStation. You're average consoomer would probably think they were buying a weaker console.

They called their third Xbox the "Xbox 1"

Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 18:35

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 18:31

Breathe wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 14:43

Crazy they didn't just go for Xbox 2 then 3 lol. They could've even changed back to that whenever they wanted but never did.

They probably didn't want their newer console to have a lower number than their competitor, PlayStation. You're average consoomer would probably think they were buying a weaker console.

They called their third Xbox the "Xbox 1"

Not "Xbox 1", "Xbox One". That has a different effect on normies, in their minds they probably see it as something more distinct.

Missed their chance to call it Xbox Won (Eat Shit, Sony!)

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 14th, 2024, 18:49

Not "Xbox 1", "Xbox One". That has a different effect on normies, in their minds they probably see it as something more distinct.

It is distinct, implying "Number One", or One thing replacing several (fragmented) things, suggesting a notion of unity and coming together. There's also an established pattern of using this name to suggest higher quality or a "reboot" of a brand of sorts, like HTC One, Android One, Google One, Virgin One, etc. Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer. It has a different effect on you too.

They should have called it the Xbox 6 to have a higher number. Skipping numbers worked for Windows. They can also just pretend Kinect was Xbox 4 or whatever.

X-Box 7, even, for a number with more oomph

Xbox AlphaXoneSX

Only a matter of time...

Name it the Microsoft Loli Xpress.

They are probably going to announce the closure of Xbox division today.

Or worse, they are going to announce Xbox' version of Switch, i.e. microsoft portable gaming device. So there's gonna be even more xbox consoles with shitty branding,

If the rumors are true, they might as well just discontinue their home consoles and call that portable one the "Xbox Portable". Easy to understand, and they can shill their Game Pass service for it all they want. If the brand is winding down, there's no point in calling it "Xbox Series ---" because that would only tie it to a hardware family nobody wants.

Xbox 7

It takes 4 years to create a Hades sequel. Hades took 3 years.

KnightoftheWind wrote: ↑ February 15th, 2024, 04:29

If the rumors are true, they might as well just discontinue their home consoles and call that portable one the "Xbox Portable". Easy to understand, and they can shill their Game Pass service for it all they want. If the brand is winding down, there's no point in calling it "Xbox Series ---" because that would only tie it to a hardware family nobody wants.

Call it the Palbox Xworld.

It sure says something that our mocking attempts to make a shit name for the Xbox can't really beat the shittiness of the real ones. Or are at least just as good/bad.
Even the name "Xbox" is a brainless name stemming from the inability to come up with a better real name from the prototype name "DirectX Box", ffs.

Xbox is a good name. It implies the box can do anything.

Trying to avoid using numbers was the failing.