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[meltpotato]

I was thinking about this last ngiht. The GBA is truly on its last legs. I know that the DS audience can still play the title, but it will still be a generally dead system at the time of release. With no release dates announced yet, we can assume that FFV will be a post E3 release. That suggests to me that it will see an August release. Keeping that spacing in mind, FFVI will see release sometime in Q1 2007.

Do you think that a somewhat high-profile game (even if it is a port) is viable for release on the GBA format in 2007? Even though their DS can play GBA games, i doubt most consumers even glance at the GBA new releases these days. Keeping that in mind, what do you think is going to happen? Will these games release and see sales mostly from the core fan group? Will they be moved over to DS releases? Will they be cross-promoted with other FF releases? (i.e. FFXII NA release, FFIII DS release) Or will they dissolve into the multitude of games that have seen announcement but no release?

 

[Snaku]

I pray that FFVI gets bumped to the DS.

 

[BorkBork]

*looks at US sales of GBAs last year*

No.

 

[SnakeXs]

I pray that FFVI gets bumped to the DS.

Agreed.

Think of the music, people. ;_;

 

[BocoDragon]

Yeah right. Because they hate money.....

 

[meltpotato]

Yeah right. Because they hate money.....

did you read my post?

i was speculating possible financial uncertainties that can be associated with releasing them.

While the GBA sales in the US have been strong, do you think the system will sustain these releases? especially with Pokemon finally making the move to DS.

 

[MoxManiac]

FFV probably will come out for GBA. I could see FFVI getting pushed to DS, though.

 

[John Harker]

How late into this gen were FF ports going to the PSX?

 

[meltpotato]

How late into this gen were FF ports going to the PSX?

uh... they werent?

i think the last was in March '99

EDIT: looked it up and it looks like EU saw release during PS2 era, but i dont know if that really has any baring on this.

 

[Magicpaint]

We got FFVI here in 2002 (UK). :lol

And I agree that FFVI should be moved to DS. Though FFIVa wasn't bad at all in the sound department.

 

[BocoDragon]

Ageed.

Think of the music, people. ;_;

That would make me happiest too, but I doubt it.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Both will be out this year on GBA. Probably in the US too, but you never quite know.

 

[keeblerdrow]

Seriously, do you KNOW how many GBAs are in the market? You can compare the number of GBAs in people's possession to the number of sperm in an ejaculation in a pretty low ratio. "Shit-ton" is a word bantied about when referring to the installed base for the GBA. The GBA gets pawed by more people per day than Paris Hilton.


The market for GBA games is big.

 

[BocoDragon]

did you read my post?

i was speculating possible financial uncertainties that can be associated with releasing them.

While the GBA sales in the US have been strong, do you think the system will sustain these releases? especially with Pokemon finally making the move to DS.

What financial uncertainties?

GB Micro... GBA.... DS.... FF.... Sounds like a financial "certainty" to me.

 

[Furoba]

GBA and DS or just DS? Square-Enix isn't stupid.

 

[Ranger X]

Meh, Origins came out when the PS1 was already in putrefaction in it's tomb. No way this other collection is cancelled on GBA.

 

[meltpotato]

What financial uncertainties?

GB Micro... GBA.... DS.... FF.... Sounds like a financial "certainty" to me.

Marketing a port to a dead system is a financial uncertainty. Which the GBA could easily be in 2007. Playablity on DS is not relevant because your average DS owner is not browsing GBA releases.

I dont want to see S-E cancel this release, nor do i want to see VI pushed to DS, the lack of a release schedule is all that concerns me. Once NA market makes a shift to DS/PSP as their primary handheld the number of GBA owners loses a great deal of its relevance.

 

[Srider]

Ummm..... if the game comes out as a GBA cart, DS owners and GBA variants owners can all play (BUY).

What are the financial uncertainties in that?

 

[BocoDragon]

Marketing a port to a dead system is a financial uncertainty. Which the GBA could easily be in 2007. Playablity on DS is not relevant because your average DS owner is not browsing GBA releases.

I dont want to see S-E cancel this release, nor do i want to see VI pushed to DS, the lack of a release schedule is all that concerns me. Once NA market makes a shift to DS/PSP as their primary handheld the number of GBA owners loses a great deal of its relevance.

It's coming out this year. What do you mean "lack of a release schedule". Go back and check how much notice we had on FFIV Advance. We DO have notice that the games are coming out in 2006. What more do you want?

Don't you think they planned this a long time ago? They knew what waters the GBA would be sailing through when they planned these games for 06. If anything, the GBA's future is brighter than what it was one year ago. I think Square Enix is quite happy to release FF games for GBA because they know how simple it will be to make money off it.

Don't tell me FF fanboys won't get this game because it's not for DS! :lol

 

[AdmiralViscen]

I'd say FF5 and FF6 have a better chance at succeeding on DS than Twilight Princess does on Revolution (which everyone here is very quick to believe in).

 

[BocoDragon]

I'd say FF5 and FF6 have a better chance at succeeding on DS than Twilight Princess does on Revolution (which everyone here is very quick to believe in).

I don't get it. Because our Gamecubes all mysteriously evaporated with the slow of good games, right?

 

[jenov4]

Both will be out this year on GBA. Probably in the US too, but you never quite know.

They'll probably come out in the US first IMO..

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Keep them on the GBA please.

If for no other reason than having them all on the same system/format.

Besides, what major benefit would FFV or VI have by putting it on the DS besides a few lame, unnecessary touch-screen features?

 

[CO_Andy]

Besides, what major benefit would FFV or VI have by putting it on the DS besides a few lame, unnecessary touch-screen features?

Better hardware dingus.

 

[BocoDragon]

Keep them on the GBA please.

If for no other reason than having them all on the same system/format.

Besides, what major benefit would FFV or VI have by putting it on the DS besides a few lame, unnecessary touch-screen features?

The DS can actually mimick SNES sound perfectly while the GBA can't. FFIV Advance showed us that it could be redone for GBA pretty well, but not at all SNES perfect.

 

[tedtropy]

How well has FFIV Advance sold? I can still see FFV making it to the GBA, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a larger-caliber title like VI getting a graphical bump and being pushed to the DS. Nor would I mind it. Stylus-driven battle system on the bottom screen, enemies, OMGBBQ summons, enemies, and what-not on the top one. Works for me.

 

[Magicpaint]

If for no other reason than having them all on the same system/format.

Well, FFIII is already getting released on the DS and DS is backwards compatible...

Besides, what major benefit would FFV or VI have by putting it on the DS besides a few lame, unnecessary touch-screen features?

The music, especially for FFVI!

I mean who wants Terra's theme to be butchered by GBA's deficient sound capabilties? Well, FFIVa did sound well, but still, to be on the safe side... I'd prefer a DS version with even improved graphics. That would be a treat.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

The sound capabilities on the gba suck and FFVI has awesome music. That's one reason. Also, what's with the slowdown in battle in FFIVA? That's not even that much of a competent game graphically. Imagine it on FFVI.

I personally want Chrono Trigger port more than FFVIA.

Hmm. good point. And if this is the case, if they do decide to do a CT port(and you know they will at some point), it would be best suited for the DS, as that game has magnificent music, and is integral to the experience of playing the game.

Better hardware dingus.

Touchy, aren't we?

 

[AdmiralViscen]

I don't get it. Because our Gamecubes all mysteriously evaporated with the slow of good games, right?

No, just crammed in closets and sold at EB for copies of The Godfather.

I'm pretty sure that the onslaught of PS3 and 360 titles (as well as full-on Revo ones) is going to have a detrimental effect on last-gen game sales.

But now we're getting on a tangent.


My point was that GBA games have been shown to continue their success in the DS/PSP generation of handheld hardware.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Touchy, aren't we?

I'm willing to bet it's a M&LiT reference.

(omg hi2nateb)

oh by the way

JESUS

SHUT UP

THEY'RE ON GBA

 

[Magicpaint]

How well has FFIV Advance sold?

It was around the 190K mark for Japan when I last saw it, and I did over 100K for NPD december.

 

[BorkBork]

They're not going to be moved over to the DS. Regardless of how it could sound better and look better, it's not happening.

 

[Walter Matthau]

It doesn't matter so much to me, but I guess bumping V or VI to the DS could get rid of slowdown problems. However, if it is bumped up, i'd like them to add more than just a dungeon. Maybe an extra character, esper, or difficulty setting. I've yet to play V, so i'm definitely picking that one up.

 

[meltpotato]

It doesn't matter so much to me, but I guess bumping V or VI to the DS could get rid of slowdown problems. However, if it is bumped up, i'd like them to add more than just a dungeon. Maybe an extra character, esper, or difficulty setting. I've yet to play V, so i'm definitely picking that one up.

I'll be first in line to get both of them no matter which format. I just worry about VI getting the bump + III treatment. IMO its one of the best looking 2D rpg out there and changing it up would really be a disservice to the signifigance it already has. the plus of a pushback has already been addressed... sound.

 

[Walter Matthau]

I'll be first in line to get both of them no matter which format. I just worry about VI getting the bump + III treatment. IMO its one of the best looking 2D rpg out there and changing it up would really be a disservice to the signifigance it already has. the plus of a pushback has already been addressed... sound.

I don't think they'd go through the trouble for DS. I was also dissapointed when I saw FFIII was going to be 3D.

 

[EphemeralDream]

If FF VI does get bumped to DS, I doubt it'll contain any touch-screen capabilities. I think the extra features within these games will be uniform across: sound test, bestiary, extra dungeon, and slight graphical touchups. Besides Final Fantasy III is their big thing for the DS so its release could overshadow VI's.

I'm surprised they haven't announced anything about V Advance yet but they probably want to space the releases out a little as well as fix the lagging.

 

[Wario64]

Noo, keep VI on GBA. I dont want to play it on a DS.

 

[Oblivion]

The one thing that killed the GBA for me was the shitty, shitty sound capabilities. I'd personally want it on the DS, since FFVI has so awesome music.

 

[tedtropy]

The one thing that killed the GBA for me was the shitty, shitty sound capabilities. I'd personally want it on the DS, since FFVI has so awesome music.

Let's not get too carried away, FFVI sounded pretty good on the GBA. Was it legendary SNES SPC700-level quality? Nah, but a pretty good approximation. Can't we all just revel in the fact that we're now playing these 16-bit juggernauts of our youth in the palm of our hands?

 

[HCgamer]

GBA is still popular and DS is backwards compatible.

 

[radios shipping overview]

JESUS

SHUT UP

THEY'RE ON GBA

JESUS

SHUT UP

THEY'RE ON GBA

JESUS

SHUT UP

THEY'RE ON GBA

.

 

[Jiggy]

At this point, I'm thinking it's possible. It seems really odd to me that it's been three months since FFIV Advance and nothing's been heard of either FFV or FFVI.

Considering that we're just talking about ports with probably one or two bonus dungeons added, I was expecting FFV to be released by mid-March at latest, but there's no sign of it. Usually a game is hyped for at least two months, and if FFVI is coming even in May, that's really problematic not just for that game but FFVI as well.
Maybe more importantly, I don't see the GBA having much if any shelf space by the end of 2006, which is now when I imagine FFVI coming out--hopefully. Granted, in the US more people are still buying the GBA than the DS/PSP combined (although the DS sales in Japan might make up for that), but that's irrelevant if stores won't have the space to sell the game anyway.

And it's not like I don't want FFV or FFVI to still see releases on the GBA. I'd love to have FFIV, FFV, and FFVI all in one three-game plastic case--it'd be pretty stupidly beautiful, quite frankly. I'm just having trouble understanding any marketing mindset that would still keep them on GBA even late into 2006 or, worse, early 2007.

 

[MoxManiac]

Wasn't FFIV announced like less then a month in advance of release?

 

[Red Scarlet]

The sound capabilities on the gba suck and FFVI has awesome music. That's one reason. Also, what's with the slowdown in battle in FFIVA? That's not even that much of a competent game graphically. Imagine it on FFVI.

I personally want Chrono Trigger port more than FFVIA.

You're forgetting that FF4A was a port of a crappy port (Wonderswan Color version).
5 and 6 haven't been brought to any portable before, so they'll hopefully turn out better (maybe add the stuff the PS1 versions of 5 and 6 had, but without the loading and hopefully without the slowdown).

Wasn't FFIV announced like less then a month in advance of release?

Maybe, maybe a little before. There are small advertisements for 5 Advance and 6 Advance in the JP FF4A manual (along with one for 3 on the DS stating 2006 for it; no date was given for 5A and 6A in that).

 

[7Th]

No, Square loves easy money. This way, they can remake them again on NDS using the FF3 engine.

 

[jarrod]

Screw FF5-6, let's get DQ4-6 on DS instead.

 

[Forgotten Ancient]

Screw FF5-6, let's get DQ4-6 on DS instead.

Just release the whole damn series (DQI-VII) on the DS. :-D

...But, I'd still shit my pants over IV-VI

 

[Walter Matthau]

Noo, keep VI on GBA. I dont want to play it on a DS.

alright, so you either...

a) Don't own a DS
or
b) Don't believe DS is as portable as Micro (or even SP)

Unless you think that moving it to the DS automatically means they have to add a gimick

 

[CO_Andy]

The FF Origins port to GBA is scarily good. After running this baby again on my GBA i hav to say Square *really* slacked on FFiv's port.

 

[HyperZone<3]

Do you think that a somewhat high-profile game ... is viable for release on the GBA format in 2007?

I sure hope so.

cause I don't see us Americans getting this anytime soon(translations take time and all), and if it doesn't show its face at E3, I'm going to be extremely worried.