Julius

Trigun is getting a sequel series next year: Trigun Stampede!

Yeah, I genuinely thought that Remake was going to get announced either tonight at VII's 25th Anniversary Celebration stream or at Xbox's Showcase on Sunday. My line of thinking was always that it came out on PS4 with a year of exclusivity, Intergrade last year basically got them to re-up with PlayStation for another year of console exclusivity, and then this year after the Intergrade exclusivity was over - and after being paid twice by PlayStation for exclusivity - that they'd cash out this month with Xbox and bring it to Game Pass ASAP, similar to how they got exclusivity on PC with the Epic Games Store but have now announced a Steam release. But I guess not hate to be the one to suggest it, but at this point I think there's been a lot of shady backdoor dealing here by PlayStation with the above not happening. Now I'm of the opinion that I don't think Xbox are getting it until Rebirth is out at best, or at worst just not getting it at all/until the entire Remake project is completed.

Looks at the rest of the people in positions of power in America Well, they're nothing if not consistent I guess

Yeah, I know. It's probably a good enough reason to not go with it. Thing is, if it were titled in a normal way (i.e. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Reunion), I think Final Fantasy VII Reunion would be completely fine. It's just the fact that it's Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion (I seriously can't believe they kept the titling scheme the same ) that means searching for "Final Fantasy VII Reunion" is going to have a whole lot of crossover (you know...in case it didn't already) that potential muddies the water a bit for branding. I mean it is Square Enix, so goodness knows. Be a shame though, Reunion would be a perfect title in the context of the story. Remade, Reunite, Revenge, Rewind, Retold, Return, Requiem, Retread, Re:Mix 1.5 + 2.5 + 3, Re:Minder That This Is FF Not KH, Re-Remake, Re:Verse, Revengeance...so many possible titles to go with if they stick with the trend of these first two games in the trilogy. Or they don't and they just call it something boring like Finale instead

It's definitely odd that they decide to release spin-offs on Switch first, but I think it's just a side effect of the Switch doing so well in Japan when more traditional consoles aren't, so anything that can run on it is thrown it's way by publishers over there Persona 5 came out on PS3 too, so while I'm sure it'd take some work, I think it could very feasibly run on the Switch. And if you want to believe recent internet chatter, it's coming. Whereas VII Remake would risk burning your house down just being in the same room as a Switch, let alone trying to run on the thing

Just looked it up to confirm and I stand corrected, that's my bad! my understanding of the game was mostly based off what I'd heard and seen clips of, so think I misunderstood their explanation of the Pawn system. On the upside though, that means I can go play it solo, as I'd been steering clear of it for so long thinking it was multiplayer! Well, fingers crossed for multiplayer for II then think it'd be a smart move for Capcom considering how well Monster Hunter has done in recent years, and it'd be like a semi-realisation of Deep Down, so...hopefully? Maybe? Please?! RE Engine confirmed too, so either way, at least it will look good

The first game heavily utilised multiplayer features where you could play online with friends or their avatars could be "pawns" and fight alongside you when they weren't online, so I'd wager it's a safe bet that II will have similar features That being said, you've planted a seed of doubt in my mind now, so...

There are some more details sneaked into the updates given on the Final Fantasy VII Remake Twitter, namely that there are already some working on the game following rebirth (i.e. the untitled game to end the trilogy): Honestly, the turnaround on this game - whether it makes next Winter or not, but let's hope it does - is going to be insane. Kitase mentions change in structure being key to this, but still, even targeting Winter 2023 would mean we potentially see a sequel to Remake in just 3.5 years (I imagine they already had some working on it to some extent beforehand, mind), which considering the impact COVID has evidently had on everyone in the gaming industry, delaying many projects by 12 months or more, is crazy. I imagine having the game be based on another game certainly helps, but still, it'll be one heck of a feat if they get this out door by the end of next year or by the middle of 2024 in my eyes. The Remake project pipeline and everything they've got going on around it is insane, too. I mean, we got VII Remake in 2020, Intergrade/Episode Intermission last year, Crisis Core remaster this year, potentially Rebirth next year. We could get an Intergrade sort of deal in 2024, another remaster (Dirge of Cerberus maybe?) in 2025, and possibly Ever Crisis done and dusted and ported to consoles (please!) before the final game in 2026 or 2027? Oh lord, that'd be 7 years of Final Fantasy VII, wouldn't it? Also...the last game is totally going to be called Reunion, right? Same, think I'll be saving it for next summer to be fresh on it going into Rebirth I might need to replay OG VII again too I think!

NO WAY I MISSED THIS COMPLETELY AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Finally a multiplayer game from Capcom I can play with my friends that they'll probably love! glances back at Monster Hunter World

Holy crap We're touches all the wood getting this and XVI within six months of each other

Square Enix just won Not-E3 in less than 15 minutes They surpassed all of my hopes! Well, unless you're on Xbox, sorry guys

Let's freakin' mosey! This does look like the Promised Land Seems to be a similar deal to the first game in that it will be a PS5 exclusive at launch. No details beyond that, though I imagine it'll be a similar deal to what we've seen with Remake, coming to PC after some time has passed. We'll wait and see about elsewhere I guess? In addition, the Remake project has also now been confirmed by Kitase to be a trilogy.

Time to see why everyone likes Zack more than Cloud!

< 1 minute until the 10 minute long Final Fastest VII 25th anniversary stream starts: Time to create a quick summoning circle! Cool countdown to get us going. Don't know where expectations should be, but maybe Remake on Xbox, maybe an update on Ever Crisis or something cool like Crisis Core or Dirge of Cerberus being ported (please!), probably a First Soldier event reminder or something... ...and maybe a 5 second tease for Part II? See you in 10 to be crushed by disappointment

Easy Allies have completed their search for a community manager: (if you want to save a click, it's going to be Gabby Montoute, who has appeared here and there as a guest, mostly on things Isla has worked on) Long needed, hopefully it has the impact they're hoping for

A fair bit of new content inbound:

More than 25 million Switch units sold in Japan now: Crazy stuff!

Been a while since there's been something to post here, but now there's something: there are three animated films now in the works! Lauren Montgomery has also been confirmed to be directing the previously announced first film in the pipeline. I'm sure we're going to be waiting a while before we see anything, so I'm just going to be here excitedly waiting until something happens

To give some context, I don't think it was posted on the Nintendo board initially as, if I'm remembering correctly, it was generically slated as coming to "PC and consoles" when first revealed in all of DotEmu's descriptions and press release for the game, but no specific mention of the Switch (supported by the mention earlier in this thread by @MindFreak that it should be coming to Switch based on DotEmu's past work). I don't think a Switch version was properly confirmed until the Indie World Presentation a month later? But oh well, it's been moved now I'll be waiting to play the Cowabunga Collection before I think about diving into this, but for those that are diving in, seems like a mid-year Christmas for you, so:

Two things I completely forgot to mention in my last post: Really glad you enjoyed it @Hero-of-Time, thought you would! On your last point...

Tom Henderson is reporting that PlayStation are working on a PS5 Pro-styled controller:

Watched Part V of Obi-Wan Kenobi this morning, and again just, and all I've got to say is: this is more like it. There's no question in my mind that this is by far the strongest episode of the show so far. Just one more episode to go. Nervous? Of course. Excited? Very much so oh man, why do I feel like this show could end on the binary sunset...

Wow, I can't believed Nintendo sold out to a brand for in-game advertising!

Oh absolutely, I just think it needs to be there to bounce ideas off more than anything, I think that's so vital. It doesn't always mean a better project, mistakes can absolutely still be made, just makes sense to me for the guy who's written Kenobi since the mid-2000's to be there to bounce things off of (in fairness, I think Ewan's performance as Obi-Wan is that universal point of praise for the show, so it's probably not the best example of what I mean, but think you know what I'm saying!). Like you say, Favreau wrote Mando (I mean, before even being officially hired he was writing Mando, the guy wanted it bad!), but a huge part of that process - at least from the Gallery and other interviews they've had - really shines a light on the back and forth being vital for that show. And, while Jon did write Mando almost exclusively, from what I gather Filoni was working on his own separate Mando project to some degree (KK mentioned it in the Gallery I believe when talking about setting them up on their "play date") which I imagine was more focused on what we now see as backstory for Mando. Something huge with Dave as well I feel is beyond the back and forth, he's a storyboarder, which isn't something you frequently get from guys coming from a film or TV background as much as you do the animation side of things. That Yin and Yang I guess. And absolutely, there are other people from the animated series that I'd actually want to get involved (and I mean in terms of live-action, there have already been several people who have come onboard who I want to see get larger roles beyond directing a single episode, like BDH!), because they're also people who have been working on Star Wars for so long and are just incredibly experienced and well-versed in this now. I know Carrie basically works on everything Dave works on, but you mention Athena and I feel like her presence (and this is also the case for many of the writers and animators of the animated series) seems a bit underappreciated from the outside looking in, and you'd hope that they were getting shots to do what people new to Star Wars are also doing, you know? But yeah, this is a long way of saying I think we agree, but it's absolutely just finding that balance! It's so weird because I want Dave helming Ahsoka to do great so he can be trusted with bigger and bigger live-action projects (man, like I just feel you could place trust in the idea of a Filoni film once he's got to grips more with live-action and that's really exciting), but then I also want him around just to give general oversight/be there to bounce ideas off of. I think the simple solution is that we need to clone Dave Filoni Oh yeah, absolutely, I couldn't agree more; it's something I do a fair bit actually, but as you know I've taken a looooooong break from Star Wars so that's been the exception to that as of late, but I'm in a huuuuuuuuuge Star Wars kick now (yet to start on any of the new books I've got as my evenings have been a mess lately, but I'm returning to a lot of Star Wars games and shows ) which has been great, though Kenobi has put continuing with going through the films on a bit of a hold as I feel like I'm getting a good fill of live-action Star Wars from that. Great clip from SWE by the way, thanks for sharing that! He's right; the path of least resistance (on these days unfortunately throwing malicious or just generally negative thoughts into the cesspit that is the internet) is often the easy thing I'd probably say for me 8 times out of 10 returning to something doesn't really change my view massively (and honestly, when it does, its incredibly rare that I enjoy things more, but it does happen!), but that space from release can definitely relieve a rewatch of any added pressures, especially if there's just a lot going on (and I don't know about you, but I definitely feel like sometimes in the moment I might be distracted by other things going on in life but not really notice until much later on down the line; hindsight is 20-20 and all that jazz). I can't remember who it was but there was a film critic who would begin their reviews by describing their day up to watching the film (e.g. 'I woke up at 8, felt great, went and grabbed a coffee and bagel. This guy bumped into me and started swearing, I yelled back, it was a whole thing. But then on my walk over to the theatre I saw a lot more friendly faces and quickly forgot about that", etc.) just to give their reader that point of context for where they're coming from with the review. In fairness, Kenobi I do watch twice at the moment, and yeah, I do think it helps to enjoy the good moments more, but adversely, it can also just make me double down on "man, I really just don't gel with the decisions they've made on the music/yeah I was right, this CGI Tatooine sand sucks balls/etc.", but when I do that, it really does come from a place of 1) wanting to learn (I just love stories and absorbing them and the processes behind making them), and 2) love, for Star Wars. The sequels I watched an unseemly amount in cinemas, and I think it was on here where I straight up said coming out of TLJ "yeah, I have no idea what I think, this needs a second watch" and afterwards telling everyone "it absolutely needs a second watch." TROS had its moments, and I'm sure I'll enjoy those moments more with a rewatch now (I did watch it three times in theatres to be fair!), but I think you can watch the first act of that film and, even if you accept there are good moments, that it's going to be a bit of a mess. When I have issues with things in Star Wars - and I mean, any other story, or just anything else I talk about to be honest - I hope it comes across that even if I disagree or have a differing view that I by no means want to change someone else's view, or yell into the echo chamber with a drive-by thought. The only time I'll find myself doing that is when people are spewing dangerous thoughts that can harm people, and even then, you've got to be careful and respectful (for example: I think the Moses Ingram hate is disgusting. I think Reva hasn't been spectacular from what we've seen so far, but that in no way excuses the vitriol she's had to deal with); a position of confrontation loses out to a position of understanding every time, all of the time, without fail. I always want to try and have that back and forth when possible, in order to try to understand someone else's perspective; so, while I have issues with Boba and Kenobi, I think it's great that there are those on here who loved Boba, or are loving Kenobi, more than I did/have/am, as at the end of the day, I want to love these things just as much as everyone else! I've always been like that though, or at least I like to think so, but in fairness, it can be difficult to translate to places like this where your written word is both your opinion and the emotion behind your opinion. It's why sometimes some of my posts (like this one!) can get a little long, but I don't know, I think it's better to talk a little too much (online anyways) to try to make it as clear as I can to show that I'm open to that back and forth, and hopefully have that common ground for understanding