PSX5Central
Playstation/Gaming Discussions => PS3 Discussion => Topic started by: Seed_Of_Evil on July 19, 2001, 07:32:49 AM
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In preparation for the release of Square\'s long awaited PlayStation2 RPG \'Final Fantasy X\', several development team members went on record today to discuss the finished version. To begin, lead programmer Koji Sugimoto reminisced about the meager beginnings of the project;
\'Development began right after we finished Dew Prisim in the fall of 1999. Realizing the game was being developed for the PlayStation2, we did extensive research on the hardware itself. Development tools were being created simultaneously, so we went through a long period of trial and error. I had to handle memory issues with environment and character loading as well. The team hasn\'t had a break in more than a year and a half, and we\'re looking forward to a month\'s vacation now that Final Fantasy X is finished. Overall, I think Final Fantasy X is a major step forward in the series. There were twelve programmers working on the game, all specialized in different areas. I was mainly responsible for the characters. Calculating the movements of their clothes and shadows was particularly difficult, but I\'m pleased with the way everything turned out. Game designers and programmers are now able to create the 3D worlds they envision. I work forward to continued technological advancements as a programmer.\'
Next, sound editor Eiji Nakamura talked about the changes associated with the PlayStation2 hardware. Having worked on the series for nine years now, he provides a unique perspective on some of the finer aural nuances in Final Fantasy X; \'The sound division of Square is quite large and is divided between several music and sound effect creation teams. For Final Fantasy X, I served as the leader of the effect team, and every sound was created from scratch. In terms of production, we studied the capabilities of the PlayStation2, and things have improved aurally. For example, the game can be played in stereo and the movie sequences are 5.1CH compatible. There were still restrictions, but we pushed ourselves to release the best game possible. I\'m happy with Final Fantasy X overall, but one particular sequence sticks out in my mind, when LuLu appears. As you\'ll see, it takes place in the woods and you can hear individual insects as the characters interact vocally. During the peak of development we were working until midnight everyday and returning to the office on the first train the next morning. We spent awhile playing through the game and adjusting the sound until everyone agreed it was finished.\'
Lastly, visual designer Toshiaki Matsumura recounted how his part-time position at Square evolved into a managerial position; \'To be honest, I jointed Square as a part-time employee in 1999. I\'m a cartoonist, but I really wanted to design characters. I was a Final Fantasy fanatic, and bought all the games when they came out. It was like fate when one of the designers left and I was asked to work on Final Fantasy X. It was hard at first, being the youngster of the development team. But I took a defiant attitude and focused on the task at hand. I worked on the CG sequences for several characters, which was overseen by director Tetsuya Nomura. I also worked with the engineers on the facial animation system. Above all else, I wanted to express \'life\' and \'reality\' through the CG parts of the game. They characters don\'t look totally real or human, particularly in their dimensions. But I hope players can appreciate their somewhat deformed style. If we wanted complete realism we\'d need to use actual people. In the future though, we look forward to raising the level of expression through CG.\'
Source (http://www.coremagazine.com/news/4557.php3)
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Cool.........sounds awesome. I heard square had something like 2 million preorders in japan.
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yeah, they expect to sell about 2 millions in the first week, ;)