[General Discussion] FFVII Compilation Thread

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

I'd like to see a link to this news though.

Quote:

TGS 2006: Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children Complete Announced
Cloud goes Blu
by Andrew Alfonso

September 22, 2006 - If you read our report on the Square-Enix booth, then you already know this, but the company has announced a new version of Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children with the subtitle 'Complete', and it came complete with a new trailer to show off some of the changes in the movie. This version of Advent Children will be on Sony's Blu-Ray media, and as the title suggests, it's going to be somewhat of a director's cut. Not only will the resolution be much higher than the DVD version, but Square Enix will be adding scenes and making changes to existing scenes. One new scene shown during the presentation was Sephiroth impaling Cloud and hoisting him over his head while his Masamune was still embedded inside of him, much like in Final Fantasy 7 for the PSOne.

No word on a solid release date yet but the trailer did indicate a Japanese release sometime in 2007. We'll have more information as it becomes available.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/734/734467p1.html

Maybe that scene will be a flash back.

Mmm, hopefully these new scenes aren't just little 30 second add-ons. Maybe they're adding some of the stuff that were in the earlier trailers (though, doubtful, as most of the scenes in earlier trailers were reworked for the movie).

They better include the commentary with this release, they got no excuse not to.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

English only for the movie, on a Blu-ray? Haha, I'm guessing they plan to milk this once again, with a much later release that'll include both dub tracks and perhaps a new making of featurette.

Also, looks like the Kotobukiya's Mechanical Arts is set to be release on December 12th in Japan. These things are pricey, they're listed at 3465 yen each, almost as much as the FF7AC Play Arts line. I'm expecting some real quality for these vehicles (like Fenrir's sword conpartment).

http://www.amiami.com/shop?vgform=Se...vious=Previous

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Ohh, nice, looks like we'll them use the guns on Kadaj's bike. And Sephiroth hoisting Cloud up, looks pretty sweet. Alas, it looks like it just all extended little sequences. The guns will be during the bike chase to Midgar, and Sephiroth hoisting Cloud looks like it'll happen just after he stabs him.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Simo

FYI but the Creatures line is now out in Japan. Seems Kefka is the one everyone's after.

Ohh, just found that now. Not sure how I missed that bit of info. I might look into getting a Bahamut, if the price is right (heh, that shop priced em at 2415 yen each). They all look pretty cool though.



http://www.moeyo.com/2006/09/ff_2.html

Most amazing jew boots

Yea those graphics are incredible, the animation is so fluid too! Ahh, too bad I can't hear the audio (no headphones, and using the campus comps). BTW, the guy in the last 30 seconds or so of the trailer, is that supposed to be Gackt? If so, I didn't know he had a role in CC, much less his appearance being extended beyond DC.

FELIPE NO

Oooh, the trailer is so much better with sound. Heh, I think this is first time I've heard Aerith's name spoken in Japanese (nice to finally hear it).

The gameplay looks interesting, seems like they've got some sort of slot system going for it. Unless that's the ATB...

Heh, expecting my import PSP to arrive sometime next week, just in time for MGS PO, and looking to be another must-have title for it.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

They don't, but the UMD videos/movies do and I got a couple region 2s that came with some stuff I ordered many months ago that I'm dying to watch. So yea, I decided to just import the PSP (white one, as you can't get that one here!), since the games won't be region protected and I don't plan to buy any movies for it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Dark Nation

Anyone wanna attempt extracting the Remix of the Starting Mission, or am I asking for too much here?

Best I can do is the trailer's audio, with dialogue and sound effects included. Enjoy.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...5AE37117034489

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Hasn't this cow suffered enough?

Seriously though, I'm passing on this. Not worth it for a few more bonus items, even if one of them is Last Order (which wasn't that great anyway). Unless they decided to resync the lips for the english voice-overs, or had they done this simultaneously with the original release last year, then I would have considered it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

This definitely deserves recognition. The same guy that did the head resculpts for numerous FF play arts (+ the Cloud sword set) made a Yuffie! Check it out! She look incredible! He's even making DoC Yuffie too! Now if only Kotobukiya could follow his lead, hell they should hire him!



I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Awesome news!!! About time they finally announced a series 2. Is the new FF7 line being made to coincide with the game's anniversary?

I wonder if the Yuffie by the customerizer guy was the prototype... (maybe he works for Koto?). Heh, and the FF7 line with the Aerith is nice way to knock off her character, as her appearance in AC was essentially the same. I'll definitely buying these sets!

I was speaking idiomatically.

Sweet! Kadaj looks awesome! Nice touch with the sword sheath, if only they could have done that with Cloud's fusion swords. Now all they need to do is make a deluxe version where he comes with his bike.

Though, isn't Cloud actually taller than Kadaj (infact, why is it that Cloud seems to be shortest of em all, definitely something wrong with his scale)?

Originally Posted by SOLDIER

Asshole. Like we don't know what FF he's talking about.

Spoiler:

Watch it be FFVIII.

lol, that'd be hilarious if true.

Most amazing jew boots

He looks great! However, I'm liking this little remark.

Quote:

Also production costs have gone up due to a increase in the cost of raw materials. The figure will be out this Fall. More info will be in the 3/25 issue of Hobby Link Japan.

Sounds like there's going to be another price increase for the play arts line. They had better not used that clear pvc garbage, which resulted in the most breakages (specifically for Cloud and Auron), that I kept hearing about. Cause that would be absolutely crap to have to purchase the figures at a higher price, with no increase in the quality of material used.

http://www.adventchildren.net/

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

I've had Cloud for ages and posed him quite a bit, and he is still in one damn piece. I dunno. Maybe I'm careful or just got a good Cloud batch? Who knows. I don't have Auron so I have no comments about him. I hope the price increase isn't too much.

Yea, my Cloud was perfectly fine too, but I've heard of many occasions where his leg broke off at hip joint (where the clear pvc apparently is). Auron is the worst, as pretty much everyone has had one breakage with Auron, either at his knees or arm. Mine was at the knee, damn thing just popped out as soon as I opened him. Luckily I purchased at my local comic shop, and therefore was able to get exchange it for another.

But yea, here's hoping they stopped using that material and therefore no more breakages to come for the remaining play arts line.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Ohh Yuffie figure. Looks pretty good. Kinda prefer the custom job over it though (her face looks identical to Tifa's). But man, Koto's Yuffie looks almost like it the custom guy's Yuffie. I wonder if they hired him, or bought his sculpt.

Quote:

The colored prototype of the FF7AC version of Yuffie was completed, so we took a photograph. (Sumimasen, we forgot about the shuriken). More detailed information will be in next month's Hobby Link Japan (on sale 4/25).

The Square Enix Party on 5/12~13 will display the new Play Arts series, including the prototypes that we're still in the middle of producing!

http://www.adventchildren.net/

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Ohh, looks pretty good. Though, I agree with ya, Freelance Wolf, they really should have gave Reno a smirk or something. Heh, I'm sure the customer guy will be doing a head/face resculpt for him. Bleh, I really wish they gave the Play Arts line somewhat of a set scale, I hate how Cloud appears to the shortest of the lot.

Oh and I picked up those nifty Mechanical Arts, only Kadaj's bike and the Fenrir (though the other's were really nice too). Pretty nice, but for $37 a pop, they weren't really worth it. If the scale was larger (some details were missing cause of the small scale, such as the tire treads) I'd encourage the purchase, but otherwise I say save your wallet for the Play Arts figures instead. Would have been sweet if they managed to sculpted the Fenrir so that it could have the open/close fusion sword compartment.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Ohh, set 2 looking good another must buy for me. Heh, the MP Cloud looks pretty good (though the goofy pose is kinda buggin' me, wish it was different), and the change to $230 is nice, but still not enough to get me to buy him. Can't wait till they make his fusion swords for the Master Arms line though.

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

$37 US each? Ouch. Kinda steep for such small things. I don't see any reason to get Fenrir either since you can get the much bigger (and better) one.

Cloud was already short in FFVII though, being less then 5ft, but he was about the same size as Reno in AC.... I think the fact that the Reno fig looks bigger is due to perception. He is in the foreground after all.

Actually that was in CAD, surprisingly they sold pretty well at my local comic shop as there were only a few left on the pegs a week later. Heh, and I actually already have the bigger Fenrir (that boxet), just bought the smaller scale one so Kadaj's bike wouldn't get lonely.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

Do they separate into the 6? I'd get it if they did.

From the prototype, it does look like it (back in San Diego's 2006 Comic Con). Originally it was scheduled to be apart of the initial Master Arms line, but I guess they scratched that as I didn't see it in Previews (just the Squall and Seifer's gunblades, Sora's Keyblade, and Vincent's Cerberus). I'm guessing they're still working on the kinks of the fusion sword (hopefully they'll fix that gap between the top 2 blades), be awesome if they end up being in the same scale used for Cloud's figure.

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

Still expensive You can prolly get an actual figure for that amount.

Haha, yea, that's why I didn't buy a set.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Awesome! She looks great! Hopefully they'll include her staff, don't want her to be useless as Rinoa.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Ohh, they look great! I'm especially pleased to see that they did include Aerith's staff, therefore not rendering her completely useless like Rinoa. Though definitely does look like they retained more of their original look than an AC redesign (heh we could always swap the heads on Cloud and Tifa for their AC counterparts), oh well, no biggie for me. Hopefully Tifa's hair won't interfere too much with her head movement, though likely to happen.

Another must buy set for me!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Interesting interview regarding SE merchandising. They even mentioned Cloud's 6 piece fusion sword, apparently the reason why it'd been removed from the first series of Master Arms is because they couldn't get the hilt/base to work properly. Eg. how main sword's base changes between a diamond shape to a rectangular shape. Right now, at the request of Nomura, they've trying to achieve that. Hopefully it'll be in scale with the figure.

Heh, and interestingly they have seen the customizer's work too.

Quote:

IGN: I found the blog of a custom hobbyist who re-created the seven pieces of Cloud's sword from Advent Children. You can take it apart and put it back together again just like in the movie. Are there plans to offer this product in the merchandise store?

Hidemi Matszuka: Yes we've seen what you're talking about. We've made that same sword officially. It's just in the process of being approved by Nomura-san right now. But there's this one section of the sword that we're finding it difficult to recreate. In the movie, when all the swords are together, the base part is a rectangle shape, but when you remove the other swords it become a diamond shape. And what Nomura-san is saying is that is has to become a diamond shape in the replica too, but we haven't been able to achieve that.

IGN: Is it going to be plastic or metal?

Hidemi Matszuka: It'll be plastic, because when we do it in metal and mass produce it, it doesn't come out to the exact measurements that it should. So we're thinking plastic, and we're going to release it under the Master Arms line of products.

IGN: What about an actual motorcycle that fits all the pieces of the sword, just like in the movie?

Hidemi Matszuka: Sorry we can't do the bike (LOL).

IGN: Did you guys contact that hobbyist who created the seven-piece-sword replica? Does he work for Square-Enix?

Hidemi Matszuka: He's not a Square-Enix employee and we've never tried to contact him. We've definitely heard rumors and seen things. We can't lose this battle in making the sword so we have to make a better one (LOL).

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/790/790093p1.html

FELIPE NO

Nomura flat out says no to remake. Too bad, would have been a nice little surprise for the 10th anniversary of FF7.

Quote:

A Square Enix power player has issued the most direct denial yet of a Final Fantasy VII remake. Speaking with Japan's monthly Dorimaga gaming publication, character designer Tetsuya Nomura said, "It appears that there are often overseas rumors like 'Are you currently developing a VII remake?' My apologies, but we're absolutely not making [such a game]."

But, as usual, all isn't necessarily lost. Yoshinori Kitase, overall director of the FFVII series, followed up with, "However, when we ask the staff who are making FFXIII why they entered the company, there are many people who say, 'I'm an FFVII fan, I also want to do a remake.'" To this, Nomura added, "We of course know ourselves what the fans want so we'd like to continue thinking up a variety of things. As long as there are people who want to make it and people who are waiting for it, we don't want to proclaim 'the end.'"

Outside of these comments, the two shared a few interesting insights into the development of what is arguably the most renown Final Fantasy game to date.

Nomura recalled the creation of the game's plot, which was originally written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, now of Mistwalker. Nomura, who claims to still have a copy of the plot, noted how "completely different" it is from the final version. "I think he wanted to do something like a detective story? There was a character called Hot Blooded Detective Joe."

The Midgar city was already in place at this point. The early part of the story that was written by Sakaguchi involved Detective Joe chasing after the main characters, who then blow up the city.

Obviously, the story changed some once Nomura and Kitase got involved. While Nomura went off into the character design and visual work following some initial changes to Sakaguchi's plot, Kitase and Kazushige Nojima came up with the sections on Avalanche and Shinra, Cloud's background story, and the relationship between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sakaguchi came up with the specifics on the Life Stream in his original plot, but this also saw some work by Kitase and crew before finally being placed in the game.

With Nomura's strong denial in this interview, all those hoping for an FFVII remake to close off the series' 10th anniversary in style this year appear to be out of luck. Of course, there's no law against flat out lying to magazines that include pullout posters of big-busted anime chicks in every issue, so keep the candles lit.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/793/793956p1.html

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

New Aerith play arts and statue pics from the latest issue of Hobby Japan. She looks great and can't wait to pick up the figure, again I'm very pleased that they included her staff. I wonder if she'll come with the basket of flowers. Unfortunately it looks like her dress will hinder much of her leg movement, just like Yuna. As for the statue, her face sculpt looks kinda 'meh'/out of place.



Jam it back in, in the dark.

Since much of the merchandising info goes here, I thought I'd just dump this in too.

Picked up the Master Arms set on Wednesday (they shipped out this week), and boy are these guys pricey. It costs about $40 CAD for one which is more or less the same as the Mechanical Arts. The set includes FFVIIAC Vincent's Cerberus, FFVIII Squall's Gunblade, FFVIII Seifer's Gunblade, and KH Sora's Kingdom Key (though I only opened the gunblades). All the weapons in the set come with a display stand, and the weapon's name and game it's from printed on the base.

The gunblades are probably the coolest and biggest ones. They're actually a lot bigger than I was expecting, maybe a 1/6 or 1/4 scale. The blade itself is made of metal, but the gun part is of plastic, though both are very detailed. With Squall's revolver you can actually pull out the bullet chamber thing with bullets actually loaded in it (though painted on). On Seifer's auto/pistol/handgun (what have you) it looks like you can actually remove the magazine/clip from his gun (though I haven't managed to pull it out just yet), plus the top part of the gun actually slides back (you know the one that releases the empty shell from the chamber). Also the hammer and trigger actually work on both gunblades, you can pull back the hammer and fire the trigger and it snaps back. Oddly enough though the gunblade's aren't referred to by the weapon's name just as Squall's Gunblade (Revolver) and Seifer's Gunblade (Hyperion).

Some pics





There's nowhere I can't reach.

Haha, yea the Master Arms are a bit of a rip. But I'll definitely buy the Master Arms of Cloud's fusion swords, should that ever get a release.

The finished paint job looks awesome! That Cloud + Hardy Daytona is a must buy set for me. Can't wait to purchase that line of figures.

EDIT:
The Cerberus is about 5 an' half inches long (approx. 14 cm), which is probably a 1/6 or 1/4 scale.

The hinge on the bottom front (of the trigger) actually works, so you can lower the barrel(s) to check out the cylinders. Each cylinder holds 6 bullets, so since a tri-barrel the gun's got 18 shots total, it's like a revolver x 3. Also, like the gunblades, the hammer and trigger work too.

Some pics of the Cerberus, as well as comparisons.






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