conv.

All stories
CultureQuiet 3d · day 3

Final Fantasy Director: Xenogears remake 'sounds like a tough game' to make

Naoki Hamaguchi says reviving the cult PS1 RPG would be arduous; the game faces delisting in 2027.

newest coverage 2d agosummary written 1d ago3 pieces MastodonNewswiresGoogle News

What to know

  • Xenogears will disappear from digital storefronts in 2027 when PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita services shut down, with no modern alternative available.
  • Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Hamaguchi indicated a full remake would require resources comparable to the FFVII Remake—extremely time-intensive—and offered no confidence in Square Enix's plans to revive the game.
  • The game's original director now leads Nintendo's Monolith Soft, making any remake unlikely without a major Square Enix-Nintendo partnership that seems improbable for a less famous title.

“It hasn't been playable on modern hardware since it was released as a digital download on the PlayStation 3, and with the storefront there and on PSP/PS Vita shutting down in 2027, the game will soon become completely inaccessible.”

Ethan Gach, Kotaku writer · Kotaku ↗

Naoki HamaguchiNaoki Hamaguchi Final Fantasy VII Revelation directorTetsuya Takahashi Original Xenogears director, now head of Monolith SoftSquare Enix Publisher of Xenogears

Final Fantasy Director: Xenogears remake 'sounds like a tough game' to make
kotaku.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 1 PM; 3 pieces over 3 days (2 articles · 1 post) Sep 21, 1 PM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 4:44 AM ET
  1. 1

    CommentaryXenogears remake unlikely without major Square Enix-Nintendo partnership

    Kotaku's Ethan Gach argues that a full Xenogears remake would require Monolith Soft (now a Nintendo subsidiary under original director Tetsuya Takahashi) to lead development, making a partnership between Square Enix and Nintendo necessary—an unlikely scenario. Even an HD port seems uncertain given Square Enix's preservation track record.

    “Remaking something that came from that era, as an experienced person who has gone through the Remake series, sounds like a tough game to make.”
    — Naoki Hamaguchi, Final Fantasy VII Revelation director · source
  2. background

    Xenogears will become inaccessible when PlayStation storefronts shut down in 2027 — Kotaku reports that Xenogears has not been playable on modern hardware since its PS3 digital release, and will become completely inaccessible when the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts close in 2027.

  3. background

    Hamaguchi says Xenogears remake would be 'tough game to make' — Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi was asked about the feasibility of a Xenogears remake. He responded that remaking a game from that era, having experienced the FFVII Remake series, sounds extremely difficult.