What were the reasons behind not making a Vita version from Type-0 HD? Will we ever see one? I would have loved one, and it seems I'm not the only one.

The Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD collection is on both the PS3 and the Vita, and now coming to the PS4, so I don't really understand for there not being a Vita version of Type-0 HD. Looking forward to the game nonetheless, even if I can't play it on my Vita!

On a somewhat related note, if Type-0 HD does well in sales, could we see a sequel to it? Would you have any interest in making a Type-0 sequel, given the chance?

I wanted everyone to be able to play the game on a large high-definition screen. Honestly, my eyesight’s getting worse, so it’s getting difficult to see things on a smaller screen. I’ve seen some questions about why Type-0 isn’t being released on the Vita while X/X-2 HD saw a Vita release. The reason is that the X/X-2 HD Remaster was developed on a PS3/Xbox 360 environment, while Type-0 HD was developed on a PS4/Xbox One environment. So there is a great difference in the technical specs and it would not be easy to export the data to the Vita. As for a sequel, I would love to work on one if Type-0 HD does well.

HDPLSBUY

Are there any plans for a PC version? I would totally pay full price to buy Type-0 on Steam or the sort.

There are currently no plans for a PC version, but I am very interested in Steam. The thing is, I want to know when Valve’s going to release Half-Life 2 Episode 3.

Edit: Book, cover, don't judge. Sorry Tabata-san!

So you're a pretty big Half Life fan?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8DrJR0CYAAPx2k.jpg

It is me! This is Hajime Tabata! I've been a supporter of Steam since Half-Life 2. I actually bought an expensive graphics card just to play Half-Life (the original). The opening to Half-Life is actually one of my favorite game intros.

This is the first Final Fantasy game with an M rating. Was there a specific reason you wanted to tell a more mature story?

I wanted to create a FINAL FANTASY where you could truly feel a vibrant game world and characters, while also exploring the deep emotions of the characters. My work on Crisis Core got me interested in exploring and creating a game with those themes.

I just want to comment: This was a fantastic IAmA, and the right way to do one. I hope SquareEnix does more IAmA's in the future from various people?

Thank you very much for your comments!

I'll let the staff back at the Tokyo office know of everyone's interest in these IAmAs.

Arigatou USA!

Thank you very much for focusing on FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 related questions! You guys are great fans! We are starting to run out of time (about 20 minutes) but as a thank you, I will open up questions for other titles I have been involved with. ASK ME ANYTHING!

Do you think you'll revisit Crisis Core and Before Crisis and give them the HD treatment?

That’s an interesting question. There are no plans at this time, but I’m curious as to how many fans would be interested in such games.

Will the Episode Duscae demo be immediately playable when Type-0 HD releases? I've heard conflicting information about this.

Hello Zaeh! Another great question!

We are doing are best to have the demo playable with the release of Type-0 HD, but we are still working on optimizing the system and everything, so I can't give you a date.

What CAN you tell us about FFXV?

For Episode Duscae, our Japanese fans keep asking if we’re including a jump feature or if the “Phantom Sword” will be available. And I can confirm that both are in the demo!

Does the high demand for Type-0 release in America surprise you? There is a big audience in America for people who love japanese games.

I was very surprised by the response and very happy by the outpouring of support. I would love to make a great FF community with our American fans.

I can't believe that its already been 2 hours! Time flies when you are having fun. I hope you had just as much fun? I wish I could stay but I have to run. Trust me, I will continue to watch for your feedback through this and other social channels.Thanks for the great experience and I hope to come back again soon!

Who was your favorite FF character of all time? And why?

My favorite FINAL FANTASY character is Zack. That’s because I spent a lot of time “working” with him during the development of Crisis Core.

1. In the psp version of final fantasy type-o the the online multiplayer tied into a lot of sidequests and rewards. Now that the co-op multiplayer has been cut, how will you be handling those sidequests and rewards?

2.Has the games pacing been changed in any way to reflect its move from a portable format to a home console format?

3.Are you still working on the trophy/achievement list for the game. JRPG's tend to have very tedious trophies could you please have some entertaining trophies/achievements?

4.Will There be unlockable costumes?

5.Will there be an option to turn blood 'on' or 'off' and will final fantasy xv be like type-0 in its depiction of violence and its consequences?

1) All of the sidequests and rewards remain in the game and are obtainable, so don’t worry. 2) We calculated the speed of the party characters, and increased their speed for the HD version. We also improved the controls for characters where we felt they could be improved. 3) There aren’t any tedious trophies/achievements in the game. We used FF13 as an example for our trophy/achievement list. 4) The two bonus costumes from the PSP version are still in the game, and we have also added a new costume specifically for the HD version. 5) Unfortunately there are no VFX (blood effects) options available in the game. I have actually never heard that requested from our fans in Japan, but is that a popular feature that gamers in North America like to see in games?

What is your favorite JRPG that isn't Final Fantasy?

Dragon Warrior 3 (Dragon Quest 3) is my favorite Japanese RPG. It’s the KING of JRPGs to me.

Hello, Mr Tabata! Thank you for taking the time out to interact with the fans and for answering our questions.

Most Final Fantasy fans divide the settings in the series between two types. Some say that Medieval settings with job classes etc (e.g FFIV, FFIX and FFTactics) are important in making a real Final Fantasy game while others say that futuristic settings (e.g FFVII, FFVIII and FFXIII) bring refreshing new innovations to the series.

My question is: Which of the two types of settings do you personally prefer and why?

In my opinion, FF uses a mix of medieval, modern, and futuristic aspects and I really love that. Personally, I love game worlds that incorporate real-world aspects or settings, too.

Hi Mr. Tabata. What are your hobbies outside of creating games ? Does your hobbies/pass-times did influenced you on how you would design later your games (either if it's crisis core / 3rd Birthday / Final Fantasy Type-0 / Final Fantasy XV) ?

My hobbies are driving, history, keeping my devices fully charged, and video game development. But video game development is probably my favorite hobby.

What is your favorite car?

I’ve never driven one, but I love the Audi R8. Audi are you paying attention?

But I actually own a BMW (I want a hybrid but my wife won’t let me buy one)! LOL

McDonalds dipping sauce: Buffalo or Ranch?

Buffalo!! I love very spicy food and sweets, too!! LOL

What's your favorite track from Type-0's soundtrack?

我ら来れり (“We Have Come”) is my favorite music track from the game. I love the medley in the ending credits.

1) With the original PSP port of the game, the character exclusive accessories (i.e, God's Rulebook) were obtained through having a Japanese Square Enix Member Login that could be sync'd for download. Are those accessories still available in the console port through DLC or gameplay, or are they now removed? 2) There are a few cutscenes in the original game one could only trigger by accessing them through the Crimson Codex. When in development, did any of these cutscenes get moved to play within the game's story, or did they all stay where the player has to choose to watch them?

1) All of the accessories can be obtained in-game. The Members’ Site rewards have been incorporated into the game itself, so don’t worry. 2) As for the Crimson mission events, the design is the same as the PSP version. But, we’ve added some new (important!) scenes for the HD version, so do your best to unlock and view those events!

How long is TYPE-0 ? Can you give an estimate.

I think you should be able to see the ending in around 40 hours. But the real fun starts from the second playthrough since you get some new events, so you’ll probably be able to play for over 100 hours. Take your time to get the full experience and have fun!

こんにちは田畑さん

I have been a huge fan of your games since Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII came out and I am very excited to play both Type-0 HD and FFXV.

What is your favorite Final Fantasy game and why?

What games and game directors do you personally get inspiration from?

Do you have any comments about the long development time for FFXV? What are you planning to do to ensure the game releases in a timely manner?

ありがとうございました。

My favorite FINAL FANTASY… Well, FF1 was the most memorable, while FF7 was the most influential to me. But overall, FF6 has to be my favorite. I looked at previous FF games for my research on developing FF15 and FF6 really stood out to me.

There are plenty of games and game creators that respect, but Journey popped into my mind right now.

I’m sorry to keep you all waiting for the release of FF15. We’re doing our best to keep things going and release it as soon as possible. Please try out the demo and I hope you have fun playing it!

Hi, Tabata-san! I am so glad that you make such great efforts to connect to your fans. I've got a lot of questions, so I'll just get right to it.

1. How big is the development team for Final Fantasy Type-0 HD?

2. Which character do you resonate with the most?

3. Which character did you put the most thought into developing in terms of personality and story arc?

4. Will there be any DLC in the future for Type-0 HD?

5. Are there any differences between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game?

6. Will the touchpad on the PlayStation 4’s Dualshock controller be used at all in the game?

7. Are you still entertaining thoughts of sequels such as Final Fantasy Type-1, Type-2, Type-3, etc? Would you like them to be continuations of the Type-0 storyline or take place in different worlds like the main series Final Fantasy games?

8. It has been mentioned that the multiplayer function has been removed from the game. Aside from the known improvements, were there any other changes to the game that were necessary to accommodate the change in platform?

9. In a Square Enix “Creator’s Message” blog for Final Fantasy Type-0 before its original release in Japan, the lead character texture artist Sayoko Hoshino-san explained the difficulties of implementing undergarments for the female characters. Has this work been left intact in Type-0 HD?

10. There has been an abundance of outcry from fans who wish for the game to be released on PlayStation Vita. Is there any chance of making this happen?

11. There are many western fans who wanted to play Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII but were unable to because of the game's exclusivity. What are your thoughts on a remake of the game?

And finally, how has the development of Final Fantasy Type-0 been influenced by your previous works such as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and The 3rd Birthday? What elements, if any, were implemented from games you have worked on in the past?

Thank you for all the questions! We’re really running short on time, so I’ll try to answer as many questions on the Square Enix blog in the near future. Please keep an eye out for my posts!

We know that multiplayer was cut from the game. Technically wise - would it be possible to add multiplayer at a later date in a patch?

In the original PSP version, we used the adhoc mode for the multiplayer feature. So trying to include that in the HD version would require creating a system to match players over a server and we felt that it would be difficult to include that in the HD version. I’m sorry.

In the PSP version of Type-0 there were a number of faults in the battle mechanics that persisted throughout the game. One of the problems you have addressed is the erratic camera which it seems you may have addressed. However, the biggest fault with the game was the party AI. Often members of your party would stand still in a battle doing absolutely nothing during a fight. This unreliable AI made it more beneficial to simply compose a party of one character that you controlled yourself. Has there been any work on this serious problem for the release of the HD remake?

The AI wasn’t a code due to technical restrictions with the PSP. So we made the AI focus on healing the player when their HP got really low and ensured that the AI-controlled characters wouldn’t die easily or “steal” too many kills from the player. We made it this way because of the reserves function since only the characters in the active battle party earn experience.

We didn’t make any changes to this feature in the HD version as that would require an overhaul of the system from the ground up.

We have made some improvements to camera and controls as you said. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the improvements!

1. Why does Seven look so much similar to Lightning?
2. Who is your favorite character design in Type-0?
3. What are the three best characters in terms of Magic, Strength, and Range? (I'm assuming this would be a well rounded party?)
4. After XV comes out, would you consider releasing this on the Vita like a year later perhaps?
5. (nonrelated) Will the people who bought FFX/X-2 Remaster for PS3 get a free upgrade to the PS4 version? Thank you for all of your hard work! Take care of yourself though ^{^}

1) In the Japanese version we used the same voice actress for both characters and they’re both very cool. I wonder why? 2) My favorite character in Type-0 is the soldier who dies in the intro. His name is Izana. 3) Ace, Rem, and King are my suggestions for beginners. For more advanced players, I’d use Trey, Jack, and Eight (or Seven).

For questions 4 & 5…hahaha!

What's the target frame rate/resolution for FFXV? What can we expect in Episode Duscae?

Thanks for doing this ama!

Our target for the full version is full-HD (30 fps), but it's difficult to realize that with the graphics and features we have in the game.

In terms of Episode Duscae...you'll find out if Cindy is this game's "Cid" by playing the demo!