Square Enix looking past Virtual Console

Wii News | Sticking with good old-fashioned plastic.

Nintendo's Virtual Console service sees a respectable and reliable number of updates, but there's been a distinct lack of games that really give you a bang for your buck. We're talking about the destroyers of social lives - RPGs. Square has been one of the biggest developers of RPG gaming in history, with the two mainstays Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest receiving titles in all manner of media and consoles.

What they aren't prepared to do, at least for now, is release these games via paid download services such as the Virtual Console. Square Enix rep Shinji Hashimoto released a statement regarding the transition from hard media to digital content: "We feel that the Japanese game market still requires [physical] media. Also, FF and Dragon Quest are played by a wide range of users, from children to adults, so there are limitations when you consider the problems that we would have with billing systems."

And if our Japanese friends aren't going to get it, neither are we. Still, the games are available for those who still want to fork out the cash for discs and cartridges; the excellent Final Fantasy III for the DS and upcoming ports of Final Fantasy I and II for the PSP should give hungry gamers their old school RPG fix.

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22 Comments

Vervain

4 years ago

I don't mind if they don't release these games on VC or the various networks like this but what I would like them to do is release the first 6 as a one disc anthology which is certainly possible using dvd's and then re-release 7-9 on the next-gen consoles with completely updated graphics but leaving everything else exactly the same. Except maybe for the killing of Aeries in VII though.

Nova Prime

4 years ago

Of course, they can charge much more for ports on all the handheld systems than they could get away with on VC. Pathetic.

tootie_kicks

4 years ago

Nova Prime wrote

Of course, they can charge much more for ports on all the handheld systems than they could get away with on VC. Pathetic.

Exactly what I was going to say. That's about the only reason not to put them up there, cause it would basically be printing money (putting up ROMs with no modifications = no cost = free money).

LeonJ

4 years ago

Does this mean no PS1 games for PS3 download

Crestfallen

4 years ago

Nova Prime wrote

Of course, they can charge much more for ports on all the handheld systems than they could get away with on VC. Pathetic.

True, but I wouldn't call it pathetic.

The "pathetic" nature of this decision I believe is on par with Nintendo's decision to charge so **** much for games dug out of their grave.

TJ Spyke

4 years ago

Uh-huh. Then why is Elevator Action (from Square Enix-owned Taito) and ActRaiser (from Square Enix itself) already on the Virtual Console?

ret the roman

4 years ago

TJ Spyke wrote

Uh-huh. Then why is Elevator Action (from Square Enix-owned Taito) and ActRaiser (from Square Enix itself) already on the Virtual Console?

Because they aint no Final fantasy or dragon quest.

drinniol

4 years ago

crestfallen wrote

Nova Prime wrote

Of course, they can charge much more for ports on all the handheld systems than they could get away with on VC. Pathetic.

True, but I wouldn't call it pathetic.

The "pathetic" nature of this decision I believe is on par with Nintendo's decision to charge so f*** much for games dug out of their grave.

Ninty's prices still have nothing on the utter crap on XBLA. Half the stuff there isn't worth a free download. I wish they did refunds *looks at Time Pilot and wondered wtf he was drinking*

Kaboth

4 years ago

Strange call IMO. Sure Square Enix recently re-released most of their old titles but they're not necessarily easily available, it seems like Square Enix is missing out on a lot of potential revenue from people whose only option may now be to trawl pawn brokers and ebay paying exorbitant prices of which Square Enix gets none.

Bitchacho

4 years ago

I fully agree with them. For this reason I have never purchased music on iTunes and will always seek to buy the CD. But I mean...it's a Virtual Console. Just release it!

p.s. It's 'Square Enix looking passed...' not 'past'. No biggie but there are lots of grammatical errors that stand out like a sore thumb on this site.

DancesInUnderwear

4 years ago

Mitchacho wrote

p.s. It's 'Square Enix looking passed...' not 'past'. No biggie but there are lots of grammatical errors that stand out like a sore thumb on this site.

Uh, no it isn't?

Or if it is a hell of a lot of the internet fails at English, including, but not limited to, the Queensland TAFE, and The Age.

canetoad

4 years ago

Mitchacho wrote

p.s. It's 'Square Enix looking passed...' not 'past'. No biggie but there are lots of grammatical errors that stand out like a sore thumb on this site.

I think it can be either, depending on how you read it, but don't take my word.

Anyway, on topic, I would have liked to see them bring their games to the online services as a lot of people like me don't own a lot of the consoles the games are on and we won't be able to play all of these supposedly great games. I couldn't imagine why they wouldn't. It won't cost much and could make a nice profit from not doing much at all.

Bitchacho

4 years ago

I have become slightly confuzzled.

Past is an adjective meaning "before now." It is also a noun meaning "the time before now."

Yesterday is part of the past; let's think about today.
Xena regrets her past.

Passed is a participle -- that is, a verb-form. Always use it as a verb. It's the past-participle form of the verb "to pass" meaning "to give" or "to move" or, in games, "to decline one's turn."

Xena passed this way yesterday.
Xena passed Gabrielle some nutbread.
I didn't have enough points to bid, so I passed.

Some people also use it euphemistically for death:

My grandfather passed (or passed away) last year.

You don't say "I past the exam."

Therefore the meaning of 'Square Enix looking past Virtual Console' actually translates to:

"Square Enix are looking into the past for Virtual Console."

Amirite?

Sources: http://www.englishchick.com/grammar/grconf.htm
http://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/prepositions_lessons.htm

DancesInUnderwear

4 years ago

by: so as to pass a given point; "every hour a train goes past"

passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb pass. Past is an adjective meaning "ago" and a preposition meaning "beyond."

That doesn't particularly make it clear (that definition has some variant of pass / passed / past 5 times, with 4 of those in one sentence), but I'm pretty sure its "past" - they are looking "beyond" the Virtual Console.

Bitchacho

4 years ago

No that does make it clear actually. Does anyone want to add their 0.2 $poons worth?

Edit:

If you are referring to time or distance, use “past”: “the team performed well in the past,” “the police car drove past the suspect’s house.” If you are referring to the action of passing, however, you need to use “passed“: “when John passed the gravy, he spilled it on his lap,” “the teacher was astonished that none of the students had passed the test.”

If 'the police car drove past the suspect's house' is right then I'd say the Square Enix da da da is right. Good brainstorming ladies.

renegadesx

4 years ago

Kaboth wrote

Exactly, Square would get a cut of each of their games downloaded via VC and would really get alot of revenue for it which they are turning down. The VC was made for titles such as Secret of Mana.

legend166

4 years ago

Yeah, I'm pretty sure past is right.

Also, this sucks. Hopefully they release some of the less popular games that they most likely won't be re-releasing, aka Illusion of Gaia and such.

Phil

4 years ago

Past was always correct. Continue discussion.

And in any case Mitch, good job being careful. If anyone does want to bring up specific grammar/spelling mistakes, go ahead and PM the author and we can change it. But don't worry about pointing anything out in forum discussion, it just draws too much off topic if people disagree.

Crestfallen

4 years ago

renegadesx wrote

Kaboth wrote

Exactly, Square would get a cut of each of their games downloaded via VC and would really get alot of revenue for it which they are turning down. The VC was made for titles such as Secret of Mana.

Square aren't stupid. They would've calculated that they would make a larger profit if they release older games to handhelds as Nova Prime suggested.

Kaboth

4 years ago

Maybe but I don't buy it. They've released most of their games on GBA already. What are they gonna do release them all on DS and PSP again. I think there is plenty of room for online micro transactions to raise their revenue even more in conjunction with their normal plastic releases.

Nova Prime

4 years ago

Yes, actually, they are rereleasing FFI & II for PSP.

armageddon12

4 years ago

I think they should reconsider VC releases of their games. Currently it conflicts with their remakes, and enhanced versions. So I see why they aren't doing it yet, but fairly soon it'll make more sense. If Dragon Quest V turned up on the VC I'd hit it.

I thought the title was meant to be a pun, their looking beyond the VC, but as they are all old games, past... Past would be incorrect though as it should read "Square Enix looked past VC" to be grammatically correct, however as this is something that just happened (or rather was just confirmed), it would make more sense to use the present tense, such as "Square Enix pass on VC."

Here's the best discription of the differences I could find:

Dictionary.com wrote

Dictionary.com">The past tense and past participle of pass is passed: They passed (or have passed) our home. Time had passed slowly. Past is the corresponding adjective (in centuries past), adverb (drove past), preposition (past midnight), and noun (lived in the past).

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