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"Final Fantasy X – Not Looking Good"

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Thu 30/05/02 at 08:25
Regular
Posts: 787
For anyone still planning on buying this, (considering how many people here passionately love it) don’t be shocked when you boot it up and the conversion is terrible. Apparently code shows the game hasn’t been optimized, with giant borders and noticeable slowdown. Not good. The demo version on Official Playstation 2 magazine probably has the biggest borders I've ever seen! I found if you've got a widescreen TV with the mode that's halfway between 4:3 and widescreen, it eliminates the borders perfectly without chopping off any of the actual picture. The borders ruin the look of the game. The borders result in squashed and deformed characters. The beautiful FMV sequences are also ruined. Remember FFX isn't supposed to be super deformed. That's Square for you. They've always had a grand attitude towards Europe. They personally could not care about Europe otherwise they would have a Squaresoft Europe development studio. I’ve considered that if I get FFX, it will be the USA version. For years I never used to worry about such things, but now borders, slowdown drive me insane. I just can't get on with a game knowing there's a superior version somewhere out there. A Spanish web site asked the producers about the black borders while they were promoting the game in Europe some weeks ago. They began asking about dubbing the game to others languages and they answered that it would take them to much time, and when it came to the 60HZs, their exact answer was:

“Queremos ofrecer siempre el mejor producto posible acorde a unas fechas. Nuestros equipos de desarrollo, ante la trascendencia de este tema para el usuario europeo, están trabajando en este aspecto para poder incluirlo en un futuro en las versiones PAL de nuestros títulos.”

“We want to always offer the best possible product according to certain time constrains. Our development teams, noticing the major role of this topic for the European consumer, are working on this in order to be able to include it in future PAL versions of our titles.” Let's just hope that this is not just PR word. They’ve had ages, it came out in the states last year. Basically they can't be bothered. Vote with your wallets and don't but it. Games which aren't PAL optimized (in some form at least) should stay on the shelves. It's pure contempt. Import away (or hope you don’t have mates with NTSC consoles). If you don't give a damn, that’s great. Some of us reckon our money should go further. If you go to buy it, insist you're only prepared to pay £36.12, as 15% of the original is missing. This situation is one of the reasons I am now seriously thinking about modding my PS2 to play imports. Crappy PAL treatment of games by large companies should be a thing of the past. I'd like to pick up Devil May Cry but I've held off so far as I'm not prepared to spend money on an obviously inferior version.

I don't know why anyone would buy this kind of style over substance anyway. And when Square always screws over Europe with cack conversions and late releases etc. then why line their pockets? What get on my nerves is lazy companies who can’t be arsed to optimized for Europe. Why should we put up with such lazy work? We pay too much as it is, these firms should earn their money. Of course, we could choose not to purchase but that's not really the point. These problems shouldn't exist in 2002. It may not ruin the gaming experience for everyone but it's more important to people like myself. We should demand quality and not accept this shoddy treatment. We complain about these things because we have every right to, as consumers. They want us to buy their software, yet they can't be bothered to deliver us the standard that gamers in other territories enjoy. For me, having half the screen not being used lessens the impact of the graphics for me. I guess some people don’t care if they play a game on a 2-inch screen or 32inch screen – it’s a matter of preference. I do though. I care what the game looks like, after all I am paying £40 for a game and I want it to be perfect, just like a DVD movie would be. There is NO REASON why there should be borders in games, its just bloody lazy and you know it is. Would you put up with watching a DVD with a squashed picture, all the actors looking like they're moving in slow-mo and speaking an octave lower? No, of course you wouldn't so why should it be any different with games? They are not intended to be played this way and from what I’ve seen FFX is a disgrace, even worse than Onimusha and Devil May Cry (and that's saying something). Bad conversions are one thing, and living in Europe you learn to live with them to an extent. However, FFX appears to be an absolutely terrible conversion, up there with the worst of them. Curse you Squaresoft!

I'm playing VII instead. Far more fun. Sure, the conversion sucks, but it plays much better.

Thanks for reading,
LF
Thu 30/05/02 at 20:08
Regular
Posts: 11,875
I think the Zelda series is much better, it isn't just the same thing with different characters and a different story. But then again Nintendo say that Zelda is an action/adventure game, not an RPG, so can they really be compared?
Thu 30/05/02 at 19:58
Regular
Posts: 15,579
Lawless Fever wrote:
Anyway, I think that
> the FF series as a whole is better than Zelda, but then there has been
> 10 FFs and only two a handful of Zelda's, so it's quite a strange
> comparison.

Actually, I think there were two Zelda games on the Nes, one on the Snes and two on the N64. Then i know there has been at least 3 Zelda games on Gameboy and then you got the one currently in development for the GameCube. Totalling at least 9 Zelda games.
Thu 30/05/02 at 19:53
Posts: 0
Yeah, a Widescreen should cut away the borders, and if it doesn't, be sure that everything is set on Letterbox mode. Anyway, I think that the FF series as a whole is better than Zelda, but then there has been 10 FFs and only two a handful of Zelda's, so it's quite a strange comparison. Glad you're enjoying FFX more than I have, keep at it buddy!

LF.
Thu 30/05/02 at 18:28
Regular
"Rong Xion Tong"
Posts: 5,237
Hmmmmm, I haven't noticed much slowdown at all. Only one point in the game so far and it was hardly noticeable. I've been playing for 25 hours too.

Not noticed the borders either as I'm playing on a widescreen TV (you said something about that removing them?)

I'm happy there are no borders and I'm happy I've not noticed much slowdown because.......


.....FFX for me, has just overtaken Ocarina of Time and is now my favourite game EVER! I think.

I still can't be sure till I complete it but at the moment, it looks like Zelda's been defeated. I may be a traitor and I may have thought nothing would beat Zelda except the updated version on GameCube but I can't deny FFX. It is amazing!

Still, I'll get to go through Zelda again on the GameCube with more dungeons and better graphics. Perhaps it's just that I haven't played Zelda in a few months that I can't remember it's greatness. Who knows?
Thu 30/05/02 at 17:53
Regular
"  "
Posts: 7,549
Can i just say that this is the ONLY game ever tht works in 16:9 on my tele. I couldn't beleive how perfect it was. There was no borders...no stretched picture...and no cropping...perfect.
Thu 30/05/02 at 17:21
Posts: 0
Yes, the picture quality in PAL is better than NTSC because there are 625 lines on a PAL TV and 525 lines on an NTSC TV. And that's why American's wish they had our PAL system ;D

I'm really niggled, but I hope that Yuna and Rikkigi (or whatever it's called ;D) versions of FFX are better...I am very disappointed at Square.
Thu 30/05/02 at 16:29
Regular
Posts: 11,875
Yeahm and the worst part of it is that PAL is superior to NTSC. I can't remember everything as I had a conversation with someone who knows loads about this stuff, but basically PAL is much more high quality than NTSC, but America and Japan refuse to switch over to it because it would mean everyone would have to buy a new T.V. If it really bothers you that much then get a Gamecube, all six games I have for it have 60hz mode, no borders and are high quality *plug* ;)
The X-box also has high quality conversions, no borders etc. Its just the PS2 games that are lazy.
Thu 30/05/02 at 12:52
Regular
"360: swfcman"
Posts: 6,953
Yeah, i agree there is no real need for the borders, and Square being the company that they are really should be expected to get rid of these when it comes over to our shores, other people have and i expect them to do so too.

As much as i dont like them being there, i dont think that damage the game as much as you make out. Maybe its our difference in TV, i dont know, but the characters dont seem all that deformed to me at all, its by far the best looking game out there, for me it doesnt really effect it all that much, i just learn to ignore it and watch the stunning cut scenes that come by every now and then.

Still, that does not excuse that they are there, and we are quite right to demand that they put a stop to this problem. Wasnt the game brought out earlier than they had planned? Could they not have stuck to the original date and therefor have the time to get rid of them?
Thu 30/05/02 at 08:25
Posts: 0
For anyone still planning on buying this, (considering how many people here passionately love it) don’t be shocked when you boot it up and the conversion is terrible. Apparently code shows the game hasn’t been optimized, with giant borders and noticeable slowdown. Not good. The demo version on Official Playstation 2 magazine probably has the biggest borders I've ever seen! I found if you've got a widescreen TV with the mode that's halfway between 4:3 and widescreen, it eliminates the borders perfectly without chopping off any of the actual picture. The borders ruin the look of the game. The borders result in squashed and deformed characters. The beautiful FMV sequences are also ruined. Remember FFX isn't supposed to be super deformed. That's Square for you. They've always had a grand attitude towards Europe. They personally could not care about Europe otherwise they would have a Squaresoft Europe development studio. I’ve considered that if I get FFX, it will be the USA version. For years I never used to worry about such things, but now borders, slowdown drive me insane. I just can't get on with a game knowing there's a superior version somewhere out there. A Spanish web site asked the producers about the black borders while they were promoting the game in Europe some weeks ago. They began asking about dubbing the game to others languages and they answered that it would take them to much time, and when it came to the 60HZs, their exact answer was:

“Queremos ofrecer siempre el mejor producto posible acorde a unas fechas. Nuestros equipos de desarrollo, ante la trascendencia de este tema para el usuario europeo, están trabajando en este aspecto para poder incluirlo en un futuro en las versiones PAL de nuestros títulos.”

“We want to always offer the best possible product according to certain time constrains. Our development teams, noticing the major role of this topic for the European consumer, are working on this in order to be able to include it in future PAL versions of our titles.” Let's just hope that this is not just PR word. They’ve had ages, it came out in the states last year. Basically they can't be bothered. Vote with your wallets and don't but it. Games which aren't PAL optimized (in some form at least) should stay on the shelves. It's pure contempt. Import away (or hope you don’t have mates with NTSC consoles). If you don't give a damn, that’s great. Some of us reckon our money should go further. If you go to buy it, insist you're only prepared to pay £36.12, as 15% of the original is missing. This situation is one of the reasons I am now seriously thinking about modding my PS2 to play imports. Crappy PAL treatment of games by large companies should be a thing of the past. I'd like to pick up Devil May Cry but I've held off so far as I'm not prepared to spend money on an obviously inferior version.

I don't know why anyone would buy this kind of style over substance anyway. And when Square always screws over Europe with cack conversions and late releases etc. then why line their pockets? What get on my nerves is lazy companies who can’t be arsed to optimized for Europe. Why should we put up with such lazy work? We pay too much as it is, these firms should earn their money. Of course, we could choose not to purchase but that's not really the point. These problems shouldn't exist in 2002. It may not ruin the gaming experience for everyone but it's more important to people like myself. We should demand quality and not accept this shoddy treatment. We complain about these things because we have every right to, as consumers. They want us to buy their software, yet they can't be bothered to deliver us the standard that gamers in other territories enjoy. For me, having half the screen not being used lessens the impact of the graphics for me. I guess some people don’t care if they play a game on a 2-inch screen or 32inch screen – it’s a matter of preference. I do though. I care what the game looks like, after all I am paying £40 for a game and I want it to be perfect, just like a DVD movie would be. There is NO REASON why there should be borders in games, its just bloody lazy and you know it is. Would you put up with watching a DVD with a squashed picture, all the actors looking like they're moving in slow-mo and speaking an octave lower? No, of course you wouldn't so why should it be any different with games? They are not intended to be played this way and from what I’ve seen FFX is a disgrace, even worse than Onimusha and Devil May Cry (and that's saying something). Bad conversions are one thing, and living in Europe you learn to live with them to an extent. However, FFX appears to be an absolutely terrible conversion, up there with the worst of them. Curse you Squaresoft!

I'm playing VII instead. Far more fun. Sure, the conversion sucks, but it plays much better.

Thanks for reading,
LF

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