Hello friends! I had quite an eventful weekend. I'm considering going to the University of Georgia for graduate school, so I spent a day in Athens to look at the campus. After, my boyfriend and I traveled to Atlanta to see Distant Worlds! I've mentioned Distant Worlds in previous posts, but you can check out this website for more information. Distant Worlds is a multimedia concert featuring the music from Final Fantasy performed by a full symphony orchestra. The concert made me realize the fandom associated with certain video game series, as well as geek culture in general. I saw people of all ages, races, genders and walks of life at the symphony. It amazed me that a 40-year-old professional could be as excited as a 16-year-old nerd. I felt like I had an epiphany at the symphony. Love for a series as influential as Final Fantasy never dies. It doesn't really matter whether or not one game is better than the other. These characters, storylines and "distant" worlds have captured so many people! That's pretty awesome if you ask me! One thing that really showed me how much dedication fans have to the series was the response to Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu is a Japanese video game composer best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is an incredibly respected individual in the industry and helped put video game music on the map. Uematsu basically showed the world that this was a serious field. Now, top composers are competing to write scores for video games!* *(See my post on Dec. 12, 2010 for more about this!) Uematsu was in attendance at the concert, which isn't always a common occurrence, according to conductor Arnie Roth. I swear, you would have thought this guy was The Pope or President Obama by the way people reacted. The entire hall, including myself, stood up as soon as he entered the room. The applause seemed endless when he joined the chorus for an encore song. Uematsu has helped breed so much love for games that have touched millions. Personally, I want to cry every time I hear "To Zanarkand." As a Final Fantasy fan, I feel a special connection to the long-running series that nothing else can really compare to - and I know I'm not the only one. Here's what I'm ultimately trying to say: I was glad to see that I can be a geek for as long as I want. It isn't something you necessarily grow out of. It's something you appreciate and incorporate into your life. I know this post was a little personal, but I felt very reflective tonight! Until next time :) Love, The Girl Informer
Hello again friends! I know I really don't talk much about RPGs on this blog (obviously kidding :P), but I wanted to go a little in depth about where I think the genre is headed. Whenever I read comments or message boards related to RPGs, I get really discouraged from all the people criticizing the genre, particularly the Final Fantasy series. A lot of gamers think old-school style games simply don't have a place in the market anymore. Many believe that new releases, such as the apparent train wreck known as Final Fantasy XIV, simply do not come close to the quality of the classics, such as Final Fantasy VII. Some gamers point to Square Enix as a proof that the genre is going to die off. Check out this Game Informer article. Once a thriving company, profits have dropped 77 percent. Ouch. Does the developer understand what consumers want in an RPG anymore? Is the company stuck in the old days? I would argue that the genre is not dieing, but I do believe it is evolving. Consider which game most people consider the top RPG of 2010 - Mass Effect 2.The game garnered critical acclaim and received a wide variety of awards. Just look at a few of these: 2010 Spike Video Game Awards Best RPG Game Informer Best RPG of 2010 GameTrailers Best RPG Mass Effect 2 is classified as a RPG, but it is also a shooter. In fact, role-playing games are encompassing more elements from other genres than ever before, particularly action/adventure. I think Square Enix is actually starting to understand this concept after watching the trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It looks a lot different than any other entry in the series. The game overall seems like a much more modern RPG, fusing a strong narrative with contemporary gameplay. I totally agree with one of my friends when he said, "It's like Kingdom Hearts gameplay had a baby with a Final Fantasy storyline." I'm nervous about the game failing to live up to the hype but excited that the company could be making a comeback. Watch below! Honestly, I think the genre is adapting with the times. Developers are simply making the best games they can for what gamers are interested in. I am a firm believer that anyone can play any genre enjoyably as long as the game is solid (although my shooter skills would probably be the perfect example of the OPPOSITE theory). In the end, there will still be games for hardcore RPG lovers like me. I just think they'll be harder to find and less popular overall. Still, I'll settle for searching a little harder or playing a "hybrid RPG" over no RPGs at all! I'll be back soon! Love, The Girl Informer
One thing that really showed me how much dedication fans have to the series was the response to Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu is a Japanese video game composer best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is an incredibly respected individual in the industry and helped put video game music on the map. Uematsu basically showed the world that this was a serious field. Now, top composers are competing to write scores for video games!*
Uematsu has helped breed so much love for games that have touched millions. Personally, I want to cry every time I hear "To Zanarkand." As a Final Fantasy fan, I feel a special connection to the long-running series that nothing else can really compare to - and I know I'm not the only one.
