Speak of All Things Plainly and Honestly, for Square Must Listen

by Roehl Sybing

At a devilish hour on a school night on the week before midterms, I find myself wandering into RPGamer and reading the editorials. Now, a person that goes by the name of Matt Blackie wrote a pair of essays pertaining to Final Fantasy and SquareSoft.

One editorial of Blackie's, "Square: They're The Good Guys," is a piece of writing I must raise objections to. One cannot complain (even if that complaint is just a good, honest criticism (see Matt's other editorial, "Putting the Fantasy Back...")) about SquareSoft and criticize others for complaining about SquareSoft at the same time. But that's just my opinion. I laugh when I look at Matt's statement, the one that reads that SquareSoft is, in fact, a company and can do whatever the hell they want with their games. If this is true, then I seriously question the motives behind Matt's previous editorial. However, this statement is only a half-truth, as opposed to a whole lie or a whole truth. Square IS a company and has the makings of a company. No reasonable man or woman denies this. But in the world of interactive entertainment, this particular company, if it truly wants to make money as Matt Blackie has stated, has the obligation to listen to the video game community and hear what they have to say, as opposed to turning a deaf ear and creating games that are not enjoyable simply because they are not in demand.

Matt has also referred to the complaints raised by some that FF VII was less appealing because in the story Aeris died and did not come back to life at the gamer's whim. Yes, Square has the ultimate right to add whatever they want into their game. As consumers, we must concede that fact. However, I liken the Final Fantasy series to a set of books, of stories. Is not the author, or in this case, the authors of these stories responsible for what happens in the stories that they tell? I, for one, put away the game for two weeks simply because Aeris died right in front of Cloud. Call me a sentimental fool, but I sort of became attached to the characters on the screen. I think perhaps the only statement I agreed with was the statement that SquareSoft took a gamble in bringing the Final Fantasy series to America. I think we can all concur on that little tidbit.

But once upon a time and perhaps even today, I thought that it would be cool if Square brought FF V into these United States, which brings us to Matt's next statement. As you all know, the American FF V was not to be, and many people today do not hold Square in the highest regard because of this. Why is this so? Because if SquareSoft could not bring it upon itself to release FF V into the American markets, who else will? Nintendo? Pah. I say Square should have been more gutsy (for a lack of a better word) back then. Also, Matt claims that it is unfair to judge Square's past decisions by today's standards. Well Matt, why is it unfair? We do it all the time: in our history books, in our social lives, in our everyday routine. It is no surprise that we do this with SquareSoft and with video games in general. And yes, many complaints abound about Final Fantasy VII. I say let them complain, the game didn't pass muster at all in my eyesight. Let us have our high standards, for we would be less than good boys and girls without them. And please remember that something can be created for years and still end up as a piece of garbage. Nothing ungrateful about it. No, FF VII is not garbage, but let us say that the game, despite the cool computer graphics and the adult-like language that many are so fascinated with, is truly off the mark.

Finally, there is the overused and overplayed excuse, "If you don't like the game, don't play it." It's like saying if you think the meat in your hamburger is too red, don't complain to the management cause its' your damn fault. Well, I say that Matt is completely wrong. I think we ought to voice our opinion, for we would be slaves to SquareSoft if we didn't, taking potentially crappy video games and potentially great video games and assuming that they are all great because it has the Square label on it. I close on this late hour by saying that by being true and honest to SquareSoft, we can't change the games of the past, but perhaps we can shape the games of the future.

Original Editorial: Square: They're the Good Guys