The Final Fantasy Bandwagon

by Anthony Brunoe

As most editorials have stated, there is a system war, and a Final Fantasy war. Until recently, the Final Fantasy war was fought over the game itself, graphics, storylines, characters, and so-forth. The group attacking the newer Final Fantasy games? A group you could call the "Traditional Gamers." They are a group who have continually insisted that Final Fantasy be a mere reflection of their highly held Final Fantasy VI, while another group, the "New Generation" has brought about a new desire for more updated and graphically strong games. Are either of these bad? Not necessarily.

The problem with the war has been up until now just over the game, but none of the "Traditional Gamers" could take anything the "New Generation" was saying serious. As Pincode stated, "My problem with the newer generation is that when the game (Final Fantasy VII) first came out and I was voicing my opinions on it, there wasn't one time when I wasn't met with an instant barrage of hateful comments and flame mail. Not one single bad word could be said about FFVII or else."

I know the type Pincode speaks of, the kind that will respond to an editorial full of opinions that strike a blow at a game you like. You tend to get a response somewhat like "U R stupid 4 hating FFVII." However, Pincode made the unfortunate mistake of dubbing everyone who opposed his/her (I don't know Pincode's gender) opinion as an idiot who had noting valid to say. Therefore anything the "New Generation" has to say is thrown out the window, and they aren't supposed to speak their mind.

Apparently this means the war has shifted from fighting over the game, to fighting the very people defending the game. For some reason Pincode takes the battle from impersonal, to personal by "informing" us that anyone who has something to say to defend Final Fantasy VII or VIII is factless opinion. What does Pincode think has been flying about the whole war on BOTH SIDES?

I have come to believe that the only reason the newer Final Fantasy games are disliked so much, is due to an aggressive jealousy from the "Traditional Gamers." Pincode is proof of what I believe.

I myself experienced this jealousy, but I didn't allow it to take such a strong hold of me. I think Pincode better explains what the problem is. "...for almost two years before FFVII's release, you couldn't pick up a magazine without some article, however small, ranting and raving about how amazing the game was, before its release even in Japan.

I think this bred a lot of what the newer generation turned out to be. They saw the hype, the lived the hype, and the hype consumed them to the point where it made them fanatical almost to the point of insanity. At least for me, a lot of the reason I argue [as opposed to discuss] the FFVII/VI debate with people is because of the tone they needlessly take with me and the ignorance with which they make their arguments."

First of all, lets look at the first sentence Pincode wrote. Pincode complains about the ranting and raving about Final Fantasy VII before it even came out in Japan. By making the statement that this was irritating, Pincode has basically said the hype was bad. What is wrong with hype? Simple, people who had never even laid eyes upon an RPG, let alone Final Fantasy were now drooling over the game. This is where we become jealous. WE were the ones who stood by and played Final Fantasy from the beginning, not the "New Generation." This "New Generation" has jumped onto the Final Fantasy Bandwagon now that it has hit the mainstream gaming community, and the "Traditional Gamers" can't stand it. THAT is what started the war, and THAT is what will fire the hate for Final Fantasy VII and VIII for as long as there is a "New Generation."

Pincode clearly states by saying "...for almost two years before FFVII's release, you couldn't pick up a magazine without some article, however small, ranting and raving about how amazing the game was, before its release even in Japan." This sentence in itself states that Pincode (as well as other "Traditional Gamers") had tried, sentenced, and punished Final Fantasy VII as well as VIII before they even hit shelves. Once they rented or bought their copy of Final Fantasy VII and VIII, they sat down to play a game with a biased mind towards everything in the game, and refused to acknowledge what the game had to offer.

I noticed Pincode continued to cut down the "New Generation" gamers, and even blames them for any hate over the game, or in Pincode's case, the "rift."

"To me, the reason all of these arguments still exist and are argued over so fiercely is because of the great divide between RPG players. But I don't think older players wanted the rift. Everyone thought it would be great for RPG's to go mainstream, because we would most likely get more releases and it wouldn't be so hard to find good games. But it feels to me like newer players go out of their way to keep that rift strong. The flame mail still exists, the ignorance is still rampant, and the minds are as narrow as two years ago when FFVII was released. The kinds of editorials like Emperor M's, that are given stage so frequently, are nothing more than flimsy attempts to voice empty opinions with little substance to back them up and even less fact and intelligence."

You don't think the older players wanted the rift? So that means the newer players did? Give me a break. At this point in the editorial Pincode has degraded to basic six-year-old finger pointing. Pincode blames the "New Generation" for creating a rift in the gaming community, a rift that was in fact torn only by the envious jealousy I mentioned early. It wasn't the "New Generation" that took the offense on the subject of Final Fantasy VII and VIII, it was the "Traditional Gamers" who did. The newer players hopped onto this bandwagon hoping to enjoy a newer, innovative game. However, it is apparent to me that the older players simply are trying to shove them off because they get a little "hyped" over a game. Now who's making the rift? Pincode's last sentence is what really gets me. "I'm not asking for everyone to change their opinions and beliefs, just for everyone to let go of the prejudices and open their minds." Too bad Pincode won't take his/her own advice. Maybe we all should sit down and actually PLAY Final Fantasy VII and VIII, not be a critic over every part of the game. Why don't the older gamers actually open their minds? I know I did, and I'm having a better time with Final Fantasy than I ever have. I guess if you won't drop the bias, it's your loss, and no one else's.

Original Editorial: Some thoughts on "Square's Trends (FF and other games) and the Effects on Society (?)"