Square Enix to make Final Fantasy games an annual series

It really hurts me to say this, but Square Enix has just announced that they plan to make a Final Fantasy game every year or two. Here's their quote:

"[For] the current generation console[s], Final Fantasy XIII was obviously the first game, and personally I think we took a little too long getting it out.

"When you think of Western AAA titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Assassin's Creed, they seem to work with a lot shorter turnaround - they make a new game in one to two years. That is something we need to follow up, because that seems to be the best way to keep our fans interested and attracted to the franchise."

The thing that hurts me most about this whole thing is the comparisons. Final Fantasy has seen the most innovation from game to game out of the series listed in their quote. Don't get me wrong, those games they listed are awesome. The only problem that they have is that they're too samey.

Call of Duty, for example, has had the least ammount of innovation. Sure they added some fancy cinematic events and maybe improved the AI to take cover more often, but for the whole series you've been some military badass shooting through corridors. Battlefield, on the other hand, has had a little more than that. It's gone from being multiplayer only to spawning a whole spin off series with Bad Company. Finally, there's the Assassin's Creed series. Assassin's Creed has had the most innovation between the three they mentioned. However, it's peak was reached at Brotherhood when they added multiplayer and improved the combat system. All I've got to say about that series, no matter how much I love it, is that if another one of those games hits store shelves next year, I'm out.

Anyway, back to the main focus. If Square Enix is serious about releasing Final Fantasy every year or two, I'm afraid that this series will end up like Call of Duty. This series is the most innovative in the longest time. With 60+ games associated with this series, they still manage to make each one feel different from each other. Even with games that take place in the same universe as each other, such as Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics, they are completely independent from each other each offering their own seperate experiences. Each game throwing you into a completely new location with completely new characters (yes, even Cid) each with a new evil to stop with a new way to kill your enemies.

Point is, every game in that series feels new. This is a series that should not be rushed just because it''s the "fad" thing to do these days. This is a series that has captured the heart of millions across the world and should be treated as such. They should compare Final Fantasy to something like The Elder Scrolls series. That would be more accurate. I just really hope that Square Enix knows what they're doing. If they're not careful, Final Fantasy could lose that innovation and become just another niche RPG like all the others.

Source: Prima Games