Square Enix could turn Final Fantasy 7 into a sub-franchise with different games, content, and possibly even transmedia.
It sounds like Final Fantasy 7 could be expanding with new games that sit outside the traditional trilogy. At a recent PAX West panel, Square Enix's Naoki Hamaguchi hosted a 54-minute presentation on the Final Fantasy 7 remake project, talking about all three chapters and their influences. One of the slides in the presentation deck explicitly mentions turning Final Fantasy 7 into an "IP with an ever-evolving future."
Specifics are unclear on what this means exactly, and Hamaguchi didn't really discuss this at length, but it's possible that Square Enix may be trying to channel its own plans for Final Fantasy 15 with this new endeavor. Years ago, the publisher established the Final Fantasy 15 Universe, which set FF15 at the heart of a solar system of games, content, and transmedia. The FF15 Universe included the base game, spin-off titles on mobile, an online-based PVE survival game, DLC/expansions, and even films.
It's unclear what exactly this means for the future. However, Square Enix is likely to be hesitant and careful this time, should they go the sub-IP route. While most of the Final Fantasy 15 Universe content came out, three whole expansions were cancelled (Episodes Noctis, Lunafreya and Aranea) and the online game, Comrades, is now offline.
Here's what Hamaguchi said during the panel:
"We don't think of this project as just simply a remake. We see it as an effort to pass Final Fantasy 7 to the next generation.
"Of course, we want to share the appeal of this title with fans who know the original work, but also with new players who may not be familiar.
"So we were rebuilding it as an experience where modern players can naturally immerse themselves in while never losing that essence of the original.
"We want to make this a work that continues to create new fans 20 or even 30 years from now, and this remake project is our challenge in order to achieve that."
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