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Final Fantasy XV update: goodbye E3, hello Gamescom and updated demo

final fantasy xv e3 gamescom demo update trailer
Image used with permission by copyright holder
We were excited by what the Episode Duscae demo for Final Fantasy XV had to offer, but it was merely a glimpse of what the finished game will be. Many were hoping that we’d see more details of the game at E3 in June, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

In an episode of the Final Fantasy XV Active Time Report released yesterday, the game’s director Hajime Tabata and Square Enix marketing manager Akio Ofuji shared details on what fans will be seeing from the game in the near future. Among other tidbits, the pair discussed plans for upcoming conventions as well as an approaching update to the Final Fantasy XV demo (via Siliconera).

“I think most people are expecting a big reveal around E3,” Tabata said, before adding that those working on the game don’t have enough time to prepare before the event. “So I have been discussing with our marketing teams, and we’ve actually been considering Gamescom in August, instead of E3, as the target for the next major reveal.”

Ofuji added that the game wouldn’t be entirely absent from E3, saying “I think we’ll still prepare a short trailer for E3, but I think it’ll serve as a segue into our Gamescom plans, and make you all excited for what’s ahead.”

The two then moved on to discuss a recent survey sent to fans looking for feedback on the game’s demo. Problems with the camera and lock-on were mentioned, but a major concern for many lies in the demo’s performance issues.

An update to the demo, planned for May, will bring balance adjustments, bug fixes, and adjustments to the camera and targeting. Developers are looking into framerate issues that were raised, but aren’t able to promise that they will be addressed before the release of Episode Duscae 2.0.

“We’ve already made plans for improving certain things, and we’ve begun implementing things that used to be unknowns for us,” Tabata said. “And if possible, instead of presenting a master that will be like the final release, I really want everyone to see and feel how the game is improving toward the final release as we take in all of their feedback.”

For more details, see the archived version of the stream below.

FINAL FANTASY XV Active Time Report – Prelim Feedback Special

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Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
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