The composer for Square Enix’s Distant Worlds concert series has probably had an interesting couple of days.
On Saturday, Arnie Roth mentioned a Final Fantasy XII remake shortly after beginning a concert in Pittsburgh. I know he did, because I was in attendance. He mentioned the remake as if it was a project we all knew about, but the audience immediately began to buzz after his remark. Today, Roth said on Facebook that he used the word “remake” in error:
In response to comments posted by fans, I want to rectify a statement made from the stage Saturday night at our Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy concert in Pittsburgh.
Following conversations with composer Hitoshi Sakimoto regarding new concert arrangements of music from Final Fantasy XII, regrettably, the term “remake” was used in error during one of the announcements that took place from the stage during the concert.
We sincerely regret any confusion this has caused.
Now, interestingly, Roth doesn’t completely redact his announcement. Heck, he still calls it an announcement. He just says it’s not a remake. That actually makes sense. The other PlayStation 2 Final Fantasy games, X and X-2, recently had HD remasters released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Vita. It’s likely that Final Fantasy XII will get a similar treatment instead of a full remake. Roth is a composer and conductor, not a gaming guy, so it’s easy to imagine him getting the terminology mixed up.
Final Fantasy XII originally came out in 2006. It shook up the series by having real-time battles and a deep system that allowed you to program the behaviors of your A.I. party members. It’s remained a divisive game in the series among fans, but those who dig it (myself included) really love it.