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Discussion Worthless speculation about Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy being ported / remade.

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Let's begin with Xenosaga...
A couple years back Bamco claimed that a modern release of Xenosaga would not be profitable enough for them, a conclusion which probably took into account the recent success of Xenoblade 2. There was speculation about a possible disagreement between Harada and Nintendo since the former personally wanted Monolith Soft in charge of the project, while Nintendo would probably not be happy with their best developers working on a multiplatform release. Part of this seems to no longer be true as the Baten Kaitos duology releases in a few weeks and it seems to be Switch-exclusive, so it seems than Bamco is fine with releasing remasters of niche RPGs on a single platform.

It's also worth mentioning that despite a remaster of the Xenosaga trilogy being more expensive to make than Baten Kaitos (3 games vs 2), Xenosaga would probably benefit from Xenoblade's popularity and at the same time being more appealing to modern audiences IMHO.

I believe that a remaster of the trilogy with Monolith Soft involvement would be the most probable outcome here, as the games still look great for the most part and a remake or reimagining would be too expensive for Bamco.

Xenogears
Unlike Xenosaga, the Xenogears front has been very quiet for a long time. Xenosaga has had a modest presence in the last decade, with characters like KOS-MOS and T-elos appearing in a couple of Monolith Soft projects like Project X Zone and Xenoblade 2. Xenogears, on the other hand, has been untouched by their original creators for over 20 years, with its only presence being tacky cameos in random low-budget S-E titles. Between this and Harada wanting MS back in the series, it's easy to see why there is more hope for Xenosaga returning instead of Square-Enix bringing back Xenogears, however the idea of Square and Nintendo collaborating in an exclusive release might be more likely than we thought it was.

Just like Baten Kaitos, the Super Mario RPG remake releases this year, with both titles being considered unlikely to happen for a long time. Obviously Xenogears doesn't have the same appeal as SMRPG, but it's one of the most beloved titles in the Square-Enix back catalog and the company has recently shown interest in rereleasing cult classics like Live A Live.

There is of course the possibility that S-E releases a port of Xenogears without any input from MS, which sounds good on paper and the game being on more platforms is also a plus. What is worrisome about this is that S-E doesn't have a great record with its PSX rereleases. The Chrono Cross port last year didn't had a lot of enhancements to the point that you are not missing a lot if you play the original release. The HD version of Final Fantasy IX was shamelessly ported from mobile to PC and consoles, and I believe the PC version also had issues with the save files.

Xenogears being remade from scratch doesn't seem that unlikely considering that S-E has remade niche titles like the aforementioned Live A Live and Trials of Mana, but a hypothetical remake of the PSX classic would involve a bigger scope and bigger expectations that S-E might be afraid to tackle. The remake being handled by MS and Nintendo would be the best way to avoid a Secret of Mana situation, but I really think this is the least likely scenario.

So, what are you expecting from Xenogears and Xenosaga in the near future, and what are your hopes and dreams regarding these classics?
 
I'm more confident in Xenosaga getting a re-release than Xenogears. Monolith and Namco continued their relationship even after they parted and of course there are Xenosaga connections in Xenoblade.

It doesn't seem like Square wants to go anything with Xenogears. The people who made that game aren't with the company anymore so there's no one inside of Square to push for it. I can see them releasing it on Playstation 5 if it hasn't already simply because there's already a PS1 emulator for that. But a port to Switch would have to be...well a port most likely without the use of a PS1 emulator. I just don't see Square putting in the effort.
 
In this (great) age of rereleases I'm almost expecting them to appear at one point. It might be a year from now, it might be five years from now, but I'm optimistic.
 
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I don’t think you can compare the Baten Kaitos HD situation, because those games were originally Nintendo exclusives already, and MSI only supervised the adaptation. Xenosaga trilogy didn't released on a Nintendo system (except the remake-compilation for I and II on NDS), so we can understand a possible interest conflict (Namco wanting the games released in non-Nintendo consoles, but developed by MSI and Nintendo not willing to expend money and resources for a multi-platform port that probably won’t sell a great amount).

The best possible scenario is a straight port or minor HD update released digitally on all modern systems, sadly. But at this point this is better than anything.

For Xenogears, my wish should be a 2D-HD treatment, something like the Star Ocean 2 case, but like with Saga, at this point I‘d just accept a straight port/emulated port of the Vita digital version of the game.

These games needs to be available in modern hardware already…

Usually September Directs shows some new S-E classic remakes, so in a few weeks we should get good news, if we are lucky,
 
It's worth noting that Xenogears has at least been rereleased on PSN before as a PS1 Classic (PS3/PSP/Vita). That was a long time ago now, it happened in 2011 and it was just a straight dump of the original game untouched, but it does mean that Square is at least open to porting the game to other platforms. Xenosaga has never seen any kind of a rerelease like that.
 
Xenosaga HD trilogy is definitely coming. If Namco changed their mind about audience for Baten Kaitos, they definitely did the same for Xeno. In fact, I expect an announcement either in this or next Direct.

For Xenogears... There are still plenty of PS1 Square classics waiting to get remasters but I can't tell for sure which one has the priority. The devs within Square will push for their own titles, like Kawazu did for SaGa series. Others like Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve and of course Xenogears will wait for their own time. I feel a Star Ocean like remake would benefit SE the most.
 
xenosaga remasters would take a lot more work than BK even if they had equal amount of games; the xenosaga trilogy is filled to the brim with CG cutscenes. I do still think xenosaga hd has a decent chance of happening, hopefully including an english version of pied piper/missing year. Xenogears remaster/remake isn't happening unless SE collapses and they're forced to sell off their IPs, at most we'll get ports like the PS3 PSN version.
 
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I think Xenosaga ports are inevitable after Future Redeemed. Xenogears could easily see a PS5 port considering the new Valkyrie game had an old PSP game release alongside it.
 
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Xenogears will eventually get a port eventually. An HD port with Qol stuff and properly translated script is all we need. It won't (and should NEVER) get any kind of remake.

After Xenoblade 3 FR, some kind of Xenosaga game seems all but "confirmed". If we get a Xenosaga collection it's also going to be just an enhanced port. Which is good enough for me.
 
Xenogears will probably get a port, i think we are going to more and more PS1 remastered ports in the future, retro release have become more and more relevant

Xenosaga probably if it is a HD Port with Monolith involved
 
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There's a non-zero chance SE remembers they own Xenogears at some point and does a port, but I'm not really expecting anything.

For a while it seemed like Bandai Namco had no interest in doing anything with Xenosaga aside from loaning out a handful of characters whenever Monolith wanted them, but recent events suggest that at least Monolith is interested in revisiting it a bit more directly. Some sort of modern version seems reasonably likely, but it's probably going to be fairly basic unless Monolith themselves are at the helm. Hopefully if it happens, they at least have the decency to include (and localize) Pied Piper and A Missing Year.
 
9-Volt said:
Xenosaga HD trilogy is definitely coming. If Namco changed their mind about audience for Baten Kaitos, they definitely did the same for Xeno. In fact, I expect an announcement either in this or next Direct.

For Xenogears... There are still plenty of PS1 Square classics waiting to get remasters but I can't tell for sure which one has the priority. The devs within Square will push for their own titles, like Kawazu did for SaGa series. Others like Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve and of course Xenogears will wait for their own time. I feel a Star Ocean like remake would benefit SE the most.
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This sounds like blind optimism. If anything happens with XenoSaga then it’ll be on the next Nintendo console.
 
I don't see a scenario in which Xenosaga comes out and everyone is happy. Bamco would have to do it themselves or make it Nintendo exclusive and I guess one of the reasons why it hasn't happened yet is because neither side is/was willing to budge on this. If Nintendo is gonna insist on platform exclusivity they might as well foot the bill for some proper remasters.
 
If Xenosaga remaster happens, Monolith won't be a part of it. They have more important things to work on. At best, they'll retweet the news like they do Baten Kaitos.

Xenogears, I think will get the Star Ocean 2 treatment.
 
Square Enix remembers Xenogears enough that they're more than willing to continue selling Xenogears merch to fans, but I'm not holding my breath for a new release other than the PS1 game just straight emulated on PS5.

Xenosaga isn't something I see Bandai Namco revisiting without Monolith Soft's input, but Monolith Soft isn't in a hurry to revisit the series outside of references.
 
Square is running out of notable PS1 RPGs to port. FFs, Chrono Cross, SaGa Frontier 1, Legend of Mana all cleared out. Xenogears has to be high on the list remaining. It looks like the only other that sold better (going by Japanese numbers) are Parasite Eve and FF Tactics if you want to count that, and we already have indication of FFT coming. I just hope if and when it gets rereleased they can do some things like make the camera controls not so PS1-era.
 
Lets remember that Square answered that "know what titles people want" when answering a question about Xenogears and other ps1 ports and remasters by shareholder like 6 months ago

Is very probable that Xenogears will just get a port, but it will be more then an emulated version,

There is no point into not putting Xenogears on Switch, considering that Nintendo highlight all Retro Square releases
 
After Final Fantasy Tactics gets its re-release, I think this is the next one on the list, most likely.
 
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I'd love to see Xenosaga get rereleased, I was always intrigued by those games growing up. My blind spot in the entire Xenography.

If Xenogears gets remade, I'm curious to see the approach to disc 2. I'm actually quite fond of disc 2, and how it created this second half that is more surreal and dreamlike.
 
I'm 99% confident within the next 5 years we see a Xenosaga hd collection.

Xenogears is always a weird one because the game is blatantly unfinished. It makes it weird to do a hd remaster of because it'll be hard to sell disc 2 in the 2020's, but a full remake or a "finished" disc 2 would be a huge undertaking equivalent of making a brand new game.
 
BassForever said:
I'm 99% confident within the next 5 years we see a Xenosaga hd collection.

Xenogears is always a weird one because the game is blatantly unfinished. It makes it weird to do a hd remaster of because it'll be hard to sell disc 2 in the 2020's, but a full remake or a "finished" disc 2 would be a huge undertaking equivalent of making a brand new game.
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What if I told you xenosaga is more unfinished than xenogears, including the individual games
 
Zeal543 said:
What if I told you xenosaga is more unfinished than xenogears, including the individual games
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I would say it doesn't feel like it, at least not with episodes 1 and 3. There's no point in those games where Shion sits in a chair and narrates large swaths of time basically saying "this is what we would've liked to do if we had more time". Later dungeons in in episode 3 especially don't feel any less finished than early game dungeons.
 
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Zeal543 said:
What if I told you xenosaga is more unfinished than xenogears, including the individual games
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Sure, 6 games compromised down to 3 is technically more incomplete then 1 game turned into half a game, but you still get 2 finished games before you get to Xenosaga 3-6 in one. Xenogears disc 2 is still far more jarring of a shift then almost any other game I've played.
 
A Xenogears remake is my pipe dream. I've never played the game, doubt Square would commit to a remake, but if they, who knows, released a simple port for the Switch, i would still take it, unfinished as it is. Doesn't sound that unlikely. Same goes for Xenosaga.
 
BassForever said:
Sure, 6 games compromised down to 3 is technically more incomplete then 1 game turned into half a game, but you still get 2 finished games before you get to Xenosaga 3-6 in one. Xenogears disc 2 is still far more jarring of a shift then almost any other game I've played.
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IIRC the problem is really more in the other direction. The Xenosaga content that got made was supposed to just be episodes 1 and 2, but instead took 3 episodes (the last of which is relatively rushed), a feature phone spin-off RPG, and a set of Flash VNs.
 
Xenosaga definitely has a chance before the next Blade game, maybe even next year.

Would be nice because I've been wanting to play them for a long time.
 
AllEchse said:
I wonder if they would try to unify the artstyle of the Xenosaga games for a rerelease.
The all look pretty different.
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Would take a remake for that to happen. I wonder if they even still have the source code. Especially given the changes made just between regions
 
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ILikeFeet said:
If Xenosaga remaster happens, Monolith won't be a part of it. They have more important things to work on. At best, they'll retweet the news like they do Baten Kaitos.

Xenogears, I think will get the Star Ocean 2 treatment.
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if Harada’s comments can be taken at face value then they would have Monolith as consultants similar to Baten Kaitos and another developer would handle the development of the games.
 
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