“Nomura says the initial script by Nojima was “just a story about Cloud and Tifa and the kids,” and that “it didn’t have much action.” By contrast, according to Hashimoto, “the company’s mission was very simple – we had to make a profit.
There were a lot of ideas being discussed – making it just over 20 minutes and showing it on network TV, or including it as a bonus DVD with a game.” Then, at the end of 2002, Square and Enix announced their merger. This would prove to be the trigger that got truly the project rolling.”