^It's been discussed elsewhere and there was some contention about me using that quote because of it.
I pulled that quote from Square Portal the day after the announcement. A week later, people questioned it because Square Portal changed their article. I have no idea why. Following that there was some discussion about there being no proof of anything in said quote (because their article changed and because they themselves are not official).
About 4 months later the Cyberconnect 2 and Unreal Engine 4 bits were officially confirmed. The development period is still technically speculation, but there's enough "evidence" still to suggest it has been in development for a period of 18 months (max) prior to the announcement, including when the original report that it had been greenlit occured (initially as a rumour). The most we can officially say is that development began in 2014, but I refuse now to change the quote because everything else in it turned out to be true. I have absolutely no idea why Square Portal completely changed their article shortly after I quoted it in mine.
EDIT: I expect now that I'm reading the two of them side-by-side that Square Portal removed those due to their speculative nature. What we "knew" at the time was that Cyberconnect 2 had mentioned 18 months before the announcement that they were working on "a world famous RPG being developed in Unreal Engine 4" (this is not an actual quote, but it's something to that effect).
So the timeline of events is as follows:
- Cyberconnect 2 say they're working on a big famous RPG in UE4
- ~18 months later, VII remake is announced at E3
- Square Portal put two and two together
- I post the article
- Square Portal remove their speculation
- TLS moans at me lol
- Cyberconnect 2 and UE4 confirmed officially
Therefore the game has definitely been in development since the original quote from Cyberconnect 2, which is the earliest possible time it could have started. IIRC the quote I'm referencing is one in which Cyberconnect 2 talk about current projects, and they say something like "oh we're working on this thing, and then also this other thing which is a famous RPG in Unreal Engine 4" or something along those lines.
someone do actual research I need to go to bed