Square Enix 'considering all hardware possibilities' for Final Fantasy XIV

by Jem Alexander on Jun 3rd 2009 3:10PM

The Senior Vice President of Square Enix, Shinji Hashimoto, has started the super secret Square Enix press conference today by clarifying Final Fantasy XIV's exclusivity details. The game is currently pegged for the PS3 and PC, though "in terms of other hardware devices, including Microsoft's, we're considering all possibilities."

It's not confirmation that we'll see the game on the 360, but it does mean that Final Fantasy XIV could end up being a timed exclusive on the PS3. It was also confirmed that the game would launch simultaneously worldwide for PS3 and PC in 2010. They are planning to be truly cross-region and cross-platform -- a rare thing for an MMO -- but this may change depending on how the beta test works out.

Tags: e3-2009, final-fantasy, final-fantasy-xiv, Microsoft, square-enix, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (87)

If it were cross platform....the fanboy wars....I dare not think about it....

So, are the PS2, 360 and PC FFXI players segregated?

Yup the PC, PS2 and 360 version of FFXI is cross-platform...

LOL. Sony's claim that FF14 is PS3 exclusive doesn't last that long huh. An MMO needs a large userbase. Making it PS3 exclusive doesn't make sense, especially seeing how quick FF11 went multi.

yeah theres no market for MMOs on PC...

Ah put come one, Tretton also said FFXIV was only possible on PS3.. though he say's that about a lot of things.. I'm starting to think he has tourettes...

It'll be quite the war if it goes multi... 360 vs PS3.. consoles vs PC.. PC vs Mac.. is someone missing?

your missing Linux / Unix

yeah 4 years to go multi-platform is really fast....

does that surprise you, sony have always been snake oil salesman, stating their products will do much more than what its capable of.

Well, I guess the Sony fanboys lost one thing to brag about... It would be interesting if they could pull off the cross-platform idea because I don't think there's been a successful example of that yet!

Except you know... FFXI

Seeing as most people got super excited for it when Tretton first announced it, then got really disappointed when it said Online, I don't think losing this exclusive would be a huge loss for PS3 owners.

Since when was this ever something to brag about?

Hmm, surely would be good if it was cross platform? Just means a bigger user base, which is nearly always a good thing for MMOs

Exactly what I said, but I got ranked down by the Sony fanboys. =P

No, pika, that's not EXACTLY what you said. It's what you said, minus the "LOL SONY SUX."

People voted you down for the fanboy part, not the common sense part.

@superberg: Funny, nobody said Sony sux. Isn't it a fact that Sony said FF14 was PS3 exclusive? Sony fanboys at their best, how hilarious.

Isn't FFXI enough of a proof of concept that cross region cross platform works?

Did you ever play FFXI? Everything about the PC version was limited by the PS2. There's still a long-going quote that everyone in the FFXI community uses to this day when things aren't changed in the game for the better: "LOLPS2Limitations."

Yes, the game WORKED flawlessly as a cross-platformer. I would disagree, however, that the game proved cross-platform MMOs are ideal, particularly when you get into expansions and the MMO player's desire to see things continuously expand on a platform that has finite resources that can't be upgraded.

I wonder if SOE is helping them out in any way. I know they've done FF11 without outside help (for as far as I am aware), but it might explain the apparent exclusion of the 360... a bit.

It's not like SOE's actually doing anything useful, considering Free Realms and the nebulous Agency.

yeah well - All MMOs are best played on a PC. This is my humble opinion.

I do hope it rocks on PS3 though.

Perhaps it will support KB/M, ala UT3?

Bah keep it away! FFXI was my last lapse into MMORPG-aholism.

I thought the way it was worded during the press conference implied that it would be *first* on the PS3.

Well no one lost anything really, seeing as it will still be exclusive for whatever the time frame ends up being. Also I love how when it comes to PS3 exclusives going multi-plat they can openly consider all options, but when it comes to Star Ocean and other 360 exclusives they can't even say they are thinking about it, guess thats the difference of paying for it with a non disclosure agreement and however Sony works this stuff out. My guess is that they choose the PS3 to broaden it's appeal to Japanese gamers and because the PSN is free to use thus anyone who owns a PS3 and has broadband potentially can be a user, where on the 360 silver members don't get squat and either pay or get out.

FFXI on the 360 does not require a gold membership. Silver works on that specific game.

Um... I believe for subscription based games (like FFXI), Silver members can play too on XBL ... as long as they fork up the game's subscription fees of course. Gold is not required.

yeah I think psn and pc having no additional cost to user might have something to do with it.

But I guess Microsoft could form somekinda offer where the silver users would have a "free" access to games with monthly fee.

touché

Should have refreshed before posting

There's the Swhore-Enix we know and love. Note how their "exclusive games" always end up going to anyone who flashes cash their way, while multi-platform titles still haven't seen the light of day on other systems (i.e. Last Remnant).

In fairness, Sony, not Square, appear to be the ones who wanted to bring the game in with a big "only on Playstation" cavalry charge.

Square, for their part, seem to be putting it on the PS3 not as an exclusivity deal but because they want it to be multiplat and are certain they want it on the PS3 anyway. Meanwhile I'm sure they'll take Sony's money to parade the game around and help Sony sell some PS3s.

I really wouldn't have a problem w/ it, if they went both ways. I don't buy the whole "we want as many people as possible to play our game" shtick when PS3 has yet to see Last Remnant and won't get Star Ocean at all.

Of course they want full support all around. You're continually renting the game, so it'll be their biggest money maker for years to come.

To hell with exclusivity. I'm going to be playing this on PS3 (and maybe eventually PC), but I want as many people on there as possible. I say port it to anything and everything.

And it's not like having it exclusive was some kind of major coup for Sony. Even if it's extremely successful it probably won't sell more than a few million copies, and SE keeps all of the subscription fees.

Shouldn't be too hard to make it available on the 360.

After all... FF 11 was playable on the 360 online even if you were a silver member.

The same would probably apply for this game.

i got the ps3 so all i care about is getting in on a beta

So...it's exclusive to PS3 and Windows PC. In other words it's just another damn multiplatform game.

Is MGS4 the ONLY third party game that knows the definition of exclusive? How is Sony going to grow their user base if they don't secure solid exclusives? I mean the reason the PS2 whooped ass was because of all the delicious third party games you couldn't find anywhere else.

Sony still has one of the strongest 1st party lineups in recent memory.

"How is Sony going to grow their user base if they don't secure solid exclusives?"

I'm not sure what you are getting at here. Most of the hardcore Sony fans here are enraged at what they perceive as Microsoft "buying" exclusives on their platform (whether it would be through cash incentives, or co-marketing programs, or, in the case of GTA4, a direct loan).

So how exactly do you intend for Sony to "secure" exclusives? You don't want them to offer financial incentives because that is unethical (and Sony is short on cash anyway), yet the PS3 has the smallest install base of current-gen consoles, so many publishers don't want to publish PS3-only.

@Copa

I said this earlier today, but I don't actually own a PS3. I REALLY want one though. Home seems cool and there are about two or three games I would love to play on the system. However if I'm going to plunk down over 500 bucks for a system (400 plus a game) I need to know I'll be playing it for a long time.

I've closely watched Sony's last three E3's and I'm not seeing anything that makes me think "Man I'm going to be playing games on this thing for the next few years".

That's why I mentioned true exclusives. When I bought a PS2 nearly a decade ago I KNEW there was a shitload of games I could only experience on that platform. It's the same reason I bought my Gamecube.

Geez...I really hope I don't sound like a fool.

Ummmm 3rd party exclusives are a thing of the past...you may see 2 or 3 from here on out but it wont be that many....just costs to much...Look at LA Noire....Sony was Bank rolling it and it STILL is going multi-platform

Point is the Number of Sony Exclusive GREATLY outweighs the 360 ones...

@Naeem

OK, that makes sense. But historically, Sony has not grown their user base by securing third party exclusives. Rather, they have secured third party exclusives by growing their user base.

Personally, I don't care for exclusives on any platform, and I'm hoping we get enough parity in the marketplace that third party exclusives mostly go away.

In any event, I don't expect to see FFIV on the Xbox, period. Microsoft seems to have abandoned the concept of console MMO's, and is focusing more on initiatives like Primetime Live.

"Ummmm 3rd party exclusives are a thing of the past..." - Chris D.

Iiiiii, wouldn't be so sure. just look at the Wii exclusives titles it has from 3rd parties. Yeah, 90% of might be shovelware, but exclusives still exist

I love the constant FUD about GTA IV. That game was a timed PS3 exclusive but Sony let Rockstar out of that exclusivity agreement for a console exclusive which the the game teased in the E3 conference. Can't remember the name of it but it had the little gun in the logo.

cross platform? HELL YES! as long as the PS3 controls are decent or there is keyboard/mouse support, i'll try it out.

FU Square Enix
damn sellouts

yeah, how dare they try to make money. It's about the art....no wait a console doesn't determine that.

So how's that shaking ground working for you?

Really?

I thought sprinkles was the only remaining Joystiq commenter who was still in the emotionally retarded "I can't enjoy a game on my console if it's also available on other consoles" phase.

I wonder what Square-Enix is thinking.
Mr.Tretton just said that it would be an exclusive to the PS3 for consoles just yesterday. This makes him look like a fool...

Oh well, exclusivity for PS3 always get thrown out of the window just after the announcement of it... :(

I don't think he even said that though. Didn't he say it would only be on the PS3 "when it launches"? I remember thinking at the time that the wording clearly left open the possibility of a timed exclusive.

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Square Enix 'considering all hardware possibilities' for Final Fantasy XIV

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