Sooo SE actually wants to know the numbers of PS2 users eh?

[SpankWustler]

Yeah except I'm going to lie on all of my accounts and pick PS2 just in case they're checking to see if they should ban me.

My tiny bluebird of happiness just developed a slight cough, and it's all your fault!

[Krysten]

serious let ps2 diiiiiiiieeeee

[Inafking]

Let's recap the problem with the PS2 platform:

1. POL PS2 software not even implemented in the EU.

2. US PS2s do not have internal hard drive support. (Some do, but they're older models they don't make anu more.) POL does not support external hard drives. So in the US, you can not buy a PS2 that plays FFXI unless you find one used.

3. US PS3s do not have the PS2 BIOS to play PS2 games. (Some do, but they're older models they don't make anu more.) And even the ones that do, the PS2 emulation is buggy. Still more reliable than 360 but more prone to crashing than original ps2 and PC. So in the US, can't find a PS3 that will play FFXI unless you buy used.

4. In the US, Square no longer makes PS2 software. The used software is hella expensive and good luck finding it.

Conclusion:
PS2 support is JP onry. No hardware, no software, no usage. As much as I love my PS2s that do play the software, I'd gladly ditch their support for a naitive PS3 client or more expansions by ditching the platform all together. All that being said, it's been a fantastic platform to develop the game. FFXI is larger than WoW in terms of explorable surface area but ¼ the size as far as instalation space. That's an amazing feat that makes this game viable for console platforms without a lot of storage space. Now that such a feat has been achieved, moving the size limit from 10 to 20 gb would allow for much more expansion and still take up less % of the HDD when the 10gb policy was originally created. PS2 was a great platform, but it's time to move on.

[Shadowsong]

legacy coding says wut?

[Drivont]

It's dirt-cheap to upgrade from a PS2 to any other platform this game supports. If PS2 limitations are really holding the game back from continuing, then yes, something needs to be done. I play on 360, and if I found out that new content came to a halt because of my console of choice, I would upgrade to something else so the game can keep going.

This is not a new concept. How many of us "upgraded" from a NES to a SNES(SNES to 64, 64 to Gamecube, Gamecube to Wii, etc) to get the new Mario, Zelda, Metroid, or even FF titles? How many went from PS1 to PS2 in the first place? Times change, platforms upgrade, it's how it is. Been like this since the late 70's-early 80's.

This ^


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[Arcon]

This brings up an interesting point. SE can't differentiate between clients on their end?
I may be a bit critical lately on SE, but that strikes me as a little odd.

When the official forums opened and I was still naive, I supported SE firmly. I knew they had some quirks, but I thought it was in good conscience and I thought (or hoped) they were working on them (somehow). But lately the dishonesty in their answers to the community and the excuses they made pretty much ruined my confidence in them, so this isn't that shocking to me.

This, however, if it actually does mean what I think (or hope) it means, will change everything. I'm ready to forgive everything they put us through if they remove the PS2 from their supported architecture lineup. 500 inventory slots please. Then (maybe) I can gear my PLD again.

[Runespider]

This brings up an interesting point. SE can't differentiate between clients on their end?

I'm sure they can but they are asking which platforms you use, not which you are using now.

If everyone they checked right now was PC that still doesn't mean there would be a huge ragesfest if they removed the ability to play on other platforms.

I'm all for phasing out PS2, letting ps3 take its place but thats why they are obviously asking.

[Twille]

I hope and pray that this is the first step to phasing out the PS2. GO SE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kagato]

This is excellent news.

The PC version can be played on any run-of-the-mill PC now. I bought a $500 laptop earlier this year for school and even that can run FFXI at max settings at a solid framerate. It can even run The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion at mid-settings.

Many people also have a 360 too and picking up FFXI for that is easy as well.

But you wanna know which version is hard to find these days? THE PS2! XD

[RAIST]

Just hope they keep the survey up for several months. A lot of people are going to be kicked out of the game because of snafus with the transfer and/or billing system preventing them from getting in game until they fix things with the new payment options coming in the fall. IDK if these people will even be logging in at all, so they won't be able to take the survey until they manage to fix their account so they can get into FFXI. So, they may be missing out on players who would otherwise be playing at the moment that (for whatever reason) can't/won't play until the mid/late fall, and so aren't logging in and getting the survey pop-up.

If SE could add the survey to the forums as well, they could get a larger sample. If they do though, they would need to somehow flag accounts that already voted through POL to prevent them from voting again here to keep the results accurate.