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

[Tsuneo]

Dropping the PS2 will not affect storage... if 80 truly is the max a PS2 can hold, then it would stand to reason we could have 80 types of storage, each holding 80 items.

Adding more bags would be worthless. As it is we can't macro gear that isn't in our main inventory, so why would I want to see more inventory space that I can't actually use when I'm out fighting.

[Runespider]

At bare minimum, dropping ps2 would mean better auto-translate, larger inventory, more options per zone (that can't be done currently due to ps2 ram limitations..like having a moogle do af3 storage in your mog etc), direct X update etc and the devs not having such strict restrants when adding new content.

Heck it's possibly even the reason they won't release proper expansions anymore, because there would be no way to sell it to PS2 players (stores don't stock ps2 games anymore) and since they have to support all formats still they can't do that.

[FrankReynolds]

People really do seem to believe that a whole new game client will be produced once the PS2 is no longer supported, when the FFXI crew is probably working with less resources than it ever has.

No they don't. Its been said like 50 times in this thread.

What's funny is, I've been on the forums of that famous US based MMO with 11-12 million subscribers, and even their community reps complain about a lack of resources/manpower when the players ask for certain things. AND, it's a completely PC based game, not affected in any way by a console created at the turn of the century. Technically they could make wholesale changes to the game client much easier than SE could, I would imagine.

Maybe that's why they have 11-12 million players?

Even when you're only dealing with PCs, you have to make sure that you don't push the requirements too far past what you initially set, or you start alienating your users with older PCs.

Now, think about SE. They don't have 11-12 million people pouring money into their game. It's just a small part of their overall operations. It's an old game, with a largely negative reputation among the general gaming community. How much do we really think they're going to sink into a new game client? What's their distribution model going to be like? What will the timetable be for people to buy and upgrade?

What new client? Its all ready on PC and 360.

[Atomic_Skull]

But Live Vanadiel is running on a PS2 and an apparently gasping-it's-last-breath 9 year old video capture card with gradually worsening horizontal sync issue. You wouldn't want them to have to shut it down would you?

[Atomic_Skull]

Adding more bags would be worthless. As it is we can't macro gear that isn't in our main inventory, so why would I want to see more inventory space that I can't actually use when I'm out fighting.

It would however allow them to add direct bag to bag transfers instead of bag -> main inventory -> bag. They wouldn't have to completely rewrite the client to improve it. There are lots of things that could be done to improve the existing client.

You do not have to scrap your code and start over, you can always just improve what you have. For an example of this look at Valve's Source engine. Source is a direct descendant of the Quakeworld engine and it still has pieces of original Quake code in it.

[Atomic_Skull]

However - the Vita (apparently) has a standard multicore CPU/GPU architecture (ARM + PowerVR), unlike the PS3. OpenGL vs. DirectX notwithstanding, this doesn't appear to be as much of a developer lift - Square Enix has indicated as much anyway:

Sony has also indicated that they will release a software toolkit for easily porting Vita games to the PS3.

[Camiie]

No they don't. Its been said like 50 times in this thread.

The people in this thread don't speak for everyone who wants to see the PS2 dropped. There are other forums out there that SE does pay attention to, and I have seen requests for updated graphics, instanced content, and all kind of things that would require a new client.

Maybe that's why they have 11-12 million players?

Reread what you replied to here. What I said was, even though they have 11-12 million players, Blizzard still responds that they don't have the resources to do certain things their players ask for. Also, even though they have a purely PC-based game there are still changes they can't make without serious changes to the client. An example to that would be the size of a character's starting backpack.

Cut off all the PS2 support tomorrow, and it doesn't necessarily make it easy or feasible for SE to recode the inventory aspect of the game. It doesn't magically give them the financial resources to create and ship out new expansions with all new zones/storylines/etc.

What new client? Its all ready on PC and 360.

Again, reread... For some of the changes people want, they may well have to rework or rebuild the client, even for some of the "simple" changes. We're playing a PS2 game ported to PC and 360. The "PS2 limitations" are built into those versions as well. Now, it's fine if someone wants to come along and tell me that all they have to do is replace a few .dat files and all the limits are gone. I'd love to be proven wrong on this, but I just don't think it's that simple.

Besides, as I've alluded to, there are more than PS2 limitations at work here which is why we're getting this survey. There are monetary limitations, manpower limitations, and corporate politics limitations as well. It'd be great if one of the devs could just take a day or two to change a few files and give us everything we want. I just don't think it works that way. There's more to it than we all realize.

[TetsujinX]

Ok so by the logic of the majority in this thread, I should drop my ps2 to go buy a computer FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PLAYING THIS AND ONLY THIS GAME. Yeah that makes all the sense in the world. Because I definitely wouldn't want to, you know, do actual WORK on my pc or anything. Some of us make just enough to cover bills(including this game) and not much else. But wait! I know... its my fault because I can totally get a loan for like50k and go back to school so I can work the same job I have with the same pay. But hey I will have a degree! Andd we aren't even going to mention the single most unreliable machine ever created. Because freezin in port jeuno, abyssea, dynamis, beseiged, and campaign is always a good time for me. But following you logic again, since the 360 version is so unreliable, it also is "holding the game back" and should be dropped, leaving only those that feel PC's are the only way to go. Hell if we continue to follow your logic for all games then there was never a need for any consoles since they are obviously inferior to PC's in everyway.

Ok my sarcastic rant is over. Bottom line people play the game on the machine of their choice. Those with money to spare do it on PC. Those that don't mind having to reset every 30 minutes do it on 360. Those that dont mind graphic tha are marginallly worse do it on PS2. I have had all 3 versions. I got rid of the PC version, as it left me little room for anything else like work and school related projects, resumes and the like. I got rid of the 360 version because I was tired of resetting and having to remember to put the disc in. I mean really, who needs a disc to run this game? I know PS2, and PC don't...

And for those that are saying ps2 users are just cheap think about this. I am on my 3rd(fixed for free but still...) 360, 4th laptop(all 4 purchased with grant money which is no longer available to me) and my 1st PS2. I will take reliable over flashy every day, all day.

[Spero]

One thing your forgeting is that the base engine for ffxi is ps2. They would have to rewrite the whole game to take ps2 out of the game. The upgrades you think you'll get from elimateing ps2 system, will only happen if they redo the whole game and include a new engine based on another base system, like ps3. Do you think they would redo the whole game?

[Arcon]

Ok so by the logic of the majority in this thread, I should drop my ps2 to go buy a computer FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PLAYING THIS AND ONLY THIS GAME. Yeah that makes all the sense in the world. Because I definitely wouldn't want to, you know, do actual WORK on my pc or anything.

Where did we say that? You can use a PC to do many things. But even if, it wouldn't be much of a stretch, since PCs capable of playing this barely cost more than an average game anyway.

Hell if we continue to follow your logic for all games then there was never a need for any consoles since they are obviously inferior to PC's in everyway.

We already explained what the difference between FFXI and other games are, why it would work for some games but not others.

One thing your forgeting is that the base engine for ffxi is ps2. They would have to rewrite the whole game to take ps2 out of the game. The upgrades you think you'll get from elimateing ps2 system, will only happen if they redo the whole game and include a new engine based on another base system, like ps3. Do you think they would redo the whole game?

What base engine? How is it PS2? The upgrades most people are asking for (inventory space) is changing a number. Despite all their (many) shortcomings, I think the dev team should still be able to do that... maybe... actually... nvm.