For those of us who still support the PS2 version of FFXI

[rog]

Are you going to buy computers for every PS2 player? Do you expect SE to? Will you try to get all PC and XBox 360 players to get together and chip in to buy FFXI-capable computers for every single PS2 (and PS3, since they're running an emulation of PS2) player out there?

Somehow, I doubt it.

99% of them probably already have a pc that will play ffxi, either as is, or with the addition of a $10 video card.

Ps3 players would be fine going over 32mb ram usage.

[Volkai]

99% of them probably already have a pc that will play ffxi, either as is, or with the addition of a $10 video card.

Prove it. ALso, what about the other 1%? Are you okay with shutting them out? It seems like it would generate bad PR.

Ps3 players would be fine going over 32mb ram usage.

You realize that the PS3 operation of FFXI is an emulation of PS2 FFXI and therefore subject to the limitations of the PS2 system including but not limited to RAM usage, don't you?

[Juri_Licious]

Prove it. ALso, what about the other 1%? Are you okay with shutting them out? It seems like it would generate bad PR.

I'm pretty sure no one should be shackled by 1% of people on FFXI.
We shouldn't suffer due to them not being able to move on.

Times change, so do computers and games.

You realize that the PS3 operation of FFXI is an emulation of PS2 FFXI and therefore subject to the limitations of the PS2 system including but not limited to RAM usage, don't you?

And that's why you drop the PS2 support and create a PS3 version.
But, regardless of this happens PS2 support needs to be dropped.

[rog]

You realize that the PS3 operation of FFXI is an emulation of PS2 FFXI and therefore subject to the limitations of the PS2 system including but not limited to RAM usage, don't you?

Not quite. Emulation is not exactly the same as the original system, and can take advantage of new hardware that did not exist in the original system.

[Zaknafein]

The main thing SE needs to take into account when considering a Ps3 port, and true expansions to FFXI vs. DLC is that many of XI's userbase (Regardless of what platform they play on) have no desire to start over in 14 myself included. Continuing to just let XI coast with out a true expansion, and true 99 End game content is a dangerous gamble. When you take into account the serious problems with 14 at launch, and other MMO's being released soon or in the near future like Star wars online, Guild wars etc. putting all their eggs into the 14 basket could prove disastrous.

XI has a loyal following, and would be strengthened by a true expansion/99 End game experience. However if things just proceed as business as usual, and 90-99 is just reskins with a bleh End game scene I don't see XI or XIV being competitive for very long. Which would be a shame.

[RAIST]

A player with a system that runs FFXI should not have to shell out greater than $50 (if even that) to play a game that already runs on their functioning system.

Do you think Bill Gates ever thought about people that might still be running windows 9x when they released Vista/Win7? No. Software, like Hardware evolves over time. Either you elect to keep using the older software revisions so you can stay with your older hardware, or you buy the newer hardware if you want the new revision if it won't run on your existing hardware. It is just simply the way of the industry. You couldn't even properly install Office 2000 (their most popular office suite at the time) on Windows Vista--you had to "crack" Vista to complete Outlook's Exchange setup. M$ was aware of the issue, and had no intentions of making a fix for it either--as they already had newer versions of Office out there that were compatible with the new OS.

With your point of view, I should have been able to play FFXI on my old P2 Windows 98SE system with only an 8MB video card, or still be able to play better quality versions of games on an old Sega System that rival the quality of a PS3. But no, I wanted to play FFXI, which had a higher system requirement. So, I rebuilt my system and UPGRADED to Windows XP. I've upgraded my hardware several times since then to further increase my gaming experience.

Likewise, if PS2 owners want to receive the better gaming experience, eventually they may very well have to upgrade from a PS2 to better hardware simply because they won't be able to run newer content in their current software/hardware environment(provided SE is willing to take FFXI to the next level one day).

Raist

[Volkai]

Do you think Bill Gates ever thought about people that might still be running windows 9x when they released Vista/Win7? No. Software, like Hardware evolves over time. Either you elect to keep using the older software revisions so you can stay with your older hardware, or you buy the newer hardware if you want the new revision if it won't run on your existing hardware. It is just simply the way of the industry. You couldn't even properly install Office 2000 (their most popular office suite at the time) on Windows Vista--you had to "crack" Vista to complete Outlook's Exchange setup. M$ was aware of the issue, and had no intentions of making a fix for it either--as they already had newer versions of Office out there that were compatible with the new OS.

With your point of view, I should have been able to play FFXI on my old P2 Windows 98SE system with only an 8MB video card, or still be able to play better quality versions of games on an old Sega System that rival the quality of a PS3. But no, I wanted to play FFXI, which had a higher system requirement. So, I rebuilt my system and UPGRADED to Windows XP. I've upgraded my hardware several times since then to further increase my gaming experience.

Likewise, if PS2 owners want to receive the better gaming experience, eventually they may very well have to upgrade from a PS2 to better hardware simply because they won't be able to run newer content in their current software/hardware environment(provided SE is willing to take FFXI to the next level one day).

Raist

Would you not expect the most recent version of Windows XP to run on a machine that could run the initial release of Windows XP? I believe you would expect it to, because it is reasonable to have such an expectation. SImilarly it is reasonable to assume the latest version of FFXI will run on the same machine that could run the initial release of FFXI.

This comparison can be made with FFXI on PC as well -- should not a PC that could run the first release of FFXI be expected to run the current version of FFXI? I believe it should.

If you want to make comparisons with differing versions of Windows, then you'll have to bring FFXIV into the mix. FFXIV is to FFXI what Windows Vista or Windows 7 is to Windows 9x.

[Soulrunner]

I once bragged that my ps2 had outlived 6 xbox 360 systems, and still played FFXI well. Now I can't say that anymore, my ps2 is dead for online use. As my system was one of the better versions of the ps2 I know others are finding ps2 increasingly capricious as they wind to their inevitable deaths. Trust me give up on the ps2, upgrade to an xbox 360 or pc, you are killing your eyes for no reason, when clearer picture is just a short upgrade away.

[chrism]

I just wish all these PS2 users would get themselves a PC... a cheap one and buy a cheap FF11 expansion pack off of direct2drive.com download all the expansions up until WoTg or add on scenarios if you want... then begin to play on the PC... THE old PS2s have become obsolete and I see people trying to sell the old PS2 models & Hard drive required to RUN FF11 for to much on amazon or ebay... or no one sells it at all.


I say down with the PS2 limitations, let technology move forward so FF11 can move forward as well.

[Zyeriis]

Would you not expect the most recent version of Windows XP to run on a machine that could run the initial release of Windows XP? I believe you would expect it to, because it is reasonable to have such an expectation. SImilarly it is reasonable to assume the latest version of FFXI will run on the same machine that could run the initial release of FFXI.

This comparison can be made with FFXI on PC as well -- should not a PC that could run the first release of FFXI be expected to run the current version of FFXI? I believe it should.

If you want to make comparisons with differing versions of Windows, then you'll have to bring FFXIV into the mix. FFXIV is to FFXI what Windows Vista or Windows 7 is to Windows 9x.

There's the flaw in your argument. If new content cannot be added because of said original machine, then there is no reason for support of the original machine further, hindering progress severely. On this logic, we should revert ffxi back to its state at the ps2 release because any form of updating contradicts your belief.

I can understand the point about how Vista needed to be able to run on previous computers. That being said, we are far past a 1 step upgrade, years past that. You clearly don't understand the concept/need for upgrading. Which is to move limitations so many yards/miles forward, to expand capability. There is a limit, we've reached it, time to upgrade the hardware. The game shouldn't die because you can't accept this.