What Vanadiel would we be in.... if SE DROPPED PS2!

[Arcon]

I don't understand the obsession some players have with the game's graphics. Personally, I think FFXI still looks damn good for its age, especially if you tweak it right for PC. I don't see SE ever altering the graphics, its simply too much of an overhaul.

Same and I couldn't care less. I still side with dropping the PS2 support though, because there's so many gameplay related issues caused by the PS2 that easily make graphics the absolute least priority.

[Mezzopiano]

Even if they did drop PS2 support, what makes anyone think they would give this game a graphics update (which, as mentioned above, it doesn't even need)?

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Even if they did drop PS2 support, what makes anyone think they would give this game a graphics update (which, as mentioned above, it doesn't even need)?

There would be no such update to graphics, nor would one be needed. Without PS2 support though, we'd be able to get increases in nearly every other aspect of the game.

[Mezzopiano]

So...taking out PS2 support would automatically fill the void of new content? Really, I don't get it.

[Retsujo]

"PS2 Limitations" has been SE's excuse for a few aspects, and also their reasoning behind not updating certain things. One good example is inventory space. I remember them saying that they could only increase inventory space in increments of 80 due to PS2 or something around those lines. It has something or another to do with PS2's internal memory, which is apparently incapable of dealing with too many things at once.

It wouldn't necessarily fill any voids, but it would open quite a few doors that can't be opened as of right now.

[Zindel]

Likewise the graphics for FFXI do require an update. It is nice for its age does not really cut it. For new players the game is in competition with newer games. For retaining players the game is likewise in competition with newer games. This includes graphics.

[Scuro]

Having started this madness of a post, I'll be jumping in now to give more of my opinion. The PS2 base has downsized drastically, this figure of 8% is the product of players getting tired of recycled content and want to see more of the world! The game storyline paints this beautiful world, that we can only stay in 2 continents of. Thats like going to Hawaii and having to only stay in you're hotel, that sucks! Which is how people are feeling when they leave this game, yes this game was developed for PS2.... Should it always stay that way? Should SAM and RDM be the most epic bad asses of all time? Should Sky and Sea be "THE" End game Content til the servers close? Hell no! If this game is going to keep on living, it needs to keep moving. The best defense is an offense, and that is what SE needs to do now.

Someone asked "What I want to know is how much of that 8% is JP".... wtf does it matter? The point is the % of JPs making the player base of PS2 was massive, and now its obviously not. You gotta think that this 8% PS2 playerbase is not just including JPs, so its obviously seen a MASSIVE downsize from what it was. Now when FFXIV launched, I was one of the first people to say "THIS IS BS! I've invested 6 years of my life to this game! To only have to be forced to a new game in order to enjoy the game's active community! Why in the hell did SE not have the foresight to make FFXI character's carry over to FFXIV!" The thing is, SE said from the beginning the point is they want you to play FFXI and FFXIV, they never wanted it to phase out, and unfortunatly because FFXIV is a failure, FFXI has gotten slow which makes its player base not want to play either. How do you fix this? You introduce new content of the world that is Vanadiel to the game! ToAU sized content! Now how can you do that? By dropping PS2! When people are saying "I don't see how PS2 gets in the way of new content?" Well you obviously haven't been keeping tabs on the DEV posts in this forum to people's fantastic ideas for this game being "PS2 Limitations" at this point its really just the generic answer you get from a college that denies you're application, or a bank that declines you're request for a loan. It's a heartless response that has no real thought into it other then to default to it as an answer

As it has been mentioned PC and Xbox isn't hard to buy these days, especially a PC, chances are if you are on this site, you are able to play FFXI on a PC. You're PC you have been using since 2000 or whatever could not possibly be alive by now, and if it is it probably isn't even good enough to play iTunes music on. By now (It is 2011) you must have updated in some form or fashion you're PC and anything by now can run FFXI (if you are so committed to the game). If PS2 is left to bring down this game, we will NOT see new content, and only see this refurbished content that we have seen since WotG! I mean hell someone mentioned that they want to play FFXI on their PS2 on their HD fancy ass tv.... for what! I can tell you right now the graphics you are putting out on a PS2 is completely wasting any potential of buying a nice HD TV. You would see the same graphics on a old ass non-HD tv of the same size for 5x less the price of what you payed for you're nice fancy TV (that would show PS3's sexy graphics).

Now with graphics, who cares, honestly would I wanna see FFXI look as sexy as FFXIV, sure I would! Yet is that really the necissary point we are trying to make here? No, if you wanted sexy graphics you obviously were not in the right frame of mind by picking up a game that was made in 2002. The game is just fine as it is, what the problem is is the story! We have SOOOOO MMMMMMUUUUCCCCCHHHHH to see! So much this game could be, if the graphics were maintained and the investment went into new storylines, new content, new locations, hell maybe even new jobs, new gear, new EVERYTHING! Who would need shiny new graphics (Although what I would ask is that the optimize the graphics so they don't lag a kick ass PC on a 6 year old game). Not every game with shiny graphics is a good game, it just looks pretty! People play this game for the fun community, the epic storylines, and the fun as hell game play, not so that they can see a game from 2002 try to compete with games like Crysis in graphics.... Thats just absurd. In short, get with the times guys, before you bury this game along with you when you're hard drive burns out, because that will eventually happen. And would you rather suck it up and fork over SOME cash for a low grade system that can play the game you love. Or to see the game you love DIE because you were too stubborn to help advance the game?

[Dazusu]

but FFXI is drawing to an end ... I don't think they're planning on FFXI surviving for more than 2-3 more years...

Considering it's their main source of income at the moment (according to official figures released for their last financial year), I would go as far as to say you're wrong.

People have been saying FFXI is coming to an end since WoTG was released; then the mini mission expansions; then Abyssea was the end of the world - but now there's no focal point, you just pull a length of time out of your ass, let's call it two or three more years.

Got it, oh master of business and planning.

But now for something with actual substance; I've read and heard Square Enix repeat this sentence over and over again: "While there are still people playing, we'll keep making content".

So long as you keep forking over money, I don't think there's any worry.

Take EQ1 for example, that's still running and now in its 11th year (and still getting expansion/content releases). Why would any sane person stop supporting something that's making them stupid amounts of money with little to no outlay. It's going to take many years before XIV starts making a profit. I'd bet that they're going to try keep FFXI as active as possible until it does start making profit. They'd be stupid not to.

[Babekeke]

The issue really isn't whether they should drop PS2 support, but rather, simply upgrade to PS3 support instead. I'd bet that a substantial number of the 'PS2' players are actually 'PS3 60GB' players, and those that aren't also own a PS3 that isn't backwards compatable. I personally know someone who played on PS2 until his PS2 broke, and not being able to afford a 60GB PS3, he bought a 2nd hand PS2. This then broke too but reluctant to continuously chase up 2nd hand out-of date consoles he went to the PS3 market. Unfortunately the 60GB model is in short supply, and highly sought after so he had to settle for a non-backwards compatable PS3. He had to leave the game until he eventually bought a laptop, and is now looking to come abck to ffxi on PC (due to ff14 being 'meh'). I wonder how many other cases there are like this, compared to the few PS2 only players that SE fights so hard to keep.

The ideal solution, of course, would be to upgrade to include PS3 AND PS2 for 6 months to a year, then finally drop PS2 and allow us to all enjoy a full auto-translate dictionary and fewer memory issues in all other areas etc.

This game isn't going to die for many years to come. FF14 had it's chance. We tried it, it was sub-par, we forgot about it.

[Windblade]

Oh no, not this again. Moderators, could you please flag this, lock and/or remove it before we get a bunch of PS2 hate posts. Thanks.

If you want censorship, why don't you move to Afghanistan and live with it.