Square Enix needs to make this game available on every platform that will have them.
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Square Enix needs to make this game available on every platform that will have them.
One of the principle business policies of Square Enix is that for a very long while, they have been using what is called Polymorphic approach to their projects... basically means that they strive to develop their games, media, anime, mange etc on every potential entertainment hardware.
This is why, for instance, they really pushed the multi-platform envelope back in 2003 and again in 2006 for FFXI... and why they absolutely should push FFXIV on the PS3. Imagine getting even a tenth of the 70 million ps3 units sold to play FFXIV:ARR... not to mention the additional units that Sony can sell if they make a bundled version.
Spiffy innit?
These might be some reasons, but the main reason was said by Square-Enix and Yoshida themselves...
Yoshida says the PlayStation 3 version is the priority at the moment. ”The one thing to regain that damaged player trust is to keep those promises, and one of the promises was to release a PlayStation 3 version,” he said. “We made that promise long, long ago, and we still haven’t kept it. We made that promise not only to the players, but to Sony as well. The first thing that we need to do, to regain that trust, is to fulfill those promises of bringing the PS3 version. Our priority right now is getting that version finished.”
It wasn't even ported 4 years ago, though. The release of Wings of the Goddess would have been a good time to release a new port, much like Treasures of Aht Urhgan was, but it didn't happen; the best PS3 players got was a re-release of the PS2 version, for those with back-compat hardware.
Maybe there'll be future ports, maybe not. History shows there's no guarantee.
No. Even watching Netflix on an Xbox 360 requires a paid XBL Gold subscription on top of the Netflix subscription. The exception that S-E got for FFXI will never happen again, for anybody. And after Sega's experience with Phantasy Star Online on the original Xbox, nobody will publish an MMO on a console without such an exception.
In fact, if Sony ends up going following Microsoft's example of a closed-shop style of online play, that itself may curtail a port to a new PlayStation.
The remainder of the PS3's life in the market at ARR's release will be far shorter than the PS2's was at FFXI's release.
FFXI started on the PS2 in a much stronger position than ARR will have starting on the PS3; it would seem the best that could be hoped for is PS3 players being treated as well as (not better than, just equal to) PS2 players have been treated.
WoW is available for PC and Mac. It has always been available for PC and Mac. Blizzard has been supporting both platforms equally for pretty much its entire history.
Right now, FFXI can only be bought for PC. The PC version has always been available since it was launched on that platform. The PC version is the only version that has been available continuously since its launch (no UCAE for 360, no UC at all for PS2). S-E's history with MMO's has shown clear bias to the PC.
This game "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" is not about "making money" for Square-Enix. Its for the fans, its a step to correct mistakes, and move in the right direction.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of passionate feedback from the community. We like to think that this game is not developed solely by us, but also the fans out there. We develop this game together.
“As for the harsh feedback... if the fans are complaining, it just proves that they are still passionate about the game. If they quit and moved onto another product without saying anything to us, then that would be the point where we’d lost.”
“As director and producer, it is my job to basically make the game profitable,” the director said. “But, if you only think of profit, then the best thing to have probably done would have been to scrap Final Fantasy XIV] and concentrate on Final Fantasy XV instead! But, it’s not all about the profit. It’s also about bringing the players what we originally promised.
(my sources:)
http://spong.com/feature/10110784/In...al-Fantasy-XIV
http://thelazygeeks.com/2011/10/21/f...g-to-consoles/