GW: As for the PS3 version support, are you planning to continue supporting forever even after the PS4 version is out, is that your policy?
Y: Currently, we are working on plans for the expansion pack, but we have the PS3 included for this expansion pack.
GW: So that means, in future, after this expansion pack, there may be a time where you won’t be able to play it?
Y: It may be possible in future.
GW: Oh? How many years later are we talking here?
Y: That’ll depend on how many players are playing on the PS3 version. In the presentation we did earlier, we talked about wanting to continue keeping FFXIV innovative, but when we try to achieve something innovative it requires some machine power to make it possible, that type of situation may occur. When you think about how other MMORPG’s are mostly made for the PC, it will work with certain PC specs, for example, sorry for bringing up EQN again, but for something like that which requires physics involved in the map and players, it will require high spec PC to make it work. If that gains a lot of attention and grabs a lot of players, when the players moves to a rival company, we can’t just sit and do nothing, we have to have some of our own weapons to fight back against other MMORPGs.
For example, getting on a flying mount and diving from a high altitude straight down to lower altitude and then having a 200m long dragon, and being able to fly around freely. If we can get a large scale F.A.T.E. like this one, it’ll be amazing to look at, and it’ll feel good as well. However, in order to do that it will require a minimum requirement on the hardware specs.
As we mentioned many times, we are developing this game so there won’t be as much gaps between players play experience due to the hardware. However if we keep doing that, and come to point where we can’t be innovative, that’s not “FF”. That’s why I am not going to say here that we will continue to support the PS3 forever. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to play it a year from now, not thinking like that so please do not worry.
that’s why we put in support to make sure they can switch to new hardware for free, if we can do something together with SCE we will try to do something proactive.