How long should SE support PS3 client

[TonyACT]

As long as there's still a significant PS3 base and as long as they keep paying their subs. I don't have a problem with PS3 players, personally. People need to pull the sticks out of their asses.

Sticks? How wude.

It's more about how long they will wear the cost of supporting a platform with possibly declining numbers rather than any problem with the players.

On the other side of the coin, a free upgrade to the PS4 version is all well and good - but does it come with a free upgrade of the hardware? Not a lot of people I know have made the move to the PS4 as yet given that the 'next gen' consoles are still early days with a bit of a dearth of titles.

[necrosis]

Not before 4.0( which would means not before 3 years, more or less ) imo.

I read to at least 3.0. After that is up in the air.

[Gesser]

No more than last quarter 2015 I'd say, with the rate of technology & how it already is significantly holding back the game... yeaaah.

[NefarioCall]

The percentage of the subscribing user-base who play on the PS3 platform needs to fall to a level of statistical non-relevance.
Likely 5% or less.

[Kewitt]

As long as it pays to keep updating it.

[Dano]

the game will still be playable on the PS3, but future contents will be restricted to PS4 and PC only. It will happen and it might be sooner than later consider that they were giving out free upgrades to PS4 version from PS3.

[Slatervonjager]

the game will still be playable on the PS3, but future contents will be restricted to PS4 and PC only. It will happen and it might be sooner than later consider that they were giving out free upgrades to PS4 version from PS3.

Yeah, no. The PS4 sales aren't even close to half of what the PS3's are. Not the mention the fact that there are still FAR more PS3 players then PS4 players. On top of that, PS3 is still scheduled for support AFTER 3.0, maybe until 4.0.

A free upgrade is NOT incentive to move onto a different platform, nor is it a valid reason for dropping support of a platform. If they were to just drop PS3 support with in the next year, they'd likely lose almost half of the playerbase. Square stated they wont even consider dropping PS3 support until they know the numbers for the PS4 clients are high enough to pick up after dropping the PS3. And who knows when that would occur.

And as for letting PS3 players continue to play outdated content while other play the new stuff is ridiculous. I know it's something they could possibly do, but it wouldn't be lucrative, at all. Why would you pay to play a game that will never get another update on your system. And That won't bolster it's numbers on other option either, because those people still using the PS3 version either A. cannot afford to upgrade to a new platform, or B. Don't want to be forced into upgrading to a new platform to play the same game they already were.

If there is still demand for it, they will leave it as is. No reason to jeopardize a source of revenue if you can't be positive that it won't have a negative effect.

[Zozor]

As long as the Content provided for all platforms isn't hampered by the PS3 then I see no reason to stop it. If there is content they have developed that they cannot get to work on the PS3 then it should just be left out of that version.

[AiChyan]

Yeah, no. The PS4 sales aren't even close to half of what the PS3's are. Not the mention the fact that there are still FAR more PS3 players then PS4 players. On top of that, PS3 is still scheduled for support AFTER 3.0, maybe until 4.0.

In one of the live letters there was a feature mentioned which will not make it to PS3 actually, will have to look it up to remember what it was and when it will be released.

[rhemi1]

And as for letting PS3 players continue to play outdated content while other play the new stuff is ridiculous.

It's definitely something they can do. If, for example, future content takes place in new zones created for expansions, they can limit access to non-PS3 players only. And it's probably something they will have to do, eventually. The PS3 already struggles in a lot of areas to keep up with the game around it, that's only going to get worse as time goes on. As the PS4 continues to sell, possibly drop in price and become more lucrative, the incentive to continue using a PS3 will decrease.

They'll certainly give a large warning in advance before they do anything, but I can't see PS3 support being a thing after the first expansion. It's already the inferior machine for the game compared to PS4 and PC, and it's only going to get worse.