What stipulations do you think SE had to agree to for FFXIV to come to Xbox?

[DynnDiablos]

Microsoft and Phil Spencer usually have quite a bit of rules and restrictions, which has been a problem getting the game on Xbox for all these years. With the game eventually coming to Xbox (I am assuming 6.0 on new generation of consoles) what concessions do you think they demanded of SE?

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they required time exclusivity on future expansions, with Xbox and PC getting it first and the PS4 (and eventual PS5) players being locked out for 1-3 months. They do like their timed exclusivity.

I would like to think they would be just happy to have the game on their ecosystem, but knowing their track record and history, I can't imagine some type of deal was struck to bring the game to their systems.

[Xegodar]

I don't think SE had to agree to anything here, it's MS who changed their policies to make this work. I think SE could live without the game on Xbox, but MS really want more japanese games on their platform and FF14 is a big landmark title, so if anything I think SE were the ones to make demands, similar to how MS made exceptions to their rules for FF11 on X360 because they wanted FF13 and other SE games.

Also, releasing expansions with a delay on PlayStation would seriously hurt the game more than Xbox could make up for with new players, SE isn't so stupid to do something like that.

[MikkoAkure]

Last I heard Yoshi talk about it, I thought I remember it being the other way around. Microsoft wanted FFXIV and SE said that it won’t happen unless Microsoft allows players to access the internet without paying for gold sub. Also Microsoft wanted xbox only servers and their own messaging system and SE said no.

[Saefinn]

As I understood it the team has been uncompromising about their own terms. FFXIV has a lot more weight than other online games and things like cross play are more essential for MMO's like FFXIV. So they can be a lot more rigid in their stance. Crossplay was one requirement that MS doesn't like, but an exclusive XBox player base would simply not be sustainable. To throw Sony and PS4/5 Players under the bus to gain an advantage with Microsoft would be more shooting themselves in the foot. XBox isn't as popular in Japan as it is in the US & EU and as I understood it Microsoft has been seen as less supportive of Japanese games versus Sony and Playstation is a lot more popular over there. And also as I understood it Phil Spencer is trying to reach out a little more to Japanese developers, so it's possible in that effort he's been ready with compromise.

So I suspect Microsoft are the ones to compromise. Their usual restrictions don't make sense for a game like FFXIV and SE have pretty much stuck to their guns in that respect. And making the exception would arguably be better for the XBox than not, it's not as if they would be running multiplayer from Microsoft servers and an exclusive Microsoft player base is not sustainable like it might be say, with say, Call of Doody or Warframe. And they could have one of the most popular MMO's in the world on their platform.

Then stuff like exclusivity, maybe exclusive promotional items, that's something I see SE doing as they have done with other things. But early releases of stuff before PS4/5 players, you're talking about a company who supported the PS2 up until 2015 on their last MMO to not screw over their Playstation player base (and hence the "console limitations" meme).

[Mahrze]

I would like to think they would be just happy to have the game on their ecosystem, but knowing their track record and history, I can't imagine some type of deal was struck to bring the game to their systems.

Xbox/Microsoft lost a lot of weight in this ending gen of consoles. To the point that currently, one can dare speculate the switch will pass it in units sold soon if it hasn't already. They dropped the ball on a lot of things and while they are doing a lot of things right, they need games.

They have been talking about this for almost as long as the game has been out, with plenty of offers on the table that never pleased SE and thinking Yoshida would agree to some timed exclusivity is nothing short of absurd. Yoshida is as much of a gamer as any of us, and I can bet he is not a fan of timed exclusives, specially when they could shun what could be considered half their player-base who currently play on a Sony console.


Bottom line, MS/Spencer wants market share on popular cross platform games that are not the usual shooters and FFXIV is a really popular title at the moment. Would be a bit foolish for them not to join in since they've been shaming Sony/PlayStation for the lack of cross-play on other titles this past year or so.

[Vaiolette]

The concept of the company demanding that Square Enix withhold content from Playstation 4 is frankly laughable.

They need Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XIV does not need them, and has thrived since the beginning without them. The power is squarely in the hands of Square Enix, whereas the company has no bargaining power.

In North America, most players of this type of game use computers. It is quite popular on Playstation 4 because, like me, many people who use a Playstation are Final Fantasy fans.

I highly doubt there are a significant amount of players who do not fall into the venn diagram of having a computer or a Playstation 4, wants to play Final Fantasy XIV, and only owning an "Xbox".

The fact that Final Fantasy XIV has not appeared on "Xbox" shows all we need to know as to how much Square Enix needs that platform~

Edit: after some research, it appears that there are functionally zero Xbox machines in Japan and it is very weak in Europe as well. It is also weaker than Playstation 4 in North America.

From a purely financial standpoint, why would Square Enix ever withhold content from playstation, which has a vastly larger, and Final Fantasy friendly, population than Xbox, which has a vastly smaller, and Final Fantasy neutral population, in any of its operating area, just to be on the platform, when they have zero need for it?

Let's also consider the cost to make Final Fantasy XIV for a different platform, and the ongoing costs associated with it, I imagine if Final Fantasy XIV ever goes to Xbox, the only stipulation is that the company of Microsoft is made to pay for all development costs and ongoing costs so that Square Enix can provide their weak platform with that welfare.

[Theodric]

Square Enix aren't foolish enough to screw over PS4 players by making them miss out on an expansion for a period of time. It'd be a massive scandal and drive a lot of players away from the game.

[eaudaemon]

they have to make a Master Chief glamor set and a Cortana Minion and give it away to everybody for free without any quest to advertise Xbox.

[Caitlinzulu]

they have to make a Master Chief glamor set and a Cortana Minion and give it away to everybody for free without any quest to advertise Xbox.

I want a cortana glamour and a master chief minion

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

I don't think SE had to agree to anything. If I remember correctly, YoshiP talked about this before in a Live-Letter (I think) and said that they want the game to be Accessible without an Xbox Live Gold Membership, just like how you dont need a Sony Playstation Plus Membership. Microsoft wanted to keep the Gold Membership a requirement, and so SE said no.

Ill bet Microsoft had to Compromise.