Welp, the Xbox version is dead in the water. What were they thinking?

[SnowVix]

"The Free Trial version, including the open beta test, will not require an Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) plan to play. However, the full Xbox Series X|S version will require an Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) plan to play."

This bothers me. I lost my linked PSN account. Unfortunately, ticket after ticket won't let me recover it. I've made peace with that. Luckily, I also have an Xbox. Now I don't care. Good job messing that up. Now, two subscriptions are required to play on the Xbox unless you're on the Free Trial...

You really messed up on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if this is discontinued after a time.

This is almost certainly a Microsoft decision, not a Square or CBU3 decision.

[Ardeth]

This is almost certainly a Microsoft decision, not a Square or CBU3 decision.

Even so, SE had to ok the deal. It's such a mornic proposition that I would've told them I've changed my mind. It's the lowest selling console of this generation. It's representation in their home country of Japan is laughable. And now, to add a cherry to the sundae of bad ideas, it costs more to play it on it. Seriously, I had hopes sanity would prevale, and we would see a retraction after everyone making fun of how stupid it is. But here we are.

[Xeronia]

This is almost certainly a Microsoft decision, not a Square or CBU3 decision.

Given this was initially posted by SE on the Lodestone alongside the Xbox beta news I have to imagine SE knows given they posted the info. I am guessing SE finally found it reasonable either due to changes in opinion thanks to new leadership or Microsoft offering more to the deal we are unaware of at this moment.

[strawberrycake]

This is almost certainly a Microsoft decision, not a Square or CBU3 decision.

Square is down 2 Billion in Value and SE has allowed and still allows Nintendo and Sony to treat them this way as well. Historically SE has always allowed Console companies to have the upper hand.

[Nebelheim]

The reason it took so long to get FFXI on 360 was because Microsoft didn't agree to the patching policy the POL was using. Sony had complete control over POL as a service and it's patching QA policies. Believe it or not, but every patch must be inspected for viruses and code that can potentially brick a console. It would be very bad business decision to allow a bad patch file to be downloaded on 20+ Million machines...and then Sony or Microsoft is left fixing the issue.

So Microsoft had I believe at the time a MORE stringent QA policy then Sony did during the PS2 days which led to the game never coming to OG XBOX until around 2006 after the 360 launched. By then POL was a dead program as Sony phased it out as PS3 was pretty much out by then. It was just a sign of the times and the biter rivalry between to large companies.

FFXIV was also not immune to this issue as it has also been stated that Microsoft wanted more control over patch QA process, and I believe it was SE this time that didn't agree for a long time about how they should implement there patches and updates. Not to mention cross platform play being another contributor. Honestly, I couldn't care at all if I played with a PC, XBOX or PS5 player on the other end. I wish these companies would just combine there networks so we can all just play together no matter what machine we play on.

I don't think anyone thought it could never work on XBOX because it wasn't powerful enough...but it was just bureaucracy behind the scenes that really was the main issue and microsoft being microsoft.

FF11 didn't come out on the original xbox was because it didn't have a big enough hard drive to support ff11 which is why it didn't come to xbox until the 360 was released it wasn't because of Microsoft's policies or Sony having control of playonline.

[Sqwall]

FF11 didn't come out on the original xbox was because it didn't have a big enough hard drive to support ff11 which is why it didn't come to xbox until the 360 was released it wasn't because of Microsoft's policies or Sony having control of playonline.

I think that could have been easily fixed on the OG XBOX, and microsoft would have sold bigger hard drives no problem if it meant more games on the system. Consumers would have bought them easily. Another missed opportunity, and back when a bigger HDD was a VERY big deal and bragging rights. I remember buying HDD's nearly every year in the late 90's and early 2000's because 20g was cheap, then 40g was cheap, then 120g was cheap. For like $75-$100 you could get a decent upgrade and add a ton of storage. PS2 launched with NO internet adapter or HDD....yet that didn't stop Sony from delivering

I don't believe that was the hurdle the OG XBOX was facing. The problem was FFXI was primarily a JAP game with a slightly smaller NA playerbase. SE and Sony at the time had a pretty tight relationship late 90's early 2000's, which was IMO one of the reasons you saw POL developed for PS2. Some of those old Square managers were probably still there and might have been difficult to get over those long term relationships SE had with Sony. SE didn't really go multiplat til maybe 2004? 2008? Hard to say.

Wiki Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayOnline

Service
PlayOnline was seen as part of Sony's strategy to turn the PlayStation 2 into an Internet set-top box. Accordingly, Sony brought broadband equipment and a hard drive to the PlayStation 2.[10] The quality of the browser was noted in its "clean" graphics, excellent page layouts, and "high quality sound".[10] The browser was not a general purpose Internet tool, but only accessed Square content, such as news about Square products and a comic-strip walkthrough of Final Fantasy XI.[10]

Porting Final Fantasy XI to the Xbox proved difficult due to compatibility issues greater than was hoped for between Xbox Live and PlayOnline, likely because the latter was designed first.[11] After negotiation, Xbox 360 players were able to play the game through PlayOnline's servers exclusively, despite Microsoft's initial wish that Square Enix would use its own platform.[11] Downloadable content was also not available on the platform since the game played through PlayOnline.[11] It was hoped that content would eventually be offered through the Xbox Live Marketplace.[11] Final Fantasy XII started out as a game designed for the PlayOnline game platform.[12]

Again...microsoft just being microsoft....want to control everything with no skin in the game. They eventually gave into Playonline and we are seeing the same situation today with FFXIV. When your trying to sell consoles/hardware which could be MORE software and consoles/hardware....don't dismiss games being offered...make a deal.

When you sell a table to a family....it's gonna need chairs. A chair by itself is just a chair.

[EstelleCere]

While I agree that this is definitely annoying for xbox players, but don't xbox players normally have to pay for game pass regardless for any of the games they play that are online? I think majority of them already pay for that, then they pay the game sub like any of us do.

I'm not too much into the whole conversation about how Microsoft is being bad on things, so I don't know much about that since I don't play on xbox anymore. I guess they could've done it like how playstation does with not requiring an online sub to play FFXIV (at least I think they don't require that? I never owned a playstation so I'm not sure)

I'm not agreeing with it, I think it's annoying, I'm just saying from what I assume that normally people who play xbox already pay an online sub.

[Sqwall]

While I agree that this is definitely annoying for xbox players, but don't xbox players normally have to pay for game pass regardless for any of the games they play that are online? I think majority of them already pay for that, then they pay the game sub like any of us do.

I'm not too much into the whole conversation about how Microsoft is being bad on things, so I don't know much about that since I don't play on xbox anymore. I guess they could've done it like how playstation does with not requiring an online sub to play FFXIV (at least I think they don't require that? I never owned a playstation so I'm not sure)

I'm not agreeing with it, I think it's annoying, I'm just saying from what I assume that normally people who play xbox already pay an online sub.

Sony requires at least PS+ (base offer) to play online multiplayer. Free to Play games do not need PS+...handful of games (fornite, neverwinter).

FFXIV is an anomaly as it's a paid subscription game, but it doesn't require PS+ to play. You need PSN account to login to the game (free just need a PSN account). You don't need PS+ (paid membership). However, if PSN is down...you can NOT play the game. So if the FFXIV servers are up, and you have network connectivity you simply can't even login if PSN is down. This has happened to me maybe a hand full of times.

[caffe_macchiato]

Hot take: the problem is Square Enix, not Microsoft. Requiring a monthly subscription without guaranteed content each month is a very outdated concept. Most live-service games sell you a piece of content, like a battle pass, once per "season" that replaces the need for a subscription. All the normal functions of a subscription-based game, like new maps and gameplay content, are there, and the company is well-funded. But you are paying for the content, not the access. If there is no content, you do not have to pay. Final Fantasy XIV makes you pay regardless of whether there is new content. And Square Enix doesn't give us new content every month. Even World of Warcraft, the only other major subscription-based MMO, has monthly updates. FFXIV is a freakish anomaly in that it's using an old model and it's using it incorrectly.

It's 2024, why is Square Enix still clinging to old tricks (and failing)? Perhaps they should read the room and realize that no one else is stuck this far behind. Given that there are countless live-service games on Game Pass without an extra sub, it seems that requiring two subs is on Square Enix and not Microsoft.

[Neoyoshi]

Yeaaaaah, my gut tells me we don't have the complete story and we've got a bunch of pseudo-journalist running around with scissors.

I just do not see Yoshi-P letting his baby in the care of the most reckless driver in the industry without wearing a safety helmet and some insurance, and a replacement baby just for caution.