Does it matter if it comes out on the X360 in Japan?? The X360 sales over there are poor.

The whole reason for FF13 coming to the X360 is for the European and US sales. Square-Enix have seen the sales on third-party titles selling more on the X360 platform, which GTA4 proved, and wanted to make sure they made the maximum amount of cash on FF13 as possible.

I'm sure FF13 will run more smoothly and on one BluRay disc on the PS3, but it's a fact that a majority of gamers in EU and US own X360's compared to the PS3. Spliting it on 2 discs won't make a blind bit of diffrence.

Great news for MS though....Sony have to have something special under there belts to surpass MS. A Kingdom Hearts 3 or new MGS announcment could do that!

freemonk

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic:

Well put.

At times like these I just think of HD DVD, Bioshock, the RROD, and how much Halo 3 sucked... and you know what? I laugh. And then I'm happy.

GTA4er

I love the way this generation is infuriating fanboys of all consoles. I swear it was easier to just buy your choice of Mega Drive/Snes and just swap with the guy who had the other every now and then. Sounds like hippyish times in these days of hatred, where every game is a weapon to add to the artillery of the Fanboy Army.

TearsandScreams

Everyone one in Japan who wants FFXIII will buy it for their PS3. The 360 has about zero penetration in that market, and with the title being multiplatform, a 360 version would be ignored entirely.

dj_fantastica

The stupid console fanboys and inevitable drop in quality from a multiplatform release aside, this marks the equivalence of the PS3 and XBox 360 in the eyes of 3rd party developers, and for the first time in a while we have two consoles which need to differentiate themselves on 1st and 2nd party offerings and not merely signing deals of exclusivity with 3rd parties.

Ah, who am I kidding - of course it's all about the money for timed or outright exclusives. It's funny how people claim that SE "saw the light" in going multiplatform to maximize sales for FFXIII, yet the same argument doesn't work for for a game like Star Ocean 4, probably because they are being paid to keep it on the 360 despite its mediocre numbers in Japan. I would really like to see all 3rd party exclusives be completely wide open, and have people debate the merits of 1st party studios and what they're able to draw from the system...

Datheron

@lilaliendog: i dont think this decision was ever up to sony. how much money would they have had to pay to compensate square enix for lost sales on the 360? after all, its square that moved dragon quest to the DS to maximize its revenue.

exclusives cost money, sony can't afford any more losses (at least i think they dont) and they still have the exclusivity factor in japan, its not as bad as it sounds but yeah, sony's path to 1st just evaporated

meltyman

Great... I can't wait for a dumbed down Final Fantasy 13 now...

Spigget

Everybody needs to just settle down and enjoy the game...in 2010.

Awww... You're an optimist. That's so CUTE!

PapaBear434

It's not as if Sony didn't "try" and didn't know about this announcement. They own part of the company...of course they knew this was coming. Everybody needs to just settle down and enjoy the game...in 2010.

superHOOKIE

The Famitsu interview says "NO PLANS"

djricekcn

Sorry if I seem like I'm on both sides of this argument, but it seems like nearly everyone commenting on this has taken crazy pills.

Trying to bring some sanity to both sides... which is a crazy endeavor in and of itself.

Evil J

I'm calling no. Why?

Microsoft has abandoned Japan. They're not going to pay a dime for anything for there. They're going to go for their core audience: Hardcore American Players.

And Hardcore Americans tend not to live in Japan.
Hence the term American.

Arsenicberyllium

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic:
Upside: The place where the franchise sells three-quarters of its units will be exclusive to Sony.

Hmmm.

Evil J

There's no sense getting it on Xbox in Japan. The install base is too low, and if it's coming out for PS3 as well, it wouldn't sell nearly that many consoles, simply because the PS3 is the better buy in that region.

Now for Europe and North America, it makes far more sense. Higher install base (both consoles) means higher sales both on S-Es end and Microsoft's end. Sony loses a bit, but Japan exclusivity (where it will sell phenomenally) evens it out.

thefais

@PapaBear434:
I was being sarcastic man, I know you didn't... no one did. I just don't get the behavior personally because I don't remember any single title that made me go nyah-nyah-nyah-nyaaaaah-nyah. Hell, if, in some bizarre way, Halo 3 had made its way over to the PS3... I don't even think that would have made my heart go all aflutter like this news seems to be making people go.

@blurayforever143:
Dude. Seriously. Enough with the multiple discs thing.

It doesn't matter. It really, really doesn't, especially for an RPG which will likely have a linear storyline.

I mean, it's not like it's a sandbox game like Grand Theft Auto where you'd have to switch discs for the different islands...

My point is, a lot of people, specifically Sony people, think of FFVII as the best Final Fantasy game and sometimes, the best RPG ever... and it was on multiple discs. Whether or not it could have been on one or not doesn't detract from the quality of the product... and the quality of the product should be the only thing that matters.

If you're thinking that multiple discs is the ultimate deal breaker... you need to lay off the Kool-aid.

Evil J

@ƒox:

That's my bad. I just got done watching "A Knight's Tale" with Heath Ledger. So, yeah...

It's White Knight Chronicles. Whoops.

PapaBear434

They might as well. I mean they just ruined the game for the rest of the world.

Sailorcancer

@mouroutaru: If there's a new Zone of the Enders announced I'm going to cry tears of pure joy.
Then I'm going to start a petition against it demanding for new art direction because of the way the characters are animated.

Sinfwho

@PapaBear434: Me and brother was having that exact conversation. Maybe SONY themselves have something up thier sleeves. Really, SONY must've seen this coming. You can make an argument that clues were already laid out in front of us, when the new worldwide division guy for SONY stated that due to development costs of games this gen, 3rd party exclusivity is going extinct and that 1st party titles are what they are going for. Maybe they knew the potential blow this might cause and probably have something big to show for it. The only thing, I can think of is timed exclusivity of the game (I don't see anywhere in the video that it's a simultaneous multi-platform release) or FF7 remake. Otherwise, this annoucemnt was so HUGE that is overshadows a pretty week conference showing by MS.

Jun581 likes street fighter 2 but he really hates zangeif, only Ken and Ryu, but finds it hard to be Blanka!

It clearly says playstation 3 only in Japan in the trailer featured in your previous post. I think we can call this myth busted!

dubbfoolio

*sigh*

"Fuck Microsoft" I'll get that out of the way right now.

That, and anyone who thinks exclusives are going the way of the dodo, think again. The moment you have a technically advanced machine with the type of lead the PlayStation 1 and 2 enjoyed you'll go back to the majority of third-party titles appearing nowhere else. It'll happen...the only real question is who will be the company behind it.

That being said, the "back and forth" we're seeing now is due entirely to the fact that no one currently has a strong enough lead. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo can (and will) continue to incrementally pull the rug out from under each other's feet until someone pulls ahead to the tune of tens of millions of units worldwide.

But this is a HUGE blow to Sony...and there's no upside. The PlayStation 3 just lost it's greatest asset, and more importantly is now facing the hard task of redeeming itself as anything but a "soft" or "weak" console that can't hold on to any property which they don't personally own.

It's Sony's own fault really. Microsoft has been going for their throat since this generation began and all Sony has done to retaliate is stick their neck out. I hope this latest kick in the nuts has taught Sony an unforgettable lesson about the importance of fostering internal development coupled with the need to offer clear incentives (i.e.: money) to third-parties.

What disturbs me most about this is that the only lesson Microsoft seems to be learning is that they can peddle shoddy hardware and simply throw money around and everything will still go their way. This does not paint an encouraging picture of a market potentially controlled by them in the future.

Talking about the distribution of the 360 game: it would seem from an outsiders perspective that some mutual agreement had to be made between Microsoft, Sony, and Square. I would imagine that in the case of Final Fantasy 13 money had in fact changed hands between Sony and Square in the past, but that rising development costs coupled with the PlayStation 3's current position placed Square in a circumstance which Microsoft was quick to take advantage of.

Either way I can't say I'm happy about this move at all. The last thing I wanted was for Microsoft to get a boon like this, though I knew the moment Square's conference was nestled in with Microsoft's that things weren't looking too hopeful. Unless Sony plans on playing the Final Fantasy 7 remake card, I don't think they're going to be able to salvage their E3 keynote no matter how much better it turns out to be (because frankly Microsoft's was shit save for that final bombshell).

I believe I'll also be avoiding GameFAQs and NeoGAF like the plague for the next twelve to eighteen months...

Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic

@PapaBear434: Okay, I've gotta ask, what is the actual name of this game? I've heard it called White Knight Story, White Knight Chronicles and now White Knight's Tale. Which is it!? And why have I heard so many different names for it?

ƒox

@silentknome: I don't know if MS even needed to pay them any money. SE may just have realised that (in the US) MS's users will pay them money.

When 360 gets 'exclusive' content, like the Fallout 3 DLC, or something in Japan, that probably means MS paid. But just a multiplatform release? I don't see why that would be the case.

quen

@Evil J: Except the PSONe games aren't the same..multiple discs were needed because even in the 32 bit days, the size of CD-ROM was a big issue. Not to mention there wasn't enough processing power for compression techniques used today

With Blu-Ray, there's really no need for multiple discs unless you want to throw in a bonus disc or a movie. The fact that Final Fantasy would be impossible on ONE disc just shows the weakness of the Xbox 360, and in these times where everyone more than gladly takes a shot at the PS3, we're going to grab on to any solid FACT we can.

So the facts are these so far...

1. 360 version will require an unknown number of multiple discs.

2. 360 version is not even in development yet.

3. 360 version will not be released in Japan.

At first I thought this was a huge announcement, a huge blow to the PS3, but now I see it as just another announcement.

In the end, I don't think it's very likely that suddenly all US gamers will drop their PS3s and get FF XIII on the 360, and I'm pretty sure those WAITING on FF XIII will still buy a PS3 and play the game the way it was meant to be played: on one blu-ray dosc, in gorgeous TRUE 1080p, and on its native platform.

So maybe it's a;l you 360 "fanboys" that need to calm down, you're all acting like Microsoft just bought Pokemon or Gran Turismo.

blurayforever143

@Candlejack: I do agree with that, completely.

risingphoenix

@PapaBear434:

White Knight's Tale is going told this month...

I meant going GOLD this month.

PapaBear434

@Candlejack: like this guy: Lainface

see what I mean.

Jun581 likes street fighter 2 but he really hates zangeif, only Ken and Ryu, but finds it hard to be Blanka!

@Buttah:

/agree

EnigmaNemesis

I will buy this for the xbox360, but I still have as much desire to buy a PS3 at some point as I did before.

Even though I've laid out the things I'm waiting for before, here it is again (yes, I'm aware you don't care), slim redesign, dualshock 3 bundled, $300 price. Backwards compatibility would be nice but isn't a deal breaker for me.

I won't be buying for one single game, though there are plenty I am interested in already.

Having said that, if a new Zone of the Enders is announced The price I would be waiting for increases to $350

mouroutaru

@hungry_for_worms: If you read the liveblog, it seems to suggest that the PS3 Japan version will come out first. Then, simultaneously, they will be finishing off (a) the US localisation, and (b) the 360 version - so the US version will be simultaneous 360/PS3.

That implies that if they release the 360 version in Japan it will come out months later than the PS3 version. So I can imagine at that point they might want to not bother.

Of course the above might be wrong, it's just what they said earlier (unless I misread it).

quen

@Evil J:

Actually, no, I didn't much care. I had played it on my 360 until I decided I couldn't take the gamepad controls, and traded it in for the PC version.

Taking that much enjoyment out of another's misfortune is just childish. Unless it's Jack Thompson, because his suffering is of his own doing.

PapaBear434

Multi-plat just means that more of us can enjoy the game. Nothing really wrong with that. Unless you're an idiot.

And as a few people have already said, the end of the trailer points to PS3 exclusivity in Japan, so I'm going to assume that for now.

kusarigama

@Murderdolls: Quit being a giant fanboy douche. There is no reason for that.

ƒox

@PapaBear434: I agree. For such a strong franchise they should have tried to keep it. Look what MGS4 is doing for PS3 sales now.

I certainly wont buy a console just to play FFXIII.

Awoken

@risingphoenix: I never even suggested that, I think the loss of FF13 is an awful shame and Sony has to do LOADS at their conference to recoup and maybe come back.

What I was commenting on is that we don't need this shit about which console is now doomed and which one isn't "needed" because of game X being on another platform. That's pointless crap and belongs on 4chan or the GT forums.

@Jun581 likes street fighter 2 but he really hates zangeif, only Ken and Ryu, but finds it hard to be Blanka!: Exactly. It's childish.

Candlejack

@Buttah:
Exactly my thoughts.

We're never gonna see this game. By the time it comes out in English, the XBOX 720 is gonna be out.

Archaotic

@GTA4er:

I'm more looking at it like "What DIDN'T Sony do to keep the relationship strong?" They could have sent some programmers up to help, they could have contributed some funding, they could have done a million things to convince Square to keep this one last title exclusive.

They didn't.

So, either they are still that arrogant that they think they just don't need it exclusive anymore, or they have something HUGE up their sleeve for tomorrow. Like an announcement that White Knight's Tale is going told this month and set for release in the next, and it comes with a playable demo for LittleBigPlanet and a free hummer from Angelina Jolie.

PapaBear434

Really i would have been suprised to see this stay exclusive, as much i wanted it to, face it exclusives end up being better games because of it.

I honestly don't even think Microsoft had to do much coercing to get this either, it just makes sense, release your game to 4.4 million PS3 users or 14 million with both systems.

Though it's not like Microsoft has much to boast about with their upcoming 3rd party blockbuster exclusives as lets see they have 0. Sony still has at least White Knight, and a couple other smaller but still large 3rd party exclusive titles.

Spoony

Good stuff, now most of the people i know will get a chance to play this!

Although its barely worth thinking now-we wont be playing this for well over a year. Plenty more to be excited about before then!

TheSpiller

Ok, now I'm bracing for the big Gears of War 2 for ps3 announcement tomorrow.

Sinfwho

@PapaBear434:
What, you didn't do a happy dance in the MS360 fanboys' collective face when BioShock was confirmed for PS3? Oh, wait, I know I didn't, I was just pleased to get to play a good game... like a year and a half after it was on the 360.

Seriously, guys... get a grip.

Evil J

@Candlejack: you pretty much covered what I was going to say to him/her. I'm noticing an explosion of those comments. "No reason to own a PS3" or "Now I don't have to pay $600 for that system. I might for a cheap blu-ray player!".

Jun581 likes street fighter 2 but he really hates zangeif, only Ken and Ryu, but finds it hard to be Blanka!

@eastx:
They've *had* the library in Japan... and no one's been buying aside from when the Blue Dragon bundle pushed sales there... briefly.

Even putting this multi-platform there probably wouldn't put as much of a push on the platform as one might think... If it were an exclusive? Hell yeah.

Evil J

@Murderdolls:

I think that makes you a loyalist tool. Let's remember that there's always pride before the fall, and Sony still has their press event tomorrow.

PapaBear434

I'm not pissed that it's coming the 360 since I own both systems but think of the consequences of this announcement.

1. A game we've been waiting on for the past 2 years, won't be available for at least another 2 years. (maybe more)

2. Even more stupid console war fanboy fighting.

3. Exclusives can take advantage of a consoles full capabilities. Now that it's multiplatform, no matter how you feel about each console, something's going to be compromised. The systems are so different that it can't be helped. (graphics, audio quality, load times, disc swapping, etc.)

I completely understand why SE did it. It's just business but it still just feels kinda off when I think about it.

Buttah

How much did M$ pay for this game? Or should I ask how many "things" did M$ do for SE?

360 fanboys are by far the worst...

GTA4er

@Murderdolls: Haha, best comment I've seen today.

If FFXIII goes 360... I have one less reason to even pick up a PS3.

Lainface

@lc204:

I don't understand why people think microsoft paid a ton of cash to have them produce on the 360. maybe square realized that the 360 is destroying the PS3 in the US. Maybe they realized they were shooting their own foot if they didn't realize multiplatform. Console exclusives are last gen...this gen is all about who has the best games out...period.

phunky420

@Murderdolls:
Revel in it. Why not?

But the whole "Well, I was going to buy a PS3 but now I'm not" from a guy with the Gears of War logo as his avatar? Yeah, you're really not fooling anyone.

Evil J

Actually, it is PS3-only in Japan. The E3 trailer says that it is "PS3 Only in Japan".

NKato

I really think putting this on 360 in Japan would stimulate hardware sales there, even though it's not the # 1 Japanese RPG franchise. Microsoft could really start turning things around over there if they'd get their act together. They've got the software library - they just have to get a grip on the marketing.

eastx

@Candlejack: You don't think that making a game multiplatform lowers its overall quality?

risingphoenix

@Evil J: I can't stop drinking Sony fan's tears though...

Murderdolls

@PapaBear434:
See, I'm seeing it as a continuation of the trend of no third party exclusives. It's just not going to happen unless one of the console makers helps foot the bill for development and production, essentially making it a second party game.

I'm not at all shocked by this. I don't think it wasn't that they didn't fight so much as it's that the developers, especially on these multi-million dollar projects, have to make the money back...

Evil J

I'm actually torn on what system to buy the game for. I may just have to rent both x)

PlasmaMachine

damn dude all this news has me in a spin it seems surreal though sony only has sony to blame. Losing one of the biggest games of this generation of consoles will go down as sony lost this gen. There is nothing large enough to bring it back at least nothing with a large fan base.

lilaliendog

probably not, Square-Enix wants to make money, and the xbox360 sells less than 100 units a week. If they are going to do it, they probably will pass Microsoft the check for distribution and even then, Square-Enix won't do it.

After This,it would not surprise me to see Metal gear Solid 4 coming for xbox360 in 2009...

VakeroRokero

The 360's install base in Japan is low, however I'm sure that FFXIII would push at least SOME systems. I'm sure Microsoft is happy about the announcement but wish that it was also coming in Japan. Not too much of a loss, though, since their monies come out of NA and Europe.

BluFire

Also, can we have a fanboy truce here (not likely)?

PS3 fanboys: Stop talking about multiple DVDs! Considering FFVII was multi-disc and still manages to be the most popular one of the series stateside... well, makes you seem dumb for making a big deal out of it now.

Xbox fanboys: Stop pretending that you were *just* about to rush out and buy a PS3 for this game... you know, the one that's coming out in two years at the least. You weren't, so enough with the "oMg sew glad didn't buy Ps3 on1y gud for BLUEraze!!1!" crap.

Evil J

I am still absolutely blown away by the fact that Sony let this one slip away without a fight. Maybe there was one, and we didn't see it, but somehow I doubt it.

I really thought they'd pony up the money to keep it exclusive.

But, hey, Sony seems all about letting established exclusive IPs go this generation in favor of trying to get new ones. I never thought they would let Final Fantasy go, though, I really didn't.

PapaBear434

and why isnt this trailer on XBL marketplace yet? i just picked up a sony bravia last week(46' 1080P, 120hz. made a huge difference when viewing blu ray vs my old 1080P 60hz tv) and i wanna watch some FF13 goodness on it :(

hungry_for_worms

Gotta love that goofy-ass picture...

DaveKap

@MasonL87: And we give a fuck because?

Seriously I'm sick of this "OOH I DON'T NEED CONSOLE X BECAUSE Y AND Z ARE THIS AND THAT". We don't need that crap. Nobody cares.

Candlejack

If it does come out on 360 then, I would have bought my PS3 just to play MGS4 and use it as a Blu Ray player, oh well. Unless, PS3 version came on one disk and 360 came on multiple disks. That would make me feel a bit better about buying the PS3.

2SBs

@hungry_for_worms: If they were telling the truth earlier about their processing steps, they would be releasing it on the 360 in Japan almost an year after the PS3 version... Doesn't sound very smart, especially looking at the market size.

everybest

It would be bad financially to make a Japanese version for the 360.

TalKeaton: A Force to be Reckoned With

See, I don't see this is as the deathblow everyone seems to think it is... I mean, I honestly don't see XIII as the hardware mover in the US. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see it as the hardware mover in Japan.

I mean, it's where about three quarters of their sales of Final Fantasy games go. I'm not going all fanboy and saying "Take it, we didn't need it!" because obviously Final Fantasy has a decent following in the US, and any triple-A exclusive that goes multi-platform hurts.

That said, if MS had gotten it exclusively in Japan, that might be a deathblow. Seeing as they're not even competing in the biggest market for the genre or series... yeah.

This isn't a major victory for Microsoft, it's just a slight one for Square Enix: PS3s outnumber 360s in JDM-land, 360s outnumber PS3s in America... you sell it on the one that's strongest in both places and still sell to the PS3 owners in the US.

Win-win.

Good work, Square-Enix. Seriously.

Evil J

@ajiezer:

For Sony it does. If Sony gets FFXIII exclusive in Japan that'd be huge for them. Even if just 50,000 360's are sold because of FFXIII in Japan, that's 50K more that Sony could have sold.

LittleBigPlaneteer

The install base in Japan for the 360 would make the relative sales from the effort negligible, methinks. Bringing it elsewhere is a great plan for them though, as far as mazimizing return is concerned.

Though... japanese 360 owners would likely feel cheated...

It's an interesting situation to be in.

Heliophage

Put Dragon Quest on 360 in japan instead.

lc204

@Archaotic: Also, I don't think it will do anything to help the 360 in Japan.

firen

i cant see why it wouldnt. i mean if you spend the time and money to make it but not release for japan makes no sense but who knows lots of decision that dont make sense have been made by devs.

hungry_for_worms

I think we'll see a Japanese version for the 360 years later. Like after the N. American release.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Does it really matter after what happened earlier?

ajiezer

@firen:
Seems to be what Hashimoto was hinting at during the Square press conference. Makes sense, a Japanese 360 release would just delay the game even further, and I don't think Square can afford that.

After all, the English version of the game at this point probably won't be out until 2010 now.

Archaotic

Square Enix - "Give us more cash and we'll think about it."

lc204

Square Enix: "Sorry what was that? I was too busy counting my money"

hamandcheeseUK

i wouldnt be surprised if it was a no. Microsoft probably just paid them enough money to be released in the states and europe where 360s run rampant

silentknome

i think in the trailer it said FFXIII only in japan for the PS3

angry_bananas

Awesome, another reason to completely ignore the PS3. Just get Ratchet and Clank & LittleBigPlanet on the 360 and I won't ever have to buy one.

MasonL87

Square Enix - "No."

firen

(Phone rings repeatedly until answering machine picks up)

Square-Enix: Hey, Sony! It's your Squeenie-Bear! Hope you're doing alright. Just called to tell you I love you.

(pause)

SE: I can't do this anymore! I…I found someone else. It's not that I want it to be over between us, but I just feel like others should experience me, you know? Why should I let you hog my glory? I need to be free! And this guy, he…

(Sony picks up the phone)

Sony: But what about loyalty, huh? We're Japanese; we have honor.

(pause)

SE: No, Sweetheart. It was about the money. It's always been about the money.

Sony: What?!

SE You were the most popular, and you had tons of money, so I stuck with you: Now I'm meeting more popular guys, like Mike…

Sony: Mike?!

SE: Yeah! He's swell. I even met a guy named Ninty - he's popular, but doesn't meet my hardware needs.

Sony: Huh?

(click)

Kirksplosion

Bottom line.....Microsoft needs this game on the 360 IN JAPAN, DAY ONE or it's not as big a win for them.

SAKY

Regardless of the fact that Japan has a low number of 360 sales, Square-Enix should drop the pretense and just go multi-platform --albeit, with a limited number of 360 copies upon release-- there as well. Even if the sales are small, they'd still be sales none the less. They can't honestly believe no Japanese 360 owners wouldn't pick Final Fantasy XIII up.

KeroseneClimax

@blurayforever143: Misinformation a bit? Games for the PS3-- just like the 360-- are not encoded to disk at 1920 lines by 1080 lines. The system has to scale them. The 360 has a hardware scaler and the PS3 a software implementation. Both devices scale up to 1080p. So stop with the TRUE FUD, pumpkin, and play it honest.

The fact-shaving on this story is just disgusting, on both sides. It's just a game and we don't yet know the details. Give the facts a chance to come out, children.

wild homes is a box-offfice disaster

@zkotaku:

Lol not that versus holds up to the main series...but everything SE does from now on, nay from months ago to the future, will be done on the 360 if not soley on the 360.

New games in development by SE for the ps3 have all but ceased if you havent been keeping up.

TakuFangirl

@Datheron: When a system is paired with a game (or games) for as longs as the PlayStation 3 has been paired with Final Fantasy 13 and Metal Gear Solid 4, it's does little for the perceived solvency of the console when it loses one of those titles...particularly before the game's actual launch.

Like I said in my previous post, I hope this is teaching Sony the value of focusing on first-party development first and foremost as well as actively soliciting exclusives.

Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic

Final Fantasy Versus XIII will not be xbox 360.

zkotaku

@ƒox: Opps, that was aimed at Sinfwho.

ƒox

So many people know so little about SE. Japan would be a big deal since SE is obviously switching everything over to the DS and to the 360, as I said last week. And 2 years ago. And 5 years ago when Sony fexxed up the HDD-FFXI support. Thats where it started and SE has decided to end it.

I wouldnt doubt the Jap 360 getting 13 as well since it would make sense and they would start buying. They have to give up supporting Sony at some point.

Very fun to watch. I hope Sony has something big the flamewars can be really funny.

TakuFangirl

I think I'd prefer be able to knock a few teeth out of the countless idiots that spew their diarrhea all over every video game website I visit.

ƒox

@Datheron:

Yeah, just like Bioshock.

GTA4er

@freemonk: that's sort of the point. they need to boost sales in Japan and this would present a cheaper option to play final fantasy.

dubbfoolio

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic: How can Sony be seen as "weak" when none of the three have had huge success in retaining exclusive 3rd party support? As a matter of fact, you could argue that the Wii has had the most exclusives, especially when companies make games with the Wiimote in mind.

The 360 and PS3 are similar enough in power that it's not terribly surprising to see lots of blockbusters go multiplatform; there's usually not a technical reason for it, just business incentives and deals. The Playstation brand was built on the backs of 3rd party games, sure, but Sony's gotta be realizing, almost like Nintendo, that 3rd parties are fickle and when someone like Microsoft comes around they're going to make the decision to sell the most pieces of software and wouldn't care much about how many consoles are pushed with it.

Datheron

@TearsandScreams: I'm guessing you've never seen a fist fight over how lame Mario/Sonic was. With all the fanboys tethered safely to their favorite computer chair these console wars are getting more and more tame.
Ah, war has changed... Everything is controlled now.

Sinfwho

Not like MS gives a crap about FF13 in Japan. Sure it would be nice but come on, if 2% of their market doesn't get the game at launch and 98% of it does they won't care.

If Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata and Lost Odyssey can't spark 360 sales in Japan, not even the sequel to Chrono Trigger being a 360 exclusive would matter at this point.

Mrjoemama

Honestly, why wouldn't it? If they go to the trouble of crossplatforming the game, why not go ahead and put it out in Japan as well?

Seriously, why wouldn't it?

Does Not Equal

FFXIII, by itself- will have an impact. A lot of people who haven't gone next-gen yet, are waiting for FFXIII- and will pick up the 360 since it's cheaper for FFXIII.

I think it will be a blow to future PS3 sales unless the PS3 matches the 360's price point.

arstal

@TakuFangirl: Everytime I see your posts, I can't tell if you're serious or not. Are you so caught up in Microsoft's ass that you have no idea where you are? Yeah, I tend to side with Sony because that's where most of my investments are, but I try to look at both sides logically. I'm okay with fanboys as long as they make sense and try to look at things from outside point of views, but there are always crazy PS3/X360 fanboys too. Non as consistent as you, though boy. Congratulations? Maybe its time to grow up.

everybest

@firen: The 360 doesn't need help in Nippon, the PS3 needs help everywhere else.

V.Volker

@risingphoenix:

"You don't think that making a game multiplatform lowers its overall quality?"

I don't

griffinrider

I doubt Microsoft had to pay SE for it. I think it had more to do with the straining relationship between SE and Sony, and Sony not paying SE for exclusivity.

CCCombobreaker

Yeah, I wouldn't mind if platform exclusivity died completely. I understand why it exists, I just enjoy games, man, and would like to play all the good ones without having to worry that, say, Mass Effect is on the Xbox and Metal Gear Solid is on the Playstation.

Malyonsus

@TakuFangirl: Your crazy they are still working ps3 games. Plus there will not be a xbox version for japan only ps3. The Last Remnant, Dissidia: Final Fantasy(psp), both Final Fantasy XIII, and Rapture.

Plus ps3 and nintendo is tomorrow show.

zkotaku

If it's games for all, then SE should release their PC version of FF13. Even a GF8600GT will run it perfectly.

somarix

@PapaBear434: "I am still absolutely blown away by the fact that Sony let this one slip away without a fight. Maybe there was one, and we didn't see it, but somehow I doubt it."

Considering the kind of noise coming out of Sony the past year I don't think they're interested in spending any ammount of money for exclusive rights to an IP they will not own. If MS did pay for it, then it could be argued that Sony got it for free while MS had to pay. Sony has made it quite clear they're going to focus their efforts and money on increasing quantity and quality of first party games with investments into new IP's and studios.

Replica23

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic: Also Agree. I see no benefit to me (other than the short term cost of a third console), from someone winning the console war. And do worry about Sony slipping far enough behind that they can't keep MS innovating.
MS pulling too far a head worries me the most based on their past business practices and the 360 HW problems.
Sony is not my friend, nor is Nintendo, but both have done a good job enough job in the past innovating when they had market leads way above the others. MS has a very poor track record here. I can list examples from every area of their businesses. It's not that they are evil, it's just their business strategies do not (tend to) benefit me as a gaming consumer(if the masses thought as did they would change their strategies for sure). I'm also being very simplistic here about all the business decisions that go on, but in general I like my Corporate behemoths fighting over me the consumer, like the Trex v. king kong. If either wins its not the greatest time to be eaten alive or porked by a ginormous lovesick gorilla...

Ehardergardens

@KeroseneClimax: I think all games should be multi-platform with maybe some sort of limited (3 months?) exclusivity period.

As a PS3 owner, I think my 360 brethren should be able to experience MGS4 and the FF series, and I would like the PS3 owners to likewise enjoy games like Gears and Mass Effect.

It's rather funny, though, to read some of the fanboy flamers out there. I mean, for every game your 'hated' rivals get shut out from, you yourself get shut out from something else.

I say 'GAMES FOR ALL!' unless you own a wii, in which case you can just have Animal Crossing. No.. Wait! I WANT ANIMAL CROSSING TOO!

mitsoxfan

Why don't they just release the goddamn game with Japanese voice actors and localized subtitles / Menus?

There problem solved! Can release it everywhere now at the same time.

Patient

@wild homes is a box-offfice disaster: You are the one that seems a bit misinformed. Scaler chips and software can't change native resolution, and not all games scale to 1080p. Maybe you have jumped a generation ahead of us?

risingphoenix

Square sees what happens to JRPGs and it really doesn't move systems. I mean Lost Odyssess created by the man who was everything FF and they went "eh I guess so". They already say the explosion in Japan after MGS4 for PS3 and a bit less interest elsewhere but still amazing sales. So they are going to sorta mimic but over all Japan stays where it is on release.
@MasonL87: yeah if only LBG was not fully backed by Sony. If you want game you have to either wait for news like this or buy the system.

TheNexusRebound

I know this will be buried in the rubble but

[kotaku.com]

2:05
shane from 1up ask about ff13 coming to japan on the xbox 360........
2:07
Hashimoto says something like "I think you are right [in assuming that it's not coming out in Japan]"

or

[www.gamasutra.com]

- the Xbox 360 version is currently not slated for release in Japan.

Although I'd like to belive you have short term memory issues, these are semi-quotes taken from a press conference you were at Brian Ashcraft just 2.5 hours ago.

I think a better question is Kotaku fishing for page views or was this a genuine mistake?

They also mentioned in the conference that Microsoft's install base in the west (read: Sony's relative lack of an install base in the west) was the primary reason for this move. Which explains the PS3 exclusivity in Japan (lack of Xbox360 owners). highly doubt any bonus money exchanged hands in this deal. The facts point to purely financial incentive and maximising profits on the game.

UntouchableP

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic: I agree that it's not doing anything great for the PS3 image, sure, but as you say, it's an opportunity for Sony to refocus on creating great 1st and 2nd party software and define themselves through their Gods of War, LittleBigPlanets, Ratchet & Clanks, Pixeljunks, etc.

The fact that MGS and FF have been with them through the PS1 and PS2 eras was again more of a lack of competition on the part of the N64, DC, Xbox, and GCN; give credit to Microsoft for coming up with a viable platform and pulling the deals necessary for multiplatform games, but it's not like b/c there's how an alternative that somehow makes the PS3 platform weak.

Datheron

As mentioned the only people who are going to suffer for this decision are those who were expecting to play it on PS3 as a PS3 exclusive with the generally better quality of development that entails.

I am not saying games don't look great on the xbox 360, nor am I saying this one wont look great, sounds great, and play great, but it wont be able to take full advantage of the power of the PS3. As mentioned by Hideo, MGS4 was able to take full advantage of the PS3's power and it really shows when you watch the game and the cut scene's, they are fantastically crafted and look far better than any multiplatform game I have seen, heck better than practially any game i've seen ever.

With FF13 coming for multiplatform I will still be buying it on PS3, even though I own both, but in the back of my mind I will always wonder what could have been.

I don't think this is a bad thing for the gaming industry though. It will help square make more money and everyone will get a shot at playing a, sure to be, fantastic game. I still like my PS3 and am glad I have it. I actually prefer it to my xbox mostly because I am afraid to run the xbox for too long as I might melt the solder on the ball grid.

At any rate, gg Square-Enix, more einhander please?? :extends open palm.

ankhenaten

@Does Not Equal:

Hey, when you need something to fall asleep to, who do you turn to?

SG_Mahonay

@CCCombobreaker: I think this was a quick and swift decision: FF13 is taking too long to make, so it costs a lot more. Thus a single meeting at SE has probably been held, where investors were given the facts about PS3, x360, multiplat games and CrystalTools - how FF13 can be easily ported to x360, and benefit a lot. Sony voted against, but with their meager 8-20% share in SE they couldn't make a difference, when all other investors vote "for".

Now, FF13 is being made to use a common denominator of PS3's and x360's computational power. Each version will lose a thing - be it details here and there, or whole features like procedurally-generated animations (ala Uncharted). I was really hoping for seeing the latter in FF13, but we can kiss that goodbye. About the former... well, instead of seeing something as detailed as KZ2, just imagine FF10 with better models. (without FF12's character animation everywhere).

Just my thoughts.

Fuck it, I was looking forward to awesome animation (that can be done on large scale only with SPEs), and doing my own research for that - in an attempt to recreate the first 15 minutes of FF7 with full FF13 graphics on nVidia hardware. FF on the PS3 was my sole inspiration, and now it's diminished.

somarix

@mitsoxfan:
I wish more people had your attitude.

gamadaya

@SG_Mahonay: Man, I hate boring documentaries. I'm changing the channel.

Does Not Equal

Like I said, it might come to Jp360 as well, but I'm betting on an International version a full 2 years after it's first released over there(after the English versions release). It's a perfect diabolical plot if you're SE.

Furysetzer

@wild homes is a box-offfice disaster: I was simply highlighting your statement that the PS3 and 360 weren't capable of producing native 1080p games, when in fact there are a few games that do. (As you clarified in your latest post) :)

My previous comment wasn't even really directed at you. I am just a bit upset at the fact that any hope of having Final Fantasy XIII produced in native 1080p splendor is diminished by the fact that Square is now confined to DVD 8. Thanks for clarifying though.

risingphoenix

@MasonL87: Sony has publishing rights for both of those series as well as Insomniac's loyalty lol.

element7

The fan boy in his natural habitat relies on inexplicable reasoning and the natural instinct to shake off any trace of buyer's remorse. Attempting to connect the dots to make a point, which usually ends with one's own fist in his or her mouth. Not content upon simply following the consumerist module, they become connected to their product of choice and build deep prejudice against any of the other alternative choices. The human ego, seemingly a creature of it's own as it extends from a person to their belongings. Not only must they defend themselves, but their "stuff" as well. Truly extraordinary. Watch as this force of nature is in full bloom.

SG_Mahonay

Wow! So FFXIII WILL be on the 360? That is big news for Microsoft! ...so, how many discs will it be on? Memories of MGS4 videos on the XBOX are replaying in my head now, and I can't help but think multiple discs galore here.

American_N_Japan

@griffinrider: So the extra manpower and time to make the game for additional systems benefits the overall polish?

If you added 15,000 people and 8 months to any game for one console it would be much better that if you divided your resources among multiple platforms.

risingphoenix

@risingphoenix: No, they can't change native resolution. That's why it's called native, and I never claimed they could. But the scaler systems in both consoles do translate native images to a specified destination resolution, and work in conjunction with the upconversion algorithms to clarify the adjusted image. Same as your television might attempt to do when it receives a lower-resolution signal. So yes, they can output 1080p, even if it's only a mathematic interpolation of the source material. But very, very few games render internally at 1920x1080, so the FUD that we're getting 'TRUE HD' is just a marketing myth, and a sad one at that.

wild homes is a box-offfice disaster

@Kirksplosion: Heh awesome little vignette. But you forgot one thing: SE already had a long affair with Ninty before ever getting with Sony. Back then, Sony was the other lover. Basically that's what Sony gets for falling for a rolling stone like Square and expecting commitment...

gaijira

There's no reason for Square to not make a Japanese 360 release, what with all the RPGs they're throwing at it now. Remember that a lot of those rumored 'internat only' 360 ports ended up going to Japan as well...

Famitsu has been notoriously PS-pushy, and I wouldnt be surprised in the slightest bit if this was just something to make them fall for the bait and actually keep releasing FF13 articles. Titles like Vesperia have gotten considerably less coverage ever since they announced the game's not going to be a PS3 exclusive.

muu

@Evil J: Good point of view...now go to joystiq and try to fight against those 360 fanboys.

Mike918

@Replica23: Paying for exclusivity is a fickle thing that just isn't a good long-term business strategy. Yea, Microsoft can continue to dole out the dollars left and right for exclusives, but beyond earning the goodwill of their customers (for a brief duration) and bragging rights for the convention, how is it going to help them with actually making money as a company? What happens the next generation when Microsoft is no longer willing to pay as much and everything becomes multiplatform again?

If anything I see Sony slowly following the steps of Nintendo in boistering their 1st party support and building a solid stable of games and IP's under Sony's own roof. Relying on 3rd parties is not a viable long-term strategy.

Datheron

@UntouchableP:

Gah! thats what happens when you post in the wrong firefox window.

here are the links

first attempt [kotaku.com]

Quotes

[www.gamasutra.com]

[kotaku.com]

UntouchableP

it's delightful to see that i'm not the only one who sees this as nothing more than a smart business move that will fuel more pointless annoying fanboy wars.

just let me play it. why couldn't the announcement have been "hey, we made measurable progress! we have a release date!"

Flashfire

Install base for the 360 is so small in Japan. It would be a good idea to make FF13 for the 360 for Japan, so it'll be a better port over here in the US. So far, they haven't even started 360 development yet, and this will delay the game a few more months.

zerokoolpsx

@PapaBear434: I told you it would be on the 360, so who is the fan boy now? I wasn't speaking from a fan boy sony box, and now how the mighty have fallen.

On the other note, we should look forward to Kingdom Hearts 3 being announced for the Nintendo Wii.

CapnSpank

i hope to god Kingdom Hearts 3 and Versus will stay on Sony platforms.

I love you microsoft(and fanboys), but I started to tear up up when I saw that FFXIII trailer. If anyone wants my tears, I saved them.

AngelMayLaugh

What is the big deal, even if it is what version do you think will sell in Japan?

I'll give you a hint, it's going to be the one that has more than a million sales in the country.

KurtangleTN

@CapnSpank:

I told you it would be on the 360, so who is the fan boy now? I wasn't speaking from a fan boy sony box, and now how the mighty have fallen.

No, you're still a fanboy. You're being right is incidental to that. The fact that you're keeping score and saying "GOTCHA! TOLD YOU SO! HA HA!" kind of backs up that point.

I said multiple times in that thread that I was not saying that it was impossible that the game would show up on the 360, but as there was nothing but shaky rumors based on falsehoods, I simply was asking you not to obsess on said rumors until Square themselves said something about it.

It turns out that, yes, they did say something to the affirmative. But it does not change the fact you were basing your entire hypothesis off what you heard through the Gamespot forums "grapevine" and were just spreading unfounded rumors.

PapaBear434

Im going to throw my two cents down right now for anyone who reads my comment page to see what I've been posting lately, or in general.

Im going to be avoiding these discussions like the plague. As in, not posting. Sony fanboys are fucking stupid, Microsoft fanboys are fucking arrogant.

1. @blurayforever143:
Like everyone else pointed out, FFVII was multiple disks. So shut the fuck up about a '20 percent of what it once was' game. Lost Odyssey, for your information, is currently placed right up with FFVII, FFVI, Chrono Trigger and Shadow Hearts as one of my favourite games of all time, and it was four disks. Im not so lazy I cant change a DVD every 10 hours.

2. @blurayforever143:
The 360 has an HDMI port, and can run in 1080p. In fact, some games on the 360 that have PS3 ports will only do 1080p on the 360. Skate, for example.

3. @GTA4er:

You deserve a reply. A reply telling you you're an idiot. You're as bas as a Microsoft fanboy going 'Har har, we haz dur' Dead Rising and you dont'. Bioshock went multiplat. So fucking what. So did Overlord.

Yknow what? Im happy. Im happy more people got to play the game. But Bioshock is not going to sell PS3 systems, as opposed to FFXIII being on the 360, which is going to PREVENT the sale of PS3's. People who have a 360 and really want to play FF, now wont bother getting a PS3 for it. People who have wanted to play Bioshock, have gotten a 360 for it. Bioshock will sell, PS3's wont be attached with it though.

4. However, Final Fantasy not coming out to the 360 in Japan is silly. They finally could have started making sales numbers there. Throw those 3 exclusive SE JRPGs in with Final Fantasy also being available, bada bing bada boom, you've got sales numbers.

5. Last, but not least, I cant stand anything to do with the Sony boards right now. Loyalty this, fuck you I wont buy the game now that. You're goddamn stupid if you wont buy the game just because its going multiplat, and you're a liar. If you are a final fantasy fan, you will end up wanting to play the game and will be buying it anyways. If you're not a final fantasy fan, why the hell were you going to buy it then, just to be cool? Thats like the frat boys I saw at work buying MGS4 because they heard people talking about it, and then returning it a day or two later because it made zero sense to them.

6. As for the Loyalty thing? Square started on Nintendo. Then found the N64 too complicated to fit FFVII onto a cartridge for, so they jumped ship for Playstation to use the CD, rather than work out the difficulties (if Capcom could put RE2 on cartridge, Im sure Square could have figured out a way).

Playstation 3 early adopters, you bought the system because you had a) an abundance of money and b) brand name loyalty. There wasn't any fucking games to play on it, and you bought it anyways, and it was way expensive, taking a price cut six months later. Now Sony isn't willing to pony up YOUR cash that you gave them to secure YOUR exclusives? Don't get mad as Square. Dont hate on Microsoft. Hate on Sony. They charged you a pretty penny for their system, and then chose not to run the money race with MS. This isn't some plucky little indie games firm like Stardock that doesn't have the money to get cutthroat and deserves cult support, this is Sony.

/endrant, end Kotaku visitation for a while

Komrade_Kayce

If it waS released in japan,It'd sell like 200,000 units VS 2millon It'll sell on ps3,wise decision

Umenokouji Aoi

@Komrade_Kayce: With as big of a jackass as you come off in your last few paragraphs I can't say you'll be missed around here.

Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic

Unless they plan on having varying content between the two console releases, it seems sorta silly to me that they would choose a PS3 only route for Japan... all the resources for the game will already be localized (dialog, menus, etc), so would it really require all that much effort? Granted the sales would probably be dismal in comparison, but it seems to counterproductive to already be doing the development work for both, and then not trying to squeeze all the possible sales out of it.

domain

@Komrade_Kayce: So much pent up anger. Hopefully we don't see you around.

"However, Final Fantasy not coming out to the 360 in Japan is silly. They finally could have started making sales numbers there. Throw those 3 exclusive SE JRPGs in with Final Fantasy also being available, bada bing bada boom, you've got sales numbers."

SE claims the end of FFXIII's exclusivity was due to the market share in the west. They've got their order of operations set up and if they were to release for the 360 in Japan, it would be at the same time as the western release; 1 year after it comes out in Japan for the PS3. It would do absolutely nothing for Square or Microsoft, seeing how everybody who wanted a copy would already have one. Microsoft would have to shell out some big bucks in Japan to buy out that JP PS3 exclusivity and make it worth SE's while.

everybest

If Square wanted to boost the 360 in Japan make the 360 version come out 6 months before the PS3 version.

Now THAT would be a balls to the wall move.

But they won't - they are gutless cowards.

Vanguarde

@Vanguarde: You're an idiot.

Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic

The question is: Will it matter for the 360 if it's released on that platform in Japan?

Frank

@silentknome:
why I hate them ^__^

And they make a crappy operating system.

fadecy

i don't have either console but i won't both so what does that make me? I'm usually not prejudice when it come to game consoles. we can all agree that they both have kick-ass games. yeah, they both have problems, but the microsoft and sony are working on that. now that ff13 isn't exclusive anymore, i think this is teaching Sony a little lesson. microsoft needs to be teached a lesson too.

dipsetboy17

@Komrade_Kayce:

Mostly my thoughts as well.. I have had a bit of a sour taste from Sony for awhile as well, because I seen early on how their poor decisions were affecting them, and had an idea of where it would take them - of which we are now seeing.

Oh well, they got BluRay to win, securing that whopping 3-5% increase in sales after killing choice (HD-DVD). Hope that was a good enough prize for them for forgetting about the gamers for the most part, and seeding yet another tree of thorns into their gaming division.

OrionnoirO

Money > Loyalty

And what does that mean? If you were a developer, and you knew that not only were there 5mil more consoles to sell your game on, a higher attach rate, and easier to develop (ie cheaper) for said system, you would go there as all signs point to $$

OrionnoirO

The Xbox 360 version might come with multiple DVDs, but I don't see why that would matter since you can now load your entire game disk(s) to hard drive.

Thanks for paying attention.

The Brain

This is great for Xbox owers, but now its going to ruin the game for everyone. Now the developers cant push the graphics to the limit because the game cant be different on either console so now the game will have to be down graded (LIKE GTA for Xbox) because Xbox payed out the ass to get it on there console. So now square enix is obligated to make it for both. So way to go microsoft for ruining a classic title for everyone. Its a fact for anyone that knows about computers, Xbox uses Dual Layer DVDs (8 Gigs) Sony use Blu Ray(up to 50 Gigs) . The same amount of graphical data and etc. will NEVER fit like it would on a blu ray . Now it all has to go according to this shitty Xbox hardware cause it came out so long ago. I mean xbox is a made with extremly cheap parts, just take it apart n look inside.There will never be a game on Xbox in 1080p cause of there Discs. Anyone who says xbox is better OVER a PS3 doesnt have good knowladge of hardware and computers. Rockstar was complaining about Xbox because it was hindering the development of GTA. So they had to basically down grade the game for xbox. The same thing has to happen. Now Final fantasy will prbably be in 720p on both consoles vs 1080p on just ps3 alone. This has to happen. Thanks to microsoft. Of course a development company isnt gonna say no to money, there gonna do it no matter what. So there forced to down grade.GOOD JOB MICROSOFT. And there is definitly no reson to say something like there goes one of PS3s big guns because Final Fantasy isnt coming out for almost 2 years. So there will be so many more games by then and xbox will probably be out of business because of all the returns.

Lm2nlce