The REAL reason Final Fantasy XIII is going multiplatform

First off, this is not a system wars topic. It's not about comparing consoles, it's about the fact that U.S. and Europe PS3 owners are going to have to wait a few months to get the game, even when it's 100% localized and finished!

We all know that Square stated that the decision to make XIII multiplatform was because the PS3 install base is too small. After doing a little research, I've found this to be absolute BS.

Let's look at the history of FF games on Playstation consoles. Since XIII is the first FF game to launch on the PS3, we'll compare this situation to the first FF games that launched on the PS1 and PS2. All my data was found at vgchartz.com(a gaming sales database with tons of great and very accurate info).

1)Final Fantasy VII launched in Japan on Jan. 31, 1997. At that exact point in time, there were 8.68 million PS1's sold worldwide. That game of course became a phenomenal hit and went on to sell 9.72 million copies worldwide.

2)Final Fantasy X launched in Japan on July 19th, 2001. At that exact point in time, there were 11.66 million PS2's sold worldwide. This game did very well and went on to sell 7.95 million copies worldwide.

Sooooooo...Square expects us to believe that the current install base of 21.16 million PS3's is TOO SMALL to justify keeping the game exclusive???

And add to the fact that this is March and XIII is scheduled to be released later this year in Japan when the install base will likely be 25 million at least.

25 million is 3 TIMES the PS1's install base when VII launched and 2 TIMES the PS2's install base when X launched!

I guess it just annoys me when a (once)respectable company like Square feeds the public this BS as though were a bunch of idiots. The truth would sound more like this:

Yoichi Wada(Square-Enix president)- "Even though the PS3 install base is more than enough for us to sell several million copies of XIII, we cannot turn down the enormous bribe that Microsoft offered us to bring the game to the 360. We even made a contract with them that both PS3 and 360 U.S. versions will launch on the same day, even if the PS3 version is ready first(which it will be as the PS3 version only needs to be localized, the 360 version needs to be localized AND ported. Ported from gamecode written to run on the cell CPU and a 50GB Blu-ray to the 360 which has neither). Please be patient PS3 owners, it'll be worth the wait"

I think Wada should resign from Square and get a position at AIG. His business sense would fit right in with theirs, lol.

If the game is good does it really matter?

I've never played a Final Fantasy game so its doubtful wether I'll get this unless it's something special.

If the game is good does it really matter?

I've never played a Final Fantasy game so its doubtful wether I'll get this unless it's something special.

Cactus_Matt

[QUOTE="Cactus_Matt"]

If the game is good does it really matter?

I've never played a Final Fantasy game so its doubtful wether I'll get this unless it's something special.

mztazmz

Wow, mature response :roll:

Seriously is the world going to end because you don't get a game even though it's finished? Be patient.

They haven't even released Rock Band 2 in Australia, despite it being out elsewhere. Do I want to play it? Yes. Do I make threads about it questioning the developers and companies, as if it's some sort of conspiracy? No.

wow, he really said that no. it's not that i'm surprised a money-grubbing CEO accepted a bribe, it's just i'm surprised he admitted it.... they're in their own world people, they're in their own little world... *sigh*Rakuho

All my data was found at vgchartz.com(a gaming sales database with tons of great and very accurate info).mztazmz

WOW, a Japanese buisnessman with the same mentality of an American buisnessman; Blasphemy.

Wada should be a AIG & Fannie/Freddie CEO & Chairman.

[QUOTE="Rakuho"]wow, he really said that no. it's not that i'm surprised a money-grubbing CEO accepted a bribe, it's just i'm surprised he admitted it.... they're in their own world people, they're in their own little world... *sigh*K1LLR3175

Is it always night time in your world?

WOW, a Japanese buisnessman with the same mentality of an American buisnessman; Blasphemy.

Wada should be a AIG & Fannie/Freddie CEO & Chairman.

samuraiguns

can you say: upgrade

[QUOTE="K1LLR3175"][QUOTE="Rakuho"]wow, he really said that no. it's not that i'm surprised a money-grubbing CEO accepted a bribe, it's just i'm surprised he admitted it.... they're in their own world people, they're in their own little world... *sigh*Rakuho

Is it always night time in your world?

Thought you have something legit TC, but turned out its just more system wars stuff. And yes you post should belong to system wars, and I can't believe I actually read all of that.

[QUOTE="Rakuho"]

[QUOTE="K1LLR3175"]I have my own little world too,but I don't accept bribes and make myself look like an fool.This generation of gaming is all about the money.Like I said,Final fantasy 13 going to the 360 does not bother me,it is just the way he said it.It is almost like he has hit a new low.K1LLR3175

Is it always night time in your world?

do you, like, need a visa for that?

[QUOTE="K1LLR3175"][QUOTE="Rakuho"]

Is it always night time in your world?

do you, like, need a visa for that?

[QUOTE="Rakuho"]

[QUOTE="K1LLR3175"]Yeah thats my forest.The moonlight is all me and martha need.If we want sunlight we will come out of our world and hop into yours.K1LLR3175

do you, like, need a visa for that?

yes... that's the odd part of that statement, it has nothing to do with inter-species relations :roll:

but considering martha is the queen of our world... that's hardly surprising.

I think it has something to do with the fact that games are much more expensive to develop for the ps3 than for the ps1/ps2. But yeah it's probably just an exuse for them to go multiplat to make a few extra bucks. Though I don't really care if it's multiplat, just great if more people can play it and it will bring more money to square enix who will then have more money to spend on their next games.

[QUOTE="mztazmz"]

[QUOTE="Cactus_Matt"]

If the game is good does it really matter?

I've never played a Final Fantasy game so its doubtful wether I'll get this unless it's something special.

Cactus_Matt

Wow, mature response :roll:

Seriously is the world going to end because you don't get a game even though it's finished? Be patient.

They haven't even released Rock Band 2 in Australia, despite it being out elsewhere. Do I want to play it? Yes. Do I make threads about it questioning the developers and companies, as if it's some sort of conspiracy? No.

[QUOTE="mztazmz"]

[QUOTE="Cactus_Matt"]

If the game is good does it really matter?

I've never played a Final Fantasy game so its doubtful wether I'll get this unless it's something special.

Cactus_Matt

Wow, mature response :roll:

Seriously is the world going to end because you don't get a game even though it's finished? Be patient.

They haven't even released Rock Band 2 in Australia, despite it being out elsewhere. Do I want to play it? Yes. Do I make threads about it questioning the developers and companies, as if it's some sort of conspiracy? No.

Also if you're not into final fantasy, you obviously wouldn't understand why I or any other fans would be annoyed.

And you don't have Rockband 2 for a completely different reason.

and why do I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall???

:roll:

Sometimes I have to remind myself that posting an intelligent analysis of data in these forums is a waste of time.

And I clearly explained why this is NOT system wars material and still, you have to turn it into something it's not. Seriously think about what "system wars" means and try to apply it to my post.

This post is about the business decisions of Square-Enix, nothing more.

I have to admit, when I first heard that FF XIII was going to be multi-platform, I was a bit angry, but now it really doesn't matter. If this what it costs for SE to bring out new games everyone can play then I'm down for it.

To me asa proud PS3 owner it does matter that the Ps3 is no longer getting the initial release on its own. It detrimental to the success of the consle I have invested in

To me asa proud PS3 owner it does matter that the Ps3 is no longer getting the initial release on its own. It detrimental to the success of the consle I have invested in

Mitten123

Which causes friends to not save up and buy a PS3 which in turn causes their friends to not buy a PS3, which then causes my friends to try and tell me to buy a 360 just to play Halo and COD with them. Which then causes me to turn down said offer because I would wind up be paying more to play on a 360 as opposed to continue playing on my PS3.

Oh well, we can still play the game. It's not as bad as Nintendo fans had it ( FF left Nintendo and went PS exclusive, they couldn't play the game unless they bought a PlayStation. ) We still get FF Versus or w/e its called exclusive

And also why do people have their panties in a bunch when all Square Enix is trying to do is make as much money as they can. Square Enix is a publicly traded company and their main goal is to maximize profits for their stock holders; not to keep a bunch of whiny fanboys happy.chathuranga

Hmm reading the responses to this is kinda funny. Some people don't seem to understand that the quote was made up, and others are giving really weak dismissive responses.

• Objection 1. Delays Don't Matter As Long As The Game Is Good And You're Immature To Think Otherwise.

What if FFXIII were not coming to 360 at all, but say Microsoft still paid SE to delay FFXIII? Not that Microsoft would do this, but the result is the same, since the game coming out on a different system is irrelevant to the issue that TC brought up. So imagine if one of Sony's competitors just paid SE to delay their PS3 release, which is what this comes down to. Would you still not be able to understand how anyone could find such a paid delay annoying and still think anyone who complained about it is immature?

• Objection 2. Omg Conspiracy Theories!!!!

It's very common that developers take money for exclusive content or advantageous release dates. Without special contracts, generally games just release on the platforms they're ready for and the ports are released later. i.e. Tomb Raider Underworld's PS2 version, and a ton of recent games' PC versions and recent (announcements of) PS3 releases of older games. Microsoft has no qualms about paying for favourable release dates and exclusive content. It's not a big stretch to guess that, since the port is being released at the same time as the original version, SE got money as compensation for it, since companies lose money for every day a game is delayed.

~~~~~~~~

RoganSarine actually offered some valid criticism: that VGChartz's data can hardly be considered accurate. Excellent point. So I'll respond to that, because it deserves a full response.

Okay, let's scrap VGChartz's data and use Sony's official data. Granted, these are in units shipped rather than sales, but all that means is that the actual sales number is lower than the shipped number stated, which only goes to prove the TC's point more.

As TC said, FFVII was released at the end of January 1997 in Japan. The true total of PS1 units shipped by the end of March 1997 (2 months after release) was 13.50 million. It stood at 10.00 million by the end of the previous November (2 months before release.) The PS1 was released just over 2 years before that.

As TC said, FFX was released in July 2001. The true total of PS2 units shipped by the beginning of July 2001 was 14.95 million. The PS2 was released 1 year and 4 months before that.

As of the end of 2008, the PS3 has sold (not just shipped!) 21.3 million units. That's just over 2 years after the PS3's release.

TC has a valid point.

the game is gonna suck anyway..

star ocean suck checked

infinite discovery suck checked

last remnant suck checked

ff12 suck checked

future games suck? CHECKED!

Yeah we know Square are sell outs and are just making excuses, not everyone can be awesome Kojima, damn I love that guy :D Hideo Kojima is the only 3rd party dev that I fully respect this gen because he didnt stray from his original vision, money was not his motivator and he stayed true to MGS4 and the fans. The only thing Im glad about is that FF13 is not gonna be dumbed down for PS3 since its the only version in development right now.Swift_Boss_A

the game is gonna suck anyway..

star ocean suck checked

infinite discovery suck checked

last remnant suck checked

ff12 suck checked

future games suck? CHECKED!

Hanabie

All my data was found at vgchartz.com(a gaming sales database with tons of great and very accurate info).mztazmz

not to argue or anything but isn't FFXIII made on Square's White Engine? and wasn't it made to be a cross platform engine? so doesn't that seem to imply that they had made the choice to go multi plat with their games? i dunno.

...

[QUOTE="mztazmz"] All my data was found at vgchartz.com(a gaming sales database with tons of great and very accurate info).shadowkiller11

the only thing that sucks about it being multiplatform is that I have to wait longer for a next-gen ff13, and I mean it's already been 3 years since the ps3 came out. But I guess this gives me more time to catch up w/ ffix, ffx, and ffx-2.

versus should be amazing as well. the cgi trailer blew me away when I first saw it (moreso than the ff13 trailer).

Delays Don't Matter As Long As The Game Is Good And You're Immature To Think Otherwise. If this delay is because a competitor paid (= payoff) so that your revenue is lowered, it is considered "unfair competition" in many countries (even USA I bet, but maybe not Japan), products can even be removed from sales in addition to a heavy fine.

What if FFXIII were not coming to 360 at all, but say Microsoft still paid SE to delay FFXIII? Not that Microsoft would do this, - WOW, now you're dreaming -but the result is the same, since the game coming out on a different system is irrelevant to the issue that TC brought up. So imagine if one of Sony's competitors just paid SE to delay their PS3 release, which is what this comes down to. Would you still not be able to understand how anyone could find such a paid delay annoying and still think anyone who complained about it is immature? well, isn't that what those "timed exclusives" are all about? getting a big payoff to compensate the sales you won't do on the other platform? and if the payoff is big enough, well, let's not release the game at all on the other platform

RoganSarine actually offered some valid criticism: that VGChartz's data can hardly be considered accurate quite an understatement, some time ago, the FAQ of how they created thier numbers staed "we take numbers from some retailers and some developers, multiply it by a factor" how could that give a valid number???. Excellent point. So I'll respond to that, because it deserves a full response.

Okay, let's scrap VGChartz's data and use Sony's official data. Granted, these are in units shipped rather than sales, but all that means is that the actual sales number is lower than the shipped number stated, which only goes to prove the TC's point more. that's a point noone seems to consider : retailers pay money to get products they actually intend to sell!!! so those "shipped" consoles will rather sell sooner than later and become sales numbers ...

the reason its multiplat is games are much more expensive to make on top of bad economy. they can invest more into the game with a much larger install base. the days of exclusives are done theres no point to them anymore, there too expensive for something that has only half of the potential install base(i mean this on both sides). its just down right irresponsible and stupid to release on just one console now a days.

delaying the release is smart on their part because its better to have one big mega release then a decent release and then a much smaller less adervertised release later plus they'd have to double their adds, which is one of the things going multiplats is to avoid. the advertising budge for video games is usually 2 to 3 times the production budget of the game. so this is a big deal for them.

everything they are doing makes perfect sense and there no doubt the budget for the game increased once they decided to go multiplat so its actually benifical to all parties.