By Furious Francis, editor in chief
Final Fantasy Versus XIII…. I almost want to have a moment of silence anytime I mention the game because it’s been so long since the game was announced. This was by far was my most anticipated game of the current generation right next to Super Smash Bros Brawl and Mass Effect 2. The game now seems like Vaporware…. or is it being developed for the PS4? We're going to take a look at the development cycle of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and the possibilities of it being on the PS4. We want to know how you would react if the game was announced as a PS4 title. Please put your comments below.
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EDIT: If anything it will be the other way around and we will see it on PS3 first and then the PS4.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
This gen
Either
Versus or XIII-3 to come out first(I bet 13-3 summer 2013, and versus winter 2013), likely XIII-3
Then FFXV.
Edit---what Digital Raptor said down below, there is no indication that the game is in any trouble, it's just taking long, along with SE's focus on FFXIII and trying to recouperate it, Versus has only been given positive news and development updates(whenever they have been). We got a gameplay trailer almost 2 years ago, that trailer was OLD footage
Shifting development between systems does not change as much now as it used to, the Luminous is designed for next gen. So porting over vsXIII's assets should not be all that hard, it will give them more room to work with the game as well.
I am fine either way.
FF Versus XIII Card Game
or
FF Versus XIII Karting.
2) The game is well on its way to completion. We've heard updates a while ago from Nomura that dungeons and side areas of towns being explorable, and recently from Wada that the open world is fleshed out and impressive. I suspect we will hear news about it sometime early next year and will be one of the PS3's last big games.
3) Unless they've vastly upgraded the visuals since last time we saw, it won't look as good as next generation's launch games so it will lose its appeal there when compared to the rest. Square Enix would probably not want to risk that lack of fresh appeal from new generation console owners who have expectations of their own.
3) Xbox 720 or PS4's install base will be small if they want to release it on those systems within the first couple of years. Since I believe it will be ready to come out late next year the smart thing to do would be to market the heck out of this thing this gen for PS3's huge install base.
@ up2013
thanks, been saying this kinda stuff for years. I have a lot of faith in this game and the team behind it who are trying to make a classic, and not simply whoring out the 'Lightning' series.
+1
I personally think it will be multi-console. No reason for this not to be. We saw the shift of using the CG only cuts in XIII to ingame cut scenes for XIII-2 and other little tricks to better optimize performance for multi-consoles release.
XIII came out in 2009 being roughly 4 years after PS3/360 releases, which meant that there was a substantial audience for it to be successful. We've known about Versus for almost 7 years now - people are not patient enough to care after another 2. For it to come out on PS4 (and if it is already being ported to PS4 then it will come out 1-2 years into the new cycle) it simply won't make much of a mark, and gamers won't accept a last gen game with inferior graphics sway them over new games on a new console, like I said.
At this stage, it would be too late to recoup such a huge investment by moving over to PS4. After all, console development is a LOT much more expensive these days.
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You say there is no reason for it not to be multiplatform, but I suspect that's wishful thinking rather than realistic judgement, considering everything we know about the game's scale, ambition, technology and everything else.
The shift to in-engine cutscenes was to reduce disc space for 360 version of XIII-2. Nomura told us that the reason they did that for Versus XIII was that they had met their target renders for the game. Along with the fact that this game is using Luminous engine tech for lighting, that is not so hard to believe. Plus, there will be beautiful pre-rendered FMV in the game, but most will be in-engine. Nomura: "As far as the ratio goes, about 70% of the cutscenes occur in real time while about 30% are pre-rendered scenes managed by Visual Works." http://sqex.info/2012/01/fa...
For you to think this is staying exclusive is wishful thinking on your part. There is nothing ambitious, beyond scale or technically futuristic that the 360 couldn't do or handle. I'm not saying that Vs. will be a PS4 title and I apologize if that is the way you read it what I meant was that Vs. will be a multiplatform game.
Your last paragraph can confirm that they did this not only to save space for 360 versions but also it cuts down production time and cost. Which is more evidence that this game will be multiplatform just to recoup costs on this 7 year project.
After all, it's not like they have to scrap their work per se. Things like the story, game mechanics, mo-cap, voice recording(in each necessary language), etc. were already determined/completed long ago which takes up a major bulk of the dev time.
@DigitalRaptor of course there is reason to scrap half a generations work, the Ps3 has been a success now its time for the Ps4, with a huge AAA title like VersusXIII the Ps4 will be off to a flying start. I completely agree with all the other opinions you voiced.
I think it would be cool, and would further explain its delays, but I'd be fine with getting it on the PS3 if it would be certain to come out...