620°

Why Final Fantasy 16 Is A PlayStation 5 Exclusive

Game Informer writes: "During my cover story trip to Square Enix’s Tokyo, Japan, offices, I asked producer Naoki Yoshida how developer Creative Business Unit III feels about the game’s PS5 exclusivity and what that does for the studio in terms of development. He says it’s important to distinguish that CBUIII doesn’t go into game development thinking it wants to limit a game to just one platform or company."

Read Full Story >>
gameinformer.com
Petebloodyonion528d ago ShowReplies(30)
coolastheycome528d ago

Definitely gonna hurt its sales being exclusive.

DarkZane528d ago

It would have costed them more money to port it on Series X and S than they would have made from the sales. Even more true with Gamepass since Xbox gamers don't buy games anymore. Plus Series S would have gimped the game.

MagUk528d ago (Edited 528d ago )

@DarkZane and all his up voters 🤦🏻‍♂️

Vizigoth04528d ago

That and reducing the resolution of the characters to stick figures.

Tacoboto528d ago

Or exclusivity on the top-selling platform heightens awareness to the title and it sells better due to more focused marketing / potential reputation being supremely polished on its target platform

andy85528d ago

It'd hurt the game more having to be adapted for Series S. What would it have sold...500k? If that. Wasn't Crisis core only about 5% sales on Xbox. It's more effort to make a whole new version for that low number

Chevalier528d ago (Edited 528d ago )

Exactly. It's not worth making 2 more versions for Xbox when you're bound to lose more money than with the extra development time. It's some crazy delusion that Xbox fans seem to think it's so easy to just release Xbox versions of games and it doesn't involve work to do it. Case in point Balders Gate 3 by Larian. Makes me wonder if co-op was scrapped for Halo Infinite for the same reason.

Pyrofire95528d ago

To a degree but the FF audience has been Playstation sided ever since FF7 in 1997 people who are fans of the series probably got a PS; at the very least fewer Xbox owners are fans.

FinalFantasyFanatic527d ago

I used to always buy the new Playstation for every new FF game, that's why I got the PS2 and PS3, can't remember what I got the PS4 for since FF15 didn't come out early in it's lifespan (I think it might have been Neptunia V2). Final Fantasy isn't a system seller anymore for me though, so I tend to look at what other exclusives are on offer now.

shinoff2183528d ago

Ff15 I think sold 15 million maybe 13 million xbox accounted for 2 of those mill. I'm sure whatever Sony gave them equaled those sales if not more.

andy85528d ago

That was also before Gamepass though, now Xbox players buy games far less because of it

FinalFantasyFanatic527d ago

Not likely, and I bet it'll come to PC at some point, maybe a year or two later like alot of the other FF games have. Xbox owners don't buy many games and they generally don't buy JRPGs, Square-Enix like any other company has probably already done a cost benefit analysis and found it wasn't going to make the return they wanted/needed. And there's no-way in hell the Switch could ever run this game, not a big surprise it's PS exclusive when you think logically about it.

ChasterMies527d ago

Where else would Square Enix release FFXVI? Nintendo Switch? This ain’t Pokémon graphics. The Series S? Probably would run like dog shit. The Series X? Too little marketshare in the jrpg market. I give Microsoft credit for courting the shooter crowd and western RPG crowed, but they left behind a lot of genres that PlayStation and Nintendo own now.

XBManiac527d ago

Being on Game Pass is what hurts sales... and income. Companies have learned about this and only some indies will be there if Microsoft money abandons Game Pass massive sponsoring plan.

neutralgamer1992527d ago

Cool

Wait for activision deal to go through and all square Enix and capcom games will be on PlayStation only. Those celebrating and defending Microsoft and their intention to buy publishers better keep up the same narrative and energy

The gaming land scape is about to change and 100% not for better. Less options aren’t good for gamers

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 527d ago
z2g528d ago

the answer is easy. Sony paid.

potatoseal528d ago (Edited 528d ago )

I don't think money would have been the deciding factor. Maybe Sony helping them with development of the game and optimization. I also remember one of the FF guys saying the game wouldn't be releasing so early without the help of Sony.

"From our point of view, the technical support we receive from the hardware manufacturer is a big factor in signing [exclusivity],”

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Tacoboto528d ago

I replied in the chain above but wanted to do so here to highlight just how important this is.

This game needs to be performant and solid. Let's look at Starfield - the conversation isn't on the gameplay or tone or setting, it's on how much of a technical mess we think it could be. For FF16 and the first mainline attempt at action combat, the game needs to feel as polished/smooth/solid as possible.

In 2020 the Series devkits had very public performance issues. Microsoft's first party went nonexistent in 2022. Redfall was neglected by its own first party because all effort is on Starfield in 2023.

Square has every reason to be cautious around Xbox as a platform. That's not even touching on potential language barriers that could make any tech assistance difficult to even start. Money and time down the drain

Pyrofire95528d ago

The answer is somewhat more complex. It's not a long article. And it's such a clear and obvious answer that I don't think a reasonable person could say it's just about the money.

NotoriousWhiz527d ago (Edited 527d ago )

Developer support definitely can't be understated. Sony had their devs involved all through the process to ensure that they could meet their goals and optimize as best as they could. Microsoft probably did not have any devs helping Arkane and so we all know how that story ended. But on the other hand, Microsoft devs also did Halo infinite, so Microsoft devs may just not have the same level of talent as Sony's devs.

Maybe they should spend more money hiring and recruiting new talent and less money buying existing companies.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 527d ago
P_Bomb528d ago (Edited 528d ago )

Square weighs multiple offers. Sony won the FF roulette. Someone else won Redfall. That’s life 🤷🏻

rlow1528d ago

Do really believe that any other platform had a chance? If you do, then where is the FF remake? After Square left Nintendo it’s been pretty much all PlayStation.

Hell, Xbox would have had better odds if it had been roulette.

P_Bomb528d ago

Hmm. Well, we know XB has the money. But there were also those rumblings of a soured relationship with Square. Phil seems pro-Japan tho. He seems the type that would’ve liked to have FF. For whatever reason(s) it didn’t work out. The future is wide open tho.

Pyrofire95528d ago

FF has SUCH a history with PS it would have taken a LOT for anyone else to partner. SE probably had some intentions from the start and are smart enough to get some cash and resources out of SONY up front.

shadowT528d ago

maybe Xbox Series S was the problem

Pyrofire95528d ago

I wouldn't place it high up in the list of reasons but I could seeing it being a factor.

FinalFantasyFanatic527d ago

I suspect Gamepass deals or sales numbers personally, they did say support was a big deciding factor and I suspect Xbox gives little to none to developers.

Show all comments (157)
50°

Slitterhead Dev Explains Creation of Kowlong

For Game Rant Advance, Keiichiro Toyama explains what led to the creation of Slitterhead's Kowlong and what drew him to a fictional '90s Asian city.

Read Full Story >>
gamerant.com
50°

From Show to Game: Jonathan Rush Reflects on the Influx of New Players to Fallout 76

In a world where gaming and storytelling intertwine, Fallout 76 continues to evolve, welcoming a fresh wave of players inspired by the success of Amazon's Fallout series. Jonathan Rush, the creative director behind the title, shares his insights on how the game's narrative adapts to its community and what players can expect next. With a focus on collaboration and an ever-expanding universe, Fallout 76 aims to enrich the player experience while remaining true to its roots.

100°

PS5 Pro Achieves Significant Performance Improvements, Says Dev; The Most Impressive Aspect Is PSSR

Wccftech interviewed the developers of The First Descendant about the upcoming PS5 Pro improvements. They were particularly excited about PSSR, which they are mixing with AMD FSR Frame Generation in their game.

Read Full Story >>
wccftech.com