790°

Square Enix: Microsoft Turned Final Fantasy XIV Down

Final Fantasy Union: "There has been much speculation about Final Fantasy XIV since its announcement at E3 2009. And more recently, Square Enix revealed that the game would not be appearing on the Xbox 360.

However, Hiromichi Tanaka, the game's director, has now announced that it was actually Microsoft who turned the game down - Square Enix wanted it to be on the Xbox 360. Slightly different to what he said just a few weeks ago."

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finalfantasyunion.com
GWAVE5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

Doesn't make sense to me. I guess Microsoft doesn't want their gamers paying two subscription fees at the same time...

@ below

I hear what you're saying, but last I checked Microsoft has been losing and closing 1st-party studios, not building them.

XxSolid SnakexX5467d ago

M$ finally realized paying for 3rd party games is a waste of money and are finally trying to build 1st party studios

SeanRL5467d ago

That...makes a lot more sense. Plus, they probably realized that no matter what, it would still sell better on ps3.

iFLOWLIKEWATER5467d ago

egative. I see Final Fantasy on the 360 as a win for everyone except that fanboy who killed or threatened to kill himself and the ones a slightly less retarded than him.

How many million to port it? I say 5 million. How many million to advertise? I say 5 million. How many million sold on the 360? 1.3+ million. How many millions in profit? 75+ million...

GrieverSoul5467d ago

This reminds me of domestic abuse! MS is the husband and Squenix is the wife that is constantly being beat to a pulp.

And... YET SHE IS STILL ON HIS SIDE!!! WTF?!

So much support for MS from Squenix, so many Jrpgs exclusive to the 360 and now MS simply says "NO!"

On a serious side:
Its simply, they wanted it to be a month fee only without requiring Xbox LIVE Gold. MS thought it would open a precedent and wasnt willing to do it because other developers would try and do the same.

Cold 20005467d ago Show
XxSolid SnakexX5467d ago

I know that but like I said they finally realized that wasting money on third party content is pointless and now they are trying to save up money for first party studios.

WrAiTh Sp3cTr35467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

iFLow...Actually that would be $65 million in profit...to split. Seeing as though, by your statement, that their investment was a total of $10 million. But I see where you're coming from and it sounds reasonable.

Ahh, Cold, you're...cold.

- Ghost of Sparta -5467d ago

They're not trying to build more 1st party studios. Microsoft's Xbox Live policy won't allow for what FFXIV is trying to accomplish. Xbox Live, unlike PSN, is a very closed service. GWAVE had it right, they won't allow 2 subscriptions.

captain-obvious5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

it makes sense
they dont want PPL to pay twice

sikbeta5467d ago

@XxSolid SnakexX

that Could make sense but is not the case, maybe SE wanted an special "treatment", like a "free pass" for FFXIV Players in order to not pay for live and just pay for the subscription fee...

IdleLeeSiuLung5467d ago

MS doesn't allow two subscription fees like Hulu Plus? They allowed FF XI in the past as well so I don't see the issue there.

I suspect, SE is bargaining to hard and now using the public as their pawn to negotiate.

- Ghost of Sparta -5467d ago

@ Idle: Microsoft changed their policy after XI, so you're wrong.

Reibooi5467d ago

Bottom line on this is SE and MS did not want to budge on the game. SE wanted full control over the way the game ran on Xbox Live like they did with Final Fantasy XI and MS was unwilling to give them that control and because of that MS probably just said screw it.

Big mistake on their part in my opinion. They don't have any real MMO's on the console aside from FFXI and I don't see much anything else working with the Xbox if SE can't get MS to deal.

JD_Shadow5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

Personally, I just think this is another part to the story. They aren't changing the reason, but rather giving us another way to describe it.

IFLOW: Final Fantasy XIII would like to speak to you about your "win".

And Cold, could you provoke any gamers anymore? On second thought, don't answer that.

5467d ago
rockleex5467d ago

They ARE saving their money... but for shovelware Kinect games.

Heisenberg5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

He clearly created a bunch of accounts to agree with himself, as if he thinks he's fooling anyone. Why don't you just piss off already? You clearly crave the attention of the people here, but nobody here wants you around, cause you just troll for the sake of trolling. You don't even try to be reasonable anymore, you're like greenringoflife (or maybe you're the same person.) you've given up trying to hide your agenda, now you just blatantly troll in hopes of the sweet negative attention you crave. How embarrassing. So you must have logged in and out 12 times to give yourself those agrees huh? Funny how you always seem to have around 12 agrees, So sad....

Sez 5467d ago

I do agree with you on getting the PC version. I don't like playing MMO's on console. So even if it would have came to the 360. I wouldnt get it. Something are meant to be played on pc.

IdleLeeSiuLung5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

ghost said:

"@ Idle: Microsoft changed their policy after XI, so you're wrong. "

What about Hulu Plus? Is that not an additional subscription on top of Xbox Live Gold?

I have not seen Xbox Live Policy, can you point me to it instead of just claiming I'm wrong? Policy or not, MS will bend it if they want it enough.

N4PS3Fanboys5467d ago

"That...makes a lot more sense. Plus, they probably realized that no matter what, it would still sell better on ps3."

That doesn't make sense... The vast majority of multiplatform games sell better on the 360, but of course Sony still wants them on their console.

kingjoker345467d ago

uhh final fantasy games sell better on ps systems

fatstarr5467d ago

They realized xbox users dont play rpgs let alone mmos and if they do Microsoft knows the 360 is the last place they would want to do that at.

+ Show (18) more repliesLast reply 5467d ago
evercast5467d ago

You are not required to have to gold account for FFXI. So paying two subscription fees really wouldn't be the problem. I have no idea why M$ would turn them down though.

StanLee5467d ago

I think more than anything, Microsoft knows its audience. I don't know that the game would be successful on the platform. In the end, I don't see the game being very successful, period.

rob60215467d ago

I'm thinking that MS only didn't require it in FFXI because they wanted a final fantasy game on their platform.. Now that they have it and now 13, they want to enforce gold membership, so they get a chunk of the pie. Considering FFXI players on 360 probably didn't buy too many other games, and didn't have gold memberships - MS sees it as a loss.

Corepred45467d ago

so Microsoft isn't getting FF XIV? At all? After it was announced wasn't Greenburg telling people to go ask Square Enix if it was exclusive or not, in a smug way? Indicating that it was going to the 360?

NexGen5467d ago

That just doesn't make sense. Maybe they meant that MS's live policies wouldn't budge in order to allow them to agree on release/subscription terms?

A refusal to budge on their fees/policies is not the same as turning down the product.

Either way, it would be in SE's best interest to get this on as many machines as possible.

dragonelite5467d ago

in the last 6 month they made 2 new dev team

lelo2play5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

Maybe Microsoft is pissed because they announced it for PC/PS3 and would be much later released on the X360, so they told Square to keep it... or maybe they are pissed because Versus is exclusive to PS3 and want it... maybe they are pissed because FF13 was exclusive in Japan... or maybe Microsoft is simply pissed about something.

Well they don't seem happy with Square for some reason.

evilmonkey5015466d ago

If you read up on Squares history, you will find that they burn just about EVERYBODY. Microsoft said no because it violates their holy cow , which is XBL.

Jamegohanssj55467d ago

First Party and Microsoft in the same sentence? Lulz.

TGSI

November 9 20045467d ago

it doesn't need to be 1st party, what you think playstation relied on most of last 2 gens? 3rd party...

Hellsvacancy5467d ago

Cold 2000, thats ok buddy, i shall b buyin the "superior" Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Versus

Bollocks 2 FF-Online anyway, doesnt interest me none the slightest, much like FF13

lucifon5467d ago

You dont need 2 sub fees, FF11 only required silver which is free.

evilmonkey5015466d ago

WHICH IS WHY your not getting it.

Abriael5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

It's very, very easy to guess why Microsoft refused Final Fantasy XIV, and there's really no difference with was previously announced (they said that they couldn't find an agreement with microsoft, which is basically the same they are saying now, making this... well... not news). The only thing that changed is the wording. The concept is exactly the same.
Picking up Final Fantasy XIV would have required Microsoft to budge on two very important points.
Reading the piece of news makes it quite clear. Square Enix offered Final Fantasy XIV (obviously) on the same terms as they did Final Fantasy XI. With cross-platform servers and online gameplay allowed even for silver accounts.

Microsoft accepted those terms with Final Fantasy XI because then xbox live was in it's infancy and policies were still being ironed.
Now Xbox Live's policies are set in stone, and they don't allow cross-platform gameplay nor any kind of online gameplay on silver accounts. Ever.
Budging on those things for Square Enix at this stage would create a precedent that would force Microsoft to allow the same for many other big fishes in the pond that would love to have their own online subscriptions bypassing the Live gold membership.

Activision with call of duty comes to mind. If activision managed to force microsoft to enable online gameplay for call of duty on silver accounts in order to create their own subscription services (Kotick and others expressed that will on multiple occasions), Microsoft would miss millions in revenue as the ones that play just those games would pass on renewing their Gold membership.

This is not the first and won't be the last online game that Microsoft will pass on. Basically anything that requires it's own pay-to-play subscription will be very much hard pressed to find any room on Xbox 360.

So no, despite the will of some to spin it that way, this isn't some smug and proud rebuttal by Microsoft telling SE to shove it because they don't need Final Fantasy XIV.
It's simply Microsoft being cornered by the very profitable but extremely rigid business model they created.
In order to continue to be profitable like it is, they need it to stay rigid. In order for it to stay rigid, they will have to give up on the games that would require their policies to be loosened. If they open the floodgates once, they'd bleed millions.

Persistantthug5467d ago

Can you all imagine the CONSOLE WARS we could have had?

Would have been awesome.
*sigh*

Newtype5467d ago

I guess MS is considerate of their fanbase, and here I thought SE was being the considerate ones.

pixelsword5467d ago (Edited 5467d ago )

Dude is such a liar, he's worse than that one guy from Id saying they they "wanted" to remove a faction, then Carmack owned him.

ffxiv will be bought from me... as a used, discounted game.

And don't say that "that'll make them want to go multiplatform even more", because that's the second time they broke their word, so it ain't because of lack of support; and who cares if they go multiplatform anyways as long as the game is solid, it's a win/win; but with S-E and Rage the games aren't solid: you got a poor port from FF, and a faction removed from Rage.

princejb1345467d ago

actually i just think ms thinks ff xiv isnt worth it
i have a ps3 and i know im not buying that game
im not into mmorpg

silvacrest5467d ago

whether that is true or not RPGs certainly sell better on the PS3

Reibooi5467d ago

@GWAVE

They aren't supposed to pay 2 fees.

I don't know if anyone remembers this or not. But when this gen began MS talked up MMO's on the 360 alot and one of the key things was that Silver members WOULD NOT need to be a gold member to play a MMO and the reason behind that was so users didn't have to pay 2 fees.

I don't know if Final Fantasy XI worked that way on 360 or not as I was a gold member for the short time I played it on 360 before I moved onto the PC version. However I am reasonably sure you can play Final Fantasy XI online with just a silver account on Xbox Live.

Point to this is that the 2 fees thing is NOT the reason the game isn't coming to 360. It's more then likely that MS would not give SE the control over the game they wanted and that lead to them saying screw it. That or MS was being to greedy and when SE didn't play ball MS just flat out said no to the game on their console. Either is a good bet.

Imperator5467d ago

If FFvsXIII goes multiplat, I will completely stop supporting SE both this generation, any generation that follows until they return to their Japanese roots and kick wada out on the streets.

Capt-FuzzyPants5466d ago

I think Nomura wants Versus to stay exclusive because hes worked so hard on the graphics.

zerocool33975466d ago

Im not bothered about games going multiplatform. SE have never had a specific console. Nintendo then Sony then Xbox... sometimes more than one. People specifically asking for it to be segregated to one console are really only being selfish, after all, if its on all consoles it doesn't hurt anyone, it doesn't affect your life in anyway. Do all you fanboys work for the respective companies? or do you just like saying idiotic statements to make yourself seem important.

If it comes to xbox or ps3 it doesn't alter my life, it would be nice to have the variety though.

vhero5467d ago

They don't like it because they like 100% control over live and MMO's are controlled by the dev and are online with 0% control to MS and they don't like that. They also don't like the fact non gold subscribers can play online like with FFXI. Plus the fact this will be huge in Japan somewhere MS cannot crack no matter how much they try. Right now though MS have no money to spare as all there spare money is going on Kinect and making sure it is successful as they cannot afford for that to fail.

8thnightvolley5466d ago

mS would let gold members have to pay double pay that would cause and uproar

Inside_out5466d ago (Edited 5466d ago )

It's about time...Square has been blackmailing M$ for a while now, Steve is in charge now and he told them to take a hike...GOOD.

The Asians hate M$. M$ spent a small fortune on those guys with nothing to show for it.

+ Show (18) more repliesLast reply 5466d ago
jammers5467d ago

Makes sense since having to pay an additional subscription beyond the live account would really suck.

Selyah5467d ago

Heh but yeah play online was done for XI and that still had the subscription you just had to sign in from a separate launcher first.

40cal5467d ago

I think it has more to do with Microsoft's policies concerning developer access to LIVE.

vhero5467d ago

You wouldn't need gold to play it online and that's probably where the problems would come from. You didn't for FFXI and MS probably didn't like that.

Selyah5467d ago

Ah well, gonna be getting this on ps3 eventually anyway. Kinda funny how Square Enix changed their tune with whose choice it was.

Myst5467d ago

Wow, this is not a cool move in my eyes. Then again I guess they felt they had enough with Monster Hunter even though it doesn't seem to be leaving Japan.

Show all comments (164)
140°

Square Enix is “aware” of Final Fantasy XIV player numbers dropping

Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu discusses the dropping player count of Final Fantasy XIV and the numerous projects of YoshiP.

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videogamer.com
jznrpg2d ago

It’s really old now. All great MMOs decline.

PRIMORDUS2d ago

Also who wants to keep paying a monthly fee every month, there are other options like Guild Wars 2 😁with no monthly fee and while not that many people overall compared to FF XIV, it did increase to about 21 mil now.

Sephiroushin1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

I prefer to pay since i do not like guild wars and it keep kids away, but FF14 decreased on quality since they started to make it "more accessible", tried throne and liberty and while it was okay it has so many issues, same for dune awakening... Its time to start making a new FF MMO

kaewcha7342d ago

Looks like Square Enix is self-aware but still stuck in place, they see the player drop and apologize for the bugs, but nothing really changes. Shame, FFXIV used to be the gold standard

Servbot412d ago

My entire free company has stopped playing. The writing has consistently gotten worse and the content is sparse and lacking; unless you are a hardcore player there's very little for you to do. They are over-catering to the people who will grind three+ times a week on a single fight for multiple months when the playerbase by large doesn't want that sort of content. Square needs to dedicate more resources to the game instead of wasting them on mobile and other live service slop.

Miraak82 1d 20h ago

The biggest factor for me is the way they butchered job design over the years , the casualization and over simplification really hurt a good chunk of enjoyment I used to have . Jobs lost any form of complexity and just became " press glowing button" DDR style for fighting where the gameplay loop is a about the 2 minute burst window . They removed most DoTS, timer mechanics , cast times, pets, RNG ect and all around homogenized everything . When you try and can cater to everyone ... you cater to no one .

110°

FF14 lead apologises as the “quality of service has declined recently” as they fell into complacency

YoshiP, the director and producer of Final Fantasy 14, has apologised for the state of the game at the time of writing.

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videogamer.com
CrimsonWing696d ago

Do you not see this happening during development? Like, why are we apologizing after the fact instead of stopping it during development?

Stopac6d ago

Criticism and reflection occur after the fact. The apology acknowledges the past criticisms with the new expansion and they're keeping transparency with players about it. Now that they've acknowledged it - it will be interesting to see what kind of cycle we'll get with a new expansion and I wonder if they're planning something special with beast master since they didn't mention it in the last live letter.

anast6d ago

It's all good, as long as the price of the product decreases.

Stopac6d ago

The base game and expansion go on sale all the time and doesn't stay full price for very long since a new expansion is on the horizon.

If you're stating they should reduce the price of new expansions or the sub fee, no, that's not gonna happen lmao people aren't even complaining about that. They are criticizing the same old pattern of content that releases and how it is devolving into mediocracy.

anast6d ago

"They are criticizing the same old pattern of content that releases and how it is devolving into mediocracy."

The product should be cheaper then.

PapaBop6d ago

I was unhappy with DT and have spent far less time in it than any other expansion but it's things like this that makes me respect Yoshi P. It's rare for such a high profile developer to be so candid in his assessment on a live game.

Stopac6d ago

Same, i've found my self resubbing every two patches instead of keeping it up. Don't own a home in the game so there's no point in keeping a constant sub going. The post story is getting interesting though.

90°

Final Fantasy XIV Releases Patch 7.25 Screenshots Ahead of Update

Square Enix released new screenshots of the upcoming patch 7.25 for its popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, including the Occult Crescent.

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simulationdaily.com
29d ago