Ben-DutkaIt's a common topic of discussion at PSXE these days: Square-Enix's perceived betrayal of Sony fans in this new generation. We won't get into the business angle of this too much – the debate rages as to whether or not Square-Enix really is turning their back on Sony, although we have difficulty viewing it any other way – but we'd like to examine another angle: the power of the final product.
I've seen it time and time again. People can complain bitterly about a particular company, be it developer or publisher, and if the end result is amazing enough, all will be forgiven. There will still be a small group of dissenters, but they're quickly drowned out by the vast majority, which simply enjoy and praise the game. I get the feeling the same thing is going to happen when Final Fantasy XIII finally releases. I know, I know; those who are currently on the S-E hate bandwagon will reply with something along the lines of, "yeah, fat chance. I will never give my respect back to Square-Enix!" And while I don't question that vehement statement, nor would I question the determination of the person who made the vow, I do question its staying power.
FFXIII comes out, and it's awesome. It rakes in the high 9s and even a few perfect 10s here and there, and most of the gaming press is telling everyone who loves RPGs to get on board. Because it's really that good. At first, you may hold out. You may turn your back and with a haughty, "hmph," ignore the game's release. You're still seething, and you certainly remember your oath. But over the next few weeks, the constant barrage of "dude, you haven't played it yet?!" starts to hack away at that internal wall, and by the time Game of the Year nominations come out, you're already starting to waver. You've sworn you wouldn't reward S-E for their transgressions, but at the same time, you love yourself some FF. You feel as if you're missing out on a great experience, and the gamer inside you picks up a sledgehammer and adds to the wall assault. It isn't long before the cracks appear, and faster than you may believe, the wall crumbles into dust and you're eagerly unwrapping a fresh new copy of Final Fantasy XIII .
Thing is, Square-Enix could stand on a podium and say, "yep, we do prefer Microsoft and we're going to focus on the Xbox 360 this generation," and if FFXIII (and later, Final Fantasy Versus XIII ) delivers in fine fashion, it won't matter. I swear it won't. We all love to play games, and our supposed nobility and integrity – "yes, we will take S-E to task and punish them!" – fades in the face of our ceaseless pursuit of awesome entertainment. I'm just preparing y'all for the inevitable transformation… 😉
Fact is, they could stop by my house and punch me in the gut and I'd still be getting FFXIII, I'm such a whore.
I will buy any game that I think is going to be good, regardless of publisher. In the end, even if I do make a protest to a certain publishers games, the only person that it is negatively affecting is me; any new FF game will have awesome sales, even if thousands of people boycott it.
yeah, fat chance. I will never give my respect back to Square-Enix!
Seriously though, Ive learned to live without jrpgs and I think I'll survive if I dont have this one.
Last edited by chicko1983 on 1/18/2009 10:55:22 PM
Count me in on the hate wagon. I love FF as I have every major game in the series. But as a consumer I've boycotted plenty of companies before. Sears, gamestop, mervyns, 7eleven, EA and microsoft just name a few. I'll just stick with my old level 5 ps2 rpgs and wkc when it comes out, I don't need SquareGaynix to surive.
cheers b3mike!
You sound like a man of principle, like myself, and unlike the mass of people who say they disagree with SEs business practices but then go and buy the game. Double standards indeed!
And i thought i was in this alone.Its good to know some people's integrity/honor is worth more than a game. Such rare individuals these days. (Raises glass) Here's to b3mike and chicko1983 !!!
Last edited by karneli lll on 1/19/2009 1:53:43 AM
You all can stick by your principles why I enjoy a great game. If it makes you feel better about yourself by depriving yourself of one this generations defining titles then by all means go right ahead. I could understand you boycotting a company who is irresponsibly destroying the rain forest or governments allowing their own people to starve and suffer in their own country while at the same time providing disaster relief to foreign countries. Come on guys it just video games here were talking here not something that can destroy lives.
I'm with you guys, I don't need this game to go on living my life so I am going to have to pass.
the only way im buying another square game is if they do what EA did. EA actually came out and appologized to us and made some outstanding games in the process. i want square to acknowledge their mistake and appologize and then ill buy.
im not gonna reward a company that turns their backs on their fans and company that made them who they are. they have already lost a few hundred mill and i cant help but think its from their whole westward expansion crap their hiding behind.
Last edited by MetalHead09 on 1/19/2009 3:56:14 PM
I just want the top marketing heads to be fired in square, however, I will still get the games, that is two different thing.
I honestly don't think I could ever do that to a franchise I've loved so much. I'll be getting both games and not only that but I'll enjoy them to their fullest. I really don't care what SE does. Business is business. Even if I think it's simply stupid to hold out the PS3 version for a port to 360… they have their reasons.
I love all previous FF games and would call myself a die hard fan, at least of VII and IX anyway. Still got the posters on my wall.
And Im not a ps3 fanboy, I dont care that the game is going multiplatform.
But yes, I am a SE hater. I wont support that company ever again.
I agree business is business, but maybe SE should disclose the reason(s) for holding the ps3 western version back. That would at least give them some credibility back, but they completely ignore the existing non-japanese ps3 fans. And that is what I am upset about.
Last edited by chicko1983 on 1/19/2009 12:02:42 AM
Off topic, this is real cool:
http://kotaku.com/5134136/here-is-your-final-fantasy-vii-advent-children-ps3-console
Too bad i already have a ps3 =(
Id like to think several hundred thousand people are thinking of boycotting this game but I doubt it. More like tens of thousands.
I wonder how many effing FF XIII games gonna sell on that piece of sh** system, 360. I've lost respect for the 360 and MS all together man. I doubt it'll sell anywhere near the numbers for the PS3 in any region.
I am on the hate board, but what else can I do? FRUSTRATED. Hoping it would come out this year and HEY LOOK, SE comes out and announces it'll be out by 2010 April at earliest. And they all say they want to port the game as quickly as possible to the US and PAL and do you even remember them saying that the 360's port won't hinder the PS3's release? Well it isn't in Japan, but hell effing yea it is in US and PAL and there's alot of pissed off people because of that. They'll barely make any freaking sales on the 360 and most of their RPG games on the 360 are doing poor in sales. Squares screwing up so badly this generation, all thats keeping them up are those games on the PSP and specially the DS.
I don't know yet lol!!!! You see I haven't finished a single Final Fantasy in my whole life. Here are all my Final Fantasies and order I bought them:
1) Final Fantasy X-2
2) Final Fantasy X
3) Final Fantasy XII
4) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (not a game but still)
5) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
What next??? Well I'd like to buy FFVII – and if it ever came to PSN – wow what a dream that would be. Then FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus. Then…Final Fantasy Tactics – The Lion Wars (which I could have gotten, but chose MGS: Portable Ops instead). Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy IX – aren't out. And Final Fantasy DISSIDIA – ZOMG IS SO NOT OUT!!! Final Fantasy I and II WOULD BE AWESOME FOR PSP!!! So that would make…8 Final Fantasies that I would like to buy.
Now I haven't finished any of the ones I mentioned. Well with the girls in FFX-2 I lvld up to like 70 but still don't know strategies to defeat some stuff. In FFX I'm still struggling with 2nd Sin – and honestly have just given up completely. In FFXII – I can't get through this field of stuff…it's like right after I beat the 1st judge you had to fight. It was really fun…but now I just have to lvl up. Oh and as for FFVII: Crisis Core – I'm at the last boss amazingly!!!! – which I find insane since as you can tell I absolutely suck at Final Fantasy games. Just have to lvl up with Zack in that since there are a bunch of those scythe things.
Now…for FFXIII – why does everyone hate it???? I liked it from the beginning…it just looked so fast pace and really enjoyable gameplay. Now sure I'm probably not going to even get through the 2nd battle – but hey…I'll give it a shot! We are shown more screenshots, given minor detail of the gameplay, and I'm actually thankful. Now yea I'm kind of ticked off knowing that I have to wait a bit longer because of the 360 version – but hey…like Ben said in his last article – it's a good chance for Sony to lower prices and compete. I also really love the graphics of the game. It really looks gorgeous to me. Such a cool colorful environment. Characters look interesting as well.
Oh and…Final Fantasy Versus XIII – Tetsuya Nomura's work…I can't wait for it really. I would just be all over that. It already looks like it has a deep story, the scene at the end with Noctis and Stella is completely real-time by the way (in the latest trailer) – which really shows you the game has potential. We aren't given anything about gameplay but have a hint that it will be fun since it's being worked on by the KH team and Advent Children team!!!
Really I can't wait. So yea Square Enix is sort of ignoring it's core fan base – but at least it's giving something! So I'm glad. Also…it still loves the PSP like hell – doesn't it??? We have Dissidia to look forward to this year. And also…BIRTH BY SLEEP WOOHOO!!!!!
"Now…for FFXIII – why does everyone hate it????" – So I looked over this actually and read some of your comments and you don't hate the game but you just hate Square Enix. But guys…you have to give some credit – they're putting passion into the game. They're taking their time and really trying their best. Now if they were downsizing the PS3 version just so it can be done on 360 – you guys have a big reason to complain. But they're not – but they are going to make you PS3 owners wait until the 360 version is done. Don't worry…time FLIES BY – trust me. As for Square Enix business techniques – times are tough guys. It's hard to take chances like Kojima who ended up really really lucky – but from hard work that is. Business is Business – sorry but it just is. Would you rather see Square Enix dissolve and no more Final Fantasies, KH, or ANYTHING?! C'mon guys…we're all gamers for one thing: HAVING FUN WITH GAMES!!! Not arguing or spending our lives hating game developers.
Last edited by shadowpal2 on 1/19/2009 12:14:37 AM
Total combined sales of FF13 on Xbox 360: 5
SquareEnix is catering to the wrong audience. Most Microsoft apologists have short attention spans and do not care about rpgs. They do not care about plot, charm, character development or story. All they want to do is shoot anything on screen that moves. All SquareEnix is doing is feeding us scraps. People are pissed off, and have every right to be.
We still get ffv13, so not all is bad ,but ,yeah SE is on my list of sons of female dogs. Well we all know what consels ffxiv is coming to, so why not shed all tears now. And in the process enjoy the game. What should have, could have, but never did.
The Prez of S-E can stop by my house and fart in my dinner…tonight! I'll still get FF.
Oh well i might still get ff if the same thing happened to me but I would be very pisst if they did that to me, stick the plate up there pooping device damit all.
I hope it's that good. I'm getting it regardless.
Yeah if the game's good I will buy it.
Though this time getting the Japanese version is what everyone should do.
Seriously why wait when you push yourself to learn the language(at least the basics) and when you get the game you can refer to the translations found 'round websites. Overall you'll continue to learn the language, understand it somewhat, respect it.
It's a big plus if you ask me.
We all know how rpgs work so it's not like you'll be 100% clueless. With translated wikis for the game out there it'll be easy as hell.
Anyway yeah I'm getting it 😀
Well lets not jump the gun here we dont even know much about the game lets wait for some gameplay and more details lets not overhype it just yet we dont want a repeat of GTA4 or Halo3
times are tough and companies have to diversify. If people complain about sharing a game that is great, than they are a fanboy pure and simple.
No one (reasonable) is complaining about "sharing" the game. It's the fact that we have to wait longer than we normally would have BECAUSE of the "sharing" that has everyone annoyed.
-Arvis
You know, honestly…. Microsoft really made gaming worse when they entered the console market… aside from their crooked business practices, they created a monster legion of fans that care ONLY about online shooters. I'm a single-player RPG guy, and while that market isn't getting smaller, it just LOOKS smaller in comparison to this big, retarded online shooter market that Microsoft has created.
Screw them. And screw Square Enix for taking their money.
-Arvis
Well. You're partly right.
M$ft popularized online gaming on consoles. Note how I write "popularized" not introduced; I know other consoles were online capable. But M$ft inluded the modem in the Xbox; it wasn't an add on.
Now, being able to play a multiplayer game online when none of your friends are available to come over is cool.
But the big problem is now that all consoles are online capable out of the box, developers are gimping final games and withholding levels and options and adding them later, for the most part, as premium, for-profit DLC.
If you don't believe me, just read up on all the crap being revealed by the Tomb Raider developers who were just laid off, as well as other developers.
This is inexcusable. This and the tendency to ship broken games and patching them later. Not that this didn't happen in the past, and at least now it is easier to get the patch (in the past the bugs weren't always fixed); but it seems that more and more games are shipped broken and patched within the first month.
The other way M$ft has hurt gaming is by not including a HD format drive like BluRay with the 360. With HD games and high resolution textures taking up so much space on DVDs and DVD-9s, developers are producing shorter games on single DVDs.
If BluRay were the standard, I can't help but think the majority of games would last longer than five to 10 hours because the developers would have space to include extra levels and/or larger worlds. Maybe even that DLC they are holding back for later on to be released as premium DLC?
I'm with you single player rpg's all the way. Only idiots pay 60 plus tax for a game that has five hours worth of gameplay!
All I want is fffvsxiii give me that.
Well… S-E is fully supporting Sony… at least the PSP. Though that support could be more robust too!
S-E is definitely making a mistake, especially in Japan where the PS3 still trounces the 360.
But if we boycott the game, we gamers would be making a mistake too.
Think about it for a second.
If we boycott FFXIII and the game sells well enough on the 360, all S-E executives are going to see is the game selling better on the 360.
In turn, this will probably lead to more games coming to the 360, maybe even exlusively.
Do we want that?
On a related note, why aren't you guys as pissed with Namco? Namco has put former Sony exclusives such as Ridge Racer (on the PS3 too), Ace Combat (not on the PS3 yet), and Tekken 6 on the 360.
Honestly, the loss of all these former Sony exclusives to M$ft and Nintendo (Monster Hunter 3 Tri and Tenchu) has hurt Sony most this gen. That and all the cool, quirky games (No More Heroes, MadWorld, etc…) are no longer on a Sony console like they were in both previous gens.
"But… she has a new hat."
Last edited by Jojoman on 1/19/2009 12:51:44 PM
I am getting it… but I will need to buy it with a spoon full of sugar because it will be hard to swallow… I also will be major pissed off if they screw up this game. I didn't enjoy 12 so much so I am praying xiii brings it back. Here's hoping…
I'm getting FFXIII even if it takes a long time of its release. Only a fool will boycott this great game. FFXIII will dominate "all" games once it's out.
"Only a fool " ? Amazing how the xbot mentality (im right and anyone who disagrees is an idiot) catches on
if the game is good, i couldn't give a sh*t, i don't know. betrayal. meh, don't care all too much. i'm more defensive about what i do, but not fanboy enough.
I'm a Big FF fan, ever since FFVII but seeing how they are abandoning the PS fans and moved onto greener pastures, i cant help but hold a grudge against them……
S-E has alot to prove to me.If the PS3 and X360 look the same.Then I'll know that S-E has been sucking on microsoft behind closed doors.
Ironically, this article is just making me hate SE even more. *thinks inside the game only, imagines the game cover without the SE logo on it*
Tbh, they'll support where the bigger profit is [i Hate that mentality]. They'll act towards a certain side after an outcome. You could say it's a "betrayal" with FFXIII, the wait fot it, and Last Remnant being a timed exclusive, but remember, Last Remnant was a flop, and wouldn't produce as much hype as FFXIII [Hype = profit], and they decided for FFXIII to go multiplat because they obviously believe it would result in a better outcome [or income to be literal], & a bigger audience. I don't think they saw PS3 users hating them for such a decision; they've already explained how they're not leaving us or anything, & that FFvsXIII [the better one imo] stays exclusive. [Would of said we get a better quality version, but then i read AceTatsujin's comment. WTF?!?!]. Anyways we should all stop having tantrums about it. Times change, but business never will. Too bad business sucks, and too bad certain people from SE have their heads stuck up their ass'.
I'd laugh hard if the game sucked balls though.
Last edited by Douchebaguette on 1/19/2009 9:23:34 PM
If PS3 sales of FFXIII are really low compared to 360. SE would definitely make versus multiplatform so boycotting it would be a pretty stupid thing.
Are you guys kidding me? Just get the game and shut up.
Why hate on us because we finally have a taste?
Read the comments carefully,its not about the game going multiplatform,its about SE's attitude.
REPEAT POST TIME!!!
"No one (reasonable) is complaining about 'sharing' the game. It's the fact that we have to wait longer than we normally would have BECAUSE of the 'sharing' that has everyone annoyed.
-Arvis"
So lets be mad because SE isn't only all about Sony. Sorry I still don't see it.