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Final Fantasy XIII Should’ve Remained Exclusive

Somebody has to say it.

When I first heard the news that Final Fantasy XIII would also be available on the Xbox 360, I was one of the few ardent FF fans who really didn't mind. In fact, I'm such a big fan of the legendary franchise that as far as I'm concerned, the more people who get a chance to play such masterpieces, the better. It would also be amusing to watch the hypocritical 360 fans, who took every chance they got to bash on the series before it came to their system, pull a 180 and crow about how they get FFXIII. But I've now realized that if there's one game that should've remained exclusive to the PS3, it's this one.

Let's just face up to facts: you simply can't jam as much information onto a DVD (dual layer or no) as you can in comparison to a Blu-Ray disc. And when it comes to Final Fantasy titles, they have always used a gigantic amount of information and data, even back when cartridges were still being used. Secondly, while it's certainly nice to expand the series beyond its normal bounds and appeal to others, it's the PlayStation owners who really made this franchise what it is today (and don't even start with me, old-school Nintendo-ers; you know the truth of the matter). At first, I figured that provided the PS3 owners still got the better version – which of course is going to be the case – it wouldn't matter. But now, we're starting to think about what we're missing…

This past week, we heard that a whole ton of content didn't make the final cut in FFXIII and not surprisingly, it received a whole lot of feedback from irate fans. To be fair, we can't say beyond any shadow of a doubt that all the content was edited out merely to allow the game to fit onto the 360 but…I mean, come on. I think we all know what's going on, here. Then there's the argument that this particular FF is far more linear than FFXII, which can be interpreted as smaller environments for the sake of more refined graphics. This doesn't really concern me; what concerns me is the following thought: what if the developers were allowed to cut loose with the PS3? What if they were allowed to generate plenty of open environments with a certain visual quality the 360 simply couldn't handle?

See, something like this would have a direct impact on the game itself, which really irritates a die-hard like myself. Look, franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Devil May Cry can benefit from going to the 360, and they won't lose much. Final Fantasy absolutely should've remained exclusive to the PlayStation platform . This was a mistake, Square-Enix. I have never before had problems with previous exclusives going multiplatform; I understand the nature of the business these days and I'm not about to say that denying a giant portion of the gaming populace is a good thing. But we're starting to learn what may become an irrefutable fact before long: the PS3 is just more capable when it comes to cutting-edge technology and pushing the envelope. To me, nothing on the 360 can even touch the PS3's best exclusives ( Uncharted 2 , Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , Killzone 2 , and soon, God of War III , Heavy Rain , The Last Guardian and Gran Turismo 5 ).

And while all along I've been defending Square-Enix's business strategy in taking FF multiplatform, I'm now going to reverse that decision and abandon my defense entirely. This just sucks . An open letter might read, "Dear Microsoft, thanks for wrecking FF." Perhaps that's a bit too drastic but at the same time, I might formulate another, maybe more accurate, letter-

"Dear Xbox 360, thanks for holding the PlayStation 3 back."

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Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

"Dear Xbox 360, thanks for holding the PlayStation 3 back."

Testify, Ben!

Square-Enix only cares about money now, not artistic quality.


Last edited by n/a on 1/15/2010 9:52:36 PM

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Unfortunately the all mighty dollar rules supreme. The fact that Xbox 360 has in a sense "bought" this era of gaming has left a sour taste in my mouth. It's not fair for a system(s) or the gaming community in general to suffer because some monopolies have more money then some governments for lack of a better comparison.

I'm not going to be sitting here bashing the Xbox or Microsoft, but the affects the 360 has had on the modern era has been quite staggering and impacting if that. Bad ports, cutting corners, you name it, it really is a disservice to the gaming community in a broad sense. Fortunately there are those few who chose to remain faithful and not willing to jump ship. At least there is some hope there.

There's actually an interesting article written at IGN, which my friend showed me, describing how the Xbox 360 has tampered with the industry and even hints how it has changed and disrupted gaming in this era. It's actually pretty interesting, it's titled something tot he affect of why i bought a PS3, something like that. I'm not generally fond of the site, but i found this article to be pretty interesting.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Frankly, it's already getting annoying to talk about this. Unfortunately, there will be those who will take this article the wrong way all over again, rather than recognizing the fact that it is a point of view, one which i agree with, if i may add.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

@ to_far_apart

Completely agree. All we can blame for ruining this generation is good graphics. The amount of money and time spent on these graphics, could have been used to refine gameplays or even make a second game out of it.

We have no one to blame but ourselves. We hunger for better visuals, longer gameplay, and cheaper games. It just ain't happening. It's the "better graphics" that lead developers to be vulnerable to Microsoft's checks.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Agreed Godsman.

There can't be anyone else to blame. Society is that, where competition is going to be present everywhere. Can we prevent it? No.

We're just going to have to deal with the affects brought forth by competition.


Last edited by to_far_apart on 1/15/2010 10:14:33 PM

Madmanonfire
Madmanonfire
14 years ago

to_far_apart, for pete's sake, learn the difference between "effect" and "affect". Three times you messed it up and three times it burns.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

No worries madman, i'm not really the best at grammar. I've always had trouble differentiating between the two. I'm latin so i don't really have the best english around.

You don't have to let it bug you though, it's my writing hahah

But I got my point across, I'm not going to bother editing lol


Last edited by to_far_apart on 1/15/2010 10:37:39 PM

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

To_far_apart

Got a link for that article at IGN? I'd be interested in the read.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago
fluffer nutter
fluffer nutter
14 years ago

I read that article and it made me realize how bad the writers at ign are. Seriously.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

@FlufferNutter,

Don't hold back, tell us more.

Talk about it…

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

@Highlander

Here: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/105/1059102p1.html

I didn't think to much of it, i found it interesting because IGN always praises the Xbox so when i read this i though, wow, no Xbox love? hahah

Qwarktast1c
Qwarktast1c
14 years ago

i read that article the other day and when i did i laughed because ign is nothing but a bunch of idiot posers

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

I don't know what the job requirements are at IGN but 10 years after Penny Arcade lampooned them in a comic, I'm sure nothing has changed there. Their site has always been a joke.

Akuma_
Akuma_
14 years ago

We are off topic, but i agree.

Squeenix has lost the sense of loyalty to their fans, and has cashed in.

They are sellouts, simple as that.

You can be the most revered, loved, respected company in the business, or the richest?

Seems squeenix has made THEIR decision….

geovanwitdakick
geovanwitdakick
14 years ago

wow. I can't agree with this article any more. People think that the world of GTA4 was big, but what if that remained PS3 exclusive? What if Modern Warfare 1 & 2 were a Playstation exclusive? Would the power of bluray be enough to ensure the greatness of the multiplayer remains intact, but also have a above average campaign?

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Maybe, Maybe not. No one knows what could've been if those games would've been solely produced on the PS3. But it does leave the open ended response…"what could've been?"


Last edited by to_far_apart on 1/15/2010 10:05:21 PM

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

GTA4 should've been a huge game, it needed more space than a dual-DVD. The PC version requires 10 gb of installation itself.

FF has always been huge on cutscenes. GTA looks ugly compared with FF cutscenes. There is just a huge amount of space required. I just don't understand why they didn't make it 4 or maybe even 5 DVDs on the Xbox version.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

The fact is, we have no idea what these games could've been if they were solely created for the PS3. People don't realize what unique qualities the PS3 brings to the table.

The possibilities are endless.

No ones knows though. I'll just stick with my open ended response of:

"What could've been?"

jaybiv
jaybiv
14 years ago

True, but how technologically advanced would the PS3 be without Xbox360?

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Ah, rudimentary my dear Watson. hahaha

No really, good statement. But the technological advancements were already there, so I don't know if it would be proper to say that. I mean Sony had already developed and created an outline of what they wanted.

So I'm not sure it would be valid enough to say that in my opinion.

napoleon85
napoleon85
14 years ago

@to_far_apart,

Well, I think it's obvious. In my opinion, FFXIII is basically the best looking game ever made so far in terms of graphics. Now, if the game mentioned above fits in ONE blueray disc and THREE dvds, we can conclude that every multyplat game that fits in one dvd, barely fills one third of a blueray disc. Therefore, every multyplat game could be 3 times bigger in a PS3 blueray disc.

My hypothesis could be 100% incorrect but that's what logic leads me to believe.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

@Jaybiv,

The PS3 would be what it is. The Cell chip was in development for years before the PS3 arrived, as was BluRay, both were decisions made early on for the PS3. The RSX was a relatively late decision, but still came before the 360 arrived.

I don't think that the 360 drove any design decisions with the PS3. Microsoft's success with online gaming probably informed Sony's decision regarding PSN, but Sony had wanted to do networking before, but when the PS2 launched Broadband had not yet reached the majority of consumers and network server infrastructure in general was very expensive.

Banky A
Banky A
14 years ago

@napoleon85

It's okay, sounded good to me.

jaybiv
jaybiv
14 years ago

@highlander. I'm not so sure about that. Competition brings innovation. Competition speeds innovation.

Xbox raised the bar in which Sony's PlayStation brand had to respond. Remember MS released two systems between the PS2 and PS3. Without a motivating factor like the Xbox I doubt Sony would have created a system where they would lose $250 per unit produced.

Heck without MS, we might have seen a PS2-based Wii type of system from Sony.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

jaybiv:

I understand what you mean. But in my opinion, each respective platform has had their initial plans pretty much set on from the day they started sketching ideas. If you look at each platform individually, you can see what their goal was when developing the systems.

As for competition fueling innovation, i agree with you there, but I think that competition has led to further developing and the addition of certain components, rather then affecting the initial blueprint for each respective platform. Things like Project Natal and Sony's new controller or even PSN (based on Microsoft's success) are things I would categorize under competition inspiring products. Even though we can't speculate that either, who knows how long Sony has been wanting to create a controller like that or how long Project Natal has been under develop.

So I wouldn't necessarily say that. But that's just me.


Last edited by to_far_apart on 1/16/2010 1:12:45 PM

Akuma_
Akuma_
14 years ago

They didnt really have above average campaigns.

Final Fantasy was a Playstation game, always has been, always will be.

The HUGE strides that have been made in the gaming industry for the past 17 years, have ALL been made on A Playstation. And alot of them have been Final Fantasy's!

I look at every new FF game, as the game that will look 10x better than anything ive seen on my current console, it will be the next in a long line of amazing games. But when this went to 360, it was no longer so. Now it is just a cow, being milked till its dry.

The fact that a TON of content (enough for an additional game) had to be removed from the game, and we ALL know why, should be enough to convince ANYONE that moving this to multiplat was the biggest mistake Squeenix could ever have made.

Goodbye squeenix, i HATE you for ruining the FF series, and i swear, if you screw up Kingdom Hearts and go multiplat, bad things will happen to you =]

Most of the best games ever created, are on the Playstation.

Vagnor
Vagnor
14 years ago

@jaybiv

I think the more interesting question is: What would the Wii be like without Microsoft's inclusion in the console wars?

Sony had to make a powerful system to compete with Microsoft's, and Nintendo just backed down. Without the 360, the PS3 may or may not have been as powerful as it is, but without the regular Xbox or 360, I can almost guarantee you that Nintendo wouldn't be fooling around with a console 4x weaker than the others. Personally, I would rather see Nintendo being the competitor with Sony than Microsoft.

However, if this were the case, would gaming be as popular as it is today? Without Microsoft butting in, Nintendo may not have aimed for the casual gaming market. You have them to thank for the current popularity of video games. Not that I care about the popularity. I'd rather have Sony and Nintendo fight it out with quality games by quality developers than watch Microsoft buy out the developers and make everyone "westernize" their products, even if it means less gaming systems in the average household.

I'm ranting now, so I'll stop.

– Sean Casey

SerendipityDeus
SerendipityDeus
14 years ago

Now, if only SE would open their eyes to this truth. I'm still looking forward to this game, but while playing it, I know I'm going to feel like certain areas could've been fleshed out a bit more, and you know what, chances are they were initially more expansive but reduced because of limited space on the 360's disks, tears my heart apart knowing this is the truth we have to face.


Last edited by SerendipityDeus on 1/15/2010 10:12:37 PM

Cesar_ser_4
Cesar_ser_4
14 years ago

Ok then lets get one for one, 360 gets ff and we get … uhh… what xbox threefitty title would be good to get on ps3?. Sounds like we just got ourselves a new poll

SnipeySnake
SnipeySnake
14 years ago

Lost Odyssey, that is absolutely the ONLY 360 game i would EVER want.

carl0975
carl0975
14 years ago

Halo 3, Gears of War 1 and 2, Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, and Mass Effect 1 and 2.

OtisFeelgood
OtisFeelgood
14 years ago

Lost Odyssey is a great game but I never had a chance to finish it before I sold it. ;

carl0975
carl0975
14 years ago

I wonder why I got thumbed down 5x for naming 360 exclusives that would help the ps3's sales if they went multiplat, it's not like I claimed they were better than ps3 exclusives.

Arvis
Arvis
14 years ago

Yeah, Mass Effect series, for sure.

Lost Odyssey would be nice, too.

-Arvis

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

If there weren't an Xbox version to be compared against, I'm sure Square Enix would be able to slide with the cut out contents.

Riku994
Riku994
14 years ago

*Starts slow clap*

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

*Joins in*

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Not another teen movie comes into mind. lol

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

This truly is the tipping point: If the Dreamcast had been the more popular choice over the PS2, the GDROM format would have held the PS2's games back because they would not want EVERY game to use multiple discs, but multiplat devs would have been forced by the public to make everything pretty much under 1gig. It didn't happen that way, PS2 owned and xbox just came late.

Now the inferior DVD9 format and not-so-cutting edge 360 REALLY IS holding the industry back. FFXIII being PS3 exclusive was massive when it was announced. It meant possibilities, now all we are left talking about are limits. Gaming could be ahead of where it is, and FFXIII could have been a truly groundbreaking experience this gen. But because of all this, and what I've been reading, I think it will merely be a great experience. Everyone will be left thinking "Wow that was awesome, but it really could have been so much MORE"

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Exactly, it's sad that a single platform is not only holding a system back, but gaming in general. It really is a disservice to the gaming community. I can't even imagine the potential of a game like FFXIII solely on the PS3, any game for that matter.

The industry should be thinking about progress, but sadly we're progressing at this turtle pace and it's not fair. We all know that the industry is evolving and changing. But instead of asking, how close are we? We're asking ourselves, when is it coming?


Last edited by to_far_apart on 1/15/2010 10:28:36 PM

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

It's not just The choice of DVD, it's the focus on 'Westernizing' their games. I think the death of Final Fantasy (otherwise known as making FFXIII multi-platform for the 360) is not just Microsoft and the 360's fault. Square Enix didn't so much drop the ball as throw it to the ground and turn away.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/15/2010 10:53:35 PM

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Highlander:

You have a valid point, you can't only blame Microsoft and the 360, but you have to include the Developers into the mix. Ultimately it was Square Enix choice to make FF multi platform. In a general sense it's up to the developer to decide whether or now to make a game available for all platforms. I just feel that Microsoft also adds a sense of pressure in the sense of seeking those titles and so on. Unfortunately, the experience on the PS3 maybe cut, if you will.

But you're right, I agree with your point.

KilloWertz
KilloWertz
14 years ago

You do have a point Highlander, but at the same time, it is your own fault for thinking that in the first place. Why not just enjoy it for what it is if it is still a great game? There's nothing that can be done, so I think this whole topic itself is really getting out of hand. It's amazing how people turned against this game after it was said that content was cut out. Just my opinion though.


Last edited by KilloWertz on 1/16/2010 5:21:27 PM

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

@KilloWertz
You wrote : "it is your own fault for thinking that in the first place. Why not just enjoy it for what it is if it is still a great game?"

It's a Final Fantasy game, it's THE Final Fantasy game for this generation of consoles.

What do you think I expect from the game? And what does it actually deliver? The two are poles apart.

The problem here is that Final Fantasy games are almost genre defining JRPGs, and yet this game – based on reviews I am reading – is not a JRPG, I'm not sure it even qualifies as an RPG.

DeathOfChaos
DeathOfChaos
14 years ago

3 DVD9 discs equal to about 25.5 Gigs, then since it's gonna need something to let you know to switch the disc, take about 1GB off of each disc. Not even 1 single layer Bluray disc is left after you put everything together. So about the highest the real game can go on the 360 was about 22GBs to work with. The PS3 usually uses double layer Bluray discs. Hell, they probably barley tip the 2layer mark since it's gonna have the uncompressed audio and visuals still. I once argued with an XBox fanboy about how the disc size really does matter in a game, but he kept saying 'It's the processor that makes the graphics!' I couldn't but reply to him 'That's fine, but the Processor can only do whatever is given to it, and the 360 can't give it shit.'

komotaya
komotaya
14 years ago

damn 360. always tryin to cut in and mess up our fun time at least we have verses

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

…for now.

to_far_apart
to_far_apart
14 years ago

Dun Dun Dunnnn.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Well, based on the review I read in Wired (not that I normally put much stock in Wired as a source, but every now and again….), based on that review I'm gonna go ahead and say that this game is not a Final Fantasy game as we know it.

[Edit :I'm adding a link for the review/preview at Wired. Read it and weep folks…]

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/12/final-fantasy-xiii-preview-2/

The main point of the review I read was about the linear structure of the game as in straight as a laser linear. They described a game (and they've played about half way through so far) where there are no side quests, a game organized into 'chapters' that take perhaps a couple of hours a piece. it was described as if you basically run a gauntlet of battles with some cut scenes, get to the end of the chapter and move on. Rinse and repeat…

The combat system sounded similarly unimpressive, having become little more than mindless button mashing. Little to no exploring, side quests or NPCs to talk to.

Actually, I really do not want to play it at all now. And the review someone mentioned that gave it 4/10 might not be too far from the mark if you review this game as a Final Fantasy RPG and find that in fact it's an on the rails linear action adventure game dressed up as a Final Fantasy movie with combat no more sophisticated than pressing 'X' over and over, and over again.

Bleh!

Is this what happens when a game is designed for a more western audience? Is this what happens when game content that could have made it a game is removed?

If the wired review is even 80% correct, I don't think I would actually recognize FFXIII as a Final Fantasy game, nor even a JRPG.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/15/2010 10:51:52 PM

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