Well, boys and girls, hell has finally frozen over. The Last Guardian is still alive, Shenmue 3 is getting Kickstarted, the Final Fantasy VII remake is actually happening. And by the looks of things, FFVII may not be exclusive to the PlayStation 4.
Fans have been clamoring for an HD remake of the classic PlayStation 1 RPG for over a decade, and when Sony showed this PlayStation 3 tech demo in 2005, it only added fuel to the fire. Last night’s E3 announcement rekindled that fire for fans all over the world, and while this is excellent news for PlayStation fans, there’s something else to this reveal that we might have missed–something that means good news for Xbox One and PC fans alike.
“Play it first on PlayStation 4″
Console giants Microsoft and Sony use very specific language when marketing titles like these, for very important reasons. Many of last night’s announcements were accompanied by the words “Only on PlayStation,” indicating their exclusivity to the brand.
Not Final Fantasy VII.
This game’s reveal ended on the phrase “Play it first on PlayStation 4.” This is the phrase Sony uses to indicate that they’ve only secured timed exclusivity, and that the game will likely be released on other platforms down the road.
This seems shocking at first, considering that Final Fantasy VII is a world-renowned hallmark of the PlayStation brand, but shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when you think about it. From Final Fantasy XII forward, installments in the franchise have generally launched on Xbox and PlayStation simultaneously. Even the hotly anticipated Final Fantasy XV is coming to Xbox One.
It might be blasphemous to imagine, but I’d say that Final Fantasy VII on Xbox One isn’t just a possibility, it’s an eventuality.
If the thought of this is unsettling to you, just consider these words from the teaser: “The reunion at hand may bring joy. It may bring fear. But let us embrace whatever it brings, for they are coming back. At last, the promise has been made.”
