After being brutally crushed by the competition, Microsoft could use a little love. Well, ask and ye shall receive Microsoft. According to the Square Enix, Final Fantasy XV will be available not only for the PS4, but the Xbox One as well.
This news comes as a mild surprise to me. Sony’s impressive E3 press event, combined with the generally poor reception of the Xbox One, could make PS4 exclusives all that more attractive for developers.
So, Why Multi – Plaftorm?
Back when the game was titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII there was talk of multi – generational development. Square Enix was toying with the idea of developing for not only the next generation, (PS4, Xbox One, etc) but the previous generation (PS3, Xbox 360). However, during Square Enix’s live stream part one, long time developer and character designer Tetsuya Nomura reaffirmed Square Enix’s “commitment to the next generation.” According to Nomura, FFXV is being built with future technologies in mind (Direct X 11 was mentioned) as opposed to specific consoles or platforms. This means that the company can be more flexible with which systems their games will be available on.
Although some of you Playstation die-hards are shaking your fists at Square Enix for their decision to share the FFXV love with the Xbox One, I believe it’s a smart business move for the company. Square Enix, as you may know, has not been in the greatest financial standing of late. Diversifying the availability of their games, and reaching a wider audience is important if Square Enix hope to once again be the top dog in the video game market.
Will Final Fantasy XV help them do that? I think so. From what we have been able to see, the game looks absolutely stunning. Feuding clans, political intrigue, giant boss fights, and crystals!? I don’t know about you, but I feel like Final Fantasy is finally getting back to it’s roots.
What do you think?
Are you, the gamers, looking forward to being able to play FFXV on your Xbox Ones, or do you think the choice to make the game cross platform will result in wasted production hours porting the title?
Comment below, game hard, and stay safe!
