It seems the promise of Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360 is a big “work in progress” as it’s not actually under development yet. Square Enix is fully ready to commit on a simultaneous release for Europe and North America but not every territory around the globe.
The reason is simple: there are just too many countries to perform language translations in the time of a release window. Final Fantasy, as many know, is very text heavy in terms of dialog and storyline. We’ve spoke at length about that in the gaming podcast which helps explain why certain countries get some releases of Final Fantasy at different times and why some sequels never make it out of Japan.
“We’re ready to start developing FFXIII for 360,” said Square Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto. “First, we will complete the game for PS3 in Japan, then begin localization for America and Europe while developing the 360 version simultaneously. The PS3 and 360 versions will be released at the same time outside of Japan — although, due to language and other conditions, the game may not be released simultaneously across territories.” (1up)
Their plan of attack seems solid and gives the PlayStation 3 a bit of an advantage in the Japanese market, but considering the lack of 360 presence in the land of the rising sun, this isn’t too surprising. What is surprising, still, is the concept of Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360 at all!
When it comes to E3 announcements, letting the crowd know Final Fantasy XIII was arriving on Microsoft’s console was a positive shock to the system. It may not be simply because yet another Final Fantasy game is in the works but to prepare gamers for the idea that they don’t have to run out and invest in a PlayStation 3 just to play the next big RPG.
The value to the Xbox 360 is growing and the need to collect all the consoles is fading. End of an era?
@Sony drops 3D support, saying customers rejected it
π really? How about their pricing, can we reject that as well? The main issue with 3D TV for for now is the lack of 3D content (ah, where’s the porn industry when you need it …). Add to that a pricey TV and you start asking yourself if it’s worth it.
My issue with 3D gaming is that in order to properly display it in 3D, you need to render the scene twice. Basically you need hardware that can do 120fps in plain 2D mode in order to have 60fps in 3D. Don’t know how many can afford buying such gear.
@Oddworld creator to EA: βFβ you very muchβ
π I love this guy! As long as he has a good game, there will be somebody willing to distribute it.
@Wii U launch developer complains of lackluster CPU:
Oh my … this is definitely not good. They just aimed for a different ergonomics/usage type and forgot about the computing power …
This reminds me of a particular phone, where the manufacturer focused mostly on user experience, completely forgetting that the device is still a phone that uses radio waves to communicate π *ahem* iPhone 4 *ahem*
@Mists of Pandaria sales below expectations according to analyst firm
Well, there’s that many times you can sell the same game again and again π
Kidding aside, Jonah does provide a very good explanation.
@Nintendo Power: it’s bound to happen, due to Internet alone; the more specialized magazine (more niche type of market) the faster the printed version will dead.
I’m with Jordan on this one. Jonah, I send links to my friends …
@favourite game of the 90’s:
Jonah, good point with Unreal Tournament, that game was (if you ask me) the bets of the series. Everything from music to weapons felt better than any of the sequels.
Now, the reason why I went for Quake 3 is (believe it or not) the bots. Play on nightmare any of the maps that has just one bot, and if the hair on the back of your neck stands up due to fear of being fragged, then you might understand. UT was fun, but could not do THAT.