Snubtacular burn: Final Fantasy XIV is PS3 exclusive because Microsoft didn’t want it

Apparently Microsoft was not too keen on the idea of being part of a multi-platform MMORPG, so Square Enix gave up on programming the game for Xbox 360. “They want Xbox Live to be a closed system,” said Tanaka, even though Final Fantasy XI had the exact same cross-platform interface and Microsoft had no issue with it at that time. So, immediately after giving Microsoft the gift of Final Fantasy XIII, originally supposed to be a PS3 exclusive, Square Enix got no love for its next project. Zing!

Well, at least it’s still good news for the PS3, right? Sure… Unless you actually want to play the game on launch day. Yep, although Square wanted the PS3 and PC versions to be available simultaneously, development constraints have pushed back the console timeline and it will now ship out the PC version in September of this year, and it has delayed the PS3 release to no sooner than March 2011. That means anyone who picks up the PS3 version is already going to be light years behind PC players who have already been grinding through the game for six months. It’s becoming harder and harder to be a PS3 Final Fantasy fanboy.

Jul 13, 2010