RPG Site: The PS4 version -- were you concerned at all that in announcing that you could gut sales of the PS3 version by causing people to wait?
Yoshida: Because we're going with a subscription model, what really matters to us is the number of subscribers - so if the player prefers to wait for the PlayStation 4 version to come out, that's fine; I don't really mind.
I think it was a bigger concern that someone might buy the PS3 version and then find out that the PS4 version was coming out right after they bought it; that would be more shocking as it might upset players. I thought it would be better to let players know up front that the PS4 version is coming out, but in the meantime you can start out playing the PS3 version if you want, as we have squeezed the maximum quality from that platform. Start with that platform if you wish and enjoy the game experience; all the character data you gain with the PS3 version can then be converted to the PS4 version.
I thought that message would be more straightforward and less confusing to players; that's the reason why we decided to make the announcement now. It's really up to the players - if they want to wait for the PS4 version, that's fine.
RPG Site: That announcement and other things at E3 - FF15, Kingdom Hearts - makes FF14 the odd one out, missing from Microsoft consoles. Your predecessor, Tanaka-san, said that FF14 was skipping Xbox due to Microsoft's Xbox Live policies forbidding cross-platform play and servers, and you later told me you were working to get the game on as many platforms as possible. Where does that stand now - have you signed an exclusivity deal with Sony, or is it still just down to Microsoft's non-movement on their policies?
Yoshida: To answer your question straightforward: The policy has not changed on Microsoft's side.
The main reason from our side is that I don't want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more. For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and I'm playing the Xbox version - but we're not able to join the same game servers. That is just... I just don't like the idea. I disagree with it.
If it was a P2P or an MO, then it would be fine - but for FF14, if that frustration happens, maybe one of those players says 'OK, I will give up my PS4 character and start out for scratch, making a new account from scratch on another machine. I don't think that's fair.
I really want the community to stick together and not be split into two or be divided because of that reason. That's one of the reasons that means that unless the policy chances, Xbox just doesn't make sense to us.
RPG Site: This sounds like a real point of frustration.
Yoshida: To be frankly honest with you, there are now so many mobile devices, smart phones, everything -- why would you ever just stick to one platform from the hardware aspect? Just -- make it open to everyone? That's my opinion.
RPG Site: So if they adjusted their position, you'd like to do FF14 for Xbox platforms?
Yoshida: I would love for as many players as possible to enjoy the game worldwide, so from a business point of view it could make sense to have it on the Xbox platforms. But as I mentioned earlier, that would bring about the tragedy that somebody might have to give up their existing character.
Then players might get frustrated, and then they ask us - 'Square Enix, can't you do something?' and then... yeah. Unless that happens, we can't really do anything.
المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة BombTossLS
