Of the significant JRPG franchises, few have reached the scale and influence of the Final Fantasy series, which established many of the genre’s core tropes. Therefore, one crucial tool for the franchise was its ability to escape exclusive consoles onto other platforms across markets. Recently, a major developer for the series MMO XIV confirmed that Square Enix’s games would remain cross-platform for the foreseeable future. Here is a breakdown of the major update and what it means for Final Fantasy‘s future.
Final Fantasy Remains Cross-Platform
According to GamesRadar, Final Fantasy XIV’s director, Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida, confirmed the franchise would continue its multi-platform approach to game releases. This will extend to the flagship franchise and most other games in the library. Yoshi-P is a veteran of Square Enix who oversaw many of its games since the 1990s, including several from the Dragon Quest series, so his judgment matters regarding the fate of these games. This announcement comes mere months after XIV finally reached the Xbox Series X|S after nearly a decade. Given the unpopularity of Microsoft’s Xbox in Japan, this is a massive step towards the game reaching a global market.
One upcoming example from the article was their game Fantasian: Neo Dimension from Final Fantasy’s creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, an Apple Arcade game now coming to most major consoles. Before this announcement, many of the series’ biggest games had already received several re-releases. For example, Final Fantasy VII, the original PSX classic, saw re-releases on iOS, PC, and the Switch and later earned a three-part remake. Skyrim’s PS3 port also shows that this is a tough but important hurdle that extends across companies.
Connecting the Fanbase
In general, console-exclusive games have become a contentious topic. Unlike Nintendo’s more uniquely designed consoles, such as the Wii and Switch, most AAA games release their titles across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC to ensure these titles reach as broad an audience as possible. The quality of these exclusive titles has also become a subject of fierce debate in the decades-long “console wars.”
Cross-platform games are important for connecting gamers and also preserving older games. One infamous example is Xenoblade Chronicles X, a well-received game trapped on the unpopular Wii-U. Broadly, Microsoft’s Xbox consoles never took off in Japan like the PlayStation and Nintendo did in the West for various reasons. JRPGs have rarely seen exclusive releases on them apart from games like Lost Oddysey and Shin Megami Tensei: Nine.
The Titanic Series
Beyond the consoles on which Final Fantasy has established itself, the series has become a global phenomenon. Ironically, the game earned its title when SquareSoft thought it would be their last game before shutting down. The game was such a huge success that it saved their company and spawned a franchise.
Sixteen main games and countless spinoffs later, Final Fantasy has become, to many, the definitive JRPG franchise that set the standard of the genre for generations to come. Furthermore, games like VI and VII were some of the most profound stories told in gaming. Originally, these games were NES/SNES and later PlayStation exclusives, yet by the seventh generation of consoles, they saw releases on Xbox and PC.
Conclusion
To summarize, a massive franchise like Final Fantasy needs an equally massive platform for its games to thrive. The game’s fanbase is divided by nations, generations, and devices used. Therefore, Square and Yoshi-P’s initiative will ultimately pay off. This is especially true of MMOs, whose entire function is to connect millions of players. In an age where the console wars continue between die-hard fans of each machine, these cross-platform games allow them to share the experience of these wonderful series.
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