Contrary to popular belief... FFXIII was compromised

[Spunky]

We covered an interview with Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) producer, Yoshinori Kitase, which had him reassuring fans that FFXIII going multiplatform did not compromise design at all. Today, we have here Kitase talking to GameTrailers, and admitting that the PS3 version has been indeed compromised to "keep both versions of the game identical."

Specifically, the PS3 version will not have the Japanese voices with English subtitles because, well, it can't fit on the Xbox 360 and since they want to be "fair" to both platforms, then they won't put it on the PS3 as well - regardless if it can afford to have the Japanese audio track or not. Which it totally can.


Not only that, but the pacing of the PS3 version will also be affected because of the Xbox 360 version. Analyzed PS3 Center:

When Final Fantasy moved to PlayStation 2, it only ever appeared on 1 DVD. This meant that unlike previous iterations on the original PlayStation, every area within the game could technically be open at any time. In previous games, some areas appeared on some discs, and were closed off in others. The same can even be said for games such as Lost Odyssey on the Xbox 360, due to the space constraints of the DVD, the majority of side-quests appeared on the final disc. Final Fantasy XIII will be affected in the same way.


This is not a huge problem if an RPG is 360 exclusive or developed for Xbox 360 first, but if it is meant to be developed on the PS3 first and take advantage of ALL it's features, then it is a problem.


If the game was on a single Blu-Ray disc, it would allow the player to explore many areas, and many side-quests at any time throughout the game. However, due to the DVD limitations of the Xbox 360, the game will be cut up, and many areas you visit at the beginning of the game will most likely not be available towards the end of the game. This may be one of the main reasons that many PS3 fans are looking forward to Final Fantasy Vs XIII more than Final Fantasy XIII, because Versus represents an upgrade in scale whereas Final Fantasy XIII is actually a downgrade from earlier Final Fantasy games in that sense.

Sounds to me like that's quite a compromise right there, Mr. Kitase.

I do not know how to say this to be honest, But I remember myself saying that the PS3 version would be compromised in some way. Damn was I right!

Just so you guys know (if you are not Square Enix fans), Mr. Kitase is like the 2nd most important dude at Square Enix (behind Nomura), so this is not some no-name employee saying this.

With this being confirmed, do you think there will be other differences, and if you own both consoles (like myself) will this justify which version you purchase? Please no fanboy shit for either side, it is what it is.

 

[Dave]

I own an xbox 360 and I must say that I am quite happy with this news.

If the PS3's version is going to be "compromised" because you may not be able to go to things at any time then I really could not care less. I realise that people will basically blame the 360 for this and I, again, could not care less. It was not Bill Gates decision to cut the game down to make it fair to both consoles and so we should not get the flak for it. I also think that it is not a huge deal to be honest. So what if you cannot go back to the starting point of the game 20 minutes before you finish it? It won't affect my enjoyment of the game any less.

 

[Leeds Guy]

I have to agree with Dave, I'm eagerly anticipating this game and the news that the PS3 version is to be cut down to fit Xbox doesnt bother me one bit. I'm not too bothered about not being able to go back to the begining of the game either, It didnt affect me during every other Final Fantasy game and it wont affect me on this one. Also I would be a bit pissed off if it came out in Japanese with only English subtitles and I probably wouldnt buy it. If they are gonna do that they may as go old school and drop the voices completely.

Is there any news on a release date yet?