These days, the number of truly exclusive, third party games is fairly small. Most of those “exclusives” are actually timed exclusives, meaning the console manufacturer will have exclusive rights until a set date. This is the case for Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is set to arrive on PlayStation 4 on April 21st. The game was supposed to arrive in March, but a delay was announced last month. While there was no official confirmation at the time, it appears that Sony’s exclusivity contract was extended alongside the delay. The title will not arrive on any other platforms before April 21, 2021, giving Sony a full year of exclusivity.
At this time, no other platforms have been announced for the game, and fans likely won’t know more for some time. That said, the game’s leaked demo seemed to all-but-confirm a PC version. Xbox One also seems like a distinct possibility, particularly since Square Enix has released a number of titles on the platform in the past. Nintendo Switch might also be a candidate, as the handheld hybrid has also played host to plenty of other Final Fantasy titles, but it might require some compromises to get there. That said, developers like Panic Button have found a number of ways to bring AAA games to the platform, and might be able to do so with Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well.
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While third party exclusives were once a lot more common, increased development costs have made them far less realistic in today’s video game industry. Considering that the MSRP for most video games has remained fairly steady at $60 for years now, publishers have needed to find different ways to recoup development costs. There are a number of other ways to do so, but ports are the most logical way to keep the lights on, while also building longterm interest in each franchise.
It will be interesting to see where Final Fantasy VII Remake shows up in the future. Given the game’s hype, Square Enix likely sees it as the kind of evergreen release that they can port to consoles for years to come. Until then, however, PlayStation fans can sit back and enjoy the game for themselves.
Do you plan on picking up Final Fantasy VII Remake? Is there a platform you’d like to see the title end up on? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
