Final Fantasy XIV is hailed by many as the best MMO RPG in the world, and Square Enix happens to agree with that sentiment. Over the past few months Square Enix has made it easier than ever to hop into its flagship multiplayer epic by extending the free trial period considerably, and Square Enix recently confirmed in an interview with Finder that it still wants to bring Final Fantasy XIV to more platforms — namely the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Currently, Final Fantasy XIV can only be played on PC and PlayStation 4. It thrives on both platforms, but Xbox One players have been asking for their own version of the game for years now. The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, is very likely an appealing prospect for Square Enix since console and PC gaming are taking a dramatic dip in Japan where mobile gaming reigns supreme. Since the Switch bridges the gap between handheld gaming and console gaming, and since it’s seen unprecedented success in the East, it’s a key platform for Final Fantasy XIV going forward.
The only obstacles are Microsoft and Nintendo themselves. FF XIV Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida stated that he wants to bring the game to as many people as possible, but he’s not willing to concede some standards of quality which assure the game continues to operate as intended for its enormous community.
He mentioned patches, specifically. Final Fantasy XIV is patched regularly, and the team at Square Enix needs those patches to go live on every platform at the same time, without exception, to maintain parity and stability. “We need to make sure Nintendo and Microsoft understand what we do and have them know about our online and QA regulations. We believe these conversations will take a long time.”
Microsoft and Nintendo both have policies that could be getting in the way, here. One of the only reasons the Xbox One hasn’t seen the game already is because of a policy which forbids late ports of games that don’t contain exclusive features for the Xbox One version. Nintendo, on the other hand, is notorious for taking its time to ensure that things are done according to its own standards, very rarely catering to the needs and demands of publishers when their needs and demands contradict Nintendo’s standard procedures.
Still, Square Enix has seen enormous success on Microsoft and Nintendo platforms, and there’s no doubt that fans are craving Final Fantasy XIV on the Switch and on Xbox. Knowing that Square Enix is making an effort to bring the game to these yet untapped platforms is assuring; let’s just hope that red tape doesn’t get in the way.
Final Fantasy XIV‘s latest expansion, Stormblood, will release on PS4 and PC on June 20. Stay tuned to WWG for our review.
