360 and PS3 FFXIII engine work done 'simultaneously'
'Finishing touches' to 360 version will have to wait until after PS3 version finished, however.
Game engine work on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of hotly anticipated JRPG Final Fantasy XIII is being conducted simultaneously, Square Enix has revealed.
Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent press event in London, Final Fantasy XIII producer and series legend Yoshinori Kitase said that regarding the “basic engine”, work on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will be kept on the go “simultaneously”.
Final Fantasy XIII runs on the Crystal Tools game engine, an engine built by Square Enix to be used across the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC. It was created during development of Final Fantasy XIII as a means of stepping up from the PS2, home of the last “main series” Final Fantasy game.
The Xbox 360 version of the game was spectacularly announced during Microsoft's media briefing at E3 last year. Square Enix has said that the game will be released in Japan on the PS3 only, then released in the US and Europe simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360 at a later date.
In a video shown to press late last year, Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama said: “We're making the PS3 version first, and then porting to the 360 later.”
Some gamers have expressed concern over the prospect of the Western release of the PS3 version of the game being held back while development on the 360 version is completed.
When asked if development of the Xbox 360 version had begun, Kitase told VideoGamer.com: “When it comes to the basic engine it's likely we are going to keep them on the go simultaneously. But the finishing touches, the details, the PS3 version will be completed first, then we will move on to 360.”
“We will have to wait until we are done with the PS3 version,” Kitase added in response to being asked whether the finishing touches on the Xbox 360 version had begun.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for the interview with Final Fantasy legend Yoshinori Kitase in full.
What do you think about Kitase's comments? Let us know in the comments section below.
Highest Rated Comment
Insanities_birth@ Machetazo
Does it matter if one game is inferior or are you just trying to secretly slander MS? In the end there was inferior PS2 games when Xbox had the better ports but inferior is a bad word when you don't high light the fact that it's only minimally less detailed or whatever. Incase you haven't noticed most ports are better on 360 anyway so maybe it's the PS3 version that will be inferior? The engine was designed with each console in mind and the point of having 'finishing touches' is to make it tailored to each game.
User Comments
kamanashi@ Machetazo
Machetazo@ Insanities_birth
Goodness knows you're right about delays for "localisation" though (that old s-e get-out-of-jail-free card to explain historically sizable discrepancies between regional releases)
You're looking at this wrongly. It's not that the game will be inferior on one machine or other, it is a concern that the limitations of either may cause compromises to be enforced that would otherwise not apply, limiting the game for both.
On one platform, you know your territory. The architecture of another added into the mix though, and knowing the result has to play correctly on both, and that must always be regarded, I would guess. It's interesting that you ignore past performance on ports begun from the PS3, to the 360, as is the case here. Are you secretly waving a flag of your own by trying to pull things off-topic in this way?
In terms of inferior, I'm referring to noticeable loss of framerate, tearing, and other corrosive elements on the enjoyment of the game (ports have exhibited these.)
If the game itself is compromised, from the original intent, by the game now needing to be on two different platforms, then I don't really appreciate that. Neither do I appreciate the additional time I'll need to wait to find out the result of this decision. Yeah, there are numerous other games till then, but I am eager to see the return of Final Fantasy.
kamanashi@ mustafagtgt
mustafagtgt@ Insanities_birth
Insanities_birth@ Machetazo
Does it matter if one game is inferior or are you just trying to secretly slander MS? In the end there was inferior PS2 games when Xbox had the better ports but inferior is a bad word when you don't high light the fact that it's only minimally less detailed or whatever. Incase you haven't noticed most ports are better on 360 anyway so maybe it's the PS3 version that will be inferior? The engine was designed with each console in mind and the point of having 'finishing touches' is to make it tailored to each game.
Machetazo
Before we get into Square-Enix's track record, and relationship so far, with words as compared to actions.
But, on XIII itself, I'm cross that despite my owning both of the consoles the game will release on - because of Microsoft's greed, I, and EVERYONE else interested in the game must now wait (and play dodge the spoiler deluge/coverage from other region's release of the game, that's sure to be blanketed about by the usual suspects) until both versions for International release are complete, one of which is bound to be inferior, and I'm concerned neither will be able to be all that it could, FULLY harnessing the abilities of either machine, all because a yapping brat of a competitor "wanted to play too".
How precious!