SE: Xbox Live Holding Up FFXIV on 360

[Kenai]

Interesting read, explains why FXIV is to remain exclusive to PS3/PC through the end of 2010. (and do I see Sage Sundi?!?! It's been awhile so I can't remember...)

http://www.vg247.com/2009/08/20/ffxi...p-360-version/

More users in an MMO is rarely a bad thing, but I don't know if I want to wait for the 360 version.

[Destinye]

Yep. They don't like that Live requires gold membership for online play and etc, Silver should be enough but for the life of me I can't see why M$ even has a silver, you can't do too much with Silver but jack and shit. You need gold to get updates and etc usually.

[ringthree]

It doesn't surprise me that MS is screwing this up. They are too worried about their proprietorship of their internet connection. Sony just tosses all that stuff on for free, and doesn't mess with "points" for paid upgrades.

[Thalandor46]

I don't get what the problem is. It shouldnt be the gold/silver thing, since you can play FFXI with a silver account. Microsoft lets SE connect XBL with outside networks for FFXI, which I don't think any other game can do. Unless MS doesn't want them to do that anymore, I have no idea what else could be holding them back.

[Destinye]

Thalandor, the reason you can play FFXI with Silver is because of Playonline, which FFXIV will not be using.

[Thalandor46]

And? What's to prevent XIV from working the same way? I know Phantasy Star Universe doesn't require a gold account either. The only difference is the PSU XBL servers are isolated.

[Kurokikaze]

And? What's to prevent XIV from working the same way? I know Phantasy Star Universe doesn't require a gold account either. The only difference is the PSU XBL servers are isolated.

And you don't think thats a problem? lol MS wants to be in everyone's shit when it comes to online gaming/content.

[Thalandor46]

That was my point to begin with! MS let SE do that to get Final Fantasy on their platform. It was a big deal at the time. So unless that's not the case anymore (which it very well could be), what would the problem be for XIV?

[Destinye]

And? What's to prevent XIV from working the same way? I know Phantasy Star Universe doesn't require a gold account either. The only difference is the PSU XBL servers are isolated.

Playonline is a separate service, which is why it doesn't require gold. PSU is a whole different subject because iirc it's more of an offline game with an online component, which MS can't disallow you to play a game if you don't have a gold account.

FFXIV is an online game which MS requires gold for developers to deliver us updates and etc. This is why FFXI escaped with a silver account requirement because of POL you already pay for and gain updates and etc through that. SE would be using XBL to supply those.

Can't really call PSU an online game in the same sense of FFXI and FFXIV.

Oh, and also here's the major difference:

FFXIV would be using XBL, not POL as I said, which means they need to abide by MS's rules, and SE doesn't want users to have to pay for a gold account, when PSN is free.

[Kawfee]

Besides the fact that 360 hardware would most likely crop up limitations before the PS3 would.

[Null]

Although I prefer sony I'd really...really rather this not turn into a hardware debate.

[Destinye]

Although I prefer sony I'd really...really rather this not turn into a hardware debate.

It won't till the fanboys/fangirls pop up lol.

[Zumi]

XBL is more or less a matchmaking service, most every game on XBL uses peer to peer online play. FFXIV wouldn't be using it if it were to come to 360. What MS would need to let them do is access the internet to connect to the FFXIV servers. However MS doesn't like games being played online with silver and not using XBL, which FFXIV would need to do. They made an exception for FFXI because at the time SE was not making games for 360 and they really wanted some Japanese devs for 360. SE probably doesn't want the game to be gold only cause they would get complaints from 360 users about paying twice, once for gold and again for FFXIV.

The other thing MS doesn't like is Xbox 360 players playing cross platform with PS3 and PC. See how they made Sega make a separate server for PSU while the PS2 and PC players played on the same servers.

Odds are they probably want a larger part of the FFXIV subscription fee as well.

[Aprotosis]

Yep. They don't like that Live requires gold membership for online play and etc, Silver should be enough but for the life of me I can't see why M$ even has a silver, you can't do too much with Silver but jack and shit. You need gold to get updates and etc usually

You are mistaken. A silver account will function for all MMOs and you never need a gold account to receive game updates.

Playonline is a separate service, which is why it doesn't require gold.

Incorrect. It doesn't require Gold because that is Microsoft policy regarding MMOs.

PSU is a whole different subject because iirc it's more of an offline game with an online component, which MS can't disallow you to play a game if you don't have a gold account.
...
Can't really call PSU an online game in the same sense of FFXI and FFXIV.

Also incorrect. Specifically, this would be the kind of thing that Silver does disallow. Silver users can't play Ghostbusters online, yet it has offline components. You sound like you haven't played PSU, but maybe I am not undestanding you. The online components are fully online and PSU is a "true" MMO.(If it helps, think of it like Guild Wars) Thus under MS policy, you can play it with a Silver account.

FFXIV is an online game which MS requires gold for developers to deliver us updates and etc. This is why FFXI escaped with a silver account requirement because of POL you already pay for and gain updates and etc through that. SE would be using XBL to supply those.

FFXIV is an MMO, which MS does not require Gold for. Gold is never required for game updates or DLC. Some DLC may get a timed-release based on account status, but you think they won't take your money just because you are a Silver user? If a game is using its own server, it can update you as much as it would like. Very few games use their own server.

FFXIV would be using XBL, not POL as I said, which means they need to abide by MS's rules, and SE doesn't want users to have to pay for a gold account, when PSN is free.

I am not sure where you got this "using XBL" idea from. All games on the Xbox360 with an online component, including MMOs, use XBL. This is regardless of how it serves content.
PlayOnline is not some mystical inbetween that circumvents account status and 360 network rules. The security check is not done on the application layer.

All that being said, what is at issue here is security. Xbox Live is an extremely secure network. There has yet to be a successful network hack on XBL. Meanwhile, the PSN was hacked on day 0, and continues to have an open door network-wise. With a little Google-fu, you could become a Script-Kitty, downloading free movies off the PSN and cheating in your favorite online game. This is a big reason behind the 360 getting services like Netflix and the PS3 does not. Sony cannot guarantee their content will be secure, but Microsoft does.

PSU is a good example. PSU for XBL is isloated. It is only visible to the 360, which is why you cannot get cross-platform play like you can in FFXI. It is not exposed to the "internet". FFXI does have cross-platform play, so the security issues regarding it were very scrutinized. Anywhere that XBL interacts with the Internet has to have the same high-security doors, which means that FFXIV needs to monitor network traffic as if it was a mini-XBL. Since FFXI's release however, old policies have been strengthed and new ones enforced which makes it more difficult.

With FFXIV they have two options: 1) Create Xbox only servers or 2) Adhere to the more strict security standards, which will mean code changes to tighten their network security and potentially re-shape the way the client interacts with the servers. Most developers choose option 1.

[Silenka]

Please tell me XIV is not going to come out on 360. Xbox limitations is the new nightmare.

[Null]

Na, Sony's new favorite is the psp so they are pushing for that.

[Riki]

One can only speculate here.
It can't be voice chat or XBL gold though, since FFXI or PSU both only need a silver account. Even PSU with its build in voice chat does not require a gold account.
My guess is that there could be security issues or that MS wants their share of either monthly fees or charges for download content.

[Aprotosis]

Please tell me XIV is not going to come out on 360. Xbox limitations is the new nightmare.

I am curious as to what limitations you think you are referring to? The infamous "PS2 limitations" has to do with the console's lack of memory. (A whole 32MB)

[Null]

As I said after the first comment, lets move on.

[Kurokikaze]

And here... we...... go!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...416/joker2.gif