Dev Tracker

[Chamaan]

It doesn't make any sense for it to not let you buy electronically, I know we've been asking for a BOXED expansion specifically, but in all seriousness, remember WotG? Bought that box, registered the code, put the DVD in, installed like 50mb, downloaded a whole gig and a half of update with the actual game data.

[bungiefan]

At the very least, if I can't sort out the data files from JP PS2 SoA and copy them to the NA system, I'm wagering I can make a bunch of 0 byte dummy files with the same names and folders, copy them to the HDD, and do a file check to force a download of the real files. If I can secure a JP PS2 disc when this comes out, I will do my best to provide a workaround. This will be the first expansion I won't be buying a JP disc for, since my account got region changed and I can't use the JP registration codes anymore.

[Tarage]

Haha oh wow.

I know some people who play on the PS2/PS3 who are not going to be pleased about this.

[Trigun]

PS2 players can only hope that you can buy/download online.

I'm probly stupid for thinking that they might be in the process of either making a disc install for PS3 or a digital download on PSN but money does make people do strange things.

edit: from what I remember though, the JP and NA files are the same right?
So...
1. Download the JP disc.
2. Magic Swap
3. No problem

[Apelila]

The console recognizes if the game has been installed or not. Full expansions count as a game. So unless the console installs differently than the PC version (different naming structure) a foreign disc is going to be useless. I could be wrong on that, but I dont think I've ever seen anyone ever try/say they've registered an expansion across zones (JP/NA/EU).

[Alolbont]

I never understood why people still play on the ps2 anyway. A used first gen xbox is so cheap.

[Trigun]

PS2 players need to just be patient then. Time will tell all. I wouldn't doubt the XI community in getting their hands on the disc and breaking it down to see if it's possible to make it NA useable. When it comes to hacking something is always better then nothing.

[TheDangerousDave]

I never understood why people still play on the ps2 anyway. A used first gen xbox is so cheap.

Could probably sell your PS2 for half of it too lol

[Isiolia]

SE hasn't sold the PS2 version in the US for several years now. The last release that had a PS2 version was the Vanadiel Collection 2008, which actually released in November of 2007. The Ultimate and Abyssea editions were PC and 360 only here.

Plus, the PS2 is in the process of leaving the market. There's a dwindling supply of new PS2 slims (not that it can play the game anyway), barely anything is getting released for it, and you can see places like Gamestop essentially clearing out their stock (just like they are with Gamecube and PSP). By the time the expansion actually hits, there may not be a PS2 section left in a lot of stores.

So no PS2 disc isn't that surprising. Actually making it a disc in general, however, is. It'd seem like the simpler solution would have been to make it direct-download. It's gotta save on distribution costs either way, right?

[Gwynplaine]

There's no excuse to support PS2 anymore, just stop it.

[Spider-Dan]

PS2 support at this point is, indeed, silly.

It's almost as if SE would have to release an NA PS2 version of SoA and price it at exactly the same cost of a new X360+SoA for people to get the hint.

[Kaisha]

Pretty bad excuse to require a large partition size increase on everyone's end, and only having the Japanese players make any real use of it. The PS2 NA players are already going to have to download a couple hundred megs just so they can see the new armor and job shit running around their existing zones. Given WoTG was a measly 300mb install, wouldn't kill SE to just offer SoA digitally if they're going to keep around that size as well.

I'd have been for leaving the PS2 users in the dust if it applied worldwide (which would allow the devs to try things on SoA without worry of PS2limitations), but that's not the case here.

[Eurell]

I wish they would just release the results of the platform survey. This would make sense if only 2% of NA used ps2, but like 20% of JP used it. But its all just guessing till they flat out say it.

[Mrbeansman]

Incoming rant from starcade about how the devs hate the NA fanbase and this is their sweet revenge.

[Appie]

I'm guessing they simply let you buy a key on the PS2 like you would for the addons. Then just like any other update that varies with what expansions you have installed: it will download the whole expansion if it sees you have a key for it. Addons were small so everybody got those even if you didn't have a key for it, but considering the size of an expansion would range from 400MB (WOTG was this size iirc) to 1GB (?), I'm sure they'd use a check for it. Sure, it sucks having to download up to 1GB, but that's is your own problem for still playing on something so ancient that it costs more money to make a disc for than just provide a download

[NynJa]

So for 5 years we tell them to drop PS2 support...now they drop PS2 support (for some of the playerbase...its a start), and people are upset?

[Michelob]

I never understood why people still play on the ps2 anyway. A used first gen xbox is so cheap.

Many people already have a PS3 so buying an xbox just to play final fantasy seems kind of silly. I play on both PC and PS3 at the same time, so most of the time I'm not seeing the horrible PS2 graphics anyways. I like the convenience of not having to tab over and being able to control both chars easily with my keyboard for my main and a controller for my alt. If I cant get SoA on my PS3 then I may resort to buying a 360 for it or just use a second PC and buy/set up a controller like the PS2 version just so I don't have to tab over D:

[Delain]

Switchmon is a godsend. I play with two FFXI instances on the same PC and use a PS2 style controller, since I played on PS2 for so long and thus was how I had grown accustomed to playing. Using switchmon, I assigned the "select" button (really unused on PS2 FFXI) on the controller to instantly flip me to the other character's screen, and the controller controls whatever character I am currently in the window of. Autofollow macro caps off the ease of playing this way.

Fuck going back to PC + PS2 to two box.

[NynJa]

dualsend is a pretty huge godsend too...any command that can be typed in can be done from one window: follow, attack, offensive/healing spells, buffs, ws....the only time I have to change window is if I have to manually assign a target or interact with npc's.

[Yugl]

I knew they would be specifically marketing when they made the announcement for Xbox/PC onry, but it's still lame that they maintain the JP PS2 if they're going to drop the NA PS2.