Since its surprise reveal in 2020, Final Fantasy XVI has been advertised as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, raising many questions. During a visit to the Square Enix offices in Tokyo, Japan, producer Naoki Yoshida spoke to Game Informer reporter Wesley LeBlanc and revealed the motivations behind this strategic choice and the implications for the studio. development, Creative Business Unit III.
An obvious choice for Square Enix which approached Sony more than Xbox
Square Enix, aware of the importance of Final Fantasy as a major franchise, approached the development of FFXVI by considering several options, according to Yoshida. Dragon Quest and the Kingdom Hearts series are also among the company’s flagship series. When it comes to developing a game, Square Enix contacts several platforms and companies to evaluate the different offers available to them.
In this process, PlayStation’s bid was preferred by Square Enix. This decision is partly due to the close relationship between PlayStation and Square Enix, which spans decades and has already resulted in various exclusives on PlayStation consoles.
“Being Final Fantasy is one of Square Enix’s most important franchises, along with Dragon Quest and the Kingdom Hearts series, when we start development, we approach multiple platforms and multiple companies to release the game. And when we approach them , they let us know their offers.
That said, from the developers’ and programmers’ point of view, limiting development to a single system makes it easier for us and allows us to optimize it. And that allows us to maximize performance for that one system, because we’re only focusing on that one.
It allows us to create the game we want to create and makes it easier for us.”
On the development front, Yoshida explains that Creative Business Unit III wants Final Fantasy XVI to be accessible to as many people as possible. However, he points out that focusing on a single platform makes it easier for developers and programmers to optimize the game specifically for that platform. By focusing only on the PlayStation 5, the team can maximize game performance by fully exploiting the features of this console.
On the other hand, Yoshida points out that Square Enix receives great help from the developers and programmers of the first part, in this case PlayStation. This collaboration allows Creative Business Unit III to benefit from additional technical support to maximize game performance.
With this exclusive on PlayStation 5, Square Enix can focus its resources and efforts on creating a high-quality game that will meet the expectations of fans of the Final Fantasy series. This strategic decision also offers the opportunity to fully exploit the features and performance of the PlayStation 5, thus providing an optimal experience for players.
The PlayStation 5 exclusivity for Final Fantasy XVI stems from a conscious choice by Square Enix, which favors PlayStation’s offering due to their long-standing relationship and the advantages it brings in terms of development and optimization of the game.
