No FFXI for the United States

[Cmtz]

accoriding to egm there will be no ffxi for the usa.

[Britboy]

I think that's gotta be a rumor, here's what gamespot had...


E3 2002: FFXI confirmed for US release
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Sony announces key release information regarding FFXI, and several other high-profile online RPGs.

During its press conference earlier today, Sony revealed several details regarding the availability and release-dates for several upcoming PS2 online RPGs. First off was Final Fantasy XI, which the console manufacturer revealed will indeed be released in North America at an unspecified time in 2003. EverQuest Online Adventures, furthermore, is currently slated for a spring 2003 release, while the recently confirmed-for-PS2 Star Wars Galaxies will follow it in winter of 2003. Resident Evil Online, finally, was shown in brief video form, though no release info for it was given. Read our full report on Resident Evil Online here.

We'll have more information on the PS2's online lineup as it develops.

--Content Courtesy of GameSpot

[Raedon]

Why would they bother bringing FFXI to the US for PS2 (PC they could do)

Few will buy the Online Adapter. No one is going to pay $200+ for a 40 gig HD just to play one game. Not in the US.. They would be stupid to bring it here, they wouldn't make a dime.

[mikeetler]

Few will buy the Online Adapter.

That's why the initial shipment of BB adaptors sold out in less then a day. Sony claims 250K shipped, but I don't buy in to that number. I get upwards of 50 requests a week for the damn thing and have had offers in the $80+ range for them.

No one is going to pay $200+ for a 40 gig HD just to play one game. Not in the US.. They would be stupid to bring it here, they wouldn't make a dime.

There have been a few rumors as to how the HD would be introduced. One option was Sony releasing an IDE adaptor and the end user could throw any hard drive they see fit. The most likely scenario is a sub $100 kit with some kind of bonus (cheats, demos, oourses or cars for GT3, etc) pre-installed. It won't be a money maker, but I'm sure they would take a small hit on the hardware to ensure FF XI's release.

[Sylentwulf]

The Hard drive is NOT the problem with FFXI guys. I mentioned this a week or two ago.

Square can't get a good enough server base laid down in the U.S. since Sony doesn't provide their own, and won't help. There is WAY too much to install and MAINTAIN for it to be feasible for them to release it stateside.

Look at it this way... (Obviously making up numbers)
People who own PS2 - 10 million
People who want to play FFXI - 1 million
People who also have a broadband adapter - 150,000
People who are also going to buy a hard drive - 60,000

Those numbers are WAY off, I'm sure. But you get the idea, you're looking a total POSSIBLE number of people buying the game at a MAXIMUM number of 60,000.

U.S. is a LOT bigger than japan, requiring more servers. Installing and maintaining enough servers and updates for a game that is only going to sell 60,000 copies is ABSURD, Square will go out of business if they attempt it at it's current state, and they know it.

[Raedon]

actually like i said Sylent, and your chart says the exact same thing.. the problem is the Broadband adapter and HD. they don't add up to a strong enough install base to make FFXI profitable in the US on the PS2.

The Hard drive is NOT the problem with FFXI guys.

The PS2 add-on's are the problem as they take that 10 million to well less than 60,000.

[Sylentwulf]

But even ignoring the hard drive, 150,000 people probly isn't enough to establish an entire network. Square probably isn't going to have many if any other online games. EA Sports can have one set of servers for ALL of their games, making it worth it, even if only 200,000 of each sport sell, the total amount of people on the server would be well over 1 million. With square's one game, unless all 1 million people could and would use it, it would be a waste. (Again, based on my totally whacked numbers 200,000 madden 2003? LOW)

[Raedon]

I think the numbers are less then 60,000 because the monthly fee for FFXI is $12.99 I would say that at least that number would play for 1 year. that would make Squaresoft $9,360,000.00 just off online fee's. hmm.. The bandwidth and the new server hardware would probably be that much. that's not to bad.

I think Square made a stinker, that's what i think (which wouldn't surprise me at all.) :P

[mikeetler]

Square can't get a good enough server base laid down in the U.S. since Sony doesn't provide their own, and won't help. There is WAY too much to install and MAINTAIN for it to be feasible for them to release it stateside.

But since Square and EA have a publishing deal and EA stands to make $ on a FF XI release as well, what's stoppoing EA from adding it to their servers?

[Sylentwulf]

That's what I've kinda been hoping for myself, but I still don't think it's likely to happen, maybe if the hard drive had come out last year or something.

By the way, Sony IS thinking about releases an IDE interface cable so you can hook up ANY HARD DRIVE to it. Have an olg 3GB hard drive hanging around? Free hard drive.

[Raedon]

Final Fantasy has always been to linear to be a good MMORPG.. And knowing Square, I don't think they have an understanding about what an online RPG should be about.. AND Online RPG's are only good on a PC.. you have to have that keyboard.. Final Fantasy players are not hard-core Roll-players, they are movie watchers.. You need the hard rpg gamers to make a MMORPG work, and that isn't what turn-based linear anime RPG players are. They are cookie dough gamers.

I think FFXI has turned out to be a really bad game, poorly executed. So the replay value will be low. Low replay value+MMORPG=no profit; no profit+Square=not going to happen.