Final Fantasy 16 Director Thinks Future Games Will Get Day One Release on PC

Final Fantasy 16 Director Thinks Future Games Will Get Day One Release on PC

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the news about Final Fantasy XVI coming to PC a year after its console debut feels like a long-awaited rain after a drought. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, waiting for our favorite games to grace our platforms, often feeling like the poor cousin to console gamers.


The much-anticipated game, Final Fantasy XVI, is set to arrive on PC on September 17th, marking over a year since its initial release on PlayStation 5. Patient fans have endured the wait, but it appears that future installments might not follow the same pattern. In an interview with GamesRadar+, the director of Final Fantasy XVI, Hiroshi Takai, was asked about the possibility of future games launching simultaneously on PC and consoles. Although Takai emphasized that he can’t predict the decisions of development teams for future games in the series, he believes it’s quite probable that Square Enix will opt for simultaneous PC and console releases.

“Takai expressed his belief that it’s quite plausible, if not probable, as he spoke to GamesRadar+. However, he clarified that since each project has its own management team, they are the ones who ultimately decide their own policies, so this is just his personal speculation.”

For the past several years, Square Enix has been releasing some of their games exclusively on PS5 first, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, before eventually bringing them to PC. However, during their financial report in May, they announced a shift from this strategy, opting for multiplatform releases instead. Their aim is to create an atmosphere where more people can experience their games, and releasing titles on day one for PC could be part of that plan. This approach would also help prevent PC gamers from losing interest over time.

Clearly, our goal was to make the PC version available to players as soon as feasibly possible, according to Takai. There’s no advantage for us in postponing its launch. However, I don’t believe there were many more steps we could have taken to expedite the conversion process. Upon reflection, I think the effort invested in optimizing the game for PC was worth it based on the outcomes.

PC gamers are frequently accustomed to games debuting later on their platform compared to consoles like PlayStation. For instance, exclusive titles from Sony often become available on Steam years after their initial release on PS4 or PS5. Yet, there’s a growing trend among publishers to launch games simultaneously on PC. It’s not difficult to envision Square Enix joining this movement soon. Although it might necessitate investing more time and money earlier in the development phase, if it results in attracting a larger PC audience and sustaining interest, it could indeed be a smart move.

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2024-08-20 16:09