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Square Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto has said in a press conference today that Final Fantasy XIII will ship in Japan for PS3 first, as the 360 development process is just beginning. It’s unclear if the game will release for 360 in Japan.
This is all according to Destructiod’s coverage.
However, IGN is reporting that, “The PS3 and the 360 versions will be released simultaneously in the US and Europe, but not Japan.”
So we’re fucked if we know. Couldn’t someone ask them a yes or no question?
Hit the two links for the full live text.
By Mike Bowden
Viewing 10 responses
ecu said:
It’s a no.
“shane from 1up ask about ff13 coming to japan on the xbox 360……..
Hashimoto says something like “I think you are right [in assuming that it's not coming out in Japan]“”
Seals it for me.
Basically they’re finishing the PS3 version, and releasing it in Japan. Then they’re starting work on the 360 port, while another team are busy translating it to English, for the simultaneous release in the US.
So unless the 360 MASSIVELY picks up in sales in Japan, and/or the PS3 version bombs over there, then there will be no 360 version in Japan.
Blerk said:
Didn’t I see someone say a bit later in the live blog that they were “undecided whether they’d do an Asian version”?
Edit: Yes. 2:15 in Kotaku’s coverage. Just above the bit about Versus.
morriss said:
Yeah. Somewhere it says, “we’re still undecided about Japan” in either the IGN or Destructoid one.
I don’t fucking know.
ecu said:
Doesn’t seem likely though, given their strategy towards it.
Blerk said:
I guess it depends on how much work it is, unless Sony have actually manage to salvage some kind of a deal which allows them to keep Japan.
If there’s no such deal then I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t do a Japanese version. If they’re already porting the game, it can’t be much more work to chuck the Japanese translation into it and burn some discs.
ecu said:
I’d be amazed if more than 5000 copies of a 360 version was sold, if it was released 10 months after the PS3 version had been on the shelves.
I reckon most Japanese 360 gamers are hardcore gamers who own all the consoles anyway.
Blerk said:
Yes, there is that.
Of course, they could just release the English version in Japan. Remember that Square have historically re-released ‘International’ versions of the FF games in Japan sometime after the release of the Western versions, and they always do very well despite everyone having already bought it once.
Michael said:
I’m surprised people haven’t predicted the obvious here.
Square Enix RPGs are always late in hitting foreign shores. The Japanese PS3 version of the game will obviously be released first, and the 360 version will be completed by the time it hits Europe and America, at which time they’ll release the Japanese version in Japan as well.
ecu said:
Yeah, they do normally do an ‘International’ version for Japan, don’t they? Maybe that’ll be released over there on the 360.
Quiiick said:
They need the same amount of time for a simple translation as for a 360 port?
WTF!