14 DAY TRIAL // Final Fantasy XIII is shaping up to be the game that will make or break the PlayStation 3. Sony is already betting big on the title, even if it is no longer an exclusive, saying that it will show all players what the home console it produces can do. The developer of the title is playing up the same angle.
The Japanese magazine Dengeki has published an interview with Yoshinori Kitase, who is a producer on the title for Square Enix. He rhetorically asked “Doesn't the demo use about 50 percent of power?” before adding that “Of course, I think the retail version will make use of nearly 100 percent.&rdquo.
He also commented on the importance of Final Fantasy XIII, comparing it to what Final Fantasy VII was for the original PlayStation and what Final Fantasy X was to the PlayStation 2. Basically, the game will be the first to show what the platform can really do in terms of graphics and gameplay, allowing players to make an informed decision regarding the power of the PlayStation 3 and making it a leader when it comes to sales.
It seems that Final Fantasy XIII will not require any disk swapping, thanks to the huge amount of space available on the Blu-ray and on the hard drive of the console itself. Meanwhile, it seems that those who are planning to play the game on the Xbox 360 will have to move some disks around.
Initially, Final Fantasy XIII was set to arrive only for the PlayStation 3 in late 2009. After Microsoft persuaded Square Enix to port the game to the Xbox 360, the title will only arrive in Japan this year, while the two versions will be launched on other markets at the same time, sometime in 2010. Let's hope that it is well worth the wait.