FFXIII 360 was begun two months ago

By Robert Purchese Published 15 June, 2009

Coming along nicely, judging by E3 showing.

Square Enix has revealed that work on the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII began two months ago.

"Up to the trial demo version that was released [in April] in Japan, [FFXIII] was PS3-only in terms of development," producer Yoshinori Kitase told Giant Bomb (spotted by vg247).

"The Xbox 360 version is definitely following after the PS3 version, but [we] were finally able to come to a point in the PS3 development where some of the staff could take their hands off and start programming the 360 version."

Kitase and fellow producer/designer Motomu Toriyama gave an on-stage demonstration of FFXIII for Xbox 360 during Microsoft's E3 conference. The pair promised a Western release of spring 2010.

Head over to the Digital Foundry at Eurogamer blog for a technical explanation of how Final Fantasy XIII will work on Xbox 360.

Final Fantasy XIII launches this winter exclusively on PS3 in Japan.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • uglygamer #1 3 years ago

    Does the title make sense?

    FFXIII 360 was begun two months
    Edited by 2 at 15/06/09 @ 10:43

  • Steroyd #2 3 years ago

    replace was with development, and it makes that little bit more sense.

    Still highly skceptical about SE's release date.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/09 @ 10:47

  • JohnnyWashnGo #3 3 years ago

    I have a creeping suspicion that the 360 version will be superior to the PS3 version. This isn't due to the hardware being better to code for or more widely understood, but due to the fact that doing anything a second time usually yeilds superior results. Like the old programming matra says: 'Plan to through one away'.

  • DDevil #4 3 years ago

    SYNTAX ERROR

  • Wastelander #5 3 years ago

    I was under the impression that Square use a multiformat PC-based engine nowadays for ease of porting anyway.

  • convercide #6 3 years ago

    Development on FFXII 360 began two months ago.

    It's not hard.

  • Raziel #7 3 years ago

    I was scared the Xbox version might delay the PS3 version for the rest of the world, but an early 2010 release date is no problem at all.
    Actually, it might be shorter than the normal wait we have between FF releases...

  • Bigglesworth #8 3 years ago

    I can't find the technical explanation at the link provided. All I see is some guesswork and supposition based on analysis of the PS3 framebuffer.

  • woodnotes #9 3 years ago

    @ JohnnyWashnGo: You clearly haven't played all those PS3 ports then.

  • ardamillo #10 3 years ago

    Showoffs :)

  • Doctor_What #11 3 years ago

    @JohnnyWashnGo: This is the first time they've done a conversion, so by your logic it should be duff.

  • davisorle #12 3 years ago

    @ JohnnyWashnGo
    The thing is that if its a port from the PS3 instead of done the apropriatte way, no only it wont be as good as the PS3 version but unfortunatelly will be as fucked up as it can go. But then again Square has been working on the 360 for quite a few years now and they aren't arrogants in my opinion so... lol if the PS3 version comes out bad it sure as hell wont be the reason you gave. The ports are always the mess not the original in those cases. ALL the ports from PSone age were nasty.. All the games that have been ported due to Sony's consoles weird programming have been so bad on both PC and xbox when ported. So lets hope they actually WORK on it.

    Plus if u follow the link given from article itself you will realise why the visual effects will most likely look better on the 360 and thats cause the xbox can handle them ( 10MB eDRAM on the GPU ) when the PS3 cant. If you want details on that one follow that article for starters and then do some research :)

  • Gurgeh #13 3 years ago

    "I was under the impression that Square use a multiformat PC-based engine nowadays for ease of porting anyway."

    AFAIK they do. They aren't writing an engine from scratch just for the 360, it would take years. This is converting the art models and assets and optimising it all to fit the 360.

  • muscleblade #14 3 years ago

    If the 360 version actually performs better than the PS3 version technically the little faith i have left for PS3 will be gone.
    Its more likely both versions will be of same quality.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/09 @ 11:42

  • Bealsy #15 3 years ago

    ROFL @ article title. Nice bit of engrish.

  • Negotiator #16 3 years ago

    Only a while ago the PS3 fanboys were saying this game couldn't be done on the 360, what are they to say now. I love it when the PS3 nob heads (not all PS3 owners, only the fanboys) claim this is only possible on PS3, eating up the Sony line like a giant ganit, oh how I laugh.

  • davisorle #17 3 years ago

    To make it MORE clear about the game.. The game engine itself is being woprked for the 360 and as u read already the development has started or whatever. I dont think Square Enix wouldnt make that work carefully. i mean WTF... come on ppl. So I don't think we can consider this as a port at all. The thing is IF the engine is optimised too much for the PS3 that they wont waste too much time to fulyu optimise it for the 360 as well!? Don't know what are the odds for that one but knowing how much easier it is to work on the 360 and they are already aware of the platform all will go well and the game will be stunning. I give it a 98,5% on that :p

  • muscleblade #18 3 years ago

    @Negotiator

    +1

    The PS3 fanboys have been saying a lot that didnt turn out to be the case the last three years. Oh just wait until "input PS3 Exclusive" arrives, then the true power of the PS3 will show and make the 360 look bad. Many PS3 exclusive have arrived none of them have wiped the floor with the 360 tbh.

  • neilka #19 3 years ago

    IN 2009 FFXIII 360 WAS BEGINNING

  • sneetch #20 3 years ago

    @ Negotiator
    Only a while ago the PS3 fanboys were saying this game couldn't be done on the 360, what are they to say now. I love it when the PS3 nob heads (not all PS3 owners, only the fanboys) claim this is only possible on PS3, eating up the Sony line like a giant ganit, oh how I laugh.

    I'm very reluctant to get into anything that could be seen as either PS3 or PS3 owner bashing but in fairness that "only possible on PS3" line they keep trotting out is - strictly speaking - completely true while at the same time terribly disingenuous. That's probably the mark of a good marketing slogan. :)

    For example, it is true that Home is "only possible on PS3" because you can't run the client on PC or 360 (and neither can connect to the PSN), however there's absolutely no technical reason why you couldn't create the exact same experience on the 360 and certainly no reason why you couldn't do it on the PC.

  • Anufea #21 3 years ago

    WHAT HAPPEN??

  • muscleblade #22 3 years ago

    @sneetch

    Exactly.

  • NotSoSlim #23 3 years ago

    Only morons thought a pc based engine couldnt be done on the 360. SE didnt say the egine was pc based until a just over a year ago. Maybe thats where the ''only on PS3'' assumption was made.

  • Steroyd #24 3 years ago

    I think the series is becoming a little stagnant recently, so high hopes for this. Good to see ATB back.

    How can you type this on the back of FFXII?

  • Darren #25 3 years ago

    I guess this shows how easy the 360 is to code for if FFXIII 360 was only started two months ago and was already looking fine at E3.

  • Bigglesworth #26 3 years ago

    "FFXIII 360 was begun two months ago" is a perfectly fine sentence...
    It's one of those that looks a bit odd, but is actually fine.

    Technically no. 'Begun' is a past-participle, and indicates completion. The correct form would be "FFXIII 360 began two months ago".

    Grammar pedantry: still better than system wars.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/09 @ 13:43

  • Negotiator #27 3 years ago

    I just wish that this "only possible on PS3" line was taken by the fanboys like it is, and that is total bullshit. A way to try and justify a huge price tag, on a console that has no tech (apart from bluray) advantage over a much cheaper and older console. I own both consoles, and both are very good, but no game on anyone has made me think that the PS3 or the 360 is more powerful.

  • Zaltan #28 3 years ago

    I think the XBOX version will be better because of all the DVD's it will use, I used to love swapping discs all the time on PS1 so I really hope Square can break there record and make it 5 DVD's!!!
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/09 @ 14:50

  • GamesConnoisseur #29 3 years ago

    FXII WAS overhyped and Sony fanboys and gave too much of 10/10 by most reviewers, andecotal evidences of my FF loving friends is that they were bored with the game and never finished it. Me included.. I m one of those who did the whole FF series, even the FX-2 spin off!

    FXII did have a reasonably good start.. but lost its way through too many action combats and automatic mode doesnt help!

    Yes glad to see ATB back for FXIII and should be a real fun game...whether on PS3 or X360!

  • metallicorphan #30 3 years ago

    which is a shame,as i am playing star ocean now and its one of the best games that has appeared on the 360 this year

  • NotSoSlim #31 3 years ago

    In my opinion its one of the worst but each to there own

    :)

  • Calgon #32 3 years ago

    Funny I made a post recently that kind of fits here, but then the engine in question is PC based unless they've changed it for FFXIII.

    There is the arguement that PS3 development takes longer and the tools aren't up to the standard of 360's too, having said that with PC out of the equation they'd both benifit, they do share alot of similarities... both IOOE CPUs, both would work best with heavy parellelisation(on 360 theres 6 hardware threads, VMX128 registers on each thread that work pretty much in the same way the SPUs do) and so on.(both fixed platform, similar amounts of ram to work with and the more obvious stuff)

  • El-Dev #33 3 years ago

    "which is a shame,as i am playing star ocean now and its one of the best games that has appeared on the 360 this year"

    Not really a lot of competition this year so far though.

  • penhalion #34 3 years ago

    To this article I simply say

    "Bollocks was it!"

  • toa_boa #35 3 years ago

    Talk about a company being unanimously apologetic about a business decision, that was made to ensure that a title would make money :-)

  • SFG_Clan #36 3 years ago

    Interesting, I think both platforms will be exactly the same and before the ravenous angry PS3 fans descend upon my person to inflict grevious bodily harm. It won't matter, OMG my lighting is better than yours, I dont honestly care.

    It has been made multiplatform to make it more acessable and it will now also print money for Square Enix for around 10 to 15 years
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/09 @ 22:04

  • Vertius #37 3 years ago

    "Was begun?" Is this how you treat the Queen's language!? Fie!