Final Fantasy XIII for Japan in 2009

By Robert Purchese Published 4 August, 2008

Western 360 version not started yet.

Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy XIII will be released in Japan next year.

A PS3 demo will arrive as a bonus disc with the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children animated film in March 2009. We're unlikely to see a sampler at the Tokyo Game Show later this year, though.

That's according to announcements from the DKΣ3713 event in Tokyo last weekend, where FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama said work has not yet begun on the Western Xbox 360 version of the game.

Square Enix has previously told us Final Fantasy XIII will launch on both platforms simultaneously in Europe and the US, which means we could face more than localisation delays as the Microsoft version plays catch-up.

"We haven't changed the direction of the development. We're making the PS3 version first, and then porting to the 360 later," said Toriyama in an on-stage video interview, translated by GameSpot.

"I'm telling [the development team] to not think about the Xbox 360 right now. We can think about it after the development kits arrive."

Videos from the show are rarely released, but reports suggest real-time footage of Final Fantasy XIII and action sibling Final Fantasy Versus XIII was shown.

Square Enix told us European plans for Final Fantasy XIII and the demo are yet to be confirmed.

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 (41) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • penhalion #1 4 years ago

    It's written on PC first anyway so the delay will not be as long as everyone thinks. Still going to be measured in quarters and not months though!

  • Dizzy #2 4 years ago

    So FF XIII in 2011 in Europe?

  • berelain #3 4 years ago

    I dont think theres anything to worry about, delay-wise. ocalisation takes a good while anyway, and by all accounts back-porting to the 360 isn't such a tricky task as porting from 360 to PS3. Plus, Squenix have already had experience with the 360 through work on Last Remnant anyways.

    Still undecided which version I'll go for. Depends on the achievements and how well they manage to compress stuff for the 360 version, I guess...

  • JediMasterMalik #4 4 years ago

    Localisation should not take that long in this day and age, SE are a complete joke in this department.

  • Widge #5 4 years ago

    Simultaneous EU AND US!? Christ this is going to take forever.
    I'm actually hoping MS pour huge sums of assistance towards this to ensure it gets out in a timely manner for both systems.

  • OnlyMe #6 4 years ago

    We could always hope that the japanese version includes english subtitles and menus.

  • Widge #7 4 years ago

    RE: achievements; totally presume mode here, but I'd guess they'd be either the same or similar across both systems.

  • miiiguel #8 4 years ago

    PS3's will have Achievements/Trophies/Something ?
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/08 @ 11:15

  • berelain #9 4 years ago

    Widge: indeed, but as Trophys are mostly meaningless right now and not even mandatory, I wonder if SE will even bother with them.

  • alimokrane #10 4 years ago

    DOnt you find it weird that he said, they even havent received the Kits for the 360 ?????? Arent they developing the Last remnant or what ? Either way, I am not expecting the game until 2010 anyway.

  • dadrester #11 4 years ago

    Localisation should not take that long in this day and age, SE are a complete joke in this department.

    they take their time, but they do it very well.

  • muftak #12 4 years ago

    @berelain

    but so are achievements meaningless all these achivement type things do is give you a virtual bigger dick .



  • Aretak #13 4 years ago

    "they take their time, but they do it very well."

    Meh... hit and miss at best.

  • SeesThroughAll #14 4 years ago

    indeed, but as Trophys are mostly meaningless right now and not even mandatory, I wonder if SE will even bother with them.

    Trophies are mandatory for games released starting 2009.

  • JediMasterMalik #15 4 years ago

    Wait a sec, how are Trophies meaningless?! The whole point of Acheivements and trophies is to make you want to play a game a bit more and do certain challenges within the game.

    If you think it's pointless because it doesn't contribute to your E-Peen, I'd worry for your gaming habbits. Do you only play games for your gamerscore too?

  • Steroyd #16 4 years ago

    Christmas 2010 the earliest.

    I wonder if i'll give a crap by then. :(

  • berelain #17 4 years ago

    I said trophies are meaningless because of the way they have been implemented, and because so far only one game supports the damn things.

    My Gamerscore / Gamercard can track my achievements across multiple games and I can compare them to anyone i like, dating back from when I first got my 360. My PS3 Achievements can do the comparison thing, but because they're rather obtuse and not available in all games (and never likely to be in some) they just don't do the job like Achievements do.

    Don't ge tme wrong. I play games for the fun of them. But a multiplatform game I'll almost always go for the 360 version, because of Achievements and how easily I can see how well my friends are doing on the same games.

  • moskiitto #18 4 years ago

    Simulation launch? Oh. I was going to rage but seems like 360 thing isnt going to make any effect to us europeans then. To America on the other hand... =)

  • JediMasterMalik #19 4 years ago

    That's fair enough, but if the game supports them, then they aren't pointless unless your moan is for your gamerscore.

  • Steroyd #20 4 years ago

    You can compare with others on the PS3...

    Granted the system isn't mandatory yet, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't in 2011.

  • Widge #21 4 years ago

    I would rather this came out in the US first!
    Dunno if I'd go through it with subs on if they did that in Japan...

  • Vin #22 4 years ago

    "By the time it's released, the Ps3 will have a far more mature/larger install base, and will almost certainly be equal to, if not greater than the 360s."

    Well, there's always Home to look forward to, eh?

  • RedSparrows #23 4 years ago

    oo merk's about

    i wonder what goes on inside your head. why do you care so much?

  • twmac #24 4 years ago

    @seesthroughall

    Trophies aren't mandatory at all. There is nothing that states the game must have them. Unless you are privy to Sony documents that haven't been released yet?

  • Widge #25 4 years ago

    well the thread was sane for a while anyway

  • andywilkie35 #26 4 years ago

    i dont care how many discs this comes on, i'm getting the 360 version

  • Fernando #27 4 years ago

    who's merk exactly? a fanboy?

  • stepneg #28 4 years ago

    @RedSparrows

    "oo merk's about

    i wonder what goes on inside your head. why do you care so much? "

    I can imagine him holding back the tears while he typed out his latest load of "blig facts", I mean this here is genius:

    "About the ONLY positive thing for MS is that it simply will mean slightly fewer people will buy the PS3 than would have otherwise in the west."

    Sony should hire him, given the utter garbage most of their PR guys come out with he couldn't do any worse.

  • Kryon #29 4 years ago

    Lol, is big_berk back typing his drivel again? I feel I'm missing out on all the comedy goodness since I put the crack headed halfwit on ignore. :(

  • Widge #30 4 years ago

    I say, send Blig and JSPOOLE away on holiday to the Maldives or something...

  • Steroyd #31 4 years ago

    @twmac

    There was a Q&A on the PS Blog about trophies when it released, and they said it will eventually be mandatory, by early next year or something like that.
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/08 @ 13:06

  • Dizzy #32 4 years ago

    "Top Tip: Learn Japanese and import the PS3 version :D "

    That sounds like the "get a second job" argument :D

  • Kryon #33 4 years ago

    "You think of a better idea ? :D "


    Yeah, get a fit Japanese girlfriend and get her to read it for you. It's quicker and more pleasurable than learning the language ;)

  • actionfitz #34 4 years ago

    RedSparrows:

    oo merk's about.

    lol, he's still around then? ignore ftw. :p

    on topic:
    while im chuffed to bits at not having to splurge out for a PS3 to get my FF fix, we'll have to brace ourselves for the usual million year wait for them to localise for Scots-Gaelic, West-Belfast, Latin, Elvish etc etc...
    /sadface.



  • myke6699 #35 4 years ago

    PS3 > 360 port = great (360)
    360 > PS3 port= crap (PS3)
    PS3+PC / 360= crap (all)
    Edited by 1 at 04/08/08 @ 15:27

  • Dizzy #36 4 years ago

    "Yeah, get a fit Japanese girlfriend and get her to read it for you. It's quicker and more pleasurable than learning the language ;) "

    Then again a Japanese girlfriend will dump you like a brick if you play FF (and especially if you involve her). They don't like yellow fever Otakus ;)

  • Chrono-Kun #37 4 years ago

    ...

    I wonder if the port is going to be good? Meh... Not really bothered anyway. I still got my PS2 to keep me company

  • Kryon #38 4 years ago

    "Then again a Japanese girlfriend will dump you like a brick if you play FF (and especially if you involve her). They don't like yellow fever Otakus ;)"

    Isn't it a good thing if a Japanese girl dumps you like a brick? It's just I saw that '2girls1cup' piece of media and thought it was the done thing? :D

  • killyourtv #39 4 years ago

    good that they are finishing ps3 version before starting on 360. That should mean no compromises on things like resources if they were developed side by side. So basically the ps3 version will be exaclty as it would have been if it was still only a ps3 game. good times

  • Ryze #40 4 years ago

    He's an utter cock now, also.

  • 7creature #41 4 years ago

    Localization (i.e. recording "kewl" US english accented dialogues) will probably take some time.