Final Fantasy 16's exclusivity is a mess
Timed out.
There's confusion over the exclusivity of Final Fantasy 16, which was described upon its reveal last night as a PlayStation 5 "console exclusive".
The game was shown running on PC during Sony's PlayStation 5 showcase, and its trailer concluded with the title card: "PlayStation console exclusive. Also available on PC."
No mention was made of timed console exclusivity, or whether PC might launch at a different time.
But, shortly after the presentation, trusted industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls stated on Twitter he had been told by Sony the game was "six months full exclusive and 12 months console exclusive", suggesting it would arrive on PC half a year after PS5, and be free to launch elsewhere after a full year.
Those are the terms of the deal, Harding-Rolls continued, though whether Final Fantasy 16 does indeed arrive exactly on this timeframe for PC and elsewhere - let's just say it, on Xbox Series X - still remains dependent on Square Enix's development team having it ready to go.
There is no official confirmation of FF XVI coming to PC, however the structure of the deal and the mention in the Sony PS5 showcase does suggest this is the case. When this arrives after the 6 months contractual period is up is obviously down to SE. /2
— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) September 17, 2020
I asked Square Enix for clarification on Final Fantasy 16's release and exclusivity this morning, but the publisher was unable to provide it.
"We have no further information on if Final Fantasy 16 will be released on platforms other than the PS5," a Square Enix spokesperson told me, the tape on their mouth beginning to inhibit oxygen flow.
Final Fantasy 16's prominent unveiling at the top of PlayStation's showcase and bold promise of console exclusivity is clearly designed to leave the impression that Sony's console is the only place you'll be playing the game - on console, at least - for the foreseeable future. Such billing likely does not come cheap. The price of all that, it seems, is the confusion over what follows.