Final Fantasy MMO skipping Xbox One because of Microsoft’s policies

Square Enix is bringing the once troubled massively multiplayer online game Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn to PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 — but the Xbox One is missing from that list.

That's not because Sony has a console exclusivity deal. It's because Microsoft won't allow for cross-platform play.

"The main reason from our side is that I don't want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more," game producer and director Naoki Yoshida told RPG Site. "For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and I'm playing the Xbox version — but we're not able to join the same game servers. That is just … I just don't like the idea. I disagree with it."

He said, "If it was a P2P or an MO, then it would be fine — but for FF14, if that frustration happens, maybe one of those players says 'OK, I will give up my PS4 character and start out for scratch, making a new account from scratch on another machine. I don't think that's fair.

"I really want the community to stick together and not be split into two or be divided because of that reason. That's one of the reasons that means that unless the policy chances, Xbox just doesn't make sense to us."

He added, "To be frankly honest with you, there are now so many mobile devices, smartphones, everything — why would you ever just stick to one platform from the hardware aspect? Just — make it open to everyone? That's my opinion."

A Realm Reborn launches worldwide for PC and PS3 on August 27.

[via Quarter to Three]

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