News / 2007 / January / 01

Does Sony need Final Fantasy XIII?

Published at 09:45:47 PT
Reported by Jeriaska
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Final Fantasy XIII will not be hitting shelves until late this year in Japan, but judging by new TV ads featuring FMV footage of Square's smoking hot heroine "Lightning," the long wait hasn't stopped Sony from billing the title as perhaps the key gaming event of 2007.

News that the Dragon Quest series is hopping from Sony's Playstation console to Japan's most popular portable, the Nintendo DS, has leant some credence to Square Enix's hubristic declaration that without their support no company can prevail in this generation's heated console war. Though a survey of Famitsu readers suggests a certain degree of ambivalence surrounds the choice of the Nintendo DS as the destination for Dragon Quest IX, Square's strategy certainly has not hindered Nintendo Co., Ltd stock from reaching record highs since the announcement. Where then does this leave Sony's underperforming PS3 and PSP?

Judging by new teaser trailers debuting on New Years day, Sony appears to be hanging its hat on the same high profile series that helped put the original Playastation on the map, such as Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy. Considering the mammoth production costs involved in developing the newest incarnation of Konami, Capcom, and Square Enix's flagship series, chances are fans won't be seeing releases any time soon in Japan, let alone in North America. Will players be willing to stick it out with Sony through the drought, or is this just the window of opportunity needed by the competition to supplant the Playstation's prominence for the long-term?

While little is known about Final Fantasy XIII, what information has been revealed so far strongly suggests that this will be the most ambitious title to date in the history of the doggedly ambitious series. Screenshots of the female protagonist, called "Lightning" by gaming magazine Famitsu, give readers a sense of the Playstation 3 console's capacity for creating breathtakingly realistic facial expressions in real time. Furthermore, from what has been shown of Square Enix's White Engine, as in this level modeling video and trailer circa May 2006, the in-game camera will be capable of zooming in and out of simulated environments encompassing entire virtual cities. If the possibilities for standard role-playing games aren't enough to whet players' appetites, one might consider what the White Engine could do for the MMORPG's of 2008. That is, if gamers are truly willing to trust the adage, "Good things come to those who wait."