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Fei-Hung on 01 September 2008
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JaggedSac said:

Xbox 360 to sell more FFXIII’s than PS3?

  • http://www.finalfantasyseries.net/xbox-360-to-sell-more-ffxiiis-than-ps3

  • With Final Fantasy XIII’s development now in full flow, Square Enix must be eagerly licking their lips in anticipation of more combined sales with Final Fantasy XIII turning multiplatform.

    Multiplatform games are nothing new, but since the rise of Microsoft’s Xbox 360, the frequency of bigger games making the switch from Sony’s Playstation 3 have increased.

    Arguably the most successful multiplatform decision was to share Grand Theft Auto IV. In the United States the Xbox 360 version outsold the PS3 version by over 2-to-1 in the first week (according to GameStop and EB Games). It was a similar story in the United Kingdom with the Xbox 360 version selling 514,000 copies whilst the PlayStation 3 version could only manage 413,000 within the first 5 days (according to Chart-Track).

    Will this be the same story concerning Final Fantasy XIII?

    For Sony owners, this is just another blow. Already “betrayed” by Capcom and Rockstar Games, some owners are pledging their loyalty to PS3 by refusing purchase of Final Fantasy XIII. This will only help swing sales in Microsoft’s favour.

    Unit numbers are also against Sony. Worldwide, 19 million (as of April 25, 2008) Xbox 360’s have been shipped, compared to Sony Playstation 3’s 14.41 million (as of June 30, 2008). There is some hope though, Japanese PS3 sales out number Xbox 360 sales (2,009, 492 – to – 602, 558 as of March 30, 2008).

    However, are there any potential problems with Xbox 360 sales?

    Since 1997, Sony’s Playstation and Playstation 2 have been acquainted with Square’s main Final Fantasy titles. Those fans that have grown up with the series on the Playstation would have most likely brought a Playstation 3 for the next instalment. It’s therefore highly likely that the majority of Final Fantasy fans would have already owned a Playstation 3 before Final Fantasy XIII’s multiplatform announcement at E3 2008.

    Quality may also play a part in sales. It’s no secret that the Playstation 3 packs more power than the Xbox 360, then again the quality of Devil May Cry 4 was exactly the same between the two consoles. Only once we get a hard copy of the two Final Fantasy XIII versions will we be able to distinguish the differences. The amount of discs needed to play the game also won’t be known till a later date, but it’s likely the Xbox 360 version will need more. Personally (Xbox 360 owner, but no fanboy) I have no problem with disc changes, as long as I get the full content of the Playstation 3 version I don’t mind changing discs every now and then (talking from experience – PS1 FF Games).

    The Xbox 360 however has one more trick up its sleeve. “It’s the new home of RPG’s.” With a highly impressive line up including Lost Odyssey plus the highly anticipated Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant releasing September 2008 and this year respectfully, RPG Xbox 360 fans should be able to make the switch to Final Fantasy XIII once it releases.

    By weighing up most of the tangible evidence, personally I believe the Xbox 360 version might just sell more copies than the Playstation 3 version of Final Fantasy XIII. By how much is another question for another day. However I do fear for the Playstation 3. If Final Fantasy XIII doesn’t sell well on the PS3 then this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

1) Your arguments are weak. If you look at the numbers of GTA and Devil MAy Cry again and look at the ratio of consoles sold to games sold, the PS3 out performed the 360 on every game.

2) I'm trying to find this article I read on N4G a while ago. A recent survey they had made showed that 53% of PS2 owners still haven't made the jump into next gen gaming. So now if you want to make a good argument, you have to consider "what if x percent" of these PS2 owners make their switch onto the PS2; from which many will be FF fans, GoW fans, GT fans etc. 

Obviously they can go towards the 360 or a Wii but let's be honest- if they wanted to switch to next gen but were lacking the switch would have already been made to a 360 or a Wii which are the cheaper end next gen machines. Their would have not been a wait for the next gen jump.

3) Japan will give the PS3 exclusivity and this will make up for some huge numbers.

4) FFV will also be PS3 exclusive.

5) GTA and DMC have been the same on both machines, but the new FF game will all depend on how much compression the 360 version will need to go through. If the game is reviewed to be better on the PS3, what effect will this have on 360 sales?

6) The PS3 is picking up momentum it terms of sales and releases. It is only 5million behind now and by the time of FF release it may have already caught up if not by passed the 360. 

On the other hand:

1) if 360 manages to stall the PS3 momentum and take it's lead back again on weekly sales, then FF may do better on the 360.

2) If the games quality has no variation then it may sell better.

3) If the PS3 has no price drop before the release of FF it may do better.

 

I will try find the stats again on N4G and re-post it for you as soon as I find them.