Square Enix: Nintendo saying no to cross-platform MMOs

[LordTheNightKnight]

Rhonin the wizard said:

Final Fantasy XI Producer Hiromichi Tanaka presented a keynote about future Square-Enix Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games at the Game Developers Conference in Austin, Texas today. Tanaka stated that the Wii is not a platform being considered for MMOs at this time.

"As for Nintendo Wii, it will be pretty difficult if you were to cross-platform for a couple reasons," Tanaka responded when asked about the possibility of a cross-platform MMO appearing on the console. "One is that Nintendo's currently not allowing different cross-platform titles, and as you know, the resolution differences make it harder for us to make cross-platform games. Currently we're not looking at Nintendo Wii as a platform."

Tanaka did state that an MMO on Wii is technically possible so long as the console receives a hard drive attachment. Nintendo has made no statements about producing such a device for Wii.

The only true MMO to appear on a Nintendo platform thus far is the GameCube title Homeland. The game was created by developer Chunsoft and saw a limited release in Japan back in March 2005. The other server-based online RPGs for GameCube allowed up to four players in the Phantasy Star Online franchise, costing approximately 10 USD per month for a Hunter's License.

The Wiire will have more on the issue of Wii MMOs in the future.

http://www.thewiire.com/news/941/1/SquareEnix_Wii_MMOs_Possible_Not_Currently_Allowed_by_Nintendo

From what I understand cross-platform means that a game on the PS3 could communicate with one on a different console. This would not be a problem if you were to create an MMO exclusively for the Wii. He said the problem is the lack of a hard drive, how can this be possible when the GameCube had an MMO, although it didn't have a hard drive.

 Phantasy Star Online allowed only four players at a time. That is not an MMO.