Yes, neither are real ports because Crystal Tools is a cross-platform PC-based engine. It was initially an engine optimized for ps3, but it further added X360 and Wii support.

However, if some people here say that the ps3 version is not a port whereas the X360 one is, then I say with the same logic that the ps3 one is also a port.

If you ever add the choice of "neither a port" put me there, otherwise leave me where I currently am.

i once had a neither is a port option, but techie lingo made me change that.

I'd also prefer to be under the "neither" category, but I'll play nicely under the PS3 is not a port category (with an asterisk) ;).

done :P
as for me, i'm simply trying to keep the waters unmuddied. I think the programmer's definition of port has been slung around here far too much when obviously we are gamers and have different interpretations of certain words.
a vote for neither is just as good as a vote for ps3 not being a port, cuz like i said i have no loyalties in the matter.
I just dislike people being led to believe things that aren't true because of a "misunderstanding" of a word. it happens far too often imo.

Considering your making the game on a middleware engine, then translating it to the PS3 and Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 version is not a port.

Look at any UE3 game: UE3 is a middleware engine similar to Crystal Tools, which is designed to be used for Xbox 360, PC and PS3 games.

So when you develop a game on UE3, you can publish it to 360, PC and PS3 somewhat easy, as your not re-building the game entirely for the given console of choice.

Crystal Tools and XIII is similar. Crystal Tools is build for the X360 and PS3. So if your building a game on that platform, how are you building it for one specific system and not both? I would agree that XIII's lead platform is the PS3, but that doesn't make the Xbox 360 version a port. A port would entail that the game was made for the Playstation 3 under a PS3-specific engine, and once the code was entirely completed on the PS3, it was then ported to the 360, and optimized for the X360. Rather, it's being done on Crystal Tools then ported to the Playstation 3 first, and the Xbox 360 second for the Western markets.

We've seen such scenarios many, many times this generation to where companies use middleware engines such as Torque, Unreal, and such to make a given game, and then send it to many different systems. This couldn't be done without a cross-platform development structure in place, such as what Square Enix is doing with Crystal Tools.

So I'm in the "neither version is a port" - the game is being made, clearly, for both systems, but the PS3 version will be finished first, provided the it launches in Japan first.

I guess since there is no pc version of this game, it is not possible for the PS3 version to be a port. PS3 version is th lead platform, 360 is the port.

The PC platform is windows or linux or OSX or a multitude of other operating systems. The FFXIII being developed may be in the Crystal tools on a PC but it will not run on anyones PC, but will run initially on the PS3. Thus it is a PS3 game first. It is not a port of a PC game to the PS3.

There is a reason why we call games developed for windows then ported to OSX a port. Because it was developed for a target platform first. This is not different for consoles. I could develop a windows PC program on OSX that will never run on any OSX PC. That program would not be a windows port.

Seriously people.

Developed on PC > Ported to PS3
PC > Ported to X360
That's the most logical way of doing it, no way will S-E port a PS3 to 360, PS3's don't share as similar hardware to 360 so it would take a very long time (heck, it took a year for 360 to PS3 Bioshock, imagine it in reverse + extra).

OMG some people know nothing of what is programming they are doing it on a PC as all games and then they start using dev kits wich are kind of pcs with hardware similar to the ones on the console and port the code and optimize it.

I remembered that there was a GOW when it was beeing developed only for 360 and they wherer working on a pc?? does that make GOW a PC port?? NO... working on a pc doesnt mean its done to work on a pc like a game for it

Considering crystal tools, I would say the game is developped with PS3 in mind but ported to PS3, with some features that will disapear... similarly, 360 version will not be a port of the PS3 but from crystal tools with features that disapears....

THere was an australian interview of an SE guy recently and if i recall he said the game was optimized for PS3... that could just means build to use all features of the PS3 once ported....