Xbox 360 to sell more FFXIII’s than PS3?
- http://www.finalfantasyseries.net/xbox-360-to-sell-more-ffxiiis-than-ps3
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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.
