Microsoft is not giving up on getting one of Square Enix's games to their platform.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has recently announced he has not given up on bringing Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox platforms even after three years of silence on the matter.
Final Fantasy XIV, which was released in Sept. 2010, is one of the games from Japanese video game developer Square Enix that is not present on any Xbox console, per IGN.
Phil Spencer And His Promise To Xbox Gamers
Phil Spencer mentioned in an interview with Nakamura Seiji of Game Watch, a Japanese video gaming publication, that he and Square Enix has not given up on bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox consoles.
When asked if it is still possible for the game to arrive on the Xbox, Spencer said that the game will be available to Xbox players in the future and that it is Microsoft and Square Enix's commitment to the game's fans.
He also added that Microsoft and Square Enix would continue to coordinate on the matter.
Spencer was in Japan at the time of the interview for his keynote address on the first day of the Tokyo Game Show.
You may remember that Spencer promised Xbox gamers at the X019 event in London in 2019 that he would be bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox systems, though this was a promise that has yet to be fulfilled after three years.
The reason for the delay was due to issues with the game's cross-play capabilities. According to Final Fantasy XIV director Yoshida Naoki's interview with Kai Powell of WCCF Tech in 2019, two cross-play regulations obstruct Microsoft's access to the game, and to get it, the tech giant must reject them.
The first regulation is that players on different platforms are unable to talk to each other in-game even if they are on the same server. This inability to other players in-game due to platform differences defeats the core elements of MMORPGs like Final Fantasy XIV - communication between players.
"One of the regulations is that players with different platforms cannot chat with each other in-game," Yoshida said. "Then how do you play an MMO?"
The other regulation is that a player cannot create a community or guild with players on a different platform in-game, meaning that players "can't form a guild, enter into a link shell, [and] no free company," as Yoshida said.
The inability to create communities with like-minded players also defeats one of the core elements of an MMORPG - creating communities, guilds, and parties to help each other out in-game.
Other Xbox Concerns
Aside from getting Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox systems, Seiji also asked Spencer about Microsoft's stance on the Call of Duty franchise becoming an Xbox exclusive in the future should it goes ahead with its acquisition deal with Activision Blizzard.
Spencer assured Seiji and PlayStation gamers that Microsoft believes that the franchise will continue to live on PlayStation, despite the contract with PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan being "in progress."
"We think Call of Duty will continue to live on PlayStation," Spencer said. "On the other hand, the contract is still in progress, but when those procedures are completed, the "Call of Duty" series will be compatible with Game Pass. This will allow Call of Duty to be offered as a subscription service. This is what we want, not banning the PlayStation from Call of Duty."
