[Washington Post] Sony has secured the Final Fantasy VII Trilogy as a Console Exclusive [Up: Author Clarifies, just 1 + 2 for now]

[Joo]

According to Steam Spy it's under a mil. Sure it seems like it was a cheap port and it likely didn't take much to break even, but you aren't being honest with me if you don't think it could sell far better on PC

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I don't doubt it could, but that is besides the point.

We don't know how much SE needed it to sell for the whole FF7 Remake revenue on every platform (added with Sony's money and exclusivity deal) to make sense and turn out something they hoped it would.

Like obviously every game sells better as a day 1 release, but the released game, its quality and all the revenue gained from it is what matters, not hypothetical revenue streams for situations that maybe aren't even realistic possibilities (i.e. Remake releasing as the exact same game day 1 on PC and at the same time it originally came out on PS5).

 

[DongBeetle]

I don't doubt it could, but that is besides the point.

We don't know how much SE needed it to sell for the whole FF7 Remake revenue on every platform (added with Sony's money and exclusivity deal) to make sense and turn out something they hoped it would.

Like obviously every game sells better as a day 1 release, but the released game, its quality and all the revenue gained from it is what matters, not hypothetical revenue streams for situations that maybe even aren't realistic possibilities (i.e. Remake releasing as the exact same game day 1 on PC and at the same it originally came out on PS5).

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I don't doubt that yes, it turned out better for Square to accept a SHIT TON of money from Sony (hopefully it was a shit ton lol). My point is that Sony is flat out wrong about day one PC and it is costing massively to the point where they're struggling to keep everyone's lights on

 

[Joo]

I don't doubt that yes, it turned out better for Square to accept a SHIT TON of money from Sony (hopefully it was a shit ton lol). My point is that Sony is flat out wrong about day one PC and it is costing massively to the point where they're struggling to keep everyone's lights on

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Well yeah, that's a different topic. Let's hope Helldivers 2 success will at least have them try day 1 PC for some of their upcoming single player games.

 

[IonMagus]

Well yeah, that's a different topic. Let's hope Helldivers 2 success will at least have them try day 1 PC for some of their upcoming single player games.

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Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

 

[Super]

They're a multi-format developer taking a bung to deny millions of gamers the opportunity to play their games on another format. It's no wonder the market for their games is decreasing if this is the message they're sending out.

They'll never grow their properties doing this and will become reliant on Sony giving a fair price which they won't do when there's no competition in the market.

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Isn't this the case for any third party that has a timed exclusivity deal with a platform holder though?

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

People who know the difference believe it. People who spend the majority of their time in PlayStation threads probably don't.

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Oh, you're serious… welp

Alrighty then, carry on, lol

 

[Joo]

Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

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Yep, it's a slippery slope and 100 % one of the major reasons Xbox sales have gone down the drain. Maybe it doesn't matter as much to MS (of course it's still extremely important), but I really doubt Sony would go full day 1 on PC for the exact reason you said.

Maybe they'll be a bit more lenient in the future as it's also surely the case that there's much success to be found for certain type of games with day 1 PC releases like Helldivers shows (and therefore imo they should try how some single player games would fare), but like you said I doubt that no matter how massive numbers some of their biggest exclusives could do on PC day 1, as long as console sales stay high those PC numbers will never eclipse the 30% cut Sony gets from sales on PS Store and that's why full day 1 PC isn't happening.

 

[Firmus_Anguis]

This is shitty as hell. I wish this shit wasn't the norm, especially considering how amazing Rebirth is. You want a game like that to be as successful as it possibly can be.

But it's f*cking hilarious to see people complain about this who supported publisher acquisitions, which are way, way worse.

At least FF14 and 16 are coming to Xbox. That probably wouldn't happen if Sony had ever bought Square (which I f*cking hope they don't).

 

[IonMagus]

Yep, it's a slippery slope and 100 % one of the major reasons Xbox sales have gone down the drain. Maybe it doesn't matter as much to MS (of course it's still extremely important), but I really doubt Sony would go full day 1 on PC for the exact reason you said.

Maybe they'll be a bit more lenient in the future as it's also surely the case that there's much success to be found for certain type of games with day 1 PC releases like Helldivers shows (and therefore imo they should try how some single player games would fare), but like you said I doubt that no matter how massive numbers some of their biggest exclusives could do on PC day 1, as long as console sales stay high those PC numbers will never eclipse the 30% cut Sony gets from sales on PS Store and that's why full day 1 PC isn't happening.

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It doesnt matter much to MS because they are a 3 Trillion Dollar company. Sony on the other hand is struggling financially. PS5 sales are already expected to decline a lot and they will even more if they follow MS with their PC Day1 approach.

Theres a reason why Nintendo will never bring their 1st Party Games to PC and goes so hard against Emulators lol

 

[Joo]

It doesnt matter much to MS because they are a 3 Trillion Dollar company. Sony on the other hand is struggling financially. PS5 sales are already expected to decline a lot and they will even more if they follow MS with their PC Day1 approach.

Theres a reason why Nintendo will never bring their 1st Party Games to PC and goes so hard against Emulators lol

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Yeah that's true. Even as a 3 trillion company MS' gaming business still has to be successful on its own or pivots will happen (like we're just seeing with their emerging multiplatform strategy).

 

[DongBeetle]

Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

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People here really need to learn the difference between correlation and causation lol day one PC ports are the least of Microsoft's problems

 

[Launchpad]

Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

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What is your evidence that day 1 on PC led to lower Xbox sales? An ecosystem that was already selling poorly way before they put their games on PC. Sony games day 1 on PC is a matter of when, not if. It's only a matter of time.

 

[DongBeetle]

It doesnt matter much to MS because they are a 3 Trillion Dollar company. Sony on the other hand is struggling financially. PS5 sales are already expected to decline a lot and they will even more if they follow MS with their PC Day1 approach.

Theres a reason why Nintendo will never bring their 1st Party Games to PC and goes so hard against Emulators lol

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Sony struggling financially means they should be looking at new revenue sources. Clearly 30 percent in a stagnant console market isn't working. I think there's massive enthusiast bubble here to how readily we think someone will switch entirely to PC gaming because Spider-Man 2 released day and date. Someone who is paying 30 percent for all third parties on PS5 isn't likely to go exclusively PC just because a few games release day one lol

 

[Joo]

People here really need to learn the difference between correlation and causation lol day one PC ports are the least of Microsoft's problems

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It's hardly a problem they would want to "fix", but I think that all Xbox games day 1 on PC have definitely played a part in dwindling console sales. As to how much, that's impossible to say but at least Series console sales are the exact opposite of encouraging Sony or Nintendo to follow suit.

Sony struggling financially means they should be looking at new revenue sources. Clearly 30 percent in a stagnant console market isn't working. I think there's massive enthusiast bubble here to how readily we think someone will switch entirely to PC gaming because Spider-Man 2 released day and date. Someone who is paying 30 percent for all third parties on PS5 isn't likely to go exclusively PC just because a few games release day one lol

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Of course not, short term this wouldn't have any meaningful effect on Sony's console sales. Long term however, much harder to say.

 

[DongBeetle]

It's hardly a problem they would want to "fix", but I think that all Xbox games day 1 on PC have definitely played a part in dwindling console sales. As to how much, that's impossible to say but at least Series console sales are the exact opposite of encouraging Sony or Nintendo to follow suit.

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Again correlation doesn't equal causation. Their dwindling console sales massively predate their day one PC strategy.

 

[IonMagus]

Sony struggling financially means they should be looking at new revenue sources. Clearly 30 percent in a stagnant console market isn't working. I think there's massive enthusiast bubble here to how readily we think someone will switch entirely to PC gaming because Spider-Man 2 released day and date. Someone who is paying 30 percent for all third parties on PS5 isn't likely to go exclusively PC just because a few games release day one lol

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The reasons Sony is struggling is that only 2 of their departments make any money and their Games cost 200-300 Million to develop lol. And yes, people will abandon a platform. See Xbox lol

 

[IonMagus]

What is your evidence that day 1 on PC led to lower Xbox sales? An ecosystem that was already selling poorly way before they put their games on PC. Sony games day 1 on PC is a matter of when, not if. It's only a matter of time.

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Xbox 360 was the clear winner because it had so many Games you could only play there. PS4 was because it was THE exclusive machine. Like I said, Nintendo knows that without their incredible line of exclusive 1st and 3rd Party Games the Switch would not have sold as much.

 

[Joo]

Again correlation doesn't equal causation. Their dwindling console sales massively predate their day one PC strategy.

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I honestly don't have any dates for this and can't really say anything. Maybe you're right, I'm not saying you're wrong at least.

 

[DongBeetle]

The reasons Sony is struggling is that only 2 of their departments make any money and their Games cost 200-300 Million to develop lol. And yes, people will abandon a platform. See Xbox lol

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So either you accept budget reductions (layoffs) or Sony can make the money they need via releasing on PC day one. It's that simple. I'm not sure I understand what your abandoning platform point is about, did you misunderstand my post?

 

[Launchpad]

Xbox 360 was the clear winner because it had so many Games you could only play there. PS4 was because it was THE exclusive machine. Like I said, Nintendo knows that without their incredible line of exclusive 1st and 3rd Party Games the Switch would not have sold as much.

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Xbox 360 was the clear winner because it launched a year early and wasn't $600. You have absolutely no evidence that Xbox games on PC are dwindling Xbox sales. Xbox sales have been dwindling far longer than their PC strategy has existed.

 

[IonMagus]

So either you accept budget reductions (layoffs) or Sony can make the money they need via releasing on PC day one. It's that simple. I'm not sure I understand what your abandoning platform point is about, did you misunderstand my post?

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Well yes, Budget reductions need to happen asap. Even Sony acknowledged this in their financial calls. This will lead /has caused layoffs but there is literally no other way. The mass wave of shutdowns and layoffs were mostly caused by over-hir. during Covid

 

[IonMagus]

Xbox 360 was the clear winner because it launched a year early and wasn't $600. You have absolutely no evidence that Xbox games on PC are dwindling Xbox sales. Xbox sales have been dwindling far longer than their PC strategy has existed.

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They dwindled before because PS4 had all the interesting exclusive Games. Releasing Day1 on PC was the nail in the coffin.

 

[DongBeetle]

I honestly don't have any dates for this and can't really say anything. Maybe you're right, I'm not saying your wrong at least.

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I think if we could pinpoint to where Microsoft started doing this, and the subsequent massive sales decline, but the sales decline was happening far before. As it is there are shit tons of console players who don't want to go PC and vice versa. If PC sales massively ate console then we would hear about it from more third parties

 

[Launchpad]

They dwindled before because PS4 had all the interesting exclusive Games. Releasing Day1 on PC was the nail in the coffin.

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You absolutely cannot be convinced but I will just say I believe you are wrong and leave it at that.

 

[DongBeetle]

Well yes, Budget reductions need to happen asap. Even Sony acknowledged this in their financial calls. This will lead /has caused layoffs but there is literally no other way. The mass wave of shutdowns and layoffs were mostly caused by over-hir. during Covid

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Well I explained another way lol. Sony has an easy way of reaching a massive, largely untapped by them revenue source, and as we've seen with Helldivers 2 DOUBLE their sales. We should absolutely prefer this to layoffs IMO

 

[| TrusT |]

Isn't this the case for any third party that has a timed exclusivity deal with a platform holder though?

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These seem to be permanent exclusives, If they Want to monetise them in the future they've limited their options for a single upfront payment.

Just seems stupid to me when games have multiple life cycles and long availability on digital stores.

Surely you'd want more people to experience your products and grow the appreciation of them?

 

[mclem]

I mean it would be fucking stupid to have the first 2 games as exclusives and not the last one.


Right??

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One thing that that doesn't necessarily block - it would absolutely depend on the precise terms of the deal - is multiplatform collected editions, either a 1+2 collected edition followed by a multiplatform Ep3, or an exclusive Ep3 followed by a multiplatform Complete Edition of some form. I suspect Sony's concern may be more about potential Switch 2 ports more so than Xbox ones, depending on how downgradable they are - certainly I wouldn't be too surprised if a Switch 2 could handle a reasonable take on Episode 1; I have no real frame of reference, though, on whether Ep2 is significantly more demanding, I haven't played either yet!

 

[mentok15]

Xbox 360 was the clear winner because it had so many Games you could only play there. PS4 was because it was THE exclusive machine. Like I said, Nintendo knows that without their incredible line of exclusive 1st and 3rd Party Games the Switch would not have sold as much.

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PS4 sold well early on before it had any great exclusives, it was really helped by MS terrible messaging with XBO first showing and it's price.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I mean it would be fucking stupid to have the first 2 games as exclusives and not the last one.


Right??

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Witcher 3 was the only Witcher game on PS and it sold like 20 million copies on that platform or something crazy like that. With the right game people will buy it if you put it on a platform that actually reaches them.

 

[SinnyIndonesian]

SE is so fucking weird. Just release the games. Also release the XIII trilogy on PS too while you're at it.

 

[Joe White]

What are you talking about? Sony wants a consistent lineup of big exclusive games, to keep people satisfied/buying their console. But they only have so many development teams, and so they turn to external partners to secure additional exclusive content during those periods where their own teams are not ready to release something.

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If the aim is to keep people satisfied with console they could spend same money to add titles to PS+, finance many indie titles, or build new features like backwards compatibility with PS3. Or they could spend that to support their partners to build best possible version of the game for PlayStation. But just wasting resources to reduce availability of content doesn't add anything. It make the existing version the best&worse, and remove any possibility where improvements made for other platforms are imported to PS version.

 

[jroc74]

SE is so fucking weird. Just release the games. Also release the XIII trilogy on PS too while you're at it.

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Reading this I just realized I may have used the wrong game as an example of how weird SE can be....I think I said Bravely Default when it was Octopath Traveler.

 

[Zem]

Meanwhile Square is still trying to figure out why one of the biggest series in gaming has zero or even negative growth whilst other games blow up. Just a completely mismanaged clown show.

 

[Iwao]

I don't doubt that yes, it turned out better for Square to accept a SHIT TON of money from Sony (hopefully it was a shit ton lol). My point is that Sony is flat out wrong about day one PC and it is costing massively to the point where they're struggling to keep everyone's lights on

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Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

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Exactly. How do you expect a company to conflate these two scenarios? Sony does day one PC with their system selling exclusives and then sees their 30% cut gradually eaten into due to a decline in console sales, or they don't do that and they see fewer sales on the PC side?

 

[DongBeetle]

Exactly. How do you expect a company to conflate these two scenarios? Sony does day one PC with their system selling exclusives and then sees their 30% cut gradually eaten into due to a decline in console sales, or they don't do that and they see fewer sales on the PC side?

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What they're doing currently isn't working which is why you see hints at changes in their messaging. I really doubt they would lose more people to PC than they already are by keeping their system at 500 bucks

 

[Charsace]

All they have done with FF since 2010 is destroy the prestige the series had. At this point the MMO is the biggest FF thing SE have. Crazy and unfathomable 15 years ago.

 

[Sydle]

It wouldn't sell much on Xbox anyway, and Nintendo has underpowered hardware to even play the game. PS5/PC combo will cover most of the market for the trilogy

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I was thinking more about leading with a console release in this day and age, with a staggered release on PC, is baffling. I don't think it makes sense for SE.

 

[Daddy JeanPi]

Imagine part 3 gets released on xbox and the other 2 don't. It would be weird.

 

[Evildeadhead]

When looking at the aggressive Bethesda deal, I wouldn't blame one for being worried.

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So aggressive that they release their games on PC day one.

 

[Noctis]

Imagine part 3 gets released on xbox and the other 2 don't. It would be weird.

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Square did release KH3 on Xbox without porting the lead up games 😅

 

[PoeticProse22]

So aggressive that they release their games on PC day one.

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That's disingenuous. All of their games release on PC and have been simultaneously day one for ages. The aggression is obviously referring to the exclusion of Switch and PS platforms.

 

[Daddy JeanPi]

Square did release KH3 on Xbox without porting the lead up games 😅

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True, but at least KH 1 and 2 were available shortly afterwards tho.

 

[Evildeadhead]

That's disingenuous. All of their games release on PC and have been simultaneously day one for ages. The aggression is obviously referring to the exclusion of Switch and PS platforms.

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Sony using Square to take the exclusivity hit on their storied franchise while reaping the rewards from releasing their first party game on Steam is more disingenuous.

 

[Pancracio17]

If delayed PC releases wouldn't work, there would be no delayed PC releases.

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On that subject... we are seeing less and less delayed PC releases arent we?

 

[Tea-Stance]

On that subject... we are seeing less and less delayed PC releases arent we?

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Rebirth has a 3 month exclusivity window but we probably won't see a PC version until later than that.

 

[WonderingRogue]

Day1 on PC for Games surely helped Microsoft to sell Xbox Consoles /s.

SIEs main income are the 30% they get from everything they sell on their Console stores. Releasing their Games on PC Day1 would lead to declining Console sales (like it did for Xbox) = less money from 3rd Party sales on the PSN.

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That's a lot of assumptions.

I think if anything Games like Helldivers 2 pretty much show the opposite, and what everyone has been poiniting out for many, many years: That these are two different audiences with little overlap.

Helldivers came in day 1 on PC and it's responsible for over 50% of sales so far. So what, did 50% of PS players suddenly flee the console and decided to get it on PC instead? It doesn't seem like it. By all accounts it's doing extremely well on the console too, certainly not doing HALF of what was expected!

What this is showing Sony, or what it should be showing them, is that everytime they don't release a game day one on PC they are leaving 50%+ of potential sales on the table. And that is just stupid.

 

[EagleClaw]

Sony using Square to take the exclusivity hit on their storied franchise while reaping the rewards from releasing their first party game on Steam is more disingenuous.

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I'm pretty sure Sony isn't using Square,
but Square is using Sony.
Most of the time the party that has to pay is used.

 

[Gavalanche]

Sony using Square to take the exclusivity hit on their storied franchise while reaping the rewards from releasing their first party game on Steam is more disingenuous.

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Square does have a choice in the matter though, they could have said no to the deal.

Square has never done PC day one releases with their mainline Final Fantasy. Even 15 came out.. two years after I think? A year and a half? Something like that.

 

[Minthara]

I'm pretty sure Sony isn't using Square,
but Square is using Sony.
Most of the time the party that has to pay is used.

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The whole idea of either party "using" the other is silly. It's a mutually beneficial thing: SE deflects costs and Sony gets something just for PlayStation for a period of time when that thing is "hot" market-wise.

 

[EagleClaw]

The whole idea of either party "using" the other is silly. It's a mutually beneficial thing: SE deflects costs and Sony gets something just for PlayStation for a period of time when that thing is "hot" market-wise.

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"Using" as asking for the most profitable price.
I even believe without exclusivity contract there is a high chance that there wouldn't be a day and date version for PC and no Xbox version.
There is a high possibility that there is currently no golden PC version locked away on some company SSD.