When Final Fantasy XI arrived back in 2002 the game’s success was marred by the fact that the PlayStation 2 release required not only the console, but also a network adapter and hard drive, despite this it was well received by critics and the PC and Xbox releases also done pretty well, now we are hearing that the MMORPG may be coming to the PlayStation Vita.
Nothing is definite at the moment, however the game’s producer, Hiromichi Tanaka, recently suggested that the game could be ported to PlayStation Vita and apparently Square Enix are currently considering this option. This would allow people to play FFXI on-the-go via a 3G connection. We think this could set a massive milestone in terms of handheld gaming, how about you?
Tanaka also suggested that there are no plans to port this game to PS3, by the looks of things there is no simple way to port the game due to the PS3’s hardware characteristics, this perhaps suggests that Square Enix were once considering a PS3 port. You can find out more about this rumor over at SiliconEra, now we will look at the game’s true potential in today’s market.
If you saw any of the PlayStation Vita demos at E3 2011 you will know that is capable of producing visuals far greater than FFXI delivered, therefore if the game does hit the Vita we would expect a graphical overhaul. Obviously visuals aren’t everything, but we think that it would be hard to sell a game with mediocre graphics (even for the PS2) in today’s market..
We think that the PlayStation Vita could in fact breath life into a game which was way before its time, in 2002 we had not heard of games like World of Warcraft, therefore it was pretty groundbreaking. Not only could the Vita be great for FFXI but FFXI could be great for the Vita when it hits AT&T, it could be the game which people want 3G connectivity for, what do you think?
One thing which we find pretty interesting is the fact that there is more talk surrounding a FFXI port than there is a FFIV port, FFIV arrived last year and it was received badly by critics, perhaps even Square Enix know that the game was a little below par for their usually high standards.
Will you buy Final Fantasy XI if it comes to the PS Vita? If so, what aspects would you like to see changed / improved?
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