PS3 Limitations!

[Mhurron]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

[quote=Ziero;889008]So you're saying that they did know about this *MASSIVE GAME RESTRICTING ISSUE* for a long time, but only now, two months before release did they feel it was the best time to announce it. /QUOTE]

You mean they've been giving you development updates and telling you it's all right and everything was fine the whole time then pulled the rug out from under you at the last minute?

There have been no development updates, it just showed up in alpha one day. Then one day they announced the PS3 version is going to be released 6-9 months later. Some journalist asked why, SE said they ran into issues with the PS3 port. Malacite and others raged over it.

SE didn't say they just ran into issues, they said they did without giving a timeframe as to when. 6-9 month lag on release when the PC port is going to be released in 3 months is not a recent issue, it's just one that slowed development down a little.

As for the universal release, you really need to get over it, they haven't once come close to pulling it off. It's nothing but feel good publicity.

---------- Post added at 06:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:07 PM ----------

I still think the reason given is silly, since they knew they were going to do this a while back and obviously thought they could fit the required assets into a PS3's memory. I would hold forth that while I'm sure they'd like more time to work on the console version, it's unusually convenient for Square-Enix to not have to deal with two launch platforms at the same time.

It most likely is already running on the PS3, just not well enough. Optimizing as you go is much slower then optimizing the finished product, hence a delay.

As for supporting two platforms, they both run on the same servers, you'll pretty much have the same issues regardless of the client platform, and the PS3 would be the easier of the two supported platforms to deal with, so if SE was simply going for their own ease, the PS3 would have been finished and released first.

[wrongfeifong]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Ps3 should get a "external Ram + Hardrive" addition just to increase its ram.


i don't like the we can use chocob as ride and other new ways.

Chocobo are going to be "food"/player Ration very soon.

I would prefer Galka as food. They taste better.

[Kailea]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

The way I see if SE knew abou thte RAM problem, but figured they could fix the problem in a timely manner, once they found out they could not, they went with that and delayed the PS3 version.

[Feba]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Ps3 should get a "external Ram + Hardrive" addition just to increase its ram.

yeah, or it could you know, not, because we've all seen how wonderful Sony is at supporting accessories that are only used for one or two games.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

SE has had worse excuses.

Like not wanting to release a Final Fantasy game and Dragon Quest game in the same fiscal year.

Damn DS limitations are holding FFXIV back!

[Gyotsha]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

There are different stages of development that bring along their own problems and complications with them. During the alpha, SE hadn't really had much of the game done. Just limited classes, areas, monsters, and limited character creation. Once they had their engine more or less ironed out, they would start to add more content, character models, and monsters.

There's no telling how a system will react to the actual game until it gets to this stage where they're adding more textures and items in the world. The PS3 just wasn't able to handle it all, like they had hoped.

Besides, the interview also said that the developers are getting together to discuss the problem with the PS3. If they can fix the problem, the PS3 version may be released earlier than March.

[Kafeen]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

This is doubly true because they've already coded a 360 version of FFXI, and the Xbox 360 has "similar" (not same) amounts of RAM. The 360 has 512MB of unified RAM used for both execution and video memory, the PS3 has 256MB of general execution RAM and 256MB of video RAM.

It depends where they're using too much, although I read a while ago that the PS3 version was using texture resolutions that are half that of the PC so it does look like its the textures that are too large.

The PC version of FFXIV requires 2GB ram. The PC version of FFXI uses the same amount of ram as the PS2 version (128MB), the PC version has not been optimized and is not going to fit in a PS3's ram.

Errr....the PC2 only had 32MB of RAM and 4MB of VRAM. The dev kits allow for 64MB RAM since debug versions of games use memory than the final release build which has all the debugging info stripped out.

There's no telling how a system will react to the actual game until it gets to this stage where they're adding more textures and items in the world. The PS3 just wasn't able to handle it all, like they had hoped.

Sure there is, developers don't just make stuff up and hope for the best (usually). You have technical design docs (usually) that lays out how much of a system's resources are going to be use for what, how each aspect of the game will need to interact with others. There can be unforeseen changes, that's when you need to start hitting designers who add stuff unnecessarily or artists who use stupidly big textures.

[Gyotsha]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Sure there is, developers don't just make stuff up and hope for the best (usually). You have technical design docs (usually) that lays out how much of a system's resources are going to be use for what, how each aspect of the game will need to interact with others. There can be unforeseen changes, that's when you need to start hitting designers who add stuff unnecessarily or artists who use stupidly big textures.

That is true, but I was referring more to the fact that just because it looks good on paper doesn't mean there won't be problems when it's actually applied.

[Jei]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Talked to a friend working inside a gaming magazine, he said SE delayed the PS3 version to negotiate with Microsoft. Don't know how true it is but he's so confidence about it.

[Kailea]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

mmm sounds like something they would do, delay the PS3 version, so if it goes ok with MS, they can release both console versions at the same time. Of course no company would ever admit to that ;p

[Feba]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Talked to a friend working inside a gaming magazine,

Who we talkin' here, Tips and Tricks or GameInformer? Gotta have an idea of QUALITY

[Empedocles]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

1. Ziero; Do you work in the game industry? Do you work as a programmer or computer technician?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then please don't try to argue programming difficulties with either Mhurron or Icemage as if my memory serves me correctly, they both do so (work in the IT field) and will make you look like a King's Fool. If yes, carry on.

2. Malacite; Seriously, how did you ever get this far without realising that sooner or later, the programmers will cite console limitations? What kinda of crazy drugs do you consume that allows you to believe a system whose hardware does not change to compare against the multi-headed hydra that is the Personal Computer, over any period of time? Where can I obtain a supply of aforementioned drugs?

[Balfree]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

Previous post might entice some more pointless bickering, so I'm just asking WAY ahead of time: chill.

[Icemage]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

It most likely is already running on the PS3, just not well enough. Optimizing as you go is much slower then optimizing the finished product, hence a delay.

True, but see my reasoning below.

As for supporting two platforms, they both run on the same servers, you'll pretty much have the same issues regardless of the client platform, and the PS3 would be the easier of the two supported platforms to deal with, so if SE was simply going for their own ease, the PS3 would have been finished and released first.

I'm not arguing that there's a case to be made for doing everything at the same time as a marketing thing, and also an efficiency thing, up to a point.

However, they'd need quite a lot more manpower on hand to troubleshoot both versions of the game simultaneously - launching them separately would let Square-Enix share staff between the PC and PS3 development teams to a certain extent, and also give those same people more time to look at the problems in specific. Since the PS3 is obviously the more difficult of the two to develop for (despite the hardware homogeneity), and given Square-Enix's history of taking the "slow and steady" approach to MMO development with FFXI, it would make a lot of sense for them to launch one platform and troubleshoot it first, then launch a second one.

This also helps them with load-balancing the servers since they can ramp up servers to meet demand as necessary.

P.S. to Jei:
As far as I am aware, Square-Enix has always been in contact with Microsoft about FFXIV; the rumor I've heard through the grapevine is that Microsoft is refusing to allow FFXIV users to play on the 360 without paying for Xbox Live Gold (FFXI 360 players can do this without XBL Gold).


Icemage

[Ziero]

Re: PS3 Limitations!

1. Ziero; Do you work in the game industry? Do you work as a programmer or computer technician?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then please don't try to argue programming difficulties with either Mhurron or Icemage as if my memory serves me correctly, they both do so (work in the IT field) and will make you look like a King's Fool. If yes, carry on.

I'm actually not arguing the programming difficulties involved, I'm arguing that the excuse they're giving is total BS. Which btw Icemage seems to agree with.

I don't have to know much about programming to know that A) SE as a company has worked with the PS3 before and knows, and can push, it's limitations and B) That they've been working on FFXIV for over half a decade and knew fully well what kind of specs the game would need to work on both the PC and PS3 (and most likely the 360 as well seeing as Live is the one issue holding it back).

Much like during the PS2 era, going "PS3 limitations!" is just a BS excuse they're using for the time being. Remember when they said "We can't add more storage because of PS2 limitations!", well they've been able to add a LOT more storage since then. In fact they've been able to do a lot of things they "couldn't do" in XI before, and yet the PS2 hasn't changed at all.

Ram alone is most likely not the reason the PS3 version is delayed by 6 freaking months, and if it is, then it's a problem they've known about for a very long time and not something that just occurred two weeks after E3. There's more to this delay then just the PS3 issues.