Update: The author of the original article from The Washington Post has clarified that the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is not confirmed to be completely exclusive to PlayStation. Said article was amended after we had reported on it.
So, er... That's the end of that, we suppose.
Original Story: The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy was always going to be exclusive to PlayStation consoles — but it was generally assumed that the games could end up on other consoles down the line, alongside the inevitable PC ports. However, Sony has recently stepped in to ensure that won't happen.
The Washington Post (paywall) reports that the thee titles — Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Final Fantasy 7 Whatever It Ends Up Being Called — are now locked in as console exclusives on PlayStation. In other words, don't expect to see them on Xbox or future Nintendo platforms unless there's a significant change in Sony's stance.
"Final Fantasy has always been one of the primary franchise pillars on PlayStation consoles,” explains third-party boss Christian Svensson. “[Square Enix is] one of the best in the business at pushing beyond their fans’ lofty expectations and showing off what can be done with PlayStation hardware.”
Clearly, Sony holds the trilogy in high regard, and it's obviously already done a lot to market the first two games. Final Fantasy 16 is also a PS5 exclusive at the time of writing, although a PC port is happening sooner or later. We're left wondering whether future Final Fantasy projects will be cherrypicked by PlayStation as well.
Sony has been fairly reliant on third-party deals this generation, as its first-party PlayStation Studios churn in the background. But this move to secure the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy represents an even bigger push in the direction of third-party support.
What do you make of this move? Keep your friends close in the comments section below.
[source washingtonpost.com, via gematsu.com]
Comments 113
Oooooo, dear. Phil will be upset. 😁
Until they make FF7 Trilogy remake remaster and it's a new game and they can port it to whatever they want.
Good news for the dev team as they can focus on 1 platform to design and optimize for.
Wasn't this already announced or at least obvious at this point?
The amount of effort it takes to make a game multi-platform (specifically for xbox) and how little they sell compared to being just on Playstation is just simply not worth it. It's easy math.
Doesn't really matter to me but that's why I choose PS. There's no way I'm missing out on a game as amazing as this nor am I gonna wait a year for it to hit PC. I'm playing it now and I absolutely adore it
At this point I never expected it to be on Xbox anyway, Remake is already a few years old and on PC, so of it was going to Xbox it would have already happened.
Playstation originally built its brand upon 3rd party exclusives and given how long development times have increased, it makes sense to try again, whether that's good for gamers or the games themselves is up for debate.
It's funny to think that I started with PS1 playing Resident Evil, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy VII and Tekken and now these are still the games I've been playing most on PS5 over the last 12 months with their latest entries
It's not an exclusive, it's being ported to PC.
@ZhuckelDror PLAYSTATION console exclusive as it says in the headline.
Doubt I will ever try these after buying final fantasy 16 ....and it was so dull
So, what if Sony paid for it to be a console exclusive but that console is PS6 so Sony can have the last FF7 R game as a launch title to help sales of their new $600 digital only console? 🤷🏻♂️
I mean, has anyone at Squenix confirmed it would be on PS5? We’re talking about a company that put FF7R on PS4 but then made the dlc, not just the next game, the dlc for the first game, as a next gen exclusive. PS5 is 3 years old and I’m thinking another 3 years to make the final part of the trilogy so…
Am I the only one not shocked by this? FF7 is such an important part of PlayStation history no way would Sony not try to keep this game tied to their platform when the remake eventually happened. When the game didn't go to Xbox next to the PC release in June 2022 that pretty much settled it for me in the games not coming to Xbox. Many SE games may not perform well on Xbox but FF is their biggest series so SE skipping the platform only made sense in that they had a deal with Sony for doing that
lol the fact SE’s President lied to Xbox fans is hilarious
“More Final Fantasy to XBOX in the future!”
I am so done being disappointed by final fantasy. Rebirth is the last ff and square enix title I buy. I have lost all faith in them and I'm sick and tired of them hating and alienating their own fanbase.
Hopefully Square won't cry again if their sales targets are missed.
@MightyDemon82
Exclusivity means being available only on a given platform. Which is not the case here, I don't get your point sorry.
@ZhuckelDror I get what you are saying, but FYI within the gaming industry a "console exclusive" means it is a game that is exclusive to one console, but may come to PC or another non-console platform. It's a common term, used by Microsoft and others too.
@Arisen
Vast majority of their fan base are/were on Playstation. What alienation are you talking about?
I can't imagine it would have sold much of anything on Xbox anyway.
Shame it won't go to Switch 2, but it should still be playable in hybrid form via the PC port on Steam Deck, so no huge loss for me.
@themightyant
It hasn't been like that in the earlier days though. To me it's an artificially coined term to tone down the fact that some games aren't real exclusives.
@ZhuckelDror exclusive to a console, being PS..Pc not an console..
God just put a ring on it already you might as well
Every term, in fact every word, is artificially coined, we made them all up.
I don't particularly like the term but it's been around for a good long while now, and most people know exactly what it means.
If Xbox is so irrelevant why is Sony paying millions just to keep it off of Xbox? I was told it was basically a dead platform yet Sony is moving mountains to make sure it doesn't touch a Xbox console 🤔
My condolences to the half dozen or so people who actually buy games on Xbox.
@themightyant
My point is that the term has been around for a very long time but in not so distant past its meaning got artificially changed.
PS6 launch game ? 🔥
@ZhuckelDror "Console Exclusive" has been a term used pretty regularly in the industry for the last 2 generations, or so (a decade, thereabouts). Xbox used the term a lot when they started releasing all their titles on PC, and now Sony uses it a lot too, given their penchant for releasing their own titles on PC. I understand that the term is paradoxical, but it's widely accepted in the industry.
@Jayslow Is that true?
@Tecinthebrain I'm sorry, do you want Sony to take their competition seriously or not?
@ZhuckelDror Language is fluid and not stagnant. The only constant is change.
@ZhuckelDror remind me to invite you to my next party 🍾
@wildcat_kickz
Exactly my point. Not only is it paradoxal but it's purely misleading.
@ZhuckelDror No offense, but I think you're digging your heels in when it's not necessary. If they just called it "exclusive," we'd be having a different conversation, but marketers do go out of their way to indicate a "console exclusive" to specifically delineate the difference.
Sony can use the trilogy as a bargaining chip in the future. If Phil wants them on xbox he can cough up fallout 5 and Elder Scrolls 6 on ps5
Removed - trolling/baiting
@ZhuckelDror 🙄
@ZhuckelDror you’re being pedantic and convincing absolutely no one.
@kcarnes9051
Should I feel bad about it? I still stand by my opinion on this topic.
Not shocking as it seemed pretty clear Sony made sure this would be the case.
This does kind of feel like the last REALLY BIG 3rd party deal of it's kind. You really just don't see stuff like this anymore in the industry. At most you have maybe an exclusive mission ,or a map, or gear these days and even that is getting more rare ever since cross-play came around.
They aren't wrong with FF7 in particular being heavily tied to PS though. It was arguably the biggest deal Sony struck back in the PS1 generation against Nintendo so I can't say I'm too surprised they wanted first dibs on the Remake as well. I'm sure it will finally be available at some point on Xbox though. It's just going to be a very long wait is all.
@ZhuckelDror The meaning of loads words and terms have changed all throughout history so don't play dumb you're not fooling anyone.
Good for Sony and Square-Enix. With Microsoft buying up everything, Sony needs to secure more exclusives and studios to fight back.
@colonelkilgore Unless they are exclusively invited, they won't be able to make it.
Necessary due to MS buying up everything.
Not that I mind exclusives generally. I would prefer devs to be able to focus all efforts on one platform and get the best from it. Seems strange Sony need to do it though. Its not like these games could run on switch, nor likely switch 2, and sales on Xbox would be so low it wouldn’t be worth SE spending money on the port (or maybe Sony were concerned MS would pay SE to do it? Who knows?)
Great game and then I got to Fort Condor and almost pulled my hair out on the 4th match.
It probably wasn't that difficult to get, Xbox doesn't seem to have a huge jrpg fanbase. They've been trying to change that lately, but they still seem to be at the point where they need to offer a sweet game pass deal to get the devs to even bother putting them out on Xbox.
To the shock of absolutely no one.
This is why Microsoft needs to make a bold move and figure out how to make the next Xbox not only PC-based (and figure out how to still support the console-based digital either via streaming, emulation, or transferring to native PC releases), but allow Steam, Epic, and GOG integration.
It can essential brute force its way into cross-platform...well, unless Sony specifically asks Steam to "ban" the system from allowing its PC games on the Xbox PC, but that would be a serious PR blunder and would look pretty darn petty at that point.
Plus it eliminates this whole idea that there is "no point" porting to Xbox. Developers only need to verify the game runs under Xbox PC system specs.
Microsoft may not be able to "out console" Sony, but it can certainly "out PC" Sony. 🤣
@ZhuckelDror No, maybe just realize this isn’t something to argue about since you seem to be the only person struggling with the current definitions. Don’t feel bad, just update your database and move on.
@StylesT I’ve never really played any ff games but actually liked 16. I’ll probably wait for this to be on pc and just buy all three at once.
Excellent news for us PlayStation gamers, Sony always makes sure playstation is the best place to play especially with their third party partnerships. Hopefully they can make some more deals to ressurect more older titles with exclusive remakes.
Sony should have bought Square in late 90's before the merging with Enix
@Tecinthebrain There's another player in the game you may be forgetting here.
How is this new? FF7 remake and sequels were "secured" prior to release everyone knew this
@Arisen "Hating and Alienating" In what way? FF7R is the best mix of turn based and real time combat. Not to mention it is does the RPG aspect pretty well, certainly better than 16's anyways lol.
I think most already knew this tbf. Square is only intreasted in sonys money so 🤷 makes sense
@Nepp67 first of all how is rebirth a turn based game? Im at chapter 10 and barely customized any of my characters the rpg aspect may be better than xvi but still very shallow. Square enix alienates the fanbase by splitting it to those who prefer turn based and the newcomers who only wanna play action games and prefers the latter. But I have a lot of other issues with rebirth as well.
@GamingFan4Lyf Xbox alreadys run on a very heavily modified version of Windows and other store front would be incredible. Steam big picture mode native on Xbox would be amazing. If it could be done....
This isn't even remotely shocking. Final Fantasy VII is arguably the most important game in Playstation's history as it is maybe THE game that put the PS1 on the map. Final Fantasy VII Remake wouldn't have even happened if Sony didn't fund the development. I'm sure Sony know how important Final Fantasy is to their brand and history and I'm of the mind that all future mainline games will likely by PS console exclusive. This exclusivity probably extends to Final Fantasy XVI as well.
@Arisen You have the option of choosing classic, but I understand your side of disliking that FF7R isn't entirely turn based because that is why I don't like Yakuza 7 and 8 since it isn't the classic brawler fights that I know and love(Funny how FF went for more Real Time and Yakuza went for Turn Based).
Why not just buy square enix at this point
@HoodedSpirit so typical anti consumer Sony
And square enix wonder why they a losing money and sales are never meeting expectations. Scumy move by Sony
Updated the article. The original author on The Washington Post says the wording was a mistake on their behalf.
@ShogunRok Remake didn't come to other consoles in 4 years so I'd be surprised to see any of them launch elsewhere (other than PC) until at least a while after part 3.
@Nepp67 yea yakuza lost fans when it went turn based. For me it's not only that. Half of rebirth is minigames, story changes suck, dialogue and voice acting is so cringe I am actually embarrased to play next to others. The time wasting, boring moments that add nothing to the story/ game but brainrot (example the vacuum or picking flowers quests). Sephiroth appearing every moment diminishes the magnitude of the moment. The fact that even in a fictional world such as this there's serious inconsistencies that left me dumbfounded. I do enjoy a lot the boss fights, character/ monster designs, some minigames are really fun and as always the soundtrack
So he amended it to say just Remake and Rebirth are confirmed to be playstation console exclusive. Yeah but if the first 2 are then the odds are that Part 3 will also be playstation console exclusive.
@MrMagic if after 4 years the Remake still isn't on Xbox then it's safe to assume the trilogy is PlayStation exclusive.
Chances are the games are timed exclusive to PlayStation but as a full package trilogy might come out on Xbox all at once.
@UltimateOtaku91 @MrMagic That could mean an actual full trilogy as a package won't be exclusive to PlayStation.
Meaning all 3 games could come out on Xbox all at once.
@Player_1_Ready Thats probably correct but that wouldn't happen until atleast 12 months after the final game comes out, so Xbox players could be looking at 2029/30 to play these games.
@Toot1st And how many sales do you realistically think Final Fantasy VII Remake/Rebirth would get on Xbox?
@Arisen Besides the crap padding and bloat of the open world(Like yeah the mako vaacuum is ***** stupid) I don't really have much issues with the game. I enjoy a lot of the minigames(Although I hate card games), it is better than "Go to this tower and activate to reveal... more objectives." I have enjoyed pretty much all of the voice acting and character interactions, only one I find just a bit goofy is Yuffie. Sephiroth isn't shown that much and I'm on Chapter 7, does he show a few times? Sure but not EVERY time, in fact he only showed up like 3 times at least throughout the first 7 chapters.
@Player_1_Ready It could be they pull a Mass Effect Wii U and only put the 3rd game on Xbox.
@Stickleman Not even sure that would be necessary. Microsoft could keep the current UI and it could look like how EA Play works on Xbox: a menu with your games populated in it that you just select to install/play.
I think it could be done, just takes a lot of “partnering” and concessions on Microsoft’s part to make it work.
It would probably kill the gaming side of the Microsoft Store as most PC only care about Steam. The 30% per game sale goes out the window as well. But Microsoft is probably the only one of the big 3 can afford to make it happen
@Toot1st
But buying two massive publishers with the intention of taking away all their IPs bar Call of Duty is anything but scummy right?
Removed - flaming/arguing
@Zenos uh its just not for me. Origin and xvi werent for me either. I played and beat over 40 final fantasy games (some of them hundred hours+) but i dont like the direction the franchise is going so i doubt I will continue to get any future games. Before anyone calls me grandpa im 23 btw
@UltimateOtaku91 Yep, part 3 is obviously a playstation console exclusive as well but I knew someone was going to say there's still a chance so I worded it that way.
I honestly think that Final Fantasy should not be a PlayStation only game franchise anyways, so yeah this is for the better.
Still doubt that this will come to Xbox, but I can definitely see it coming to the Switch successor.
This is why news is not worth a cent, the paywalled sites are just as prone to inaccuracies and botched reporting as the other free stuff. I love seeing this from those outlets though, because it does cause embarrassment.
Just to clarify, news itself is invaluable but having to pay for it doesn’t make it better or more reliable.
@Grumblevolcano Anything is possible, but very unlikely as Square Enix would want those delicious Microsoft dollars.
@MightyDemon82 it specifically says it will NOT be a PS exclusive. Did any you guys read the article?
@DeathlySW The WaPos games writer used to be pretty good but his recent articles have been poor (last year or so). Embarrassing situation for him
@TheCollector316 it's NOT PS exclusive.
I think people have read the article wrong. It's saying that The Post made a mistake and FF trilogy is NOT a PS console exclusive.
From EuroGamer:
Originally, the report claimed, "Securing the Final Fantasy 7 trilogy as a console exclusive is a feather in the PlayStation cap", but, in a note on social media, Washington Post games reporter Gene Park offered a clarification, writing, "It was a mistake on my part to write the sentence like that." Park now says, "The entire FF7 trilogy is NOT yet confirmed to be Sony exclusive. The article has been amended to only mention Remake and Rebirth."
@jedinite Many comments were made before the article was updated with amended information. I still stand by my comment, though. The games are currently and for the foreseeable future only on PlayStation as far as consoles go with Rebirth and Remake being completely exclusive to PlayStation until they release(d) on PC. The main point of my comment is Sony needs to counter Xbox's seismic (and seismically damaging) moves. That remains true.
@kedireturns yeah the phrase 'console exclusive', ignoring pc releases has been around for a while now. It's understandably a bit confusing so usually when you use it you'll get at least one response disagreeing, pointing out it's on pc too.
Removed - trolling/baiting
@TheCollector316 what damaging moves. Under Microsoft you'll soon get to play the best of both PlayStation & Xbox on your favourite box. If you buy all 4 to be released titles. Didn't realise that was a bad thing at least for PlayStation fans.
Xbox has Crisis Core reunion. It just got Final Fantasy 14 after 10 years. Square were adamant that Rebirth could be played as a standalone title so don't see why it wouldn't release for that reason. Under Squares new CEO it's more likely to release on Xbox.
@MrMagic you forget how Square Enix works though. Xbox used to miss several games in a series before they'd get one. Who would support that model of thinking? As I know you'll spew the whole Xbox don't buy JRPGs crap. Again who would or can support a genre if it gets little to no support on Xbox. Where is PlayStation's version of Octopath Traveler? You can buy part 2. Steam just got Dragon Quest Builders years after Builders 2 released. Final Fantasy 14 just hit Xbox after 10 years. It's Square Enix anything is possible.
@cragis0001 Sure there's a slim chance Part 3 won't be exclusive to playstation in 2028/29 and you'll get the trilogy the day it releases so don't give up hope, I guess. 😁👍
It was said ages ago that SH2 remake, FFXVI and the VII remakes won’t ever be on Xbox.
Never stated they wouldn’t be on PC
@MrMagic only time will tell I guess. As they said the same about Final Fantasy 14.
@TheCollector316 Playstation isn't countering nothing, Xbox did the countering because playstation were literally trying to get starfield as an exclusive after having massive game like street fighter v exclusive eventhough the best competition for street fighter iv was on the 360.
@ShadowofTwilight they haven't taken anything anyway infact they are putting more games on more systems
@theSpectre more than zero like it is now.
Removed - flaming/arguing; user is banned
@danzoEX final fantasy can mean anything when square makes deals, its why we haven't seen a main line entry outside of remasters on a Nintendo system in nearly 30 years. Though part of the problem is the switch, wii, and wii u hardware, but they could have re-released ff13 on wii u as a launch title and didn't
@cragis0001 Nintendo put the cash up front for octopath. You won't see that anywhere other than pc. Yet you're seeing every one of those franchises birthed on switch finding their sequels on ps4/5. Bravely Default 2, Octopath Traveler 2, etc. Turns out playstation is the place for square enix titles. That's where most of their audience expects them. Quality of their pc ports just makes that entire console in the exclusivity point moot.
I can say with 95% certainty that this has been the case since the very beginning. FF7 has always been console locked to the playstation platform until about 10 or so years ago, since the ps4 "remaster" was announced. Which lead to remakes announcement the following year with cyber connect 2, before it was pulled in house. I'm betting cc2 was doing a proper remake instead of this reimagined sequel we are getting now. As much as I've enjoyed the trilogy so far, rebirth seems to forget the things that made ff7 great in the first place. All the busy work between main story plot points, is mostly that. 6 hours in cosmo canyon... did I really need to be there that long for content not related to the main scenario?
I digress. Reason ff7 was locked to playstation was due to the publishing agreement square made with sony at the time. A lot of third parties made this deal. In squares case they had really leaned on their partnership with Nintendo to help get games out the door, it was nothing short of a miracle that we ever saw their games in the US or anywhere else. Nintendo I believe even shared in publishing. In spite of the existence of square USA, which I think shut down around this time frame for the first time. Didn't have the strength to bring ff7 west like sony did. Sony had interest in square, saw the potential in jrpg outside of Japan. That's when the deal was struck, square would get full support from sony, free kits, reduced publishing costs, help with localization and more. The deal, 5 games with exclusive console publishing rights. This is why you haven't seen games like ff7 and fft on anything else. I believe enhancer, tobal, and maybe bushido blade were part of that deal. First two are more obvious given their popularity. This wasn't a single console generation deal either and not limited by remasters either. Only chance those two titles had was back on ps2 when ff7 was slated for a remake. This was a step for step remake of ff7 that was canned after the enix merger went through. Which lead to the eventual ff7 compilation instead. Those games can be released anywhere without sony approval.
My best guess is ff7 remake demand was so high it was fever pitch thanks to the ps3 tech demo. FF13 being a mess, FF14 launching as a train wreck that they had to basically relaunch the game, FF15 being what it was, square was desperate to get back on track. I'd say around the time of the ps4 remaster discussions had started for remake, when the e3 response happened for the remaster, sony stepped in and offered a deal. The same one they offered for ff7 back in 94/95ish. Except this time they got the rights for the original ff7 back which lead to the ports the following years to switch and lastly Xbox. Finally they'd pay the bills for remake, if the game remained playstation exclusive indefinitely, with the exception of pc. Sony would then just take its normal profits off the top. I would not be surprised if that was the case for rebirth and final chapter.
I don't expect this game to come to any other console in my life time. I'll be amazed if it does. I think we are far more likely to see consoles go away before that happens.
@Toot1st But would that be enough to justify Square Enix spending money to port it?
@Player_1_Ready
Microsoft dollars taste like stale soda crackers with lard on them.
Personally I think this is more down to not wanting to port to series s over anything else at this point
@theSpectre rebirth launch sales are currently half of remake square enix are not going to be happy. The Xbox community have been asking/waiting for this to come to Xbox for some time now if there's 25 million series x/s users then even if a few million buy it it's worth it
@MikeOrator : Money hungry Square Enix will not waste a second on eating those "stale crackers"
@Player_1_Ready
You are probably right.
Maybe they should just slide Microsoft all the side games and Crystal Chronicles stuff they force-fed Nintendo fans when the main-line games left for Sony.
@MikeOrator Make no mistake, Sony is getting all the good stuff while Microsoft gets the scraps, but the question is for how long can Sony keep feeding the beast with their money before Square Enix looks the other way and sides with Microsoft for a ground shattering deal the way they did with Tomb Raider.
Money talks and Square Enix has no allegiance to anybody than to themselves.
@Player_1_Ready
Do you think Microsoft would need a bigger install base that would guarantee the sales? Right now it's just as easy for Square to port to PC as it would be to revamp the entire thing. I guess if they were sold to Microsoft it wouldn't matter anyway. Do you think Square Enix is even hurting with the mainline games being PlayStation console exclusives?
@MikeOrator Square Enix doesn't need to be hurting in money to do the most outrageous decisions, they do decisions out of spite.
Chances are Square Enix offered the Tomb Raider timed exclusivity to Microsoft to teach Sony a lesson, as the same could be said about Final Fantasy XIV taking so long to be on Xbox even after Phil Spencer said multiple times that they were waiting on Square Enix to make a decision about it... Even more outrageous was the sale of Tomb Raider and other IPs to Embracer for just 300 million when they most probably offered them to Sony and Microsoft first but for far more money and they declined the sum.
Or do you really think Sony or Microsoft would have passed that deal for just 300 million???
I don't think so.
Hear is what I noticed. FF 7 pt 1 and 2 are exclusive to the Playstation but every other title that Square Enix releases now gets released for the Xbox or/and the Switch.
It's simple. The more Sony pays third parties for exclusivity the less money they have income because not enough playstation players buy games at £70. Rebirth is currently selling at half the numbers of remake. Chopping a game into 3 parts, players will loose interest and/or can't justify the expense unless they love the first part. The third part will sell even less. Keep losing money Sony.
The only way they will sell the trilogy is to make it a percentage off the cost of the next part if you own the first, more off if you own two parts.
Also, Sea of Thieves is topping everything Sony has paid exclusivity deals on preorder. Icing on the cake.
@AsterZero we have had all sorts of excuses why it took a decade to came to Xbox. One was paying for Xbox live & the sub at the same time. Which you have to now anyway on Xbox.
Was there any sort of exclusive clause for 14. Hard to tell. But for the 7 remake it has definitely been extended. Until when? Not sure. As for other titles. It looks like Sony maybe getting sneaky or aggressive since the ABK deal. As black myth wukong was hinted by Microsoft to have some sort of deal. Sega announced it's latest Sonic Shadow title would have exclusive prologue scenes.
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