No FFXIII until after March 2008, says Yoichi Wada

by Nick Doerr { May 23rd 2007 at 3:00PM }

With so many games coming out later on this year (ostensibly), a lot of PS3 fans have almost forgotten about the two biggest titles in the wings: Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII. Their exclusivity used to be put in question almost daily, continually put down, then revived as a rumor again for no apparent reason. Ever since a ton of hard-hitting titles started appearing, those rumors have died down because it seems the PS3 has more going for it than these two games and everyone is starting to realize that. So, what's up with those two titles, anyway?

It appears that neither are going to release before the end of this fiscal year (March 31, 2008). GameStop's website recently moved MGS4 from a 2007 release to a March 2008 release, but chances are it'll come out in April or May. Just because ... it'd be a good start to the next fiscal year, you know?

FFXIII hasn't been moved on their site, but Square Enix president Yoichi Wada made a statement regarding the game at a financial briefing in Tokyo: "It will still take a bit more time. At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question." IGN claims a May 2008 release at the earliest. We second that. When do you guys expect the game to get the ol' release?

Tags: FF XIII, FfXiii, Final Fantasy XIII, FinalFantasyXiii, PlayStation 3, Playstation3, PS3, Sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Gamble20 @ May 23rd 2007 3:08PM

We needed this game badly...

I didnt pay attention much with MGS 4 getting delayed (possible) because I knew this game coming.

Now we might have lost both until after the holdiday season. Yeah we still have Home and maybe Killzone, Lair, heavenly sword...but those aren't the super triple A titles like those two are...

If both of them are gone until 08, we WILL lose the 07 holiday season. 360 has Halo, Wii has...well everything that Nintendo has to offer...now we have nothing to really smash in fanboy faces...

its depressing I just have to hope that this holiday season doesnt determine the winner of the console war. Playstation 3 IMO will be the best console in 2008, but if they fall behind majorly in 07 it wont matter

Gamble20 @ May 23rd 2007 3:08PM

Hey that was the first time I ever have gotten the first comment :)

Darko @ May 23rd 2007 3:42PM

Man, Maybe I should put off buying a PS3 until 2009.... jeeze. Oh, and sorry for this.... 360fanboy part of me lets out a big Nelson Muntz "Ha Ha!" Sorry it had to be done.

Taylor B @ May 23rd 2007 3:46PM

I didn't expect FF13 in 2007. Based off how big of an endeavor it's expected to be, 2008 was always the more likely assumption. In addition, who cares what Gamestop has set for MSG4's release date? There's no release date until the developer / publisher has announced one. If you choose to go off retailers, then prepare to be disappointed.

Taylor B @ May 23rd 2007 3:58PM

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, and Warhawk for example. They're all entirely different genres. And seeing how a good attempt hasn't been made at either style yet on any next-gen system, you could qualify any of them as a hard hitting title.

Brandon Johnson @ May 23rd 2007 4:24PM

Taylor B you are right those games have the potential to be hard hitters but they aren't garuntied system sells like MGS and FF.

And quite frankly Sony needed atleast MGS or FF for this holiday season. The main reason mentioned above is that Halo 3 will be out for the 360 and Wii will have the Holy trinity (Metriod,SMG, and Smash) out not to mention a good line of casual games that seem to be really selling for them.

Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 23rd 2007 4:47PM

"Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, and Warhawk for example."

Where's the "ton" part? I'm not sure what your definition of "a ton" is, but I would imagine its more than four games. I'm not saying that you can't list more. I'm just saying that, maybe you shouldn't say that unless you're willing to prove it.

"Taylor B you are right those games have the potential to be hard hitters but they aren't garuntied system sells like MGS and FF."

The MGS franchise isn't a system seller. And that's coming from a die-hard Metal Gear fanboy. MGS generally appeals to a specific type of gamer. The sales never match the hype (not even close). Final Fantasy has a better shot at selling consoles than MGS.

Naaiif @ May 23rd 2007 5:02PM

If you expected FFXIII in 2007 then you are clearly insane. A game of that scope and size couldn't be finished in 8 months from now, hell i wouldn't want it to be because it would probably be rushed.

So 2008 in Japan, that's what 2009 in Europe?

UGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

BlackBeltJones @ May 23rd 2007 5:41PM

yeah 2007 holiday will go to the 360 but at least sony looks strong for 2008. And while I don't think FF and MGS will be huge mass appeal "system sellers" they will get a lot of hardcore forum rats to pick up a ps3 if they can keep microsoft from taking away the exclusivity. I know on the Kojima productions podcast Shane from EGM (probably the biggest Sony fanboy ever) brought up MGS on 360 and Shane says his impression is that if it goes to 360 it would be a full year after the PS3 gets it. But he also is quoted in saying "Devil May Cry 4, PS3 exclusive, confirmed never going to 360" so who knows. I guess we will have to see what Peter Moores tattoo's look like at E3 before we really know.

Tom @ May 23rd 2007 8:18PM

@ Next-Gen-Gamer

**************
Definition: TON –noun
[1.] a unit of weight, equivalent to 2000 pounds (0.907 metric ton) avoirdupois (short ton) in the U.S. and 2240 pounds (1.016 metric tons) avoirdupois (long ton) in Great Britain.
[2.] Also called freight ton. a unit of volume for freight that weighs one ton, varying with the type of freight measured, as 40 cubic feet of oak timber or 20 bushels of wheat.
[3.] A slang term for FIVE OR MORE games coming out for a highly criticised video game console.
[4.] a unit of volume used in transportation by sea, commonly equal to 40 cubic feet (1.13 cu. m) (shipping ton or measurement ton).
***************

So, you are quite right: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, and Warhawk do not add up to a "Ton"... however, if you throw Ratchet and Clank into the mix, that's a TON OF GAMES FOR PS3! Woooo!

John @ May 23rd 2007 9:27PM

With this and Metal Gear coming out around that time, the information seems to scream a PS3 price reduction after holiday '07.

The price reduction will come in Feb or March of '08. It can't be too close to holiday '07, otherwise people could bemoan their purchase.

By spring '08, Sony will have manufacturing costs down, and may even have switched to the smaller nano.

They will be able to take a price cut in the face of this, along with two of the most anticipated games for ps3.

When these games come out, buyers who were on the fence will see two things: I can get the game I've been waiting for, and... the ps3 costs less.

They'll compute that the new ps3 + salivatory game will cost equal to or less than a ps3 at holiday.

The other thing is, by fall and holiday of '07, ps3's will be selling comfortably. Home will be entrenched, there will be lots of games, and even the people/kids who bought xbox360 two years ago can now validly say, "Papa/Mama I want a ps3 for xmas".

That boost will give Sony the optimum playing space to reduce the price without taking too big of a hit.

The other way this could go, is that they could reduce the price in fall or holiday of '07.

I predict that they will watch ps3 sales and game sales in fall, and decide by holiday whether they want to take a temp. loss and lower the price. If sales are low, they may, expecting to get it back with these spring releases.

Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 23rd 2007 9:29PM

Five is where a "ton" starts? Seriously? If that's the case, the PS3 already has a ton of good games, and all this talk about the PS3 needing more should be irrelevant. I suppose the PS3 should be selling 'like hotcakes' now that Resistance, Virtua Fighter, MotorStorm, Oblivion, and Armored Core are out.

Chris Putnam @ May 23rd 2007 10:03PM

Are you basing this MGS4 delay entirely on the Gamestop website? The announcement I heard from Konami was just a reassurance that the game would be out this fiscal year, which puts it in next March at the absolute -latest-.

If one or both of these games is delayed, though, that increases the pressure on the guys at Sony for a price drop from "absolutely essential" to "we might as well all shoot ourselves if we don't do it this year." If they don't have something like this to motivate sales by the end of the year, I can't see how they could hope to catch up to the competition.

Veritas II @ May 23rd 2007 10:09PM

Actually Konami's fiscal year report states that MGS 4 would drive sales _this_ year, which means it's slated to be out before March '08. GameStop dates are arbitrary at best, so who are you going to believe?

Chris Putnam @ May 23rd 2007 11:07PM

Former PS Fan: sounds like you read a lot of bullshit. None of that is any more than completely off-the-wall speculation.

bootsielon @ May 24th 2007 12:07AM

"Holy trinity (Metriod,SMG, and Smash)"

Most Wii owners I know don't care much about Metroid. I don't think SMG is a "Halo 3". Wii Play and Wii Sports maybe for casuals. Zelda perhaps (not TP, that's a gamecube game). And smash? It doesn't even use the Wiimote.

Honestly, I'm more excited for Sony's holiday line-up than Nintendo's. Microsoft's is nice, but not because of Halo 3, but because of Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and Too Human.

Sony has Uncharted, SOCOM, Heavenly Sword, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Killzone, Eye of Judgment, Singstar, Lair, LBP (first online, then on disc), Ratchet and Clank and Home. Perhaps there are more things, we'll see at E3.

Microsoft will also have Halo 3, Banjo Kazooie 3, Bioshock and Mass Effect, plus its already prior hits Dead Rising, Gears and Lost Planet.

Wii? Mostly party games (Wii Sports, Wii play, Wario Ware, Mario Party, Smash Bros, Mario Strikers), child games (Dewy's adventure, Cooking Mama), sequels to the oldest of tired series (Metroid), crappy online, games that don't take much advantage of the system (What the hell does Smash do on the Wii which can't be done elsewhere? Same with super paper mario), or gamecube/PS2/PSP ports (Resident Evil 4 again anyone?).

I mean, it sure is fun, and it's an impulse buy for a hardcore gamer (not for anyone), but if I had to choose, I'd pass on the Wii for a pretty long while. Especially since it's not getting any time soon games that will appear everywhere else, except on the Wii:

Stranglehold, Virtua Fighter (later on 360), Devil May Cry, GTA4, Ace Combat (later on Ps3), Trusty Bell (probably on PS3), Culdcept Saga (Probably on Ps3), Haze (later on 360), Blacksite 51, Army of Two.

More exclusives for 2008 and on that Wii won't see:

360: Alan Wake, Project Sylpheed, Marvel MMO

Rumoured: Killer instinct 3

PS3: FFXIII, FFVersusXIII, FF Haeresis XIII, White Knight Story, Monster Hunter 3, DC MMO

Rumored (but already mentioned and likely): FFVII remake, Kingdom Hearts 3, God of War 3, Shadow of the colossus 2

Both: Last Remnant

What will Wii have? Mario Kart (again?), Zelda (Will it be the same formula with new controls?), DK Music something, PS2/GC/Xbox ports, Wii Tardation 7. *yawn*

And that's not even including all the original content PSN will have, some which XBLA also has, and Wii doesn't. (Even though they seem to be developing something, it doesn't sound as promising)

THat's not even including gaming AND non-gaming services.

Drdre74 @ May 24th 2007 12:16AM

So the chain reaction begins. Games are going to start getting pushed back. Whats next GTA?

der-k @ May 24th 2007 4:39AM

Do anyone not find it odd that the Xbox360 have more jrpgs this holiday season than ps3? While FFXIII coming in 2008 will not really bother the NA or EU fall and winter sales it will most likely hurt the JP sales, that is if DMC4 decides not to be delay also:s

I really am looking forward to FFXIII coming to ps3 but I do not see it coming for awhile until at least the fall/winter of 2008 or whenever SE deems the userbase is large enough. Hopefully a demo will be coming sooner.

Cool Curt @ May 29th 2007 4:38AM

Dammit. FFXIII would have been one of my reasons to finally splurge and buy a PS3. Im buying my HDTV pretty soon and had planned on buying my PS3 by the end of the summer to have for this promising fall/holiday lineup, but now im not so sure. these games getting pushed back is really not going to help Sony's cause but at the same time, i would much rather have them push it back and get it right the first time than release a bajillion patches for it. Sony really needs to get on the ball. they are focusing so hard on the hardware part that they dont seem to be pushing the developers at all. i mean who cares if its more state-of-the-art if you can get almost the same experience cheaper (god it hurts me to say that). they need some good surprise exclusives this year if they want to try to make up some lost ground and avoid coming in last this console race.

Maybe my Wii will have to enjoy the HDTV goodness alone this holiday season.