If you're thirsty for an MMO experience, don't bother with buying an Xbox 360. It appears that once again, a studio can't come to terms with Microsoft. Square Enix, developer of Final Fantasy XI for the 360, has joined the list of studios that can't break through negotiations for a forthcoming MMO.
 
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Final Fantasy XIV Online director Hiromichi Tanaka pegged, of all things, the Xbox 360's online service as the reason why Final Fantasy XIV, it's latest MMO, isn't coming to the system. 

"The main reason why we couldn't go with Xbox 360 was the Xbox Live system," he told the publication during E3. "[Live is] different to the normal Internet environment, so when we wanted to introduce this game in the same environment as Windows PC it had to be PS3, so that was our choice." 
  

If you're thirsty for an MMO experience, don't bother with buying an Xbox 360. It appears that once again, a studio can't come to terms with Microsoft. Square Enix, developer of Final Fantasy XI for the 360, has joined the list of studios that can't break through negotiations for a forthcoming MMO.
 
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Final Fantasy XIV Online director Hiromichi Tanaka pegged, of all things, the Xbox 360's online service as the reason why Final Fantasy XIV, it's latest MMO, isn't coming to the system. 

"The main reason why we couldn't go with Xbox 360 was the Xbox Live system," he told the publication during E3. "[Live is] different to the normal Internet environment, so when we wanted to introduce this game in the same environment as Windows PC it had to be PS3, so that was our choice." 
  

O well!  Bring back True Fantasy Live!

Let the flaming comence. *shield*

Didn't FFX1 bypass live on the 360? Oh well, I guess that's one of the downfalls of having such a closed system, companies that are big enough not to deal with it, that don't want to deal with it, won't.

Seems like it's starting to bite MS in the ass now with this and now the steamworks support coming to ps3, making Valve's future games weakest on the 360.

Don't you have to pay both SE and MS to play FFXI?

Microsoft is lagging behind. PlayStation managed to swoop in Valve and it's Steam support.

Meh. I'd leave the MMOs on the PC.

All the more reason for me to buy a PS3.

There's always pc....

 Is it just me or could a really good MMO on a console (any console) do more harm than good to the producer of said console?
I played (and loved) WoW for two and a half years. During that two and a half years I bought exactly ZERO games.
 
PS: Let's wait to see when and what the PS3 gets as far as MMOs go first before we start handing out the gold medals. :)

Microsoft are missing out, MMO's are a major thing in gaming now and are coming to consoles sooner or later. At the announcement of FFXIV on PS3 me and a bunch of friends already planned to get it on PS3 and play together, I would love if we had more choice (especially Lord of the Rings Online) but I cant wait to play an MMO on my console's again.

We've seen this in the past before.  May I direct your attention to Exibit A.  Unreal Tournement III on the PS3 was released with custom tools for users to make their on maps/mods/whatever they wanted.  When the Xbox version came out later Epic was denied that same feature because of Microsoft's supposed "closed system".  

Funny, because Monster Hunter Frontier Online is coming out in Japan soon, and it's gonna give players a free month of live for every month you sub. It seems a similar model might work for other games, but I guess it depends how much of a cut MS is asking.

" We've seen this in the past before.  May I direct your attention to Exibit A.  Unreal Tournement III on the PS3 was released with custom tools for users to make their on maps/mods/whatever they wanted.  When the Xbox version came out later Epic was denied that same feature because of Microsoft's supposed "closed system".   "

It has a PC version, and if you have a brain in your head that's the only version to care about. If idiots want to pretend an MMO clearly being made with PC as the lead skew is a sweet PS3 exclusive, let them have it.

"

Don't you have to pay both SE and MS to play FFXI?

"

Well, how did final fantasy XI work on the 360?

" Indianapolis-based event called Gen Con" 
 
Really Brad?  I don't what's sadder that you describe it that way or the WOTC turned Gen Con into something you have to describe that way.

Playing MMORPGs on consoles = lol

I kind of thought this was already pretty well known. At least, it was among Champions Players during the beta last Summer. I seem to recall multiple Cryptic and Atari employees alluding to the fact that Microsoft was the one holding things up for the Xbox 360 release. When Atari finally announced the August '09 release date for the PC version, when both they and Cryptic had maintained throughout development that both versions would launch at the same time, it seemed like pretty much a done deal that the 360 version was scrapped entirely.  
 
Even during beta testing (and possibly during alpha), Champions was programed with the 360 controller in mind. That game has official Xbox button icons in it even. It was seemingly ground up built for consoles, and even to this day plays better with an Xbox 360 controller plugged into your PC. 
 
Microsoft needs to start playing ball with these MMO developers. In the case of Final Fantasy XI, you don't NEED a Gold XBL membership to play it online, and I'm sure that's Microsoft's biggest gripe. But at the same time, as far as I could tell when playing FFXI on my Xbox 360, you didn't use the Xbox Live service at all when playing the game. You had to link your Gamertag with your PlayOnline ID, but that's really it. Outside of that, FFXI actually forced you to install the PlayOnline application to your 360, which in turn was used to connect you to FFXI. I never saw any indication that Xbox Live's servers were being used, outside of actually being signed in. 
 
Something tells me Microsoft would change their tune if Blizzard showed an interest in bringing WoW, or a version of WoW, to the Xbox 360. 

So not having Final Fantasy 14 is a bad thing? >_>

" Playing MMORPGs on consoles = lol "

Why can't we get LOTRO on PS3? Why don't these developers show Microsoft that they need to get their head out of their ass by going to the competition.

Micro$oft seems extremely protective of it's Xbox Live policies.

Makes me even happier for recently buying a PS3.

Who gets MMO's on a console?
 
They are tailored for PCs.
 
- Variable graphics
- Easy patches
- Bigger set of controls (Mouse/Keyboard)

"

Don't you have to pay both SE and MS to play FFXI?

"

i also heard that another reason for this is the 6GB install limit on the xbox..... kinda silly on Microsofts part

This could be a similar issue Valve has experienced with XBL which resulted in them changing their business model, swallowing their pride, and porting they games to the PS3 now.

"  PS: Let's wait to see when and what the PS3 gets for an MMO before we start handing out the gold medals. :) "

" Makes me even happier for recently buying a PS3. "

meh, I don't like MMO's so I don't care.

MMO's should be played on the PC anyway.

" Micro$oft seems extremely protective of it's Xbox Live policies. "

Microsoft is still benefiting because it's coming to Windows as well.

There's pros and cons to every system. To keep a really good online community, Microsoft has to really lock down their system. Though Sony doesn't have that good of an online community, it's online system is more open for developers to work with. 
 
Both systems have very good potential for online capabilities.

Microsoft really need to open up XBL to developers to allow games such as this to be viable on the system. 
 
I play games online both on XBL, and PSN and recognise the strengths it currently has over the Playstation Network.  However more flexibility would benefit their customers. 
 
This is yet another game/service that will be absent, the last one being the BBC Player for us Brits, due to Microsoft's somewhat draconian management approach to XBL.

" @Somadude said:

"

Don't you have to pay both SE and MS to play FFXI?

"

Yes, which is why this is stupid.  I can see the problems, the dev wants their monthly fee, and MS requires all online gaming on 360 to be paid via Gold.  This means that playing the game on 360 costs more than playing it on PC, but if they lower the sub cost for the 360 crowd then the PC players will complain that they are paying more than the console people for the same experience (even though I would argue that playing an MMO on a PC has far more benefits).  It's a sticky situation that inevitably comes down to someone having to ask for less money or possibly alienating a segment of users.  At the end of it all I think this proves that MMOs on consoles will just never work, and frankly it's in the best interest of PC gaming to keep MMOs on PC since it's one of the few remaining genres that are exclusive to that platform.  And dude, all these references to Gen Con are flagging the nerdiness of Mr. Nicholson.  Next you'll be talking about what paints you use on your tabletop miniatures. "

" @Somadude said:

"

Don't you have to pay both SE and MS to play FFXI?

"

Yes, which is why this is stupid.  I can see the problems, the dev wants their monthly fee, and MS requires all online gaming on 360 to be paid via Gold.  This means that playing the game on 360 costs more than playing it on PC, but if they lower the sub cost for the 360 crowd then the PC players will complain that they are paying more than the console people for the same experience (even though I would argue that playing an MMO on a PC has far more benefits).  It's a sticky situation that inevitably comes down to someone having to ask for less money or possibly alienating a segment of users.  At the end of it all I think this proves that MMOs on consoles will just never work, and frankly it's in the best interest of PC gaming to keep MMOs on PC since it's one of the few remaining genres that are exclusive to that platform.  And dude, all these references to Gen Con are flagging the nerdiness of Mr. Nicholson.  Next you'll be talking about what paints you use on your tabletop miniatures. "

 Xbox live policy problems probably go even beyond MMO's. Portal 2 and steam support come to mind. 
 
 They probably have to open up at some point. There's nothing good to be gained from making developers bitter for having to deal with things like this, specially with the competition rising the way it is :S.

" @ProfessorEss said:

"  PS: Let's wait to see when and what the PS3 gets for an MMO before we start handing out the gold medals. :) "

The PS3 is getting Final Fantasy XIV.  

" Who gets MMO's on a console?  They are tailored for PCs.  - Variable graphics - Easy patches - Bigger set of controls (Mouse/Keyboard) "

Who would play a MMO on a console anyways. And after the embarrassment that 13 was, I could give 2 shits less about anything with Final Fantasy on the cover.

If I get FF14 it'll be for PC but a lot of people don't seem to have any experience with console MMOs, FF11, or are just ignorant.
 
FF14 will almost certainly support keyboard, like every other console MMO.  It'll patch just as easily as the PC version, if not easier (FF11 was a pain on PC and 360).  It's not something that's going to pass through Sony QA, which is why MS is hesitant to allow such a thing.

" @demontium said:

" Who gets MMO's on a console?  They are tailored for PCs.  - Variable graphics - Easy patches - Bigger set of controls (Mouse/Keyboard) "

I've been playing MMOs since EQ on the PC.  Yet I remain open minded about the genre on a console.  why?   Because times are changing, and consoles are becoming much more viable at hosting this genre of gameplay.  Your reasons are moot since variable graphics are only required on PC due to the vast differences in consumer's specifications, and M/K is fully supported on the PS3.  Patches on the other hand could be more time consuming since they need to go through Sony.  That would only really be a snag for quick adhoc hotfixes, less so for planned diarised major updates. "

Age of Conan was supposed to come to the 360 also, but that never happened either.