Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn isn't coming to Xbox due to Microsoft not allowing cross-platform play
"I don't want the community to be divided."
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn director Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the reason the MMO isn't coming to a Microsoft console is due to the hardware manufacturer's restrictive online policies that prevent cross-platform play.
This isn't the case with Sony, hence why the PS3, PS4, and PC versions of the rebooted MMO will all be able to play with each other.
"The main reason from our side is that I don't want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more," said Yoshida in an interview with RPGsite. "For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and I'm playing the Xbox version - but we're not able to join the same game servers. That is just... I just don't like the idea. I disagree with it."
"To be frankly honest with you, there are now so many mobile devices, smart phones, everything - why would you ever just stick to one platform from the hardware aspect? Just - make it open to everyone?"
Beyond players of different platforms not being able to play with one another, existing players of the MMO wouldn't be able to transfer their character over to this enhanced version of the game, due 27th August.
"I would love for as many players as possible to enjoy the game worldwide, so from a business point of view it could make sense to have it on the Xbox platforms," Yoshida continued. "But as I mentioned earlier, that would bring about the tragedy that somebody might have to give up their existing character. Then players might get frustrated, and then they ask us - 'Square Enix, can't you do something?' and then... yeah. Unless that happens, we can't really do anything."
In other words: your move, Microsoft.