MMOs Say No To 360: Devs Cite Microsoft Subscription Fee Cut Demands
Wondering why Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV isn’t coming to Xbox 360, or why Cryptic canceled the release of their own MMO, Champions Online, for the Microsoft console? The answer might be as simple as money.
A recent Game Informer article cites “several anonymous sources” claiming changes in Microsoft’s subscription fee policy, which took place after the launch of Final Fantasy XI, as the primary reason their MMOs never made it to the Xbox 360.
“Several anonymous sources in the development community over the last two years have communicated to Game Informer that the continuing absence of MMOs on the 360 comes down to a disagreement between developers and Microsoft over subscription fees. If these reports are to be believed, Microsoft has often sought significant chunks of the subscription costs that MMOs utilize to maintain and profit off of an MMO.”
It is also worth noting that a post-E3 Eurogamer interview with Final Fantasy XIV Producer, Hiromichi Tanaka, made no mention of subscription fee issues while discussing Square’s decision to not bring the latest MMO to the Xbox 360. Instead, Tanaka cited the Xbox LIVE “closed environment” policy as their biggest deterring factor.
Of course no one has come out publicly to complain about the subscription fee cut just yet, so it’s highly unlikely that Hiromichi Tanaka would volunteer himself as the first to do so, even if it was a factor in their decision.
Feel free to share your thoughts on this matter in the comments section below. Are you upset about the lack of MMOs on Xbox, or are you perfectly content with getting your MMO fix elsewhere?
