Xbox One cross-play regulations still holding back Final Fantasy XIV release

Square Enix MMO Final Fantasy XIV is a huge cross-play success on PS4 and PC, but the title still hasn’t made it’s way to Microsoft’s Xbox One platform. With the company’s recent push for more cross-play titles on the Xbox platform, it’s weird that it’s the Xbox One cross-play regulations that hold the game’s release back.

In a translated interview on WCCFTech. FFXIV director Naoki Yoshida talked about his interactions with Head of Xbox Phil Spencer.

“Two months ago, I discussed with Phil Spencer,” Yoshida said. ” I have explained this before but we are prepared to do crossplay at any time. To play an MMORPG, there are 2 regulations for Microsoft which stand in the way of making crossplay feasible. Unless these regulations are rejected, there is no meaning.”

“Simply speaking, the matching base FPS style game has no issues with those 2 regulations. If we had made an FPS game [had FF14 been one of those games], then we would already have crossplay. One of the regulations is that players with different platforms cannot chat with each other in-game. Then how do you play an MMO? The other regulation is you cannot make a community with plays on a different platform. You can’t form a guild, you can’t enter into a link shell, [and] no free company. So I would like to have Microsoft change their regulations. “

Yoshida states that Final Fantasy XIV will not be released on Xbox One, or any platform, that doesn’t allow the game to function in the exact way it does at this moment in time.

Microsoft has allowed cross-play with Final Fantasy titles in the future, Final Fantasy XI was playable across PS2, Xbox 360 and PC, but XIV’s wishes appear to be too much for Xbox to agree to.