Final Fantasy XV was originally announced in May 2006 at Sony’s E3 Press Conference. Ten years later, Square Enix is hosting Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event in LA, where they promise to reveal a release date for this sought after game.
Lots can happen in a decade, especially in the gaming industry. Remember the time that:
PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U Released
PS4: November 15, 2013
Xbox One: November 13, 2013
Wii U: November 18, 2012
It’s crazy to think that in the time of Final Fantasy XV’s development, we’ve had two console generations.
It would be this second generation of the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U that actually saw a retail release of FFXV. Looking back now, it’s hard to imagine the PS3 and Xbox 360 handling the technical powerhouse that is FFXV, so here’s to hoping this decade development cycle pays off.
The Wii and PS3 released
Wii: November 19, 2006
PS3: November 17, 2006
Forget the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U. The big three had more pressing issues to focus on.
Microsoft was still overseeing the rise in success of the Xbox 360, whereas Sony and Nintendo had yet to even announce the PS3 and Wii. With Sony introducing a new format in the form of Blu-Ray and the Wii popularizing motion controls, the gaming landscape was changed.
This console generation also forced Square Enix to adapt. For the first time in a long time, Square Enix allowed Final Fantasy to go multi-party, seeing releases on the Wii and Xbox 360 in addition to the PS3.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII Name Change
Announced: June 2014
Once upon a time, Final Fantasy XV wasn’t actually a thing. Before it was a main-entry Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy XV was known by another name.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was the original title for the game, and developed as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII alongside Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII (Type-0).
The saga was to share a mythos that tied all the games together. How? Well, it’s hard to tell. The defining characteristics of the saga share quite a few similarities with traditional Final Fantasy, but separate media for this saga does exist.
Duke Nukem Forever Released
Announced: April 1997
Released: June 2011
If you thought Final Fantasy XV’s development was crazy-long, at least it didn’t pull a Duke Nukem Forever.
Originally in development under one of the series creators, George Broussard, and development studio 3D Realms, Duke was set to make his return to the first-person shooter scene in big force. The world waited with bated breath. They kept waiting. That waiting was followed by a bit more waiting.
Finally, in 2001, 3D Realms announced the game would be released “when it’s done.” After that, 3D Realms was disbanded due to a lawsuit with publisher Take Two Interactive, who’s undisclosed settlement was reached in 2010. Fast-forward a bit more and finally, the home stretch was within sight. Gearbox Software acquired the rights to finally bring Duke back, and, after fifteen years, Duke Nukem Forever finally released in June 2011. Unlike Duke Nukem, let’s just hope the ten year wait for Final Fantasy XV was worth it.
VR Gaming is a Reality
Oculus Rift: March 28, 2016
HTC VIVE: Ships April 5, 2016
PlayStation VR: October 2016
The next phase of gaming evolution is finally here and, thankfully, it’s far better than we could’ve ever hoped. But to be fair, only the Oculus Rift has actually released.
VR gaming, something desired since the late 80s, has finally become a reality, and it’s great for more things than gaming. Want a personal movie theater to watch your films in solitude? Open up the cinematic mode and enjoy. Want to do the same for your non-VR games? Go ahead! The future of gaming has arrived, but what lies ahead?
Twitch Became a Thing
Launched: June 2011
Who thought watching people playing games could be so profitable? Long before the words”let’s play” were uttered, the only means of reliably watching someone play a game was sitting over their shoulder and shouting.
Online streaming mogul Twitch, now offers more than 22 million people a month the opportunity to watch anyone play virtually any game.
DLC Didn’t Exist the Way It Does Now
DLC did exist in the days of Atari 2600 GameLine and the Genesis Sega Channel. Later offerings were seen on the original Xbox in the forms of Halo 2 Map Packs, but the earliest signs of DLC as we know it today, both in terms of scope and pricing, was seen in Harmonix musical game Rockband.
Rockband released song packs on a weekly basis for a handful of Microsoft Points and dollars, from 2007 all the way to 2013. Now, we see weekly DLC in the forms of characters, stages, game modes, and much more.
Assassin’s Creed Planted Its Flag
Assassin’s Creed: November 13, 2007 –
During Final Fantasy XV’s development, may IPs were born and unceremoniously killed. One of the longest IPs released during this decade waiting period, was Assassin’s Creed.
Ubisoft confirmed after the release of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, that the annual series would take a break in 2016 while Ubisoft worked on other projects. So rest well Assassin’s Creed, see you again after Final Fantasy XV.
Minecraft Became A Worldwide Phenomena
Minecraft: November 18, 2011
Long before entering its beta phase, creator Notch, and the rest of the team at Mojang, struck gold with the rising success of Minecraft. Upon reaching beta, Minecraft had already sold over one million copies. Keep in mind, that’s before Minecraft: Pocket, console ports, and even before the completed game shipped!
Now, Minecraft is worldwide. There’re toys, let’s plays, and spin-offs. In some ways, Minecraft fully encompasses the transition the gaming industry underwent during the decade development time of Final Fantasy XV. But one thing is certain – Minecraft is here to stay.
6 Pokemon Games and a 7th on the Way
Long before Minecraft (and FFXV), kids obsessed over Pokemon. During the decade of FFXV’s development, Pokemon development studio GameFreak released six pokemon games with Sun and Moon still on its way. That’s a lot of Pokemon to keep you busy.
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