Microsoft's announcement earlier this week that it plans to purchase Activision Blizzard for a staggering $68.7 billion will likely go down as one of the biggest gaming stories of the year. The news is so significant that its ramifications will be felt across the industry for years, even by parties that aren’t directly involved with the deal. Sony is arguably the entity that stands to lose the most though, as future titles in franchises like Call of Duty are could potentially leave the publisher’s ecosystem. For a number of reasons, the story ensures that upcoming exclusive PlayStation games like Final Fantasy 16 are far more significant now.
Each of Microsoft’s attempts to bolster its Xbox division have the knock-on effect of amplifying the spotlight that’s placed on the strategies of its biggest gaming rivals. How Sony intends to counter the boost that its competitor will get, now that it's bought two major western publishers, is a topic that’s being discussed just as much as the acquisitions themselves. While it’s possible that Sony might eventually go toe-to-toe with big name purchases of its own, some of the groundwork of staying competitive in the industry has been done already. In the light of Microsoft’s acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision, securing exclusivity of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 16 in particular, looks like an even more shrewd business deal.
Final Fantasy 16’s JRPG Status
One of the biggest reasons why Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 16 is a great exclusive for Sony, is its status as a JRPG. Even though Microsoft has taken significant steps to make some of the biggest western RPGs exclusive to its platforms, thanks to the acquisition of Bethesda, it still doesn't have an active JRPG series that it can promote. That’s been largely the case since the Xbox 360 days when the publisher actively sought out titles like Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, as ways to entice fans of the genre into its ecosystem. Even though Sony doesn’t outright own Final Fantasy 16, it’s still therefore a significant way for PlayStation to stand out.
While it’s true that both of Microsoft's recent purchases have led to it acquiring two Asian-based development studios, there’s no denying that the publisher is still lacking when it comes to software makers that are based outside of the west. As it stands right now, the incoming Activision Shanghai will join Tango Gameworks as Xbox Game Studio’s second non-western team. Considering the former's history of supporting the Call of Duty series, and the latter's horror expertise, it’s hard to envision either creating a game that can face off directly with Final Fantasy 16 anytime soon.
In contrast to Microsoft’s western-RPGs, Sony has taken steps to make the PlayStation ecosystem the de facto home of the JRPG genre instead. The deal that’s about to see Final Fantasy 16 release as a PS5 console exclusive, isn’t the first or last of its kind. If rumors are to be believed, Atlus’ Persona 6 could be locked to PlayStation too.
While it’s true that neither of these exclusives will likely sell as much as the next Call of Duty, both franchises are beloved by fans. If players want AAA JRPGs in their life, exclusive games like Final Fantasy 16 ensure it’s going to be hard for them to ignore the PS5. Making the platform essential to so many people, particularly those in Japan itself, should help to keep Sony’s console relevant in spite of Microsoft's acquisitions.
Final Fantasy's Western Appeal
Even though Final Fantasy 16 looks set to embody the JRPG characteristics that have made Square Enix's franchise a gaming icon, it should also be noted that recent installments have leaned into mechanics that have historically been more commonly found in western RPGs. Real-time battle systems that put an emphasis on action have featured in mainline entries like Final Fantasy 15 and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, alongside more traditional JRPG turn-based mechanics for example.
When Final Fantasy 16 finally launches on PS5, all signs point to a hybrid approach being implemented there as well. In terms of Microsoft's acquisitions, and its library of western RPGs, this blending of both worlds should help Sony promote the game as an exclusive that can appeal to multiple fan-bases and tastes.
Sony's Ability To Be Competitive
Over the last few years, it's become obvious just how different Sony and Microsoft's plans for the current console generation are. While the latter appears to be rooted more in the methods that have brought it historical success, Microsoft has instead turned to acquisitions in an effort to make Xbox Game Pass a content-rich service that's hard to ignore.
So far, even though Sony has responded by bringing in individual studios that have often worked with PlayStation in the past, it hasn't bought out a publisher the size of Activision Blizzard. Even though PlayStation is one of the most profitable players in the gaming industry, and Sony has set aside money specifically for acquisitions, it remains to be seen if the corporation is willing or able to go head-to-head with Microsoft spending power.
If Sony is ultimately unable to bring another publisher into its first party family, that won't necessarily be the end of its ability to challenge Microsoft's plans though. Striking deals with Square Enix for exclusive games like Final Fantasy 16, is an alternative strategy that's likely to bear fruit for both parties.
Besides the marketing potential that Sony receives from big name third party exclusives like it, this type of deal is far cheaper than buying and then running an entity like Square Enix outright. Against the backdrop of PlayStation players debating the continued health and longevity of Sony in the gaming industry, more than anything else, exclusives like Final Fantasy 16 are great examples that help to show how the publisher can remain competitive going forward.
PlayStation's Uniqueness
Since the arrival of the PS4, and its emphasis on being a gaming console above anything else, Sony has gotten better at promoting its ecosystem's identity and significance to the wider industry. Exclusive deals with third party games like Final Fantasy 16, are perhaps the second-biggest way that Sony can continue to underline this.
While its first party output and software like Horizon Forbidden West will always be the games that get people through the metaphorical door, having third party exclusives on PlayStation will help to keep the platform relevant and distinct from the competition. As unsettling as it is for players to have franchises that they've loved taken from their platforms, both via deals and acquisitions, it appears as though this is a sad reality that isn't going away anytime soon.
With Microsoft having potentially taken away some of the biggest franchises in modern gaming from PlayStation, including two of its original mascots, emphasizing the ecosystem's continued uniqueness and value is going to be increasingly important for Sony going forward. In a lot of ways the publisher is going to have to look at how Nintendo made itself irreplaceable in the 90s, after PlayStation's own arrival prompted a similar exodus of third party content from its shores. Having one of the franchises that originally helped to make PlayStation synonymous with gaming, already in its corner, is a great way for Sony to kickstart this daunting process.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for the PS5.
