Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will be out within the next year, director Hajime Tabata told Kotaku during an hands-off presentation in Seattle this week.
That means, by late August 2015, you’ll be playing Final Fantasy Type-0 in high-definition on your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Makes sense, considering the game is 80 percent done.
“We probably wouldn’t age another year until it’s released,” Tabata said. “We really do want the PS4 and Xbox One install base to grow in Japan as well, so we do want a release as quickly as possible.”
The HD version of Type-0 has been in development since mid-2012, Tabata said. The updated release won’t have any new content not found in the PSP version outside of three things: 1) high-definition graphics, 2) updated controls, and 3) four difficulty options.
As for why the game is releasing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as opposed to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Tabata said Type-0 HD is their segue onto current-gen titles—to make sure Final Fantasy fans are on the platforms in preparation for Final Fantasy XV.
“We do hope that it becomes the first basis for Final Fantasy XV when we release that globally,” Tabata said.
Asked about a PS Vita version, Tabata said it was considered, but he felt the bigger screen would be more appropriate to bring out the best of Final Fantasy Type-0.
Final Fantasy Type-0 first launched as a PSP title in Japan in late 2011. That version was supposed to be localized, Tabata revealed, with the bulk of the localization work completed back in 2011. But Square Enix put a hold on its release when it realized the PSP market wasn’t all that viable outside Japan anymore.
“The biggest reason was really the timing,” Tabata said. “After we released the Japanese version, and then it would go into localization, the US PSP market at the time was kinda shrinking. It wasn’t the best time for us to garner the best results, so that was the biggest reason we had to forgo the PSP version for the overseas market.”
And now, one of the biggest questions: Will Final Fantasy Type-0 HD delay the release of Final Fantasy XV. According to Tabata, no. Final Fantasy XV, first announced for PlayStation 3 in 2006 as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and now coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, is top priority within the company. And Tabata believes it will be a big factor in pushing the install base for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Japan.