Counter-counter points :P Besides, bubble for you since you actually state things and not just flame like some other individuals here.

The PS3 drive reads at a constant speed, that is slower than the 360's on the outside of the disc, but faster on the inside. If you don't believe me, go read the Wikipedia articles on both drive types. So, both have good and bad points there.

I didn't exactly mean the production of a DVD, sorry I didn't go into detail there. For PS3, it will most likely be one BR, one case. For the 360, you need the (8 in my theory) discs and then just as much cases plus one of these slipcases, since I bet my left ass cheek they won't just sell you the cases naked. Yeah, the BR might still be more expensive, but the costs for the 360 version go up the more discs they need.

The installing/swapping... yeah, you are right there. That is, if you have a HDD. As MSFT stated, they won't let a game happen that forces you to have a HDD. So while that might work (and I bet they will offer something like that for those who have the HDD), it won't for the Core and Arcade owners. It alienates them, which as we all can agree on I think, is not the best move.

Compression... yeah, it's almost lossless. Or at least we (well, most of us) won't recognize (like MP3). The thing is, decompressing takes CPU cycles, which in return can't be used on the game. I'm not familiar with the matter, but I know from home use that everything you do at once slows your PC down. So SE has to make sure the decompressing doesn't bite them back in the end - but I am sure they will figure something out.

Multidisk break thingy... well, anybody remember ShenMue? I got it from my parents back in the day and started playing. Funny thing, the third disc was broken (nothing you could see, it just wouldn't start). That's where I came from with my point. 99% of the games will be fine, but for that one percent, it will suck.

For the rest, I wholeheartedly agree. I can only sit in my armchair and wait and laugh at the upcoming comparisons and everybody tearing away at something they might not even see.
Lets all just hope that SE can deliver a top quality game, for BOTH consoles. View

MSFT, you make me laugh again and again.
Here we go again. Exclusive to XBLA... oh, and PC. View

A quick look at the sales of FFXII (twelve, you know, the offline MMORPG) shows something interesting.

The game sold the most copies in Japan.
Less in the US.
Less than half the Japanese number in Europe.
We are talking about 6 to 7 million copies sold all together here (if somebody got the real lifetime sales, please share them with me).

Am I pissed that Sony dropped the ball on this one? You bet your ass I am. Final Fantasy is a prestige title. I'm not talking about differences between the two versions here (there will be I bet, but none that matter) - the game exists as of yet only on the PC (designed via the Crytsal Tools, then ported to consoles).
Do I think the PS3 is doomed to fail? No. The biggest market for FF games is Japan, that's a fact. Who has the game exclusively in Japan? Sony.

Now, what I want to see however, is how many discs they will need on the 360. I won't go the fanboy route and say "O U WILL HAVE 24769287340198 DVDS, XBOTS!!1!".
But: SE said they will push the limits of the PS3. One of these limits right now is 50GB BR discs. If they use these to the fullest, this means:

50GB BR (probably only 45GB or something, du to the wrong calculation of space [i.e. 1.000 Byte are 1 MByte])
8GB DVD-9 (due to the copyprotection, roughly 8 GB are available)

Simple math says that 7x8GB=56GB -> enough. Nope.
Take in consideration that you need the common data on every single disc (models, sounds, the engine, textures). Let's be generous and assume the common data is worth 1GB.
((((Why 1GB? Take a look at most demos today - roughly 1GB to 1,5GB. That is usually the common data plus the demo level.)))

8GB - 1GB = 7GB available per disc

50GB / 7GB = 7,14something -> 8 discs

But the compression! - If they compress it (and inevitably reduce quality), they will most likely do it on both consoles, so no advantage for the 360. Having 50GB doesn't mean you don't compress stuff.
But we can install the common data on our HDD! - Yeah, you mabe can. What do the people without the HDD do? SE has to sell the game in a way that every SKU can play it.
I hope SE doesn't need 8 discs. Because A) swapping sucks, always, on any console, B) the production costs rise, C) if one disc breaks, you buy a new one - if discs number 4 and 7 break, you are F'ed and D) this would be one behemoth of a DVD case.

As a fan of FF, I'm glad the audience is bigger.
As somebody who has a PS3, I'm glad Sony has the exclusive where it sells most. View

Not as long as Kojima has something to say on that matter, I suppose. View

"if the reviews are great, "

People like you are the reason games that do something new and different are doomed to fail due to abysmal sales.
But hey, what am I awaiting? A fanboy thinking for himself? You keep your eyes on metascores (read: your e-penis), I enjoy the games. View

You don't honestly believe they can port the game and localize it for the US and Europe for the 360 IN THE SAME TIME they can just do the localization for the PS3 version? View

WRONG. The game will not be ported from PS3 to 360. It will be ported from the PC to the 360 - just like the PS3 version. As the SE guys stated, they create the game on the PC and, thanks to the White Engine, then port it from there to the consoles. EVERYTHING we saw yet was entirely made on PC and ran on PC. View

PS3 exclusive in Japan.
Timed PS3 exclusive in US and Europe.
As far as I understood them, that is. View

Too bad you fail so hard at the language your ancestors agreed on using in your country, which you get taught from the second you were born.
See, it's my second language and I'd go out on a limb and say my marks in english are way better than yours. You could at least try, you know? View

Comprehensive reading - are you capable of it? Read the what the SE guys said at the conference.

They make the game for the PS3 now.
They release it in Japan.
They start localization for the US and Europe. <- At this time, they will start WORKING ON THE 360 VERSION
They DON'T churn out both at the same time, i.e. sacrifice quality. View

Haha, bubble for you. Didn't laugh so hard in some time. View

Thanks for getting my mood back from the cellar. I hope they squeeze every last drop out of the PS3. View

TOO BAD AMERICAN DONT SPELL GOOD

Dude, learn some grammar. It's not that hard. View

Yeah, like they should. View

LOL

So first they copy the Miis, then you have to pay for them? Nice. View

Thank god, they won't gimp it because they have to churn out both versions at once. Now all they have to do is research how they can make the 360 version as good as the (then) original. View

I hereby invite you to go and tell that to the few million Core owners. View

If SE doesn't announce a FFVII remake (exclusive... I hope) or KH3, Sony just got raped. Big time. View

Okay, I sh't my pants. FFXIII multiplat.
Now, I'm not angry because people with a 360 can play it. I am angry, because Sony f'cks up big time. Seriously, how important was that one game? How many people said they will buy a PS3 because of this?
If they don't announce something big (and I mean BIGGER than what just happened, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE), they are screwed.

To all the 360 owners: Welcome to the game, I hope we can all enjoy it, not as PS3 owners, not as 360 owners, but as people who play FFXIII.
To Sony: You are now officially the most stupid corporation I know. You guys own F'in shares of SE. How could you drop that ball? I can't believe it. View

Sony is now officially the most stupid of the Big Three.
Now excuse me while I go search for my jaw. View