Square Enix, Final Fantasy publisher, has just launched the Android and iOS mobile versions of Final Fantasy XIII for players in Japan which runs in the cloud and streams to a smartphone or even to a tablet. Streaming is done through G-Cluster servers and the game is free to play for the first 30 minutes. Likewise, playing the full title of the game would incur a charge of around $16.
The game is accessible through a tiny sub-20MB app and would require at least a 3MB Wi-Fi speed connection in order to be played. While some users had reported a little lag in playing the game, it's still considered as a huge step forward to be able to bring AAA console titles to mobile devices for those who are keen on playing while they are on the go.
In order to access the game's controls as they were initially designed for controllers of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, the game screen has to be filled with large touch targets. This way, the latter is expected to work with most buttons whenever they are available.
The $16 charge shouldn't cause much surprise as Square Enix had charged the same for other Final Fantasy gaming titles. The 30-minute game demo would give users enough time to determine if their Internet connection is fast enough to handle the stream.
Companies have been experimenting with cloud-based gaming in the past and Square Enix wanted to find out if they can be successful in an industry where others seemed to have failed. OnLive, considered as the biggest player in the industry, had reportedly shut down a few weeks ago.
While there are setbacks, a number of publishers maintain their push with game streaming just the same. One example is PlayStation Now which offers Sony owners gaming access to PS 2 and PS 3 titles that they can either rent or purchase or subscribed to on a monthly payment. The games, which include Final Fantasy XIII, are streamed from the cloud to certain Sony TVs, devices and PlayStation consoles.
Currently, Square Enix is said to be developing its own streaming program as well. The company is committed in bringing heavy AAA titles to mobile devices and has been trying to realize such commitment in the last few years.
For now, the Android and iOS mobile versions of Final Fantasy XIII will be available solely in Japan. There's no information yet on whether the game will also be available to users from other locations.
