Square-Enix Returns to Windows

For a brief run in the late 1990's, in case you somehow were not aware, Squaresoft partnered with Eidos to release a couple games for Windows 98. These two games, of course, were the two smash hits Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. Of course, back then it was pretty hard to future-proof games like those, so once Windows XP became the dominant OS in the Windows world, a lot of people gave up on making the games work and as such they've been largely relegated to the bin. Since then, Square-Enix has largely turned a blind eye to the platform; while FFIX, FFX, FFXII, and other games from the stable could have been ported to Windows such as the earlier games were, the only Squenix game that's made it to the desktop has been the MMO Final Fantasy XI and its expansions.

Backstory aside, all that is due to change as of the last week of March. That is the day that Square returns to the PC gaming world by releasing The Last Remnant for the Windows platform, first in retail stores in the EU, followed by the same in the US, followed by Japan on April 9. And, in case you don't feel like dragging yourself to the shops, don't fret - part of this return to Windows includes a release on Steam, also on April 9, marking the first time that these two titans of gaming will work together (though hopefully not the last).

What does this mean, exactly? Well, really, it might not mean that much in practice, but there could be several outcomes. First, of course, is that the game tanks or is severely buggy on Windows, driving down sales and ending this new digital distribution strategy before it gets off the ground. However, it could also with success be another hit against the Playstation 3, giving Square-Enix another Microsoft-backed gaming platform on which to release its games. Finally, let's not forget that Squenix actually owns Eidos now, which in theory would pave the way for a prepatched re-release of both of the previous Final Fantasy PC games, give a leg up in producing more ports of other games from the massive library of S-E games, or even lead to a Games for Windows version of Final Fantasy XIII. For those gamers like me who find a new Windows rig every couple years to be a far better investment than a gaming console, the hopes are high.

Sources:
CVG

Wikipedia

Valve/Steam