Final Fantasy XIII took gamers on a ride. Not only did the game hit its stride after 25 hours of play, but it delivered the additional quests and content that we have come to expect from a Final Fantasy game.

Originally there were plans to add more content to the game by way of DLC but, unfortunately, those plans have been scrapped.

In an interview with Famitsu magazine, director Motomu Toriyama said:

"We were planning to make some DLC, but that plan wound up not happening.”

While this comes as no surprise considering the massive amount of projects (including Final Fantasy XIV) that Square Enix has on their plate, there is a silver lining for Xbox 360 owners in Japan.

After the release of the slim Xbox 360 console, the developer finally saw fit to take FFXIII off the Japanese PS3 exclusivity list. Not only do Japanese Xbox owners get their chance to play through the game, they are getting an International Edition.

This edition of the game comes with English voices, options for many different subtitle languages, and a new Easy mode that, along with making the game more approachable, increases the item drop rate. The International Edition also features Leona Lewis’ “My Hands” as the game’s theme song.

Outside of in-game content, the International Edition comes packaged with a booklet of concept art, a look at deleted scenes, and a novella that takes place after the events of Final Fantasy XIII. Don't forget that, unlike the PS3 version, the Xbox edition of FFXIII will once again come stretched across 3 discs.

This sounds to me like there are going to be some very unhappy Japanese PS3 owners. Not only is their once exclusive game being offered to the other team, but it is being offered with items not included in the PS3's retail version. Though this isn’t enough to cause Square Enix fans to riot, it is still a bit of a slap in the face. Square Enix had better pick up some flowers on the way home tonight.

How do you feel about this decision to scrap DLC for Final Fantasy? Any Japanese Ranters out there excited to pick up the International Edition of FFXIII for their 360s? Let us know in the comments below.

Final Fantasy XIII releases for the Japanese Xbox 360 on December 16th.

Source: 1up