Editing Final Fantasy VII (section)

===PC version===
A version for PC was developed by Square's Costa Mesa offices. Square invested in a PC version to reach as wide a player base as possible; many Western consumers did not own a PlayStation, and Square's deal with Sony did not prohibit such a port. Having never released a title for PC, Square decided to treat the port as a sales experiment. The port was handled by a team of 15 to 20 people, mostly from Costa Mesa but with help from Tokyo.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> Square did not begin the port until the console version was finished.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/1999/10/02/final-fantasy-viii-interview|title=Final Fantasy VIII Interview|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=October 2, 1999|accessdate=January 14, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114212639/http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/02/final-fantasy-viii-interview|archivedate=January 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The team needed to rewrite an estimated 80% of the game's code, due to the need to unify what had been a custom build for a console written by multiple staff members. Consequently, programmers faced problems such as having to unify the original PlayStation version's five different game engines, leading to delays.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The PC version came with a license for [[Yamaha Corporation]]'s [[software synthesizer]] S-YXG70, allowing high-quality [[sequenced music]] despite varying sound hardware setups on different user computers. The conversion of the nearly 100 original musical pieces to [[Yamaha XG|XG format]] files was done by Yamaha.<ref name="yamahaxg"/>

To maximize their chances of success, Square searched for a Western company to assist with releasing the PC version. [[Eidos Interactive]], whose release of ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' had turned them into a publishing giant, agreed to market and publish the port.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The port was announced in December 1997, along with Eidos' exclusivity deal for North America and Europe at the time,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csoon.com/issue30/p_eidos1.htm|title=Eidos Interactive Acquires Exclusive PC Rights to Epic Role-Playing Game Final Fantasy VII|work=Coming Soon Magazine|date=December 5, 1997|accessdate=January 14, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210225444/http://www.csoon.com/issue30/p_eidos1.htm|archivedate=December 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> though the port was rumored to happen as early as December 1996, prior to the PlayStation version's release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1996-12-16.html|title=Final Fantasy VII Coming to the PC|author=Staff|website=[[PC Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|date=December 20, 1996|accessdate=November 27, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980218070905/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1996-12-16.html|archivedate=February 18, 1998|url-status=dead}}</ref> To help the product stand out in stores, Eidos chose a trapezoidal shape for the cover and box. They agreed on a contract price of $1.8 million, making initial sales forecasts of 100,000 units based on that outlay.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The PC version was released in North America and Europe on June 25, 1998; the port was not released in Japan.<ref name="yamahaxg">{{cite web|url=http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/news/98042102.html |title=Yamaha Corporation licenses its XG Soft Synthesizer to Square Soft |date=April 21, 1998 |publisher=Yamaha Corporation |accessdate=May 24, 2010 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080202054141/http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/news/98042102.html |archivedate = February 2, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Within one month, sales of the port exceeded the initial forecasts.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The PC version would end up providing the source code for subsequent ports.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/>