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The Mog Log: A year that wasn't

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Launches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

So it's been a year since the release of Final Fantasy XIV. Well, all right, that's a a bit debatable, what with the differing launch times for the collector's edition and the general retail edition, but for the purposes of this article and my own memory, I'm going to go ahead and focus on that one-year anniversary right now. I remember driving down to pick the game up a year ago on Thursday. That's close enough.

And there's a lot that's changed since the game was released. It's a well-known fact that I liked the game even in its initial state, but it had some pretty major issues and some points of lacking implementation. And it doesn't feel like we're a year out from launch as a result of all the things that the game has changed since launch, with each patch bringing not just new content but major overhauls to the existing game. So was there even a point to launching the game right then, considering both the reception and the fact that we're still without a subscription charge?

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The Mog Log: A year that wasn't originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XI may be ported to PlayStation Vita

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, MMO industry, Consoles

It's not definite yet, but signs are pointing to a possible port of Final Fantasy XI over to the recently announced PlayStation Vita in the indeterminable future.

Siliconera reports that Square Enix is mulling over a basic port of the aging title to the beefed-up portable platform. While the plans are not definite at this point, it's an intriguing concept especially when you consider Vita's Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities.

Hiromichi Tanaka, former lead designer for Final Fantasy XI and producer for Final Fantasy XIV, says that while a Vita port is a possibility, the difficulties of working with the PlayStation 3 mean that a version on that console doesn't look likely (the PS3 version of XIV is still in limbo).

Final Fantasy XI recently received a dollop of quality-of-life improvements in the July update.

Final Fantasy XI may be ported to PlayStation Vita originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Until we run out of road

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, Consoles, The Mog Log

One of the uniquely fun parts about writing a column on Thursday is that every so often, Square-Enix decides that it wants to completely ruin my day. Case in point: I had an entire column written about the complete dearth of information that we'd been given of late about Final Fantasy XI, the writing of which was immediately followed by Friday's announcement of the road ahead for the game over the next twelve months.

So that was awesome. OK, it's a legitimately pretty awesome piece of news, but I can't help but wish that the team had waited until Monday or something.

My own griping aside, we now have a clear picture about what's waiting in the wings for Final Fantasy XI. And it's good, but that positivity has some caveats, and there are some issues that aren't getting addressed despite all of the news. I think the current team really "gets it" in a way that Tanaka never quite did, but I think there are also elements that are just so ingrained in the game and its development culture that some fixes we need are being pushed off or ignored.

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The Mog Log: Until we run out of road originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: The fall of the ivory tower

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Patches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

No, I'm not talking about Delkfutt's Tower. That's cermet, not ivory, and by all indication it's still standing just fine. No, I'm looking at the ivory tower that any Final Fantasy XI fan is familiar with, that high and imposing structure from whence developers hand down their proclamations, nevermind whether said proclamations have any relation to things people would actually want.

Considering that Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV have both been seeing a lot of new and open communication from the development team, it's safe to say that those days are over. Whether or not you like the content of the updates is... actually pertinent, now. The developers seem to be listening to us in a way that we're just not accustomed to. I mean, seriously, show of hands, who expected the removal of Fields of Valor cooldowns?

It's a big change. And it makes me hopeful about both games, because in light of the leadership shakeups, it looks as if the new development direction is something I can really get behind. I might have a few reservations here and there, but last week's news leaves me excited.

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The Mog Log: The fall of the ivory tower originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: The year that was

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Culture, Expansions, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

Last year around this time, people were saying that 2009 had been a terrible year and 2010 could only be an improvement. This year, people are saying the exact same thing. Maybe those of us in the MMO-sphere are just perpetual downers -- I don't know. It's certainly been a pretty significant year for players of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV -- heck, it's been outright impossible for a Final Fantasy XIV player to exist before now, if you want to get hung up on pedantry.

Whether or not you enjoyed the launch, of course, is another story altogether, one that Square-Enix itself doesn't seem to have closed the book on just yet. And over in Final Fantasy XI, we got an announcement that had been about seven years in the making, not to mention a plethora of new additions to the game -- some stunning, some lackluster. So let's take a look back at the year for both games, since the new one is starting right about, well, now. (OK, it's been started for a few hours, you get the idea.)

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The Mog Log: The year that was originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Eleventh-hour changing of the guard

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

When I woke up on Friday, I was greeted by a message from Square-Enix, and that alone was enough to make me start wondering what in the world was going on now. As a direct result of that message, the gist of which can be gotten here if you've somehow missed it, I'm going to have to postpone the column I had previously written on Final Fantasy XI and Abyssea. I apologize, but I'm hoping the column will work out like a fine wine and just be better with age. Then again, considering that Final Fantasy XI is sharing the same management bug as Final Fantasy XIV, perhaps not.

And yes, wow, that was a big one. Tanaka dethroned, a new development team installed, and a whole lot of uncertainty about what this means for the future of Final Fantasy XIV. It could be a step forward, it could be a step backward, and unfortunately the official statements can be read in a multitude of different ways. Oh, right, and the free trial is being further extended until the development team can confidently outline a plan regarding the game's new direction... but what direction is that actually going to be?

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The Mog Log: Eleventh-hour changing of the guard originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix staff restructuring, seeking "new direction" for Final Fantasy XIV [Updated]

Rubi Bayer — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Final Fantasy XIV

Square Enix dropped a bomb on its fanbase early this morning with an announcement of a staff restructuring, a plan for a completely new direction for Final Fantasy XIV, and a delay of the PlayStation 3 version of the game.

Producer Hiromichi Tanaka has stepped down, leaving behind an apology to fans for the "inability to fully satisfy users with the initial release of Final Fantasy XIV." Taking his place as Producer/Director is Naoki Yoshida. While this change received the most attention in the announcement, there are nine other managerial changes taking place to create an entirely new core team for FFXIV.

What will this team be working on? President and CEO Yoichi Wada says that there will be a new direction for the game: "we ask our customers to be patient until we are able to confidently present them with a concrete plan outlining Final Fantasy XIV's new direction. The free trial period will be extended until that time."

While the extended free trial is nice for fans, those anticipating the PlayStation 3 release are going to have to wait a bit longer: "Regarding the PlayStation 3, it is not our wish to release a simple conversion of the Windows version in its current state, but rather an update that includes all the improvements we have planned. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of the PlayStation 3 version beyond the originally announced date of March 2011."

[Update: Seems something similar is happening to the FFXI team as well.]

Square Enix staff restructuring, seeking "new direction" for Final Fantasy XIV [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hiromichi Tanaka interview discusses the Final Fantasy online installments

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Interviews, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

There's a lot of material coming up for Final Fantasy XIV. So much, in fact, that according to Hiromichi Tanaka, the game has plans that stretch out for as far off as next winter. When we last took a look at the interview, it had only been translated up through the first section, but the two additional sections include further information on the future of the new game as well as Final Fantasy XI.

Final Fantasy XI is slated for more high-level content with the climbing level cap, as much of the existing endgame content was balanced around players at the previous cap of 75. Final Fantasy XIV, on the other hand, was designed in many ways to break away from some of the conventions that its predecessor had in place, while at the same time retaining some of the elements that Tanaka believed were particular strengths. Take a look at the full interview for a rundown of what's in store for both games in the near future.

Hiromichi Tanaka interview discusses the Final Fantasy online installments originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV moves forward with exploit patches and companies

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, Launches, New titles, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

The general release of Final Fantasy XIV is three days away, but the collector's edition has been out for nearly a week. As a result, early players have had the chance to start taking part in that most celebrated of ceremonies -- finding whatever exploits the programmers didn't catch and using them. The most recent exploits are at least team-oriented, as they seem to involve casting beneficial spells during a guildleve; regardless, the issues are being fixed as fast as they arrive.

FFXIVCore has also translated a recent interview with Hiromichi Tanaka in which the game's producer discusses both his role in the history of the series as well as what prior lessons impacted the armoury system in Final Fantasy XIV. As he put it, one of the reasons for the flexibility was to allow players to choose their ability loadouts based on the situation, unlike the fairly fixed roles within Final Fantasy XI. The full interview also drops some hints about the as-yet-unseen company system, something which will be implemented in a patch after the full retail launch on Thursday.

Final Fantasy XIV moves forward with exploit patches and companies originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Persistent issues and Final Fantasy XIV

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Interviews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

There are certain recurring complaints heard about Final Fantasy XIV's beta, especially with players freely able to share their experiences. The fact that guildleves are on a 48-hour timer and the lack of easy and efficient mana regeneration are two of the more persistent ones, and a recent interview with Hiromichi Tanaka at Gamescom address just those complaints among others. But it's not all roses and sunshine -- if you're one of the testers hoping for the guildleve timer to be reduced, you're flat out of luck.

Tanaka makes it clear that several of these issues are part of the intended design -- guildleves, for instance, are doable solo or in groups, but they aren't meant to just be burned through solo each time they're up. As a result, the team is looking into how to give better incentives to group up and share guildleves. MP regeneration is meant to be difficult, and spells are supposed to be a choice of using up limited resources. There are several interesting answers in the interview, but not every Final Fantasy XIV player will be happy with the content of those answers

Persistent issues and Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Interviews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Hiromichi Tanaka has been making the rounds of late -- while we had our own chance to interview him during E3, he's been giving several different interviews on a multitude of topics as Final Fantasy XIV nears its launch date. The most recent translated interview from JeuxVideo has Tanaka talking in brief about the upcoming game, but also about his own play experiences. Among the more quotable parts of the interview is a simple statement: Square-Enix isn't trying to compete with World of Warcraft, but to draw in players who might not have looked at the genre before.

As Tanaka puts it, the game is designed to be accessible to fans of the long-running franchise who may never have considered playing something multiplayer. He also stresses the emphasis on allowing players to use their time in the game as effectively as possible, citing the Guildleves and the Armory system as two examples wherein players can maximize the useful time spent in-game. Lastly, when asked about other games he's enjoyed, he somewhat happily admits that he's been too focused on developing Final Fantasy XIV to enjoy much since Final Fantasy XI. The full translation is transcribed here, with the embedded video in French (if you happen to be fluent).

Final Fantasy XIV's Hiromichi Tanaka on the goals of the game originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No microtransactions in Final Fantasy XIV, but many beta screenshots

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

There are plenty of contentious issues in the MMO field, but one of the biggest at the moment is microtransactions. Controversy over the C-Store, the $25 "sparkle pony" and subsequent imitators, and the general balance in the burgeoning free-to-play field have made the players of nearly every game form an opinion. But those who detest the practice can take heart -- according to Hiromichi Tanaka, Final Fantasy XIV will not be including any sort of in-game store. That's from a recent interview from JPgames.de, translated by the FFXIVCore fansite community.

According to Tanaka, Square-Enix isn't necessarily opposed to the idea if the demand is present, but absolutely does not want in-game power to correspond to real-world money. He also confirmed that players will be allowed to pick their server at launch, unlike the server roulette present at Final Fantasy XI's launch. If the interview isn't enough to tide you over, the game's beta has been given a brief writeup from Famitsu (translated from the Japanese), and there's an excellent gallery of screenshots available here. There are just over two months until the launch of Final Fantasy XIV, and they look to be an exciting ride.

No microtransactions in Final Fantasy XIV, but many beta screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV not due for the Xbox 360 according to Hiromichi Tanaka

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XI isn't just one of the only console MMOs in existence, it's also the most successful of the lot, due in part to the wide spread of available platforms. Since the game has long been playable on the Xbox, there were several Final Fantasy XIV fans (or Xbox 360 owners) hoping it would eventually come out on that console as well. But it's not happening, and according to a recently translated interview from 4players.de, the reason rests squarely with Microsoft.

When asked in an interview why Final Fantasy XIV wasn't appearing on Microsoft's console, Hiromichi Tanaka explained that Microsoft was unwilling to work with Square-Enix to deal with the Xbox Live setup. As he put it, it seemed the company made a one-time exception with Final Fantasy XI to get the console in people's minds as an online platform, but now that it's established the gates are closed. There are currently no plans to adapt the game for the console, but it will still be coming out for the PC in late September, with a Playstation 3 release due at some point after that. Check the interview here (if you can read German), and the translated highlights can be found here.

Final Fantasy XIV not due for the Xbox 360 according to Hiromichi Tanaka originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanaka details FFXIV beta phases

Jef Reahard — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

French fansite JeuxOnline brings us word on the beta phases for Square Enix's highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG. During an interview with FFXIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka, a few details about the game's Linkshell and Servant systems made their way to the surface, as well as information about beta phases prior to the projected September 30 launch.

"In fact, we will have several phases of beta testing. In the first phase, we have a version that will incorporate feedback from our alpha testers [that] will hopefully [be] available this week. At first, it will resemble the alpha test phase, in the sense that each test session [will] last four hours. Then, hopefully by early August, we will open the [third] beta test phase which will remain operational until the game launches," Tanaka said.

He goes on to note that the third beta phase will be closed, and that while Square Enix may host another short beta phase just prior to release, it is not yet ready to guarantee that said beta will be an open one. Check out the original interview (in French), or view the English translation.

Tanaka details FFXIV beta phases originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2010: Hands on with Final Fantasy XIV

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Final Fantasy XIV

I only have two words after playing Final Fantasy XIV. CRAB BATTLE!

Ok, so perhaps I have more than two words to say after playing Final Fantasy XIV and interviewing the game's producer, Hiromichi Tanaka. I was finally able to wrap my mitts around the game here at E3 2010 and experience the meat of the game -- a short preview of the game's combat system and questing system and some time with the game's character creator.

Final Fantasy XIV seems to be bridging elements of the old with elements of the new, and it's wrapping it all in a very gorgeous graphics engine. It's complicated without complication, simple on the surface yet teeming with a deeper game if you know where to look.

Gallery: E3 2010: Final Fantasy XIV

Continue reading E3 2010: Hands on with Final Fantasy XIV

E3 2010: Hands on with Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3 2010: Our exclusive interview with Final Fantasy XIV executive producer Hiromichi Tanaka

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

In the world of Final Fantasy XIV, Hiromichi Tanaka is kind of a big deal. In fact, he's kind of a big deal in the franchise's history as a whole, having worked on the design for several games and having been the lead developer on Final Fantasy XI. It seems fitting that one of the designers from the original game 23 years ago is now hard at work crafting the newest installment of the series -- one that promises to be many things to many players while retaining the core features that have captivated fans for years.

Square-Enix have made a big push for their newest game at this year's E3, and we were lucky enough to have a few minutes of Mr. Tanaka's time to ask him about the game as a whole. There's a lot more still to be learned about the game, but from what we've seen in both the interview and our hands-on experience, it already has quite a bit to offer.

Continue reading E3 2010: Our exclusive interview with Final Fantasy XIV executive producer Hiromichi Tanaka

E3 2010: Our exclusive interview with Final Fantasy XIV executive producer Hiromichi Tanaka originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Translated interviews offer more insight into Final Fantasy XIV's world and playstyle

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

We're just coming off of a holiday weekend here in the US, and Japan had their own recent stretch of holidays, so news on Final Fantasy XIV has been a little bit slower of late. But a recent group of interviews in the June 11th issue of Dengeki have been translated thanks to the team over at FFXIVCore, and they cover topics from materials of armor to the game's not-always-praised battle system. The first part of the interview talks testing and systems with Hiromichi Tanaka and Nobuai Komoto, while the second part discusses visuals and worldbuilding with planner Kenichi Iwao.

Tanaka and Komoto confirm that the next phase of testing is set to begin soon, as well as dropping the news that the next test will likely feature an almost totally redesigned battle system. It's even hinted that players were never meant to experience the current system, that it was there almost as a placeholder. By contrast, Iwao discusses the lore and visual aspects of the game, talking about how items will be made from different materials, and how players who want to play a male Mito'qe shouldn't give up hope just yet. All Final Fantasy XIV fans are encouraged to read both interviews, since there's a lot of information available in both -- just the thing for the post-holiday doldrums.

Translated interviews offer more insight into Final Fantasy XIV's world and playstyle originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV interview highlights breadth of feedback

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

While testing for Final Fantasy XIV has continued, the huge gush of news that we got at the beginning has slowed to more of a trickle. That's to be expected to an extent -- after all, we knew that not everything would be equally accessible from the start. Still, there are player questions about both the login issues plaguing the test and the necessary wonder about how much the developers are actually listening. A recently-translated Famitsu interview with Hiromichi Tanaka and Nobuaki Komoto goes into detail about the login issues as well as the feedback from various regions of testing.

The latter is pretty surprising, as Tanaka claims that there were roughly 50,000 reports submitted via Japanese testers compared to 250,000 by American testers -- despite both groups having the same number of players. Some of the reports are about new issues, but some of them also address elements the design team had misgivings about in the first place. They apparently underestimated the interest in testing as well, contributing to some of the login and stability problems. Take a look at the full interview for more looks at the development process of Final Fantasy XIV from behind the stage.

Final Fantasy XIV interview highlights breadth of feedback originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Become a Square-Enix member, win an autographed Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Contests, News items, Consoles

The game might be no spring chicken, but Final Fantasy XI is still an overall success, and has more than a few accomplishments under its belt. It's a successful MMORPG on a console, has its own fan convention, has eight years of history, and clearly has made enough an impact to have two subsequent Final Fantasy games with clear ties to it.

All that being said, though, it's possible that you may still not have played it, despite a variety of excellent deals available. If you fall under that header and want an excuse at checking it out in anticipation of Final Fantasy XIV, or if you're a longtime fan hoping for a unique piece of memorabilia, Square-Enix is giving away an excellent little incentive.

Register as a Square-Enix member by February 22nd, and you have a chance to win one of four copies of the Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection -- signed by the game's producer, Hiromichi Tanaka. Fans eagerly anticipating Final Fantasy XIV will likely recall that registering for the game's beta also required a member account, so this only further sweetens the deal. If the chance sounds appealing, it's well worth the few minutes it takes to register.

Become a Square-Enix member, win an autographed Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix: FFXI players may be able to keep their names in FFXIV

James Egan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Interviews, New titles, Final Fantasy XIV

Good news for Final Fantasy XI players looking to make the jump into Final Fantasy XIV in 2010 -- you may be able to keep your existing FFXI character names in the upcoming title. At least, you will if Square Enix Producer Hiromichi Tanaka has his way. Tanaka and FFXIV Producer Sage Sundi were interviewed by the PlayStation Blog's Chris Morell at GamesCom 2009, when they were asked if name transfers between the Final Fantasy MMOs will be possible.

Tanaka said, "It hasn't been confirmed yet, but we would like to give incentives to the players. First of all, FFXI has 32 worlds, and they may have the same name across different worlds [...]. However, when we have FFXIV, we still don't know how many worlds there's going to be yet, but players might have the same name if they all move to the same world, so there may be conflicts."

Square Enix's solution, if implemented, is to have a surname system where players can keep their original name but pair it with something else unique in a surname. While the ability to import character names into FFXIV isn't confirmed, it's still good news that Square Enix is considering offering this to their long-time fans in Final Fantasy XI.

[Via Joystiq]

Square Enix: FFXI players may be able to keep their names in FFXIV originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV release for 360 hindered by Xbox Live

James Egan — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

When Final Fantasy XIV was announced by Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Jack Tretton at E3 2009, it was met with no small amount of elation from the crowd. But when he stated that it was a PlayStation 3 exclusive, this no doubt withered the hearts of Final Fantasy XI players the world over who play it on the Xbox. Fortunately, that statement wasn't quite the truth. Square Enix was quick to clarify that Final Fantasy XIV on console is not exclusive to PlayStation 3, just that it will be at launch. While FFXIV will be available for PS3 and PC in the beginning, there is a 360 version in the works as well.

VG247 caught up with Final Fantasy XIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka at GamesCom, who gave an update on FFXIV on the Xbox 360. Tanaka explained some of the hurdles involved with bringing their upcoming title to Microsoft's darling of the console world. He said,"... for FFXIV, because 360 has its own policy with Xbox Live that is different from [the] internet, that's something we're in discussions with Microsoft [about], to come to an agreement. That's one of the reasons it's not going to be launched at that point."

Continue reading Final Fantasy XIV release for 360 hindered by Xbox Live

Final Fantasy XIV release for 360 hindered by Xbox Live originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No love for Final Fantasy XI on PS3

James Egan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry

Square Enix's MMO title Final Fantasy XI has been popular on PlayStation 2 for years, but despite its availability for Xbox 360 and PC, it seems FFXI won't be making an appearance on the PS3 anytime soon. While some of the older PS3 models boasted PlayStation 2 emulation, moving forward gamers purchasing the PlayStation 3 won't enjoy this backwards compatibility.

Given this limitation, and the simple fact that many gamers are leaving the PS2 behind as they look ahead, why hasn't Final Fantasy XI migrated to the PS3? You'd envision this being the logical next step for the title, particularly given the new breed of console-based MMOs coming to PS3 -- namely, superhero MMO DC Universe Online, spy-centric The Agency, and of course Free Realms. As it turns out, Square Enix did intend to move up to the PS3, according to a recent report from Kris Pigna over at 1UP.

Continue reading No love for Final Fantasy XI on PS3

No love for Final Fantasy XI on PS3 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO

Kyle Horner — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Final Fantasy XI, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

This recent interview with the Final Fantasy XI team by James "Milkman' Mielky of 1up.com internet fame got me thinking about the next MMO to come from the Square Enix camp. There isn't much meat on them bones as far as the next project goes, but the interview does get the team to talk just a little bit about it. It seems as though one thing is clear: Their newest MMO won't be too similar to Final Fantasy XI. While the developer says that they've learned through mistakes and player response with their original game, it seems that they really want to try something different.

I'd be decidedly surprised if Square Enix didn't make a new MMO somehow based in the Final Fantasy universe considering the popularity of the franchise. It's very possible that when FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka said, "-we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI" He merely meant that mechanically speaking the new game would be very different. Which quite honestly should be a given considering the somewhat esoteric and now archaic control/menu system featured in their first game. Also, it would be nice to play a Final Fantasy MMO that wasn't so harsh on players who died -- losing experience is a deal-breaker for many players these days.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO

The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix's next MMO may not be Final Fantasy related

William Dobson — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Final Fantasy XI, New titles, News items, Virtual World

In a recent discussion with Gamasutra at the Final Fantasy XI Fanfest, the developers behind FFXI confirmed that they are still working on a new MMO, but revealed that it might not be a part of the Final Fantasy series -- and then again, it might be. Producer of FFXI and Square Enix vice president Hiromichi Tanaka said that the new game could either be part of the FF series, a sequel to an existing FF game, or something entirely new.

The Gamasutra interview also includes comments from the dev team about World of Warcraft and how they feel it has impacted their game. Their answer? Not much. They note that FFXI was at its peak in subscribers close to WoW's launch, and there was no notable drop in numbers after the soon-to-be industry giant was released.

Square Enix's next MMO may not be Final Fantasy related originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XI Fan Fest live: devs speak out on Wings of the Goddess

Jason Dobson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Events, real-world, Expansions, Interviews, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage

It's odd to think that any one game could inspire players from all walks of life to set aside two days and flock to one location in celebration, but MMORPGs are unique in that they are as much instruments for social networking as they are video games. Because of this, perhaps it isn't all that surprising to see such fantastic devotion as we've seen here at Final Fantasy Fan Festival (say that five times fast), Square Enix's annual party celebrating all things Final Fantasy XI.

The event, limited to just 1500 attendees, also doubles as a launch party of sorts for the MMO's latest expansion, Wings of the Goddess, which ships on November 20. Goddess adds a number of interesting changes to the existing formula, including two new jobs - Dancer and Scholar - as well as takes the setting back in time to let players take part in, and possibly change the events that helped shape the history of Vana'diel. To find out more about this game, as well as the other changes Square Enix has in store for the MMO, we went straight to the horse's mouth, and joined a handful of other journalists in a private interview session with the game's development team, including Hiromichi Tanaka, Akihiko Matsui, Mitsutoshi Gondai, Kouichi Ogawa, Kenichi Iwao, and Sage Sundi.

Gallery: Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival 2007

Continue reading Final Fantasy XI Fan Fest live: devs speak out on Wings of the Goddess

Final Fantasy XI Fan Fest live: devs speak out on Wings of the Goddess originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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