[PC/PS3] Final Fantasy XIV Online - A Realm Reborn this Winter

[mytocles]

Well, I'm a sucker... I believe I've got that first foot down the rabbit hole already.  Luckily, I'm console only, so that gives me another half year to experience "life before FFXIV."

Actually, now I think of it - I'd probably still be playing FFXI if they had fixed some of the problems in that game.  Those weren't game play or control issues mostly, but there were some areas with horrible, nausea-inducing lag, and plenty of un-caught cheaters who found ways to screw the economy (and therefore everyone else.)  We'll have to see how well they manage the changes in FFXIV, but... I sense a change in my thinking.   

[rshetts2]

As I viewed your post dear Mytocles an image came to me... 
of lemmings leaping off a cliff plummeting into the sea.   

[mytocles]

As I viewed your post dear Mytocles an image came to me... 
of lemmings leaping off a cliff plummeting into the sea.   

Oh, no - you have it entirely wrong!  The cliff would be a rabbit hole... and the lemmings would be chocobos.   

[Azhag]

Mytocles, you start playing? Any impressions from your POV?

[mytocles]

Mytocles, you start playing? Any impressions from your POV?

Alas, Az, I have a pretty basic laptop, so I'm almost entirely a console/ handheld player.  I'll be reading everyone else's impressions for quite awhile before I get a chance to play... which is probably a Good Thing.  And my love-hate relationship with Squeenix only tells me that I will be Day One with it on the PS3 - or I'll force myself to wait, praying that the console version is really, really bad.   

[Gratch]

In case there were any lingering doubts as to the utter disaster FF XIV has been, check out this e-mail I got this morning from Squeenix:

Thank you for your continued interest in and support of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

While more than two months have passed since the official launch of FINAL FANTASY XIV service, we deeply regret that the game has yet to achieve the level of enjoyability that FINAL FANTASY fans have come to expect from the franchise, and for this we offer our sincerest of apologies.

After thorough deliberation on how to meet those expectations, it was decided that the most viable step was to approach improvements under new leadership and with a restructured team.

To realize this vision, and in doing so, provide our customers with a better game experience, we have assembled our company’s top talent and resources. Taking over the role of producer and director is Naoki Yoshida, a passionate individual for whom customer satisfaction has always taken top priority. Not only is he one of our Group’s most accomplished and experienced members, Naoki Yoshida is also a charismatic leader possessing the skill to bring together and effectively helm a team which encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. We also welcome several new leaders handpicked from other projects to work with the existing talent on FINAL FANTASY XIV.

We realize time is of the essence and are fully determined to provide our customers with quality service. It is because of this that 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.

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.

The FINAL FANTASY XIV team is working hard to bring our customers an unparalleled adventure, and we ask for your continued understanding and support as we march ever diligently towards that goal.

President and CEO, Yoichi Wada

So they basically sacked the whole team and are starting over because the game is such a clusterf*ck.  Wow.     The e-mail goes on to include an apology of sorts from the now-sacked director, Hiromichi Tanaka:

First of all, I would like to apologize for our inability to fully satisfy our users with the initial release of FINAL FANTASY XIV. I take full responsibility for the game’s current situation, and have therefore made the decision to step down from my role as producer. A number of concerns that have been voiced by users, such as the design of the user interface, availability of tutorials and game content, and battle system functionality, represent key issues that must be addressed. While improvements are already well underway in many areas, we were unfortunately not able to incorporate player feedback as quickly as we would have liked. We are aware, however, that in many cases, addressing these issues will call for a reworking of game elements. As these changes are our first priority, they will be commanding our full attention and efforts. It is to that end that we have put a new organizational structure into place for the development team. Under this new system, FINAL FANTASY XIV will see changes and additions in line with the desires and expectations of players. Though no longer producer, I will be continuing to support the development team in other capacities, and personally hope that you will continue your adventures in the realm of Eorzea.

And there's this little gem:

[Extension of the Free Trial Period]
As stated above, the newly restructured team’s top priority is to bring about improvements to the game’s enjoyability, and therefore we have decided to extend the free trial period until we can provide a plan that outlines a level of enjoyment that will satisfy both us and our customers. When we are confident that we have reached that goal, we will notify our customers immediately.

Translated:  This game sucks ass, and until we figure out how to fix it, you can play it for free.  Unreal.

[Scraper]

From everything that I read it seems like Square learned absolutely nothing from FF11. I'm still pissed that they gave both these MMOs an official FF number instead of calling it FF Online or something like that. I own every numbered FF game except 11 and 14 and it will stay that way.

[Gratch]

I still think FF XIV has a decent game buried underneath head-scratching design decisions and layers of unexplainable (and completely unnecessary) complexity.  I'll probably be going back to it in 6 months or so to see if/how it has improved.

[MaxSteele]

I still think FF XIV has a decent game buried underneath head-scratching design decisions and layers of unexplainable (and completely unnecessary) complexity.  I'll probably be going back to it in 6 months or so to see if/how it has improved.

I'm not so sure it'll be around in 6 months....

[Jumangi]

I wouldn't play this "game" even if they gave $15 to do so...seriously. This game is a total train wreck.

[Zarkon]

Out of curiosity, anyone have an unused buddy key?

[Gratch]

I might Zark.  If so, I'll send it your way.

[Zarkon]

Thanks

[Gratch]

If I have one, I'll be damned if I know where to find it.  I have a retail copy of the game, but there's nothing in there.  I reactivated my Online Square account, but couldn't see anything there either. 

Sorry dude.

[Zarkon]

I believe they may only be with CEs.

[konki]

Out of curiosity, anyone have an unused buddy key?

I have one if you still need it, it entitles you to the full game so if you end up not liking it pass it on to someone who can make use of it.  Let me know..

[mytocles]

Out of curiosity, anyone have an unused buddy key?

I have one if you still need it, it entitles you to the full game so if you end up not liking it pass it on to someone who can make use of it.  Let me know..

Heya, Konki!  I just answered your PM, including telling you a bit about FFXIV... I guess you knew that part already!

 

[CeeKay]

don't know if anyone is still playing this or FFXI, but due to the quake the servers will be down for at least a week: http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/news/detail?newsId=5dff88cfd260fd4cbe729ae70550163846399ef0

[CeeKay]

the servers will be back on the 25th.

[CeeKay]

saw this on Gamasutra and I kinda LOL'd: so far they have not ended the free period new subscribers get.

[Gryndyl]

And there's this: http://furiousfanboys.com/2011/03/final-fantasy-xiv-is-dead/

In a nutshell, as of early March the game only had 17,000 unique players playing.

[ericb]

And there's this: http://furiousfanboys.com/2011/03/final-fantasy-xiv-is-dead/

In a nutshell, as of early March the game only had 17,000 unique players playing.

Ouch.  I wonder if they kept anybody from the original dev team after this fiasco.  Talk about cracking open and scrambling your golden egg.

[Harkonis]

serves em right.  most horrible mmo management ever (if it's the same people as FFXI anyway)

[Destructor]

Note that reading the page (via horrible Google translation), shows that on 1/31/2011, he figured out his server's population, and used that number against how many players Squenix reported across all servers 3 months before that to get a current guess as to how many people were playing then.

In short - his server had X players playing on all servers (broken down by server) sometime in November according to Squenix. 3 months later, he did his own count of his server over a 24 hour period, and then used that ratio to guess how many players were playing on all servers.

Yes, it's a LOT of guesswork and just outright estimating, but even if it's remotely close to being true, talk about a dead MMO.

EDIT: Actually, reading further, he's been tracking numbers across a number of weeks.

[Azhag]

Have the updates since launch siginificantly improved it at all?

[Sparhawk]

Have the updates since launch siginificantly improved it at all?

No.

[Gratch]

Have the updates since launch siginificantly improved it at all?

Yes, but not to the point that I would give it any sort of recommendation.  It's far better than it was at launch, but is still a complete mess.

[metallicorphan]

check here for further future improvements
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/11012

[Scraper]

Is anyone playing this game right now? If so has it improved at all with almost an extra year under its belt? Not that I am going to play it, I'm mostly just curious.

[metallicorphan]

anyone still interested in the PS3 version?

closed beta is set for Final Fantasy 14 Online Version 2.0....late 2012 

the game is not planned for the PS3 until 2013

FF14 PS3 still alive

Square Enix has re-announced the PlayStation 3 version of MMO Final Fantasy 14.

It plans to integrate the "current service" and the PS3 version into an "all-new" FF14, called Final Fantasy 14 Online Version 2.0, between October and December 2012.

During this "reboot phase" the Japanese publisher will offer a second free trial, as well as a closed beta test for the PS3 version.

The PlayStation 3 version isn't expected to launch until January 2013 or beyond.

and then there is this as well

Meanwhile, Square Enix announced it will begin charging players to play the PC version from next month.

The game has been free to play for a year following its disastrous launch.

Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada said he was aware the decision would upset fans, but described it as a "necessary step".

"With this, it is my hope that we will continue to receive your support as we will need to bring the unbilled period to a close between late November and early December 2011, and introduce our subscription-based billing system.

"I appreciate that this decision will not be popular, but it is a necessary step in building upon the foundation our fans and development team have made together and to realize the full potential of Final Fantasy 14.

"The team will stop short of nothing as they move towards realizing the new Final Fantasy 14, and as they do so, I humbly ask for both your understanding and support."

[faide]

So they are not quite done with all the changes , plus star wars is coming out next month and they want to start charging a monthly fee?

Good luck with that Square

[metallicorphan]

Square still in talks with Microsoft,and also under discussion for a PSVita version of FF14

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-20-ffxiv-on-vita-xbox-360-under-discussion

"We are continuing our talks with Microsoft, but then you think, maybe next year Microsoft might be announcing their next hardware, and so our decision is do we wait for that next hardware? So we're going to wait and see what's happening after we delivered what we've promised."

so,we could see the same thing that happened with Final Fantasy 11(which came out on the PS2,and was set for Xbox 1,but eventually came out for Xbox 360)

Yoshida added that the PlayStation Vita was also in its plans, as well as smartphone integration.

"Yes, currently this is all post-2.0, but because we're doing a reconstruction of our server system, in those plans, we're going to make sure that the servers can be accessed by outside devices such as smart phones," he explained.

"Not just the Vita, but also smart phones, so that kind of access will be allowed. What that will open the door to is things like applications that people can used to check their inventory, or check the market and purchase things from the auctions. Those are the things we are laying for in our server foundation, so we can be ready to implement those after 2.0.

[Azhag]

Anyone still play this? I'm downloading in the $8 amazon sale.

[metallicorphan]

GameInformer

Playstation 3 version 50% complete...beta this Winter

Update: A Square Enix representative offered this correction: "The game is planned for beta this winter and at around that time select PS3 players will have an opportunity to join the beta.  The game is set to launch sometime after beta. "

-----------------------------------

We haven't heard or seen much of Final Fantasy XIV for PlayStation 3 since it was first announced at E3 2009. Square Enix now promises we'll finally get a look at it this summer.

The PlayStation Blog posted a new interview with the game's director and producer Naoki Yoshida. Version 2.0 of Final Fantasy XIV is launching this winter on PC along with the PlayStation 3 version.

“Right now it’s optimized for PC. We’re about 50% into the development of the PS3 version, but it’s pretty much how it’s going to look on the console as well,” Yoshida said. “It uses the same new graphics engine we built just for this game. This summer we’ll have an opportunity to show the PS3 version.”

[Azhag]

I played it a while, but the game was just a bit too slow for me. Took too long to walk around the map, quests I got to were a bit repetitive. I like having more cutscenes and such than WoW, but I think the old republic does that better anywyas after playing that some.

[metallicorphan]

Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 will now be renamed as

Final Fantasy XIV:A Realm Reborn
Video in the Kotaku link

Square Enix has completely rebuilt Final Fantasy XIV in a project that has now been rebranded "A Realm Reborn," the publisher said today.

Previously called "Version 2.0," this will be the next incarnation of Square's massively multiplayer online game, which has been modified quite a bit since it first came out in 2010. Square Enix says they've rebuilt the whole game from the ground up.

People weren't happy with Final Fantasy XIV. This is Square Enix's attempt to remedy that.

"Since announcing our plans for the future of the title last October, we have been working tirelessly to include all of the elements that we have promised in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn," producer/director Naoki Yoshida said in a press release. "This new title not only becomes a symbol of a completely new Final Fantasy XIV, but also marks the beginning of a new stage as the latest title in the Final Fantasy series. I hope you're looking forward to it!"

Square also again committed to a PS3 release for the beleaguered title. Sony has said the PS3 version will coincide with the launch of A Realm Reborn this winter.

[faide]

Being a long time fan of both MMO's and Final Fantasy I'm curious to see how this turns out.  But that trailer is pretty awful.  CGI battles and a horrid voiceover.  Show me the game square

[CeeKay]

I wonder if the update will be free for current owners; if so I may grab a copy for cheap before it hits.

[Destructor]

I wonder if the update will be free for current owners; if so I may grab a copy for cheap before it hits.

I don't see how it couldn't be free - they completely changed the game around. It's not like there will be two 'versions' of FFXIV running on their servers.

[Scraper]

Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 will now be renamed as

Final Fantasy XIV:A Realm Reborn
Video in the Kotaku link

Square Enix has completely rebuilt Final Fantasy XIV in a project that has now been rebranded "A Realm Reborn," the publisher said today.

Previously called "Version 2.0," this will be the next incarnation of Square's massively multiplayer online game, which has been modified quite a bit since it first came out in 2010. Square Enix says they've rebuilt the whole game from the ground up.

People weren't happy with Final Fantasy XIV. This is Square Enix's attempt to remedy that.

"Since announcing our plans for the future of the title last October, we have been working tirelessly to include all of the elements that we have promised in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn," producer/director Naoki Yoshida said in a press release. "This new title not only becomes a symbol of a completely new Final Fantasy XIV, but also marks the beginning of a new stage as the latest title in the Final Fantasy series. I hope you're looking forward to it!"

Square also again committed to a PS3 release for the beleaguered title. Sony has said the PS3 version will coincide with the launch of A Realm Reborn this winter.

I think a better name would be Final Fantasy XIV: STICK A FORK IN IT.