Squeenix Still Squeezing: FFXI 2008 Edition
I've never been a fan of the Final Fantasy MMORPG, and I know there are plenty of bilious feelings toward the game to go around - but it does have a scrappy following that seems at least occasionally devoted, and as a fan of the franchise in general, I think that's sweet.
What isn't sweet, I believe, are the prospects of luring many new players into the world of Vana'diel - especially on the 360, where the install process is longer than the average duration of childbirth.
So what's especially chilling about the announce of Final Fantasy XI: 2008 Edition, slated for PC and Xbox 360 in PAL territories, is not that it includes all four expansion packs or attempts to entice new blood to the long-running MMO, but its title: I'm deathly afraid of seeing, one day, FFXI: 2021 Edition!
Read on for the official word.
PRESS RELEASE
FINAL FANTASY XI 2008 Edition Released In May
Includes Wings of the Goddess expansion
London (1st May 2008) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces the forthcoming release of FINAL FANTASY® XI 2008 Edition, available from 23rd May.
FINAL FANTASY XI takes you into the world of Vana'diel® during the aftermath of a great war, as you answer a desperate call to defend your people. In this first ever cross-platform massively multiplayer online game, you'll unite with other warriors as they save their world from utter destruction.
The brand-new 2008 Edition available for both Windows® and Xbox 360™ contains all four expansion packs, Rise of the Zilart™, Chains of Promathia™, Treasures of Aht Urghan™ and the latest expansion pack Wings of the Goddess™.
John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "The world of FINAL FANTASY XI continues to grow with both new content and new players. FINAL FANTASY XI 2008 Edition allows interested players to join the adventure with the bonus of all the expansion pack content. I hope many more players enjoy and experience the exciting world of Vana'diel and all that FINAL FANTASY XI has to offer."
About WINGS OF THE GODDESS
New Combat Features:
An all-new "Allied Campaign" system will allow players to take part in large-scale battles and explore new special dungeons
New Areas:
New settings further expand the vast world of Vana'diel
Mog House Guests:
Players will be able to invite their friends to their Mog Houses, showing their personalised furniture and special items. It is a new way to talk about past adventures and future plans in an entirely customised setting.
New Jobs: Dancer and Scholar
New Monsters
About FINAL FANTASY XI
FINAL FANTASY XI was originally released on May 2002. In October 2003 the title was released in North America and the European release followed in September 2004.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first MMORPG capable of simultaneous multiplayer action across three different platforms, allowing players worldwide to combine forces on Windows, PlayStation®2 (North America and Japan only) and Xbox 360.
FINAL FANTASY XI players from all over the world can unite in one gaming universe in a community of more than 500,000 players, and 1.7 million characters.
March 2007 saw the introduction of the French and German language versions of FINAL FANTASY XI creating an influx of new players. Those already playing will tell you this has added to a vibrant multi-cultural online community.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first ever MMORPG for Microsoft's Xbox 360.
For more information about FINAL FANTASY XI, please visit www.playonline.com.
About Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 80 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST which has sold over 43 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Located in London, Square Enix Ltd. handles operations in Europe and other PAL territories including sales, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com
CHAINS OF PROMATHIA, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, PLAYONLINE, RISE OF THE ZILART, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TREASURES OF AHT URHGAN, WINGS OF THE GODDESS and VANA'DIEL are registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United Kingdom and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Square Enix Limited is a company registered in England & Wales under the number 3679704 whose registered office is Castle House, 37-45 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LS.
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tiny dancer
Posted to Video Games on 1 May 2008
· Comments (12)
Other stuff like this: 2008 edition, final fantasy xi, pc, square enix, xbox 360
The only reason this one has kept going is because it's got FF attached to it, quite simply it is no better than RF Online or any other generic MMORPG, but rabblous followings get you all sorts of places.
If it didn't have FF plastered all over it it would have been dead 2 years, easily.
The only reason this one has kept going is because it's got FF attached to it, quite simply it is no better than RF Online or any other generic MMORPG, but rabblous followings get you all sorts of places.
If it didn't have FF plastered all over it it would have been dead 2 years, easily.
I believe they've been using the "year/edition" naming convention in Japan for a few years now.
... also funny because both the "Fall 2003" and "Spring 2004" strategy guides still fetch good money on eBay.
This is false, the game is the most unique among MMORPGS, and has loads of merits by itself, and the Final Fantasy Name isn't even considered when people play it.
On top of that the expansions have spell binding storylines that make you feel every emotion in the spectrum of emotions (Even Ultra Violent)
The only "Unique" factor is that you need 5 other people 100% of the time do do anything, even things as simple as, going to the next town.
I has no merits at all, even the crafting system is rubbish. Farm items for a chance for it to fail and break every single item that you farmed for?
Even the 2 points I mentioned here show this is for the proverbial "basement dwellers"
I know I'm probably biased, as I've been playing the game for years, but FFXI is one of the most unique MMOs I've ever played (and I've played quite a few).
I do have to mention though, that with the yearly editions they release, the discs are updated to cut out a large amount of time out of the (admittedly) long installation process.
I'm still impatiently waiting for either Einhander 200X Edition or Vagrant Story 200X Edition.
Bearfamily the aspects you've listed show your ignorance on the matter.
FFXI like religion and politics will divide people immediately. Being a fanboy I gravitated towards this back in 2003/2004. I quit because none of my close friends even wanted to touch it stating it was a "cutesy" game.
Glad it is still going strong. I miss my Taru Taru and Hume red mages.
I played FF XI for a month (for free), and although it had me hooked for that time, after the free trial period was over, I realized that I had accomplished nothing in the game, even though I played for dozens of hours. No big story reveals, no job changes, only crappy weapons, and my level was barely 20. I met some nice people, but then again, I also met this kid who asked me if I liked dirty underwear (I was playing a female character).
It made me go: why did I even bother? Well, at least now I can say as an avid FF-fanatic, that I've played this part of the series as well. ;D
But I'll steer away from MMORPGs from now on.
As a fan and ,at this point in time, casual player (Jordan, Bismarck, Taru Warrior) this isn't anything special. The new expansion has been fun and the game has been tweaked over the years so that smaller parties can get good xp.
I may get it since I don't have a copy for my 360 and while its nice using some of the PC only tweaks (TParty and IME for those who know what I'm talking abouut), the idea of playing on my big TV is almost too good to pass up.
I know it's a bit taboo to mention the end cycle of MMOs, but I'm excited to see what S-E has in store for their next MMO.
I think if you like MMOs, this one has a lot to offer - its definitely more story-based than any of its competitors (not too many cut-scenes in WoW). But its hard-core. You cannot Solo, so you need to be very guild-oriented. I got my Monk/Warrior up to lvl 30 and quit once it became too time-intensive. Got into WoW for a while then just decided that MMOs aren't for me.