Final Fantasy XI U.S. Website Opens

Thanks to several readers for pointing out the official U.S. Final Fantasy XI website is now open for business, offering screenshots, details, and even a live 'webcam' of the Vana'Diel game world. There's also more details and screenshots on the Tetra Master card battle mini-game, which first appeared in Final Fantasy IX but is playable online in FFXI. This MMORPG title is currently in early US beta testing, and should be available for both Playstation 2 and PC in early 2004. For those curious, you can see some brief impressions of the FFXI Japanese release from GameFAQs reviewers.

Comments

I'll wait

[DaemonSD]

I think I will wait for World of Warcraft, although the job system seems well thought out.

Meh.

[bluemeep]

Can GameFAQs reviews really count for much? I find it hard to take them seriously when I see things like this:

Overall, as a graphic aficionado who NEVER plays games with poor graphics (this is why I NEVER play american games), i have to say graphically, FFXI matched my expectations and even surpassed it in some areas. --A report from Vana Diel

Maybe they're good for a 'man on the street' perspective, but I'd hardly let these sway me about any game.

Re:Meh.

[simoniker]

Heh :) Definitely not saying they're the best, but it actually seems to be quite difficult to find reviews of FFXI Japanese from an English-speaking reviewer, still - can anyone point out some good review links?

Re:Meh.

[executebusiness.com]

To me, graphix are second to gameplay. I'm just picky about that. I think that this looks like a nice MMORPG, but the Lejendary MMOPRG to me seems to be a better bet for an MMORPG, as Gary Gygax is involved in the project.

Re:Meh.

[illuvata]

hm, this one seems one of the better ones i found

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/134/134009p1.html

Re:Meh.

[dark_inchworm]

IMHO, in games, the tech should always take the backseat to the actual gameplay, not the other way around. If you want splendid video and audio, then go hunt down some technology tests on the web. Meh, indeed.

Re:Meh.

[PainKilleR-CE]

While most people hit on the graphics vs. gameplay angle, I'm just wondering what prison cell the guy lives in where American games never have better graphics than Japanese games. Maybe in a portion of the console market this is the case, but American game developers have tended to be further out on the bleeding edge of graphics in video games.

Then again, I guess if you're mostly looking at RPGs then American games tend to seem a slight bit behind the Japanese games, but I think even that has a lot to do with the differences in style rather than the graphics capabilities of the engines they build/use.

Re:Meh.

[megamouse]

I really liked the information provided in this article. Too bad there are flash ads underneath the text on some pages. Very difficult to read.

Re:Meh.

[illuvata]

if your running phoeninx, this plugin helps. if your not running phoenix, well, start :)

Looks _BAD_

[Anonymous Coward]

Those screenshots look absolutely terrible.

It's 2003 - and here's a game in which the edges of polygons are blatantly visible. For god's sake - tesselate those meshes before they poke somebody's eye out!

Nobody who's a MMORPG fan is going to pick that up given the richness of games like Everquest 2, AC2, etc.

Console gamers looking for something new here are going to be sorely disapointed.

FFX

[executebusiness.com]

I bought FFX for PS2 and was unsatisfied. I'm leery about the next one. Maybe I'm picky? The big problem I had was the highly scripted nature of FFX. The game felt like a movie with a couple of clicks here and there, but it was too linear. To make FFXI raise the bar, I hope they addressed this issue, and I'm guessing they did. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that what makes a game great is game play, and nice environs don't hurt either, but if the game play is off at all, the experience is going to be below average.

The Final Fantasy stories are wonderful, IMHO, but story can't possibly carry a game because games aren't meant to be only moderately interactive -- they are meant to improve upon the status quo, and often the more they improve and innovate, the better and longer they are remembered.

Re:FFX

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh they've "addressed the issue" alright, XI is about as non-linear as it gets. You and about half a million other people make up the story. I guess you haven't yet discovered that FFXI is a massively multiplayer online RPG.

Re:FFX

[executebusiness.com]

I was aware of FFXI's MMORPG nature, and yet even in a traditionally non-linear system like this, there is plenty of room for false expectations. My thoughts were that they could still try to have too much cinema or linear dungeon crawls where you wait for the guys to finish talking about this and that and then you get to click twice and move to the next area. It likely won't be that way, but like I said before, I am leery of this product, fundamentally. Who knows, it may be as good as the shots for glitter and gloss, but that is by far only the most superficial aspect of a game.

I still play Counter-Strike because of the gameplay, and while Quake 3 and UT look great, they can't hold a candle to the Half-Life engine. I'm guessing Half-Life 2 will look way better, but will be at the core a very fantastic game because of the gameplay and how seriously the designers take their products â" seriously enough to listen to the audience and deliver on promises 110%.

FFX was hyped up quite a bit, as I remember, and everyone said it was going to be an amazing game, but it was far from it because it was possibly closer to being a toon-based interactive TV show, than a game. Look at some other games that have been around for thousands of years, like chess. It's a simple game with rules and it makes sense. The tension in the gameplay matters to the audience and players because it makes the game interesting. Today we are still pitting computers against humans and wondering what the outcome will be â" it's a fantastic game. But what if chess had fewer outcomes? What if we know there could be only ten specific outcomes? Even ten outcomes to a video game is a giant undertaking for designers, because the desire for quality is so high. There are many more pieces in a video game, and that's the trade off. Counterbalance with gameplay and thought and rich environs and you're looking at a winner. Deflect audience reactions and you are possibly too artsy to design games.

Designing games is political, too. It's a vast undertaking that attacks every aspect of business and promotes art as a secondary option to what sells. FFX sold, and it was made to sell. This MMORPG undertaking is going to have only two outcomes; it will be a good experience or it will be a bad one. The experience will likely be the same as all other MMORPGs, except for Gary Gygax's Lejendary MMORPG, because Gary has the insight to produce a role playing game worthy of all our time. Specifically, he didn't produce Lejendary MMORPG, but his involvement in Dream Interactive's project was key to a success there.

FFXI has a chance to be something good, and that's enough for me to watch the reviews and see what people say, but after being burned on FFX, if only because I like a game with robust control paired with many outcomes and strategy, I will have to wait and see what they all say first.

Re:FFX

[Anonymous Coward]

I still play Counter-Strike because of the gameplay, and while Quake 3 and UT look great, they can't hold a candle to the Half-Life engine.

I'm AC'ing cause this is offtopic, but Half-Life uses a modified Quake 2 Engine, so I think Quake 3 can hold a flamethrower to it...

Re:FFX

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll AC ya back and say that while HL uses a hybrid of Quake 1 & Quake 2's engine, HL is strongly based on the Quake engine, not Quake 2. Now Quake... there is a better game than Quake 3. :)

Quake 3 has killer gameplay, but loads more gloss than CS. I guess my point was that even while Q3 is kickass, it's way behind CS due primarily to gameplay.

Re:FFX

[nadadogg]

I enjoyed the first 3 FF games released in america, but never played any of the newer ones(7 and up), but merging Final Fantasy and the internet may be enough to hook me. Provided that they offer a demo period or something similar, so that I can give it a shot, I may stick around

Well that's that

[Shishio]

I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for over 10 years and always thought the storyline and characters were the key component in the games. Now the latest installment looks to be little more than another stale MMORPG.

Well, it was a good series while it lasted. Thank goodness for emulators.

Re:Well that's that

[BlueMonk]

Just because they make an online game doesn't mean all their games are going to be online from now on. FFXII is offline: http://www.ffinsider.net/ff12/

Re:Well that's that

[Baron_911]

I, for one, applaud Square's attempts! Square has been known for dropping a few games that, to put it politely, 'didn't meet expectations' (movies as well :), but they are one of the few game companies out there that is still willing to take a chance! Not many companies I can think of would take one of there popular franchises, let alone their FLAGSHIP franchise, and try to do something totally diffrent with it. The thought process now seems to be 'Keep pumping out sequels(sp?) to the franchise with better graphics.', so even if the game turns out to be a dud, at least they took a chance with it!

Re:Well that's that

[Shanoyu]

Every Final Fantasy has been different. Final Fantasy 8 for example had a wonderful storyline but gameplay wise was perhaps one of the most boring games ever created. Final Fantasy 9 and Final Fantasy 7 were much better in terms of gameplay.

Linear?

[suineg]

From what I have read on multiple fan sites FFXI is very linear for the main part of the game. The quests you do are all the same and lead to the same goal of uncovering the plot. How you raise up in levels is your own choice but there are only so many quests and from what I have read they are done in a certain order and then you watch a FMV. Sort of like the Asherons Call 2 system.

Re:FFXI is a MMORPG

[sladelink]

The big problem I had was the highly scripted nature of FFX. The game felt like a movie with a couple of clicks here and there, but it was too linear. To make FFXI raise the bar, I hope they addressed this issue, and I'm guessing they did. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that what makes a game great is game play

Maybe you're thinking of FFX2 when you fear about another linear, game-based movie; however, FFXI is actually a MMORPG, so don't get worried about an abundance of movies with some monster-slaying in between. If you don't like linear games, well, can't always have your cake and eat it too. :)

Quite an exciting webcam they have there..

[LordJezo]

Woo.. look at all that action!

Seems like People Forgot...

[Baron_911]

I've been trying to keep up with the whole FFxi - PlayOnline scene for a while now, and one prevailent fact keeps arising: Did everyone forget about TETRA MASTER?!?!? I loved the card game in FF8 (except the accursed random rule! GAH!), and Tetra Master, I think, was a big improvement over that. And now it's gonna be multiplayer! Online even! With card collecting!!! HUZZAH!!!

Re:Seems like People Forgot...

[devnull17]

You mean FF9. FF8 was Triple Triad.

Re:Seems like People Forgot...

[Baron_911]

"I loved the card game in FF8, and Tetra Master, I think, was a big improvement over that"

The 'that' is refering to Tetra Master being an improvment over FF8's card game, Triple Triad.

I can't wait for FFXI

[extrarice]

Square-ENIX did the multiplayer online game RIGHT. A friend of mine participated in the Japanese closed beta over the past few months (testing network transmissions from North America). It's so much fun! I can't wait.

beta

[Anonymous Coward]

Posting anonymously just in case...

You're right about one thing: it's a very early beta. I was accepted in the American FFXI beta program almost a month ago. I was told that I would receive a copy of the FFXI, TetraMaster and a PS2 hard disk. None of it has arrived. The only thing that Square-Enix will tell me is that , "We can't tell you when we expect to ship you the beta kit. It will be in the upcoming weeks." It's already been four weeks...

When I tested for Sega, they would email or call me and tell me to expect a package - not even an idea which game I was testing. I had to go to a secure site online and sign and NDA. Then they'd overnight me the package and I'd be playing the next day.

Don't get me wrong; I'm still pleased as punch to be a member of the beta, and I get a free PS2 hdd out of the deal even if the game isn't up to snuff! I'm betting ten-to-one that it doesn't suck, though. I can't wait to be a red mage ;)

You got that right

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm gonna buy FF XI just for the card game!!