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Square To Expand Into Online And Mobile
GameDailyBiz is reporting that Square Enix is looking to expand further into the online and mobile markets. While they already have an MMOG (FFXI) and a mobile game (Before Crisis), they see those markets as moneymakers for the future. From the article: "Although there seems to be no indication that Square Enix will be attempting to shift away from its core competency of small and large-scale console RPGs, the company is looking to further invest itself in the rapidly growing wireless and online sectors. Wada specifically pointed to Japanese financial realities almost requiring involvement in the wireless market, and when wireless numbers are included with the traditional console figures, the Japanese video game industry actually isn't in a recession at all. 'Running a business that depends on the software sales through retailers has become a thing of the past,' Wada told Yomiuri."
You can go further online that an MMO?
Does anyone else think it is slightly odd that Square Enix doesn't release Chrono Trigger for the GBA? Or Final Fantasy VII for the DS? They would certainly make a killing, and if I understand correctly, the costs of porting to those systems are really quite low. Does this have to do with contracts that they have with Sony?
I never played those games (despite how great people say they are) for the simple reason that I don't have that kind of time to invest tethered to a console. I would love to see portable versions. They could at least port the SNES version of Dragon Warrior III to the GBA.
You'd think with their ... experience with Final Fantasy XI, widely heralded as "the worst MMORPG to ever disgrace the genre", Square-Enix would have learned to stay OUT of the online business and concentrate on their core compentancy: making excesively long computer animated cut scenes that make no sense.
I suppose I really should wait until their other online games come out, but based on Square-Enix's current downward spiral, I can't imagine them being any better.
Yes, but I'd like to have some backstory, thank you, and while you're at it hold the leagues of Blizzard fans. In an MMO where you have time travel, you better damn well have a well planned story tree, otherwise someone will go back in time, kill Lord British, and then whine when Alfred Fancypants doesn't become Mayor of Greektown in 202020 AD.
Of course, the CT MMO could have no time travel, but then what's the point?
and how many people with pirated accounts? because isn't it harder to 'pirate' online games. No more millions of dollor being lost to 'theft'
Someone had a bad experience with the game. Bard is NOT a basic class. It is an advanced class and therefore requires you to do something extra to unlock it. What's wrong with that idea? Nothing. Leveling two jobs through the newb zones to become stronger? Yea, but that's because the second job becomes your sub-job. Your sub-job augments your main jobs stats and abilities (or totally counter-acts them, depending on the job/class you choose). What other game allows you to mix and match any job at will? You can switch your main job at almost anytime (as long as you're in your mog house), thus allowing you to play a totally different role without logging out and choosing a totally different character. What other games allow you to change your job/class like FFXI? WoW? Nope, you need separate characters for every class. In FFXI, you can level every job/class to the max level on one character. I think that's a HUGE redeeming feature for the seemingly little problems the game has.
Again, bard is NOT a basic class. Get it right. The only basic classes are Warrior, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage, Thief, and Red Mage. Bard, Beastmaster, Summoner, Dark Knight, Paladin, Ranger, Ninja, Samurai, and Dragoon are all advanced classes. Therefore, it's expected that you'll have to do some extra work in order to use them. Makes perfect sense, especially in a game such as this where only one character is really needed to play every job/class.
They may have managed a lot of subscribers, but that's soley by filling the mostly empty niche for Japanese MMORPGs, which it was essentially the ONLY one available.
Lies. There are constantly 3000-4000 players on at any given time on the server I play on (Odin). During the North American peak hours, there's about 3200 players on. During the Japanese peak hours, there's about 3500 players on. Not much of a difference, eh? Your reasoning is flawed, as it makes the assumption that only Japanese players play the game. There are a great deal of North Americans and now Europeans that play the game. Why? Because it's obviously a great game. Would people really pay to play a game that was "the worst in the market?"
I may not have played as much as most people or have the highest levels, but I think I've played enough so far to really understand the game. I have a Warrior at level 30, Red Mage at 20, Dark Knight (advanced job) at 20, Monk at 15, Beastmaster (advanced job) at 10, White Mage at 8, Black mage at 8, Ranger (advanced job) at 2, and Thief at 2. Sure, some areas are a pain to level in, but isn't that so in every game?
As I said before, maybe you just had a bad time with the game and need to vent it? Let me guess, you play WoW now? WoW and FFXI are completely different games. Same genre, yes, but vastly different. One of my Linkshell mates said it best:
"If you were to play WoW and then come to FFXI, you would hate the game and make everyone around you hate it too."
From my real-life friend:
"It's funny to watch the FFXI Paladins come play Paladin on WoW. They get their asses handed to them."
From what you've said, it sounds like WoW (or one similar) is your game of choice. Just because you didn't like FFXI doesn't mean it's the worst MMORPG ever. Maybe you just couldn't handle what the game? It is a bit more... shall we say... challenging that WoW. From what I've played of WoW and from what I've heard from my friends, there's not much you actually have to work for.
If you don't like FFXI, don't post bullshit like "Worst MMORPG Ever." The expansion may not have gotten the greatest reviews, but the expansion is not the entire game. Your posts are very one-sided. They also sound like someone who did not give the game a proper chance. I also find it funny how you posted anonymously =P
Why dont they make a mobile Final Fantasy tactics, it will work with the craptacular control sets present on any given phone and have a popular name to boot. How about repackaging Final Fantasy II and III (IV and VI Japan) for the gameboy advance since the gameboy Micro is such a huge seller and provide massive amounts of content on the go.
Beyond that Square could create an online game for the DS thats more kid orientated thats sort of a MMORPG but where you raise do the standard fantasy stuff and raise chocobos, customize your character with things you draw with a stylus etc. That would be pretty neat to have a on the go MMORPG.
Reallly? I found WoW to be quite the chore. It was boring. Sure, I played during Open Beta, but I've logged onto a friend's account since and have found that not much has changed. It looks nice, but that's all I see going for it. You like WoW. I like FFXI. Good enough. I've given the reasons why I like it. You have yet to provide valid evidence that it is the "Worst MMORPG Ever." You even said (in your original post) that it was "widely heralded" as the "Worst MMORPG Ever." Link me to a creditable reviewer that says that, and I'll shut up.
Oh, and WoW: My friend's constantly expound upon me tales of down-time and bugs and glitches. One of my friends only plays the game to find glitches and hidden areas. He hasn't gone beyond level 40 or so because leveling is just that boring. I'm not saying WoW is a bad game. I'm not saying FFXI is the best game. I can't make either of those statements, and neither can you. You can say that you don't like it, but you can't say that it is the "Worst MMORPG Ever."
Ugh, I can't resist typing can I..? You don't need another character to try out a class in FFXI. Just because a TaruTaru is not the best melee character does NOT mean you can't play a Taru as a melee class. It's done all the time. And more often than not, those that do play races as jobs that don't "fit" them are better than those that do play as races that "fit" their desired job. So what if the character stats don't "fit" the job. If you're a good player, it won't matter.
Again. You dislike FFXI. Fine. But you cannot say it is the "Worst MMORPG Ever." without backing up your argument with reasoning and facts. Everything you've detailed are just personal annoyances. You never explain the "equipment issues, questing problems, absolutely HORRENDOUS client, economic problems, forced grouping, lousy end-game, lousy travel options, NO developer feedback, terrible crafting system, and too much more to list."
How is traveling via Chocobo worse than traveling via the WoW "Mount?" Level 20 is required to get a Chocobo License. To get a mount you need to be level 40, don't you need an ass load of gold too? In FFXI, all you need are some Gysahl (?) Greens (will run you a measly 3k at most) and some time.
It may look like I'm trying to defend FFXI because I like it and play it, but my main goal is to point out to you that everything you say and spend the time to explain is a personal experience and that NO ONE has published anything saying it is the "Worst MMORPG Ever." When you say that it was widely heralded as such, that's pretty much deemed your complaints with the game as extremely biased and fanboyish.
MMORPGs really do require dedication, of which I have been lacking as of late... They can be overwhelming to the casual gamer, but it just takes time to get used to it. If you don't have the time, I can't totally understand that =P