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New Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter talks China and 2.25
Final Fantasy XIV is doing pretty well for itself at the moment, and it's still expanding. The latest letter from producer Naoki Yoshida discusses preparations for the game's launch in China, with the cooperation of Shanda Games. Service is expected to launch this summer; the game has just recently launched on the PlayStation 4, expanding its range of available platforms. Yoshida also discusses patch 2.25, which will be live tomorrow. Originally, the patch was slated to include an expansion to the current Zodiac weapon quests; however, Yoshida states in the letter that this system is being pushed back until patch 2.28 goes live in May. The team is hoping to incorporate feedback on the existing quest line and allow players more time to upgrade and receive their Animus weaponry. 2.25 will contain improvements to the Wolves' Den PvP system as well as a new system involving materia, so while further weapon upgrades are on hold, there's still going to be plenty of new things to do.
PlanetSide 2 launches in China to surprising numbers
Bringing a game to another nation always prompts certain questions. There's no way to be sure a title that makes perfect sense in the US will hit upon the same level of success when it launches in China. And in the case of PlanetSide 2, that's exactly what's happened. John Smedley tweeted earlier today that the launch in China is not going as well as it did in the US -- it's going significantly better. Smedley's tweet claims that the game is already seeing bigger numbers than it has in the US after only eight hours of launch, although what exactly those numbers are isn't specified. Whether this is a result of a serious hole in the shooter market in China compared to the US or just a matter of marketing is up for debate, but it seems that both Sony Online Entertainment and The9 made a good call to bring the shooter over.
RIFT kicks off service in Korea
MMOs generally don't sojourn too far from home. Outside of launches in the US and Europe, it's rare for a western game to be adapted to the Korean or Chinese market; far more often games from those markets get shipped here. But it does happen every so often, and such is the case with RIFT. As of today, the game has officially started its full commercial service in Korea under the guidance of NetMarble. The game is also launching with several of the usual launch events such as promotional giveaways, although they're of limited utility if you don't read or speak Korean. It's an unusual export, but with several Korean games making major promotional pushes in the US (such as Aion and TERA), it might be the time to see if cross-cultural appeal works in the other direction. And if you're familiar with the language and want to see how the game plays when adapted, now's the time.
Vindictus gets a European launch window at long last
If you're a European player eager to get some time in Vindictus, you've unfortunately been the victim of a long and seemingly fruitless wait. But Nexon's Source-based action MMO looks to be finally headed to European shores later this year. According to Electronic Theatre, the game is currently slated to be released at long last sometime in Q4 of 2011, significantly after its release in both Korea and North American territories. While no reasons are cited for the delay, Sun Jin Kim, CEO of Nexon EU, apologized for the delay and promised to have the game localized in at least one additional language by the time of its release. More details are said to be forthcoming at E3 and GamesCom in the near future. European Vindictus fans are doubtlessly a little bit suspicious about finally hearing word after such a long silence, but if all goes well, the hacking and slashing should soon commence for the region.
