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Rumor: Square Enix's next MMO unveiling at E3 2009
It has been a very long time since we last hear anything of note regarding Square Enix's next MMO project and successor to Final Fantasy XI; however, the pages of EGM (via Final Fantasy-XIII.net) tells us that this silence will be over in due time. EGM's scuttlebutt suggests that the long-awaited MMO will be unveiled at next year's E3 in June. It seems like a rather timely choice. It also seems to scream 'it's about time' as the aging FFXI is considerably outdated after having a nearly seven-year run. But, don't expect this new game to be a typical "updated" FFXI clone though. Producer Hiromichi Tanaka told EGM that "the next generation MMO that we're working on is going to be different from Final Fantasy XI. And even though we have the same staff working on the project, we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI."
The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO
This recent interview with the Final Fantasy XI team by James "Milkman' Mielky of 1up.com internet fame got me thinking about the next MMO to come from the Square Enix camp. There isn't much meat on them bones as far as the next project goes, but the interview does get the team to talk just a little bit about it. It seems as though one thing is clear: Their newest MMO won't be too similar to Final Fantasy XI. While the developer says that they've learned through mistakes and player response with their original game, it seems that they really want to try something different.I'd be decidedly surprised if Square Enix didn't make a new MMO somehow based in the Final Fantasy universe considering the popularity of the franchise. It's very possible that when FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka said, "-we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI" He merely meant that mechanically speaking the new game would be very different. Which quite honestly should be a given considering the somewhat esoteric and now archaic control/menu system featured in their first game. Also, it would be nice to play a Final Fantasy MMO that wasn't so harsh on players who died -- losing experience is a deal-breaker for many players these days.
New info on latest Square Enix MMO at GDC?
It's been a long time since we've heard anything about this seemingly secretive new MMO from Square Enix; however, some promising info on this illusive title has recently popped up. It's been revealed on the Game Developers Conference website that Square Enix has four representatives speaking at the event -- one of which is Taku Murata, general manager of R&D, who will be discussing the technology that goes behind making Square Enix's current-gen games (specifically the White Engine). The news nugget about the MMO can be found rather subtly on Murata's personal page where it states he'll be talking about the White Engine used in Final Fantasy XIII, the new MMO in development, and other future titles. Of course, this only confirms that the MMO has not disappeared into vaporware, and still leaves a lot of room for speculation. Will we be seeing some new game footage or will new info on the game itself be divulged? We guess we'll just have to wait until GDC rolls in to find out. [Via Forever Fantasy]
