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Final Fantasy XIV's Yoshida on PvP, chocobos, and mobile apps
The recent Final Fantasy XIV press event in San Francisco didn't just mean a chance to sit down and play the game amidst a lushly decorated room, although that was certainly on the agenda. It also meant a chance to ask director and producer Naoki Yoshida some questions about the game going forward and the plans for development down the line, diving beyond what we see and into more fine details about the game's mechanics. While players will have access to a sizable chunk of the revamped game when the beta goes live on February 25th, there's still a lot that's hidden behind a veil of secrecy. Yoshida's answers help illuminate more details about what's going on in Final Fantasy XIV that might not be playable right now but will be in the near future. And even beyond the foundation that's visible from the beta, the promise of more expansion only adds to the game's overall quality.
The battle is joined: Starting new and fighting through Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch
I know a lot about Final Fantasy XIV. This is surprising to no one; there's a reason Joystiq sent me to the preview event, a reason I write a weekly column about the game, and a reason I still have the Final Fantasy XIV collector's edition box sitting in my office. The net result is that I have spent a lot of time playing the game. As a result, I was more than a little nervous when sitting down to play the revamped version at the Final Fantasy XIV press event in San Francisco last week. Done incorrectly, playing the game could feel subtly wrong, like a stranger pretending to be your old friend. And even if I avoided that pitfall, the gameplay could feel inelegant or forced. I'm happy to report that none of that is the case. Make no mistake -- the game is very different from its original incarnation, but it also sports enough familiar stuff that you aren't left wandering around baffled.
Slacker reinvents itself: simpler, more approachable internet radio
If you were a fan of Slacker's old-school black and gold aesthetic, you can mourn its passing today. The internet radio service has just undergone a rebirth, with a brand new white and burnt orange logo and a completely revamped design -- on web, mobile and Xbox -- in an effort to reintroduce itself to the mainstream and stave off competition from the likes of Pandora, Spotify and Rdio. The new look is decidedly simpler and more approachable, with a prominent search box and a distinct blue and white theme that carries its way throughout all interfaces. Indeed, the smartphone apps are explicitly designed to mirror the site, not just style-wise but functionally as well. For example, it'll cue up the next song on a station or a playlist when you switch devices. The pricing structure remains the same -- there's a free ad-supported version, a Radio Plus $3.99 a month option and a $9.99 per month Premium plan. The new iOS and Android apps should be available today, with Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 versions to come. For more on the relaunch and a few thoughts from Slacker's execs, join us after the break.
Naoki Yoshida discusses the upcoming beta for Final Fantasy XIV
It won't be long now until long-time Final Fantasy XIV players and eager test applicants can experience the beta of the game's new version. Producer Naoki Yoshida has understandably been busy with the ramp-up, but he's taken the time to pen a new letter for the game's players that starts off by displaying all of the racial creation screens for the revamped creator. That includes showing off genders that had previously been unavailable, including female Highlanders and Roegadyns. Beyond that, the letter talks about some of the restrictions in place from the beta that are still being developed, acknowledging that some character creation options will be held back until later in testing (the team is working to vastly improve hair color and style selections, for example). Yoshida goes on to talk about the production staff's New Year festivities and a visit from some of the Mythic staff members involved with Ultima Online. There are only a few more weeks until the beta stats, but Yoshida and the rest of the staff seems to believe that it's the first step to a better new year.
Final Fantasy XIV shows off early Shiva renders
The Primals of Final Fantasy XIV are kind of a big deal. In the original game, players had a chance to fight two of them, both of whom made for a rough fight, but the relaunch will include wandering versions of these pseudo-deities for players to hunt down and harness. And while astute fans have known for some time that Shiva will be among the Primals in the new version, she's finally strutting her stuff in the latest development blog post. The post contains several early renders of the completed model as well as the ice queen's concept art, all of which should look familiar to veterans of the Final Fantasy series. While Shiva is known to have worshippers much like her fellow Primals Ifrit and Garuda, it's not yet clear if her appearance means a new beastman tribe will be entering the already crowded Eorzea. The full set of pictures won't answer that question, but it will give players eagerly awaiting the beta something new to gawk at.
MySpace relaunches with new design and Justin Timberlake all over it
A totally revamped and unrecognizable MySpace has just gone public, enticing new joiners with a track by Justin Timberlake -- who now owns a good chunk of the business alongside Specific Media. Based on the limited access teaser we saw back in September and the image above, this fresh incarnation of the social network retains the emphasis on music ("FREE Unlimited music and videos!") except with a more commercial (and actually less social) approach. In a similarly modern twist, the site lets you sign in with a Facebook or Twitter account as well as with your old MySpace details, which means there shouldn't be too many barriers to at least exploring it.
Darkfall Unholy Wars delays release and opts for pre-order testing
Darkfall Unholy Wars developer Aventurine is notorious for running a bit long on projects, so it's probably not going to surprise longtime fans that the game is missing its revised release target tomorrow. Developer Tasos Flambouras informed players that the launch will be delayed most likely until January, although a firm date has not yet been established. He also apologizes for the last-minute announcement, citing a need for several different bits of cross-communication before the decision was final. To mollify those who just can't wait to start the game, a beta will be kicking off on December 17th for any pre-order customers. Returning players can pick up the game at the normal subscription price, while new players will still be able to get a discount by ordering. Flambouras promises that all pre-order players will receive a full 30 days of free time when the game goes live, as well as access to the beta during its duration. If it sounds like something you can't wait to jump on, keep your eyes peeled on Friday for purchasing details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
The Mog Log: Stuff I'm going to miss from Final Fantasy XIV 1.0
The end of Final Fantasy XIV as we know it provoked a lot of emotions from me, as did the trailer released concurrently. I felt a great deal of sorrow, both for the end of the world and the end of my character's story at the time (which is tied into a lot of roleplaying you don't need to hear about). I felt a stirring of hope for the changes coming to the game and the world. I felt inspiration at the sweep and movement of the events surrounding the conclusion and a sense of awe at what had been done. I also felt a great deal of frustration at the game's servers and the rather lackluster event itself, but that's kind of an irrelevant discussion. It's a lesson to learn for a next time that won't happen. Amidst all of these other feelings, I also felt a sense of sadness about certain parts of the game that are going away when it relaunches. There are aspects I'm going to miss about Final Fantasy XIV's first version, even if I know why those aspects need to be removed from a design standpoint. Today, I'm going to look back at those elements, things that we're going to be rid of that I'm still going to sort of miss in the long run.
The end comes to Final Fantasy XIV
As of 1:00 a.m. EST today, the Final Fantasy XIV servers started the game's final event before the relaunch. At 3:00 a.m. EST, they shut down. Immediately following the shutdown, the last trailer for the game's current version was posted, showing the outcome of the final battle against the forces of the Garlean Empire by the unified Grand Companies of Eorzea. And if you've been following the game's story in any fashion, you'll probably want to see how it all ends. It's worth noting that the cutscene is both fairly long and lacking in context -- if you don't know the most recent lore of the game, you're not going to catch everything that's going on. But if you've been watching the final defense of the Eorzean city-states from inside the game or on the sidelines, you deserve a front-row seat for the last clash of armies. And even though you know how it ends, it's still going to pack a punch. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
The Daily Grind: If your favorite game relaunched, what one thing would you fix?
When Final Fantasy XIV relaunches, my greatest wish is that tanking will actually feel fun. I've done my best to enjoy tanking, but the way the game expects you to tank isn't what I'd call a fun ride. Even if everything else stayed exactly the same, I'd declare the relaunch a screaming success if that changed. A lot of games don't relaunch -- the majority, even, unless you count now-ubiquitous free-to-play conversions. But those that do so change a lot about the game, some of it good, some of it bad. Today, we're not asking for all of the things you'd change if you had the choice; today, we want to pick a single element of a game that you like. A lone thing that bothers you that you would want changed. Maybe you'd like to enhance the game's crafting. Maybe you'd like to improve the storytelling. Maybe you even would just add in a few more travel options around a particularly annoying point. If your favorite game was relaunching, what's the one thing that you would want to see fixed in the new version? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
A look at Final Fantasy XIV's new character creator
Final Fantasy XIV players already knew that the game's character creator is being overhauled when the game's relaunch goes live. Now, the development team at Square-Enix has finally given us a clearer picture of what to expect from the creator in A Realm Reborn with five new screens showing off some of the options within the new tool as well as the overall interface players will be experiencing. It's not the full picture, but it's enough for fans to start getting a feel for what's on the way. Several of the options appear to be returning from the current version of the game, while still others are being added or expanded (no doubt some players will be happy to see that a character's bust size is now freely selectable, for example). The overall look is far more streamlined and straightforward compared to the current version. There's no hint of new hairstyles, but you can take a look at the full preview in the gallery just below. [Source: Square-Enix press release]%Gallery-157176%
The Mog Log: Consoles and the online Final Fantasy
You could be forgiven for losing faith in the prospect of Final Fantasy XIV ever coming out for the PlayStation 3. Yes, it had been a promised platform, but it wouldn't be the first MMO to abandon console promises. Heck, the development team is still working on fulfilling some of the promises made by the original team; it could be forgiven for putting that one on the back burner. But it's a real thing. We've seen the screenshots, and we know that two years after the game's initial launch, we will finally get to play around in Eorzea on our televisions. (The "we" in this case refers to fellow PS3 owners.) This is sort of a mixed blessing. This isn't a column about console gaming compared to PC gaming; I really don't care which platform you prefer, and it's also not the point. This is a column about the fact that Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV are both going to be console games as well as computer games, and that introduces some interesting wrinkles.
Darkfall temporarily goes F2P before Unholy Wars launch
In preparation for Darkfall's upcoming Unholy Wars relaunch, Aventurine is giving all players past and present the chance to play the game entirely free from October 17th through November 15th, when the servers will shut down in anticipation of the relaunch. On November 20th, Darkfall: Unholy Wars aims to redefine what the three-and-a-half-year-old MMO has already done for the genre by rebooting entirely. You can find out more on what this relaunch will mean for the game in our recent interview with Aventurine. [Source: Aventurine press release]%Gallery-139865%
The Mog Log: Generating a wow factor in FFXIV
The more I see about Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch, the more anxious I get. If there's any doubt remaining in the minds of others, let me be entirely transparent: I'm a big fan of Final Fantasy XIV. Wonders never cease, I know. To say that I'm looking forward to the new version is pretty much irrelevant. Of course I'm going to play it when everything changes over; I'm playing it now and would continue to do so even without the promise of rebirthing realms. But while I was discussing the game over dinner with Ms. Lady a few nights ago, she said something that struck me as very relevant: "It's going to need to really be awesome to pull me back." And she has a point. I'm getting a bit anxious because the new version thus far seems to set the bar at a very respectable level that's still nowhere near as high as it needs to be, and I wonder whether it's even possible to hit the mark it needs.
Final Fantasy XIV service fees to discontinue on September 29th
Final Fantasy XIV's current version is approaching its twilight to make way for version 2.0. The servers will go dark, the new version will be tested, and perhaps most importantly, the game will once again discontinue the subscription fee. A recent dispatch from the development team confirms that service fees will be discontinued on September 29th, at which point all billing will stop and cannot be started again until the game relaunches. Players with currently active subscriptions will be able to continue playing from September 30th up until the game shuts down on November 11th. (The last snapshot of character progress will be on November 1st, however, so the last 10 days of play will not be transferred to the new version.) Players whose subscriptions are already cancelled or will be cancelled after September 30th will not be able to play for free during this period, and the last day to reactivate a subscription or redeem any other codes will be the 29th. Read through the full dispatch for all of the details if you're not sure where you'll be after the end of the month, and keep your eyes peeled for more information as the relaunch draws closer.
Glitch status report discusses the impending relaunch
Once upon a time, there was a game called Glitch. This game launched, and it made several people very happy, but it made its designers sad because it didn't feel ready for launch. So the designers called backsies on launch and took the game back to beta for more development and refinement. It's been nine months since then, and according to the latest developer update, the game is almost up to the point it should have been during its first launch... but not quite. The blog post explains that there were three core things that the design team wanted in the game before the official relaunch: a better introduction for new players, imagination and upgrades as a core advancement system, and a better land and housing system. While those features are in place, they've just brought on new challenges for the designers and new updates that need to be added. The overall takeaway is that if you're not playing now, you will be able to soon, as the game is almost as the designers want it, and then we can all live happily ever after.
Digg to get a complete redesign, relaunch in August
Well, that was fast. Not two weeks after Digg was bought out by Betaworks (parent company to Bit.ly, among other startups), we're learning the crowd-sourced news aggregator is poised to relaunch as soon as August 1. In a blog post, the 10-person engineering team promises an overhaul of the site, once a litmus test for what was popular on the internet. Most interesting, perhaps, is the revelation that while Digg will not be a rebadged version of News.me, the aggregation app already owned by Betaworks, the two services will eventually be folded into one product. And while the team isn't revealing how, exactly, the new Digg will differ from the old, they did promise it would eventually receive personalization features similar to what News.me already offers. Other than that, Betaworks didn't share any specifics, but luckily, you'll only have to wait two weeks to find out what's in store.
German studio SilentFuture resurrecting Earthrise
Fans of Masthead Studios' late sandbox MMO, Earthrise, have cause to rejoice today. The Wuppertal, Germany-based studio SilentFuture announced in a press release today that it will be taking over development and operation of the title, which was shut down in February earlier this year. According to the press release, the studio is currently working on a complete overhaul of the game, from backstory to gameplay to technology. SilentFuture plans to have the game up and running again sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Earthrise will return as a free-to-play title in which players "no longer find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world" but rather are "part of the apocalypse itself." Sounds promising! Hopefully we can look forward to more details in the coming weeks, but at least we know one thing for sure: Earthrise is back! [Source: SilentFuture press release]
Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend
Star Trek may feature universal translators, but the crew at Cryptic has to make do with old fashioned techniques until the future catches up with us. As such, the studio has announced that it is relaunching Star Trek Online in Europe to support its French- and German-speaking players. Starting right now, the game, website, forums, and game support will be available in all three languages. To further cater to European players, Cryptic has vowed to add more EU-friendly event timeslots. Executive Producer Dan Stahl hopes this will spread STO across the world: "The launch of Star Trek Online in Europe is the culmination of our efforts over the past several years to bring gamers the Star Trek universe on a truly massive scale." All players can benefit from this European relaunch, as Q's coming back to celebrate with a double-XP bonus weekend. Anyone who logs in from today through Monday, April 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, will not only benefit from the a skill point and bridge officer point boost but can claim a free IDIC Tribble of his or her very own. The Tribble provides a unique buff to your character based on his, her, or its class -- and if you manage to get all three buffs on you at once, you'll be granted an additional boost to damage, resistance, and health regen. [Source: Cryptic press release]
Silkroad-R R-elaunches
Don't let the fancy title fool you: Silkroad-R (the R is for "rebirth") isn't a completely new game but an updated version of Joymax's previous Silkroad. Brought into the shop for some body work and a new paint job, Silkroad-R is back and better than ever. Silkroad-R will exist on its own servers, seperate from its Silkroad ancestor. Joymax is particularly proud of a "buffed-up" cash shop, as CEO Nam-chul Kim explains: "There's many aspects of Silkroad-R that we changed or improved based on user feedback, and we took a long time investigating the cash shop and evaluating each item." To celebrate the relaunch, Joymax is sponsoring a string of giveaways through February 7th. Players who reach specific levels have a chance at Amazon gift cards and in-game boosts and items. Other launch events include a special XP-boosting NPC and a player-submitted wallpaper/greeting card contest. You can check out the official trailer for Silkroad-R after the jump! [Source: Joymax press release]
