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E3 2014: Final Fantasy XIV Live Letter details fan festival dates
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the dates for the Final Fantasy XIV festival in October, and during the most recent live letter from the producer those dates were finally revealed. The gathering will take place on October 18th and 19th at Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, October 25th at the Tobacco Dock in London, and December 20th and 21st at the Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo. Other revelations from the letter? Personal chambers are going to be priced at approximately 300,000 gil for players who want a room of their own off of their Free Company house. Patch 2.3 will be going live on July 8th. There are also more questions asked regarding the new floors of Crystal Tower, the addition of new items, and the Frontline system, but all of those answers can be found in the official translation thread. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
E3 2014: FFXIV's Yoshida on 2.4, 3.0, new classes, and more
After the recent E3 2014 announcement that Final Fantasy XIV was getting a new class and a marriage system, fans have been understandably eager to learn more. And the best way to do that is go to the source! We sat down with producer Naoki Yoshida to discuss the content slated for upcoming patches and expansions. Before delving into the new, Yoshida spoke about the old. He noted that since last year's expo, FFXIV has enjoyed a successful relaunch, added a couple of major updates, and given millions of gamers around the world the opportunity to play. He then led into the new by saying, "We want to continue to grow the game from here. We have a lot of exciting content building up to 3.0." Part of said growing includes expanding the availability of the game by getting it into even more regions; this summer, for example, FFXIV will launch in China. Another part of the growth process is expanding the content and introducing new features, which is where patch 2.4 and the 3.0 expansion come in.
E3 2014: Final Fantasy XIV discusses ninjas and same-sex marriage
The first of two official livestreams for Final Fantasy XIV has just wrapped up at E3. While the stream focused on a variety of questions from the fans, two big points were hit during the discussion. The first was the revelation of a new class slated for introduction in patch 2.4: the Rogue class, which will lead into the Ninja job. This will be a damage-dealing class that dual wields knives and daggers, complete with enhanced movement skills and stealth abilities. Producer Naoki Yoshida also announced that the game's marriage system will allow any two characters to be joined together, regardless of race, nation, or gender. The translated answer explained that in the world of Eorzea, it seemed inappropriate to restrict the system. Players will be given the options of having their characters pledge eternal love or simply eternal friendship, with the possibility of special mounts for the happy couple. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
Final Fantasy XIV updates with sightseeing, weapons, and poses
Final Fantasy XIV is going to have a big week at E3 next week. That's not speculation; Naoki Yoshida is running two live letters from the show floor, and players have been promised big announcements. But a big patch has just dropped for the game, and patch 2.28 brings plenty for players to enjoy all by itself. The promise of more in the near future is just icing on the cake. Owners of Animus weapons can now continue advancing their weapons to Novus incarnations, with larger Mythology tomestone rewards making the road to Animus a bit less onerous. The patch also includes the new sightseeing log, challenging players to find the scenic vistas across Eorzea. It also improves the existing posing system, with new poses for each race and a memory of what pose you were in when you move. You can read through the full patch notes to get an idea of everything contained therein, and take a gander at the Ramuh preview for an idea of what's coming next in patch 2.3.
One Shots: Weather forecast
We've got a lot of great player-submitted screenshots revolving around weather and the environment in-game, starting off with this fantastic picture by Star Trek Online player Chris. "Here is Captain Hannah Welch and the senior staff of the USS Aurora on the surface of an alien world at dusk," Chris writes. "This is one of my favorite screenshots -- it captures what Star Trek has meant to me since I was a kid. A tight group of friends in a universe filled with wonders we've yet to see. One of my favorite quotes from the series (from the pen of Maurice Hurley) comes from Q at the end of the episode that introduces the Borg; 'It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's NOT for the timid.'" If you're adventurous and without timidity, continue reading to see what our community conjured up for this week's weather forecast One Shots!
Amazon sale discounts Defiance, FFXI, FFXIV, and Warframe
Right now through May 31st, Amazon is throwing a truly massive Digital Game Mayhem sale. For MMO gamers, this means that you can get many titles, upgrades, and point codes for a good discount. Here are a few of the offerings: Defiance 7th Legion [Online Game Code] - $4.99 (50% off) Defiance Arkbreaker [Online Game Code] - $4.99 (50% off) Defiance 4-Pack [Online Game Code] - $14.99 (50% off) Defiance Castithan Charge Pack [Online Game Code] - $4.99 (50% off) Defiance Digital Deluxe Edition [Online Game Code] - $14.99 (50% off) Defiance Digital Deluxe Upgrade [Online Game Code] - $9.99 (50% off) Defiance Gunslinger [Online Game Code] - $4.99 (50% off) Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin [Game Download] - $6.99 (65% off) Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition [Online Game Code] - $11.99 (60% off) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn [Game Download] - $14.99 (40% off) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Collector's Edition [Game Download] - $22.99 (49% off) Warframe Fracture Pack - $29.99 (40% off) Warframe Shatter Pack - $59.99 (40% off) Warframe Splinter Pack - $11.99 (40% off)
One Shots: Chubby chocobos on parade
Whenever your game gets a goofy mount or pet, it's an inevitability that populated areas will be swarmed by them. So it came to pass in Final Fantasy XIV, as the fat chocobo mounts became the hot new thing that all the hip young kids wanted to ride. Reader Connor brings us this parade of chubby chocobos from his recent adventures: "This was when the new mount got released a few weeks ago. Everyone stood around AFKing in the high level hub, but eventually we formed a miltia and sallied forth." Chubby chocobo, you look beautiful and amazing just the way you are. Also, delicious. Like a giant Peep. OK, we need to hit the jump to see the rest of this week's screenshot submissions before I start trying to eat my monitor.
The Mog Log: Whispers of what comes next for Final Fantasy XIV
When I find myself in times of trouble, friends of mine will comfort me, speaking words of wisdom: "There are more patches coming to Final Fantasy XIV." And it's true! While I'm not as happy with 2.2 as perhaps I would like to be, as odd as that statement sounds, it's not the end of the world. In fact, there's a lot of stuff around the corner that should make me a lot happier. We've heard rumblings about what we'll see at E3 next month, we're hearing discussion of what's next on the docket for patch 2.3, and there are tantalizing hints about what's going to be arriving beyond even that. Some of these are things that I've discussed elsewhere; some I haven't had the opportunity to chat about yet (we only got the live letter announcement on Friday, after all!). So let's go ahead and dive into what's on the horizon for the game.
Final Fantasy XIV's next live letter is on its way
Are you ready to take on the Lord of Levin, the primal Ramuh? To brave the depths of Stone Vigil and Tam-Tara Deepcroft in Hard mode? To see what the deal is with Hullbreaker Isle? Well, then, you're going to want to tune in to the next Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE, currently scheduled for May 24th at 7 a.m. EDT. Because yes, the topic under discussion is the upcoming patch 2.3 and all that it entails. As always, a thread is available for players to ask questions for the live letter, and a translated transcript will be made available on the official forums. Aside from the aforementioned topics, the letter will also cover Item Desynthesis, Daily Hunts, and an interview with lead designer Takeo Suzuki regarding gear, monsters, emotes, and hairstyles. If you've got a burning question on any of these topics, you've got a chance to get it answered live when the next letter comes around.
Final Fantasy XIV fan festival announced for October
Fan gatherings for games are all the rage lately, and Final Fantasy XIV is getting in on the action. While a number of fan festivals for Final Fantasy XI have taken place in Japan, this year fans in the US are getting to take part as well without international travel. Square-Enix has announced plans for this year's fan gatherings in October and November, kicking off in Las Vegas and later arriving in Tokyo and London. So when in October will this be happening? It's still ambiguous, although dates are due to be announced in June. But it's definitely happening in October, and it's definitely going to be in Vegas. This also counts as the inaugural festival for the game, as previous years simply incorporated coverage of FFXIV into the FFXI fan festivals. If you can't get enough of chocobos and moogles, you'd better start saving your money now; the full press release is available after the break. [Source: Square-Enix press release]
The Mog Log: Why aren't there more tanks in Final Fantasy XIV?
To the surprise of pretty much no one, tanks are the rarest thing to find in Final Fantasy XIV at the moment. It's so rare to see a role other than tank in need on the Duty Roulette that people take notice of the times when it changes. Everyone knows that tanks are in short supply, leading to the supposed "tank rewards" introduced in 2.2 that don't seem to hit the mark. I've seen a number of posts in which people ask why there are so few tanks and what can be done about it, and most of them seem to miss the mark, either by completely misunderstanding what tanking actually entails or by misunderstanding why people aren't tanking. Really, I don't think it's terribly complicated. Why aren't there more tanks in Final Fantasy XIV? Three pretty straightforward reasons, none of which tends to be addressed when I see people asking that question.
Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25
When was the last time you were in the Wolves' Den in Final Fantasy XIV? A week ago? A month? Was it never? Well, perhaps you should drop back in, because there's some new stuff in there. New armors. Attractive armors. And don't worry that veterans will have them right away when you log in; these armors require climbing the PvP ranks further, as this patch also adds ranks 31-40 to the ladder. So there's that much more reason to jump into the arena and start earning your Wolf Marks. Patch 2.25 also adds a couple of other features. Players can now use materia transmutation to exchange unwanted materia for a (hopefully more desirable) piece of materia at random. Darklight gear has been made dyeable, and Ventures have been added as a possible reward from treasure hunts. Take a look at the full notes for a few more details as well as a list of bug fixes included with the patch.
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.
FFXIV's Yoshida on successful relaunches, switching from sub to F2P
Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida speaks from a unique position, both because he's responsible for an ultra-rare triple-A MMO relaunch and because Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn debuted with -- and continues to sport -- a subscription model. Gamasutra recently interviewed Yoshida about FFXIV's success, whether or not he feels any sort of vindication, and his thoughts on the future of future subscription-based MMOs. While Yoshida says that there are pros and cons to both subs and F2P, he ultimately prefers subs, and he believes that most other MMO developers do as well. "Some titles have to make the hard decision to switch over to free-to-play and try to gain a quick buck, pretty much, and raise their ARPU, and try to gain revenue in that manner," Yoshida explains. "I feel that they're not flipping over because they want to; sometimes, they're forced to go into that because they need to update."
Final Fantasy XIV surpasses 2 million registrations
There are two million people playing Final Fantasy XIV right this second. All right, maybe not quite that many, but it's certainly possible. The launch of the game's PlayStation 4 version has seen the game climb to surpass two million registered accounts, an increase of 500,000 over the 1.5 million stated in November. No hard data have been offered on how many of those accounts are subscribing to the game at this point, although an interview with Naoki Yoshida in March stated 500,000 players were logging into the game daily. With a recent patch and a new platform, the revitalized game seems to be doing quite well for itself as it approaches the one-year mark for its relaunch. [Source: Square-Enix press release]
The Mog Log: More time in Final Fantasy XIV's 2.2
I was pressed for time when Final Fantasy XIV patched at just the wrong time. I'm on a schedule, you know. My first impressions of the patch were far less comprehensive than I would have liked, although I did try to fill in the blanks as best I could down in the comments. But that was two weeks ago, and you doubtlessly expected that by now I would have gotten through the rest of the patch for more impressions. Honestly, I could probably spend quite a bit of time talking about all the various aspects of the game altered by this particular patch, but I'd prefer to narrow my focus slightly and zoom in on the most immediately relevant bits. So let's talk a little bit more about 2.2. Let's talk about the dungeons I didn't cover last time, the quest lines, the big battles (sometimes on a bridge), and a couple of problematic elements that have cropped up.
Here's FFXIV's PS4 launch trailer
It's Final Fantasy XIV's launch day... on the PlayStation 4. Square's fantasy MMO reboot -- and Massively's 2013 MMO of the year -- has been dazzling gamers on the PC and the PlayStation 3 for some time now, but a new trailer reminds us that next-gen console owners can now join in the fun. You can view the clip in its entirety after the break.
Final Fantasy XIV teases human-NPC relationship system
Well it's April 1st already, at least in Japan, and Final Fantasy XIV has something to contribute to this off-beat day: a Favour system for the game. Allegedly, this system will help players curry favor with NPCs and develop relationships with them because that's not creepy at all. To build an NPC's affection, players will have to perform certain tasks, hand out gifts, and even sport a particular look because that's not demeaning at all. As a player rises in affection, he or she will move to later "phases" and have access to new features (such as minigames) and interactions with the NPC. So if you've ever wanted to start a relationship with a cute NPC that will result in an over-possessive, jealous lover who will deny you the ability to group with members of the opposite sex, here you go. Because that's not bizarre at all.
The Mog Log: A couple of days in Final Fantasy XIV's patch 2.2
After a couple of weeks of a break from Final Fantasy XIV, I happily patched up and got back into the mix on Thursday evening. Unfortunately, I'm writing this up on Sunday morning, and honestly there's too much for me to have a firm grasp upon the entirety of it after three days. Due to schedule weirdness, I haven't even finished my usual dungeon diving. There's a whole lot to see, and I've been able to get only a top-level overview. That having been said, I've assembled a nice new outfit via Glamours, I've tired the most brand-spanking-new dungeon, I've started in on questing, and I've submitted myself to challenges. I don't think I love this patch quite as much as its predecessor, partly since this one is more heavily focused upon the endgame portion I'm not fond of, but there's still a lot of great stuff buried in there and plenty of elements to love.
FFXIV's Yoshida on the business benefits of the subscription model
Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida recently expounded on the benefits of the subscription model in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. While he acknowledges the popularity of F2P, he also says that it's not necessarily the best choice for every MMO. "With the subscription model, you have that constant flow of revenue. As game developers, creators of games, we want to be able to continue providing the best gameplay experience and sustain that," Yoshida explained. "Of course, the initial subscriber numbers might not be as many as the free-to-play model, but we have that constant stream. We're not thinking just about the business of the moment. We want to think about the long term and being able to have the funding to continue making updates. Some people might be focused on quickly gaining revenue, but you have to think about the long term."
