Fri, Oct 14, 2011 | 09:43 BST

FFXIV PS3 coming Q3 2012, v2.00 confirmed for PC

Square Enix has announced a complete overhaul of Final Fantasy XIV with the introduction of v2.00, as well as penning in a Q3 2012 release window for the PS3 version of the MMO.

As part of V2, the MMO will begin its paid subscription plans, with the game to bill players from the end of November-early December this year. The game has un-billed players since release last September due to a catastrophic launch period which was touched upon recently by the company, basically making it F2P for the past year.

“Between now and release of the new FINAL FANTASY XIV, we will do as much as possible by way of fine-tuning the game and adding new content. Our focus will be on the theme of a story that can only be experienced in the here and now, and the dramatic changes to Eorzea will be incorporated into that storyline,” said producer and director Naoki Yoshida in an open letter.

“Each update will deliver an unprecedented and unrepeatable game experience. For those of you continuing to play, I promise that the release of these updates and the eventual transition to the new FINAL FANTASY XIV will both come smoothly and seamlessly. ”

Before subs begin for the game, accounts who have automatic renewals set have had the option suspended until they wish to turn it back on again.

Square Enix has also announced it’s planning to release the PlayStation 3 version of FFXIV – first announced at E3 2009 – between October-December 2012. Within that period, a second free period will be offered, along with a mandatory switch to a new client for PC users.

“In the ten months since the FINAL FANTASY XIV team’s restructuring, we have put forth the utmost effort into not only improving the game’s existing features, but also creating a concrete plan to outline the game’s new direction,” said Square CEO Yoichi Wada.

“Today, I am pleased to announce we can confidently present that plan to our customers. We fully realize this is but a single step towards our ultimate goal, and that to meet the high standards set in the plan, more time is required. In the meantime, however, we will not waver in our commitment to bringing players exciting and engaging content, even as the game moves through its evolution.”

20 comment-trail-alt Posted in: MMO, PC, PS3, Square Enix
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20 comments

#1

Patrick Garratt
14/10/11, 9:49 am

How bad is FFXIV? Should I try it?

#2

Kaltherz
14/10/11, 10:17 am

I thought about trying it aswell. But mostly because the CE is 15€ @ amazon.de ^_^

#3

Patrick Garratt
14/10/11, 10:20 am

I might give it a waz if they’re going to make an effort. They’ve had some proper bloody horrors with this game.

#4

YoungZer0
14/10/11, 10:22 am

Let it die, SE.

#5

silkvg247
14/10/11, 10:22 am

Unless they’ve overhauled the UI, still not interested.

I dont’ expect to have to navitage through slow, laggy menus in a PC game. I expect to hit a shortcutkey and click. Pretty industry standard.

#6

silkvg247
14/10/11, 10:26 am

@Patrick – I was actually initially impressed with the game and the intro. But the UI is the main killer, it really does feel like a lousy console port which you’re better off playing with a gamepad. A game like that has no place being on the PC, really.

Also, the questing system is shiate. Don’t know if it’s one of the things they are changing but being asked to go to Point A to activate a quest which is timed which then directs you to Point B to slap some chickens, then return to point A before the time runs out even though you slapped the chickens in time. It’s just… arrrghh!

And I was already bored of walking long distances to do stuff within 30 minutes of gameplay.

Change the ridiclous quest system and make the UI smooth and PC geared and I would definitely give it another try, but they aren’t really showing me any indication that these are the things they’re changing.

#7

Patrick Garratt
14/10/11, 10:28 am

@6 – Gawd. That doesn’t sound amazing. I’ve been wanting to get into a new MMO on PC for a little while now, but not sure if I can be arsed with that.

#8

silkvg247
14/10/11, 10:31 am

The frustrating thing is it has potential. If only they’d done a bit of research into how a PC MMO should look and feel, it’d be a great game.

Instead they based it on FFXI, with shinier graphics. FFXI had the exact same UI flaws, they were never fixed.

TBH; Since the game is absurdly cheap and free to play right now, no harm in giving it a try if you’re really desperate for an MMO.

Are you going to be trying SW:TOR at all?

#9

Patrick Garratt
14/10/11, 10:46 am

I’ll try TOR, yeah. Mike’s been playing the beta and he reckons it’s brilliant. I’m not a massive Star Wars fan, but I do think it looks cool. Quite looking forward to The Secret World as well.

#10

viralshag
14/10/11, 10:47 am

SWTOOOOOOOOOOOOOR ME UP BABY!

I have a week booked off to lock myself away and play SWTOR. I was running out of time to take holiday and I’m pretty broke so I figured I would have a couple of staycations around game time. Also got a week booked off to play Skyrim.

Suck it, working biatches! 8)

#11

silkvg247
14/10/11, 11:01 am

I’m not a Star Wars fan. Well, when I was little I did love the original films but the new ones are just.. ugh.

Buttt lots of peoples I know are giving it a try, and I hear good things about it, so preordered I have.

If anyone wants a clealy super serious and ultra evil PvE guild, feel free to join mine. Officer ranks for all!

http://www.swtor.com/guilds/220355/fluffy-bunnies

#12

viralshag
14/10/11, 11:13 am

I was momentarily blinded by the evil fluffiness. I would totally join but I’m not sure if you can join more than one guild. Let’s try anyway…

Edit: Me is stoopid. I is Republic… so of course I can’t join.

#13

Hunam
14/10/11, 11:14 am

The new stuff presented for 2.00 look kinda like a proper MMO, with open field areas and an interface that looks like it was made for human use, but the game on offer right now is utterly worthless.

#14

silkvg247
14/10/11, 11:43 am

@13 any screenies of the new interface?

#16

silkvg247
14/10/11, 1:08 pm

Hard to dig out the new UI from those, did find this one though. Looks like they’ve gone for a standard action bar now. If so it’s looking good, so long as it’s setup for keyboard/mouse input of course.

http://images.eurogamer.net/2011/articles//a/1/4/1/0/7/4/6/ss_preview_ffxiv2.jpg.jpg?slideshow=true

Now, I just hope that NPC dialog is also changed and no longer menu based.

#17

silkvg247
14/10/11, 1:16 pm

Been reading up a bit more on 2.0 and you know what, I’ll give it another try once it’s out.

#18

Clupula
14/10/11, 1:28 pm

I just wonder if the PS3 version will still come before Versus XIII.

Anyway, as a PS3 owner, I say they should just skip it if they’re not going F2P. If I wanted to pay a subscription fee, I’d buy a 360.

#19

Hunam
14/10/11, 3:01 pm

It looks like they are changing the mess of corridor based areas (they literally look like a randomly generated grid at the moment) to a more field based approach too, wasn’t sure they’d go that far.

#20

FredEffinChopin
14/10/11, 3:51 pm

For everyone talking about why they won’t go back to it and are naming reasons from back when they first played it:

*whisper*
It’s changed a lot.

Kinda the point of this story, isn’t it? 2.0 is probably going to be even more drastic, but people who are playing the game right now have said that it is already a world away from what it was at launch. I’m not saying the game is awesome now, but it certainly isn’t the game from 12 months ago that you’re still complaining about.

They’ve definitely lost a little bit of my confidence with this initially, but their approach to rectifying the situation is one that I approve of, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for something really solid when they’re finished with it.

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