Archive for the ‘Final Fantasy XIV’ Category

MMOG Concepts and Ideas to Dominate in 2011

11 January 2011 | No Comments » | Ronix

I’d like to welcome everyone to 2011. A year I’d officially call “The Year of Hope” for the MMOG industry. We can all attest to what a disappointment 2010 has been for the most part. We’ve seen new releases with a severe lack of content, major intellectual properties turn in to games that don’t do them justice, and were even ‘lucky’ to witness the shortest lived MMOG in history. As such, most gamers will remember 2010 with a sour taste in their mouth, and hope that this year will more than make up for the failures of the past.

2011 sure does promise a lot of new games worthy of our attention…or so it seems at first glance. Perhaps, a few of you have lost all hope for innovation in the industry at this point. No? Then let’s examine some of the concepts that new games aim to either introduce or develop further in the year 2011.

“If everyone is different…are they not the same?” – Philosoraptor

Probably the most noticeable difference is the expansion of the term ‘MMO’ to include games that significantly differ from each other, much as their single-player colleagues do. Judging by existing games like Global Agenda, Need for Speed World and upcoming titles like Firefall, World of Tanks and Tribes Universe, it seems that the ‘MMO’ label can be successfully slapped onto a sandwich, provided that it is eaten by fifty or so gourmands at the same time. Whether this adds more choice to the genre or is just a cheap way to monetize gameplay, which should have accompanied a single-player release, varies largely from game to game. Coupled with a wider acceptance and prevalence of free-to-play projects, this can lead to some interesting combinations. Let’s just hope that these newer titles are examples of quality before quantity, which was a problem of the early F2P genre.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a T-Rex (Ed’s Note: Someone training to be a paleontologist?)

Combat in 2011 is moving towards relying more on action elements and player skill, rather than pure number-crunching we’ve been used to in the ‘good ol’ days.’ Games like Blade and Soul and TERA aim to challenge our agility, precision and situational awareness. For some gamers, this really brings out the issue of player skill, one that has been lacking severely in old-school games. Finally, we get games where gear isn’t the deciding factor and where true winners can carve their own success.

To others, this might be an unwelcome introduction to a genre that previously took a deliberately slower approach to action and was (somewhat) akin to a speedy game of chess, albeit one with unicorns (Charlie!) and spells. With existing projects like Vindictus and DCUO beta, another important issue has been brought up in the fact that some players can’t always handle the physical strain that these games deliver. Thus, whether the newer releases will create a successful blend of both traditional and new combat systems is still up for debate. Continue Reading

Square-Enix Extends FFXIV Trial Period

17 October 2010 | 2 Comments » | Amatera

For subscription-based MMOs, it has always been customary to provide players with a free month upon purchase of the game, but extending that offer is often an early sign of trouble. Sometimes it’s only a few days, perhaps a couple of weeks. We’ve all suffered from the woes of a lag-filled launch, and it’s nice when the developers extend an olive branch to players that feel as though they’ve had their time wasted. But Square-Enix is going a step further, straight up doubling the trial period by adding an extra month for those who register their accounts and characters by October 25th.

Free Trial Extension Details

- Eligibility
Only customers who have registered FINAL FANTASY XIV service account and purchased a character by Oct. 25, 2010 will be eligible for the extension of the free trial period. Customers purchasing their first character after that date will be entitled to the standard 30 day free trial period only.

* Character purchase must be done by 23:59 (GMT) on Oct. 25, 2010 / 00:59 BST on Oct.26, 2010.
* Accounts that have been terminated due to violation of the User Agreement are not eligible.
* If multiple service accounts are registered, all service accounts will be eligible.

- Extended Period
The free trial period will be extended by 30 Days (By combining with the initial free trial period, the total will be 60 days.)

This offer, combined with a patch that dropped the same day and the slip-shod state of the game right now has predictably made some players feel like they’re still participating in the beta. While you can hardly blame them, at least Square-Enix is trying to make things right. But initial reviews, and community discontent, have cast such a dark cloud of the land of Eorzea, it makes you wonder if it’s even possible to clear the skies at this point.

FFXIV Open Beta: Gridania Story, Combat and Gameplay + Thoughts on the Game

22 September 2010 | No Comments » | pixiestixy

By now the die-hard Final Fantasy fans are logging in to servers around the world for their first look at the release version of FFXIV Online. In this final of our videos celebrating the release of Final Fantasy XIV Collectors Edition today, I finally get in some good gameplay. The video picks up at the opening cinematic for Gridania, then I play around with the UI and basic commands a bit before engaging in combat and seeing more pretty cut scenes. Lots of good stuff in this one. After the video, continue onward for my critiques of the game based on what I experienced in the Open Beta.

As promised, now I lay into the game itself. As I previously ranted, the Open Beta seemed to be very poorly organized. I had to jump through so, so many hoops just to get the client installed, patched and running properly that part of me was no longer even interested in playing the game. Another part thought, “After going through all that, this BETTER be good.”

And in some ways, it was. The character creation process itself is quite detailed and allows for some relatively in-depth customization. Of course, your character will still look like the race that you choose, but with many, many options for skin tone, facial expressions, voice, eyes and nose, hair, etc. That part was fun.

And I loved the transition of my character from the version I created in the first and second videos I posted to one appearing so vividly in-game. In the cut scenes, I was especially impressed with the graphics. Even during gameplay, the look of the characters and environments is gorgeous.

The class system also seems really interesting, although I didn’t progress very far, and the questing from what I played through seemed decent. I enjoyed the switch back and forth between gameplay and cut scenes, too, and think that overall I would be a fan of the storyline. But, for me, that wasn’t enough to suck me in. Continue Reading

FFXIV Open Beta: Finalizing Character Creation and Opening Gridania Cinematic

21 September 2010 | No Comments » | pixiestixy

Let’s continue onward with this FFXIV CE pre-release party with another video. This time, I finish up the character creation process, including choosing discipline and class, then choose Gridania for my starting area and catch a very pretty opening cinematic. Enjoy!

FFXIV Open Beta: The Character Creation Process

21 September 2010 | 1 Comment » | pixiestixy

With the Collector’s Edition release of Final Fantasy XIV only hours away, I am happy to bring you a few videos throughout today in celebration of one of the year’s most highly anticipated MMOGs. While I had a rocky start getting onto the Open Beta client, I did finally get a chance to log some game time — and I documented it all.

In this first video for the day, you’ll see my first successful log in to the client and my choices for the aesthetics of my first character creation. For those of you on the fence or still unsure of whether you’ll play the game, perhaps seeing straight-up footage from the Beta will help you decide. Enjoy!

Final Fantasy XIV Collector’s Edition Arrives Tomorrow

21 September 2010 | 1 Comment » | Amatera

Well, at least they give you a book to read through the lengthy installation and patching process...

September 22nd marks the more or less “official” release date for Final Fantasy XIV, but only for those who have purchased or plan to purchase the Collector’s Edition, which offers eight days of play before the rest of us, in addition to the following:

  • BEHIND-THE-SCENES DVD – Get an insider look at the making of FINAL FANTASY XIV with exclusive video content, interviews and more in this special documentary DVD
  • SECURITY TOKEN – A FINAL FANTASY XIV branded Security Token used in addition to your regular password
  • TRAVEL JOURNAL – Record your travels in this beautifully bound journal filled with pages of never-before-seen concept art
  • RIGHT OF PASSAGE – Redeem a voucher to receive your fully personalized right of passage certificate, each stamped with a unique serial number
  • FREE GAMEPLAY – Free gameplay for 30 days
  • BUDDY PASS – Invite a friend to play free for a limited time
  • GAME DISC
  • GAME MANUAL

Hopefully, this means a full eight days and not eight days full of server problems. Of course, compared to the bloody mess of a beta, there should be fewer people around to stress out the servers, with the CE roping off access to VIPs only. But speaking of the beta, is this a club any of us really want access to anymore? I think I’m going to have to pass, myself (all the weird gameplay mechanics just don’t sound fun to deal with), but there still seems to be a decent amount of general interest in XIV, especially from those legacy players who have stuck with its predecessor for so long.

And with some lucky folks already receiving their Collector’s Edition in the mail, that means that at least a few people have elected to pay for it (Gamestop pre-orders were reportedly pretty strong, as well). As I said, I won’t be making the purchase and, to be honest, I’m kind of strapped for the cash anyway, but maybe a couple of my fellow Lore Hounds will pick it up and chime in with some impressions of the final build. And if anyone out there in the audience buys it, please be sure to let us know what you think, as well (though I imagine it’ll have a helluva time competing with Civilization V.

If you don’t want, or can’t afford the CE, the regular version will appear a week later on September 30th.

Lore Hound MMOcast 21: Post PAX Prime Podcast

17 September 2010 | 2 Comments » | LHStaff

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Join iTZKooPA and Amatera for this MMOcast. This week’s topics are:

Now Playing:


News:

Discussion: Mobile applications keeping you tethered to your game of choice on the go, good or bad?

Click the player above to listen, download the podcast, subscribe via RSS, or subscribe on iTunes.

Also, get involved with our podcasts! E-mail us at podcast@lorehound.com or leave us a voicemail using the button below or simply call us on the Lore Line, at (304) 884-LORE. Remember you can follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a Celestial Steed mount, too!

Final Fantasy XIV for PS3 May Support 3D

16 September 2010 | 3 Comments » | Amatera

Oh, god! It's coming right for us!

Oh, ho, ho! I thought I’d get away without having to report any further MMO news tonight, but I was wrong, baby. At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Sony is pushing two main technologies: their brand new Move controller and 3D television entertainment. The company loves their montage trailers and sandwiched smack dab in the middle of the one for the latter — between Minna No Golf (Hot Shots Golf)5 and Metal Gear Solid: Rising — was a new trailer for Final Fantasy XIV.

Now, it should be noted that some of these games (this one included) were cited as “tech demos,” which means that this footage is only an indication of what it might look like if the full game supports it. If this is something Square-Enix is actually planning to implement,  then this may be part of the reason why Final Fantasy XIV was delayed on the console in the first place. While some games, like World of Warcraft, are compatible with NVIDIA’s 3D Vision system, this would be the first time a MMO is being released with the technology in mind. That said, there seem to be no current plans to adapt it for the PC version that’s just about to hit retail, though you could probably use NVIDIA’s setup in lieu of an official patch.

Of course, taking advantage of it depends as much on Square-Enix’s plans as whether or not you’ve bled your wallet dry on a 3D television yet, which few people have. Still, MMOs tend to stick around for a long time, and that means that by the time they come down in price, FFXIV might still be relevant.

Either way, Sony seems to be giving it a nice, hard shove, with most of their platform’s leading games on board (Gran Turismo 5 and Disaster Report 4 will, for sure) and the Playstation 3 itself supporting the technology from the get-go (if you have an older system, it’s already been patched in through the firmware updated). No fuss, no muss, and that means if you’re prepared to wear a pair of polarized glasses for hours on end, you too might one day experience the joy of Moogles in the third dimension.