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In the last several years, there's been an evolution in RPG games that has seen some of the oldest concepts of the genre forgotten and treated as bad words. But is this necessarily a good thing? PushStartSelect looks at what's happened to RPGs and why a return to old-school dynamics may be best for the genre.
"Today has seen the kickoff of the New York Comic Con and with that, a ton of news from the gaming world. One franchise in particular has seen a ton of news today and that is the always-popular Final Fantasy series. There has been news on the Playstation 3 version of Final Fantasy 14, a new trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2 and more so check out our full wrap up of Final Fantasy news below!"
Due to the continuous earthquakes occurring in the eastern regions of Japan since Mar. 11, 2011, the power companies in Japan have encouraged everyone to cooperate by conserving as much energy as possible and Square Enix has agreed to take down their game servers for FFXI, FFXIV and PlayOnline for at least 1 week beginning March 3rd 3:00 PST.
"Square Enix’ latest MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, has fared miserably with critics, and for good reasons. Glitches, cumbersome menus, and broken gameplay plagued the game in the beta, and unfortunately remained in the game upon release. Vindictus, which is Nexon’s latest free-to-play MMO, is still in beta, but dare I say it’s better, yes, much better, than Final Fantasy XIV."
"Square-Enix has been on a mediocre game releasing spree, and it’s definitely showing in their stock. One man, who happened to own 1% of the company, sold all of his shares after seeing Final Fantasy XIV’s quality."
Possibly due to the negative reactions and criticism, Square Enix is extending the free trial period for Final Fantasy XIV. Read to get all the details on Ripten.
Recently a slew of incomplete MMO Reviews have been published and our RPG Guru Chad Awkerman of MMO fame came to talk to us about this epidemic briefly before plunging his head back into WoW, Allods Online, Aika, FFXIV, and the like. See what he has to say in this editorial on why You Shouldn't Review an MMO If...
"Sony doesn’t realize that people who play Wii and people who play PS3 are, largely, two different groups, and it’s obvious from their launch flop that Sony is pretty clueless about what niche they fill in the market."
The special in-game item for Final Fantasy XIV that you get from registering Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3) is selling at a high price on auction sites like eBay.
We all know that Japan tends to be a little on the weird side compared to our more conservative Western mindsets. We also know how much they love their video games. Well, when you're a company like Square-Enix, the last thing you apparently want to do is mess around with how Katakana and Kanji are represented unless you enjoy upsetting your Japanese speaking fans.
Square-Enix has replaced some of the words in Final Fantasy XIV that were usually written in Katakana with Kanji. All the Ja...
"Square Enix has a long held reputation for making stunning CGI sequences. The new Final Fantasy XIV TGS trailer more than holds that reputation up. It’s abosolutely stunning!"
Here is an editorial about the first hour to be found in Final Fantasy XIV in a starting town known as Gridania. When playing through this introduction-like start to the MMO RPG it becomes evident that things are very largely focused around story and depth...
""The full cast is back together this week with Andy, David, Pat, and Nick talking about games! Games like: Mafia 2, Dead Rising Case Zero, Vanquish Demo, Final Fantasy 14, and Kane & Lynch 2.
We will also answer an e-mail question, chat about the movies Scott Pilgrim and Inception. Also, just because we can, we will talk about dreams. What do they mean?""
September marks the beginning of an onslaught of big new blockbuster releases for the fall season. Here are the top ten upcoming games to look forward to for this month.
The Final Fantasy XIV Open Beta has been delayed and will not be available until a future undisclosed date. Here is a news report revealing the official statement.
"The Kill Kast is back again with Episode 15 where Rebecca, Dana, and Eric get together to discuss some new ways critics are reviewing games and much more. We chat about some games we’ve been playing, which includes Burn Zombie Burn!, Scott Pilgrim, Sam and Max, Dragon Age Awakenings and Mafia 2. We also spend a good amount of time talking about Final Fantasy 14 and its flaws along with other MMO’s. Finally we get into our main topic where we discuss the new ways in which critics are presenti..."
This is an editorial both clarifying and dignifying the fatigue system which has caught much debate and heat for the Final Fantasy XIV (14) Online MMO-RPG title from Square Enix for PlayStation 3 and PC heading to release in 2011 and September 2010 respectively.
The FFXIV producer and development team just stated yesterday that the PS3 version of the game will be delayed to 2011, stating that the cause is the PS3 memory restrictions.
The game is set to be released as it was promised in the PC, no delay has been announced yet due to the unlimited memory space.
"Tell us about the “fatigue” and “dormancy” systems please.
We wanted to introduce a system to reward players who don’t have a lot of time to play. Maybe it looks as though we are placing long playing users at a disadvantage, but the idea is really to let play for short periods be viable.
Won’t that cause some concern amongst players who play for longer?
We want these players to try different classes. If you change class the fatigue doesn’t affect you, so you could try non..."
Amazon has revealed the top 10 best-selling games on their website for the month of July. Also listed are individualized charts for the Nintendo Wii, PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in addition to the top 25 best-selling overall video game related products (hardware, software and accessories) for the month.
"5. Need for Speed (NFS)-
The Need for Speed series has sold over 80 million copies. Those are some staggering numbers and if you’ve ever played the games in this series, you’ll see why they are so popular. There is something in the NFS series that just captures the interest of nearly anyone. You can pimp out your car however you choose and then drive it at incredible speeds and crash it if you feel like it for no apparent reason and with no worry about getting hurt or the money that will b..."
"We previously reported that Microsoft's "closed environment" for Xbox LIVE was keeping the MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV Online, from making it to the Xbox 360. However, there is still a faint glimmer of hope for those hoping to see the online game from Square Enix expand beyond the PC and PS3."
Square-Enix announced some interesting information on their upcoming MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV today. Included are details on the PC release date, an early-access collector's edition, as well as an unfortunate (though not entirely unexpected) delay for the PS3 version of the game.
"Xbox LIVE's troubles with MMO games continue as Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy XIV will not come the Xbox 360 online service. The reason cited is the "closed environment" that Xbox LIVE operates under in comparison to the PS3 and Windows PC."
"E3 2010 means more Final Fantasy XIV screenshots than any one person can handle. Square-Enix is offering a look at the character creator, the battle system, and everything in between in the screenshots below."
"Square Enix has revealed new screenshots and a fact sheet for Final Fantasy XIV, the latest Final Fantasy game and the second MMORPG of the series.
Scheduled to release in 2010 on PC and PS3, Final Fantasy XIV is being produced by Hiromichi Tanaka, directed by Nobuaki Komoto, with music from Nobuo Uematsu."
Square Enix's E3 2010 website is up, with the publisher's lineup for next week's show accompanying a press release
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3/360/PC)
Dungeon Siege 3 (PS3/360/PC)
Final Fantasy XIV (PS3/PC)
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (NDS)
Front Mission Evolved (PS3/360/PC)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (PS3/360/PC)
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (NDS)
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (PSN/XBLA/PC)
The 3rd Birthday (PSP)
The Tales of Bear...
"Limsa Lominsa is located on the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand. The city-state is is highly centered around marine life and that's reflected in its look, its layout, and its guilds."
Square Enix states that one of their key factors to growing substantially in the next fiscal year is to “create new AAA brands” in order to maintain IP strength.
"Joystick: We did a few special things on twitter
FoxyKazoo: yeah, i saw the retweet for Xbox points, i did not win
Joystick: yeah, and WrathChild attempted to win, she tried to finagle her way in, we had to tell her she couldn't do that. So I do wish to formally apologize for last week. It was a little rude of me, and in case some of you are wondering what it is that I did, the one thing that I am apologizing for, not everything am I apologizing for, but the one thing. I apologize for makin..."
"Final Fantasy is one of the most famous franchises in gaming history and for good reason. The gameplay has evolved over the years and pleased gamers on everything from the original NES to the WonderSwan and still entrances gamers on the PS3 and 360. But there's another appeal factor about this series."
The soundtrack for Final Fantasy XIV Online, which is being composed by Nobou Uematsu, has apparently been ripped from the alpha client and leaked online.
Square Enix has revealed the system requirements for the alpha version of Final Fantasy XIV Online on the PC, which is slated to launch later this year.
I had the pleasure of recording a podcast with three Final Fantasy enthusiasts. I did not talk and they spoke on everything within the series. See the description. download through iTunes, though Zune, or download the mp3 directly
It has been reported that a top human resources employee at Square Enix posted on a personal blog (that has since been taken down) that FFXI will terminate in order to make way for Final Fantasy XIV.
Attached is the supposed posting which says, “I think some amongst you will know, but FF11 started in 2002 … Well, this year it’ll end and the stage will shift to FF14.”
Sqaure Enix have released a bunch of new screenshots of Final Fantasy XIV which look absolutely gorgeous. The first few seem to be stills from CG cutscenes but the rest are all supposedly in-game screens. The environments in particular are extremely detailed. The screens also provide the first look at the airships that will appear.
"Square Enix is opening the floodgates to Eorzea by taking beta tester applications for Final Fantasy XIV.
Want in? You need to be at least 18, have a Square Enix ID account, be prepared to submit bug reports, and have an Internet connection. You probably have that last one covered. Testers will be selected based on the “content of their application” and several rounds of eager fans will get to break try Final Fantasy XIV early."
Next week's Shonen Jump magazine has revealed a batch of brand new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots, including the fist glimpse of Hope's summon Alexander (it's been a while since we last saw him!) and the new and improved Chocobos.
The magazine also revealed that Final Fantasy XIII will come with beta access to Final Fantasy XIV. Unfortunately, this is a Japan-only dealie.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"The Four Light Warriors: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)*
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (PSP)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)*
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)*
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (PSP)*
Front Mission Evolved (PS3 / Xbox 360)*
Dragon Quest IX (DS)
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (WiiWare)
Final Fantasy XIV (PS3 / PC)
Final Fantasy XI: Vandiel Collection 2 (PS2 / Xbox 360 / PC)
Lord of Vermillion II (Arcade)
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road II ..."
"Ongoing discussions with Microsoft about how Final Fantasy XIV is to work with Xbox Live are partly to blame for the lack of announced 360 version, producer Hiromichi Tanaka told VG247 at GamesCom today.
“FFXI for 360; at that point PS2 didn’t have a hard disc [and] that was really difficult for us, but Xbox 360 had that from the beginning, so that really helped us. We managed to smoothly move onto 360 from the Windows version, so that was very good to us,” said the developer.
“However,..."
New footage has been released showing off gameplay of Final Fantasy 14. It's a short video, with only about a minute's worth a footage of a character fighting giant chicken-like monsters, but atleast we get a glimpse of what combat will be like.
Back at E3 2009, Jack Tretton announced Final Fantasy 14 would be a PS3 exclusive. It turns out, this isn't entirely true. Final Fantasy 14 will be a times exclusive for the PS3, and it may or may not come to the Xbox 360.
Producer Hiromichi Tanaka from Square Enix had this to say:
“During the press conference, the ‘launch timing’ words were cut out of the comments, so the launch timing is going to be exclusive to PlayStation 3 as a console.
That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to ...
Thanks to a playable demo at this year's GamesCom 2009, Gametrailers were able to get the first ever gameplay footage of Final Fantasy XIV...
GC 09: Lalafell Gameplay
GC 09: Character Animations
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIV forum
"Announced at the Sony Pre-E3 Press Conference back in June and regularly grabbing headlines since, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Square Enix’s latest exploration of the Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) genre is certainly at the forefront of a lot of gamers’ minds. Earlier this week, details on the revised Job System and the world in which the game was set were revealed, but today the hype machine has stepped-up a notch."
Square Enix reveals 29 new screenshots, character renders and a lot of beautiful scenery of their new world of the upcoming MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV.
The first screenshots and concept of Final Fantasy XIV have been released revealing details on the transportation network as well as on the major city-states of the world.
[ Be sure to read more at the Official Final Fantasy XIV Website ]
The September issue of Famitsu magazine has released in Japan an 8-minute-long DVD that reveals a truckload of info on Final Fantasy XIV. From the locations, to the characters, to the job system to the music... this video will keep you up to date with the latest FF game in the series.
Go to the source for more info.
Discuss in the FFXIV forum
Square Enix today announced their lineup for GamesCon taking place from August 19th through to August 23rd. This is the first time Square Enix and Eidos will be showcasing their diverse range of games together.
But what's missing? Well, Dragon Quest IX for one...
Still think the Playstation 3 doesn't have many decent Japanese RPGs? Scrawlfx have put together a list of the upcoming JRPGs, including a summary of each game, the suspected release dates and a "hype meter" to show how hyped each game is. Go to the source for the full list.
Insterested in any of the games on the list? Then check them out in the RPG forums.
"One of the bigger announcements at this years E3 was Sony’s reveal that not only was SquareEnix working on Final Fantasy XIII but that they were also hard at work on Final Fantasy XIV . This came as quite a shock to the gaming populace as for quite some time Square was insistent that Project Rapture would not be a game in the Final Fantasy universe. Yet here we are with Final Fantasy XIV Online. Being a veteran of Final Fantasy XI since the US launch of the game this excited me quite a bit a..."
We are back from half the crew being at E3 to ... talk about E3. James and Perry tell a tale of almost getting killed while in L.A., we hit up the finer points of the three major conferences, talk about the best games, and take a little bit longer than usual to do so. Grab us on iTunes or download the mp3 directly. Enjoy!
E3 has come and gone, and you may think all the big stuff has been said and done. MGS: Rising and FFXIV were announced, motion controls detailed, big name trailers and screenshots by the dozen. But there is a whole lot more which didn't make the headlines. Assassin Creed 2 to have multiplayer, yet another Halo in the works, Force Unleashed 2, Jak and Daxter on PS3? All this and more is reported at the source.
"RatedG4Gamer Writes: There was plently of hype surrounding E3 2009, with numerous reports of the new PSP and a very mysterious teaser showing up on the internet weeks before the show's start hinting at a new Metal Gear Solid game. After weeks of news leaks, the fans were left wondering if Sony had anything to announce that the public didn't know about. After Microsoft's press conference on June 1 announced big exclusive titles such as Halo: Reach & Crackdown 2, Sony's conference became all ..."
"Well Sony and Square sure did slip one in under our noses didn’t they this year. In a year, where a lot of secrets dropped I can personally tell you that this game caught pretty much everyone in the Sony crowd off guard. There were multiple “Whats?” and cuss words yelled and mumbled when Jack Tretton revealed Final Fantasy XIV, and afterwards when he said it would be shipping in 2010."
"Final Fantasy XIV will be released in 2010 as said yesterday at Sony’s E3 conference, and today there are further details courtesy of the Square Enix conference which is still running live. The first topic that came to light was of course, Final Fantasy XIV. The game’s subscription fee is still undecided, but probable unless they decide to follow the micro-transaction path… [more details after the break]"
Square Enix are currently hosting a Final Fantasy XIV Q&A and have revealed that they are currently considering "other hardware" for the MMORPG scheduled to be released next year.
Sony sent a shock all throughout the gaming world at their E3 Media Briefing earlier today, announcing that Final Fantasy XIV would be exclusive to the PS3. The first trailer and screens for the game are here for your viewing pleasure.
The rest of the screenshots are in the source.
Sony dropped a bomb today at E3 2009, and that's the news that Final Fantasy 14 is coming, and it's coming to PS3 exclusively. The footage, though a bit grainy, showed the game already has a combat system in place, as well as voice overs and CGI.
A whooper if I don't say so myself... Square Enix have announced Final Fantasy XIV (14) For the Playstation 3, and went further and stated that it will indeed be exclusive, and will be releasing in 2010.
Do note that the game will be a MMO, similar to Final Fantasy XI.
![Box shot of Final Fantasy XIV Online [North America]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUEMvUm9sZS1QbGF5aW5nL01hc3NpdmVseV9NdWx0aXBsYXllcg==/final_fantasy_xiv_online_frontcover_small_0bDYe2R9KmzIpnB.jpg)