Final Fantasy XIV Online is due out in 2010

:(

And if it weren't online, we'd all be pissed it was being announced so soon.

I dunno about "all" of us being pissed if it hadn't been online. The second he announced FF14 I was extremely excited to get 2 full Final Fantasy's in a year. That would've been amazing.

Online? I completely missed that. I'm not sure of my feelings about the game having heard you say that...I don't know how I missed them saying it during the conference. I hope it's not a subscription based MMO, because if it is, I'll never play it.

Even if it's not, Sony still pantsed Microsoft by getting exclusivity.

They didn't say it during the conference. The only way to know is to see the subtitle. Maybe they're hoping people don't notice?

Actually most MMO's that gets announced gets canned. So there really aren't many MMO releases, especially on consoles. FFXI had it's moments that were great but overall fell short. Hopefully they can fix the issues the older game had.

They want to set a record for highest number of sequels.

Because the more numbers you have in your series, the cooler you are.

Yup! I agree with you 100%
It's an new story type of single player game.

I'm just thankful for numbers at all. Most (if not all) movies no longer number their sequels. Ten years from now, how will I ever know which Transformers came first?

You'll be able to tell. Just remember the one you watched was the first one, whereas the ones you didn't watch because you saw the first one came later.

Higher the number, bigger their collective penis.

I guess Kelly never played XI, then. FFXI was the only MMO I ever played with a damned solid and interesting story. Not only that, but the expansions all had great stories, too. Heck, even some of the the better side-quest trails were so good that I always accepted it as a numbered FF game.

People can complain all they want, but unless they played XI and got hooked to the missions story, and characters, they will never quite know what made (and honestly still makes) FFXI one of the best MMOs ever made.

Same reason they included games with ATB in a turn based series, or games with real-time combat. Or games that are largely set in Sci-Fi worlds instead of pure high fantasy.

Because FF is a series of games that aren't very well related to each other. Compare FFX2 with FFVI with FFXII. Three widely different games, all of which share the title. This is the FF series biggest strength and weakness; it allows them to experiment with the game instead of following largely the exact same lines of plot and gameplay that other RPG series get themselves stuck in, while retaining their brand power. You might as well ask "hur hur, if it's the FINAL Fantasy how can it have sequels".

FFXI has more than earned its place in the series. It has an incredible story and world that's deeper than most FF games. The story and world keep many elements; Chocobos, Moogles, Giant Crystals. The battle system is different, but they keep it close as well-- TP/Weapon Skills are clearly stand-ins for Limit/Overdrive or whatever other "charge up big attack" move was in your FF of choice. Traditional FF enemies, summons, and characters show up frequently-- everything from Bombs to Bahamut shows up. Not to mention it uses almost the same battle system as FF12, just with control over a single player and no gambits. The music is likewise incredible, although it has been getting worse in the more recent expansions. In a lot of ways, it is the most 'Final Fantasy'y FF game.

I think making an arbitrary distinction between online and offline is just as inappropriate as saying it's not Final Fantasy because it doesn't have Cloud in it. You misunderstand how the series is, and discredit games that are perfectly good. Not to mention, notice how these games have "ONLINE" as a subtitle. It's perfectly possible that, one day, they will be released as offline games. They have more than enough world and story to justify it, it would just require an altered battle system. The way SE looks at them is very well as part of the main series, and not a spin off, so it would be inappropriate to label them as spinoffs.

It'll come to PC, FFXI started out as a PS2 only release in Japan and a PC and PS2 release in North America.

...no it doesn't, Mike.

I guess that`s the point, with MS always pushing Xbox LIVE and how great all the things are there while Sony is getting now the first MMORPG for next gen consoles.

@ Cidi

Wouldn't FFXI be the first "next-gen" MMORPG?

Nothing at all. It's been years since the launch of the first one, and consoles and online services have changed pretty much since those dark online days. WoW has come and a new generation of global hardware.

They will know how to play it this time.

The fiasco that was the most successful MMO in the world before WoW and that still has several hundred thousand people paying subscriptions each month?

Yeah, that one.

You mean the biggest MMO played by people who played FFXI? If not, I think SOE and NC Soft would like to talk to say to you.

Also, the fact the people still play the reeking thing is an indictment of those people, not a reason for the rest of us to play its misbegotten sequel. The thing was torture, even by the standards of the EQ/UO era.

Oh. Carry on, then.

FFXI is the only MMO thus far that has given me what I can only correlate to "Battered Wife Syndrome" - that game beat me down at every turn, and yet I stayed faithful. I would make excuses for it, saying that it only de-leveled me because it loves me and wants me to fight that much harder to earn its rewards.

I was a sick, sick person back then. Still am, I guess...

Come to me, FFXIV! I await you!

I'm pretty sure the game is going to suck it, then.

lol ^^

Damn ffxi crack :(

if you go back your a brave man.these days i cant pay monthly fee for a game. maybe theyll adopt a micro transaction model for this game.

Even if it wasn't an mmo, you still wouldn't buy one. We don't need that kind of BS, so cut it.

Sony has all the games a true gamer needs, crawl back to your cave.

@ Ashitaka

Except that I would. Final Fantasy is easily one of my favorite series in gaming, and would definitely be a system seller. For me. The only reason I don't have one is there's not quite enough exclusives I personally want to warrant the purchase in this economy. A Price drop would have sold me as well.

And I plan on getting a PS3 sooner or later anyways. I'm finding Valkyria Chronicles hard to resist.

Wow, I love all this tripe about what is a "true" gamer. So far, everyone who's using that term are only people who feel the need to validate their console purchase because they're really insecure about the perceived tenuous position of said console. Grow up. Anyone who plays games is a "true" gamer, be it Halo, Layton, COD, or Cooking Mama.

@Zerokku

What system do you have then? As PS3 has the most exclusives. So I don't see how it doesn't "have enough"?

Can you name 35 MS exclusives for 2009? Cause that's how many PS3 has.

You guys are fools, there is a difference between "Exclusives" and exclusives that people actually want to play. Just because Sony may be getting a couple more exclusive games than Microsoft doesn't mean anything if none of them are games I want to play.

@ DigitalTwisted

Wii/360/DS/PSP

It's like CTC said, there's a difference between the exclusives, and exclusives I actually want to play. I'm an avid RPG fan. The 360 has Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect, Tales of Vesparia, Last Remnant, Star Ocean 4, to name a few off the top of my head that the ps3 doesn't have. (Yes the PS3 is getting vesparia, but that was announced quite some time back and there's been no word since, not to mention it may not even hit the states and may just be for the PS3 in japan) The PS3 has Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3 in terms of RPG's that interest me.

Will I pick up a PS3 eventually? Of course/ I'm just saying there's not quite enough to warrant me making such a large purchase in this economy.