Final Fantasy 14 'Version 2.0' begins charging this year, PS3 version in late 2012

by Alexander Sliwinski on Oct 14th 2011 10:03AM

Square Enix has laid out the plans for Final Fantasy 14 "Version 2.0," with the implementation of subscription fees and an announced launch window for the PS3 version in late 2012 being the most surprising bits.

Final Fantasy 14 Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida said the game's unintended year-long free trial will end between "late November and early December." After that, the publisher is going to rock the MMO space old-school with a subscription-based billing system. Further details about pricing will be sent by email to current registered players at a future date.

Also planning to finally stumble in next holiday is the PS3 version, which is scheduled for release "between October and December of 2012." At the time of the PS3 launch, the publisher plans to begin a "second free trial period."

Following the PS3 launch, the development team plans to rework in-game maps, switch over to a new client and new servers, and provide PC players new software that will be distributed online "free of charge." For those looking to get deep into the changes, Square Enix has provided a full explanation and several PDFs of future plans on its site.

Via: Square Enix Members
Source: Lodestone

Tags: final-fantasy-14, final-fantasy-14-version-2, final-fantasy-xiv, pc, playstation, ps3, square-enix

Reader Comments (54)

So they're going to start charging monthly fees in a month or so but it won't be ready for ps3 and it won't be up to standard/"finished" tlll a year from now?

@Naru now in 3D

I mean, I wish them the best and I'm glad FF14 is getting better and I know they need to start making money on the game, but I'm not going to be paying a monthly fee for it any time soon...

@Naru now in 3D

Looking through the PDFs of their planned changes is pretty cool though. The changes sound pretty ambitious and the concept art is pretty sexy. I want that moogle sword!

I hope they can pull it off and this game will be worth buying someday...

@Naru now in 3D

The whole charging before the changes are implements has me scratching my head... how many people do they think they can con into paying for it.

Umm... no... They should have just gone freemium.

i have a feeling that a lot of people will drop subscription once you have to pay for it. myself included. even with these fixes it is still a pretty bad mmo.

Oh Squeenix, how thoughtful of you, I'm so glad you decided to distribute your new software "free of charge". Really, it's too much.

I honestly forgot about this game :o

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone should bother... even if you're a fan of the series, this "insult to the franchise" feels like salt on an open wound.

@foxhound
If it puts anything in perspective...

I'm a huge FInal Fantasy collector - I have every game released in north America, many from other regions, including Crystal Chronicles titles and other spinoffs... I also have strategy guides, collectibles, store standees...

It is becoming so damn difficult to get motivated to buy anything else this company makes. I played FFIV on my PC for half a day and canceled my subscription... Normally I would buy the FFIV PS3 edition just to have it on my shelf... but I think this is the first FF game I'm going to take a pass on... and that is not a casual decision for me.

@MayorMikeHaggar
Exactly my concern as well. I used to enjoy the hype and fun of FINAL FANTASY games, but after FF11, I just look upon the franchise with disdain and disappointment.

@foxhound At this point I think I'm just not going to buy another FF game until they release Vs. 13. It's been 6 frakking years already.

@foxhound

only replying because I noticed I kept calling FFXIV, FFIV... apparently I have roman dyslexia or something.

@foxhound

Insult to the franchise. lol. The whole franchise is an insult to real gamers. Final Fantasy games are nothing more than pretty stories. It's like reading a nice book. You look and read but you don't really do anything else. The games don't offer any real gameplay.

@IQ Review Real gamers? Oh. You mean 300lb fatties that live in mom's basement and don't play anything but Madden and Call of Duty?

@IQ Review

I'm going to take a wild guess that you're not an avid reader.

@Faceless Troll

If that's what you are then yes. lol I'm a body builder, sorry but everyone that enjoys video games doesn't weigh 300 pounds and live in their moms basement like you do. . Sorry but FF games have and always been for kiddies. If your a 12 and under video gamer I appologize if I hurt your feelings. Final Fantasy is just a waste of time IMO. If you like to watch games instead of playing games then more power to you.

@IQ Review Says the coward that's not brave enough to mention what he considers to be a real game.

@IQ Review
By this logic watching Lord of the Rings also makes you a fatty or 12 year old. Because it's basically the same shit. You play RPGs for that feeling of grandeur you see in movies like LOTR.

@IQ Review

"lol I'm a body builder"

Freaking literlol'd.

Unless 2.0 is still a major overhaul of the game, P2P is not going to be a model that's going to attract a huge amount of customers.

@This Little Man Says His Name Is

Read the design doc. It's a brand new game. Literally.

@Syesta

"Literally". You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Updates to mechanics, no matter how drastic, are not "literally" a new game. Same engine, same graphics, nothing rebuilt and replaced, not "literally" a new game. Almost literally? Arguably.

@(Unverified)
Actually later in the revamp they are replacing the graphics engine. They're redoing all of the maps.

judging from the notes it looks like they're going for a full revamp here, its gonna be like a whole different game visually and aesthetically, the maps are gonna be replaced and the system is gonna be fixed. this game isnt gonna be the same by the time its ready.

personally i think these guys are stupid for wanting to charge something which ppl havent even tried out yet... I bought FFXIV at launch and never made it past the 1st month... Square Enix should think again....

I think they should put 2.0 out and see if it even works before they charge.

@ReadingRambo

Agreed...the timeline says that 2.0 isn't even "ready" until 2013 at best. I fail to see the merit behind charging for an incomplete product.

@Skrewd Looking at the documents, the game's story line and the reasons for the massive change that is 2.0 will be explained in the patches leading up to it. So I guess that's their pull?

Cool to know. I've been playing since the game launched thanks to a free copy and being in the beta. The game really sucked in the beta and after 'launch' with mobs that wouldn't die with zero hp. The game now has more spirit of FFXI which is a very very good thing. It now plays totally different than before and isn't anywhere near bug ridden. The story doesn't really take me far in to the narrative, but I feel it's a manatory breath of fresh air compared to FFXI.

* isn't nearly as bug ridden.

Been waiting for this on the PS3 since I bought it back in Summer 2010 and it has gotten to the point that it's not even worth buying for anymore. I'm really happy for you Square Enix for trying to fix something that shouldn't have been released, but you just screwed up what could of been a good MMO of all time. A GOOD MMO of all time!

there are soo many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to begin, I will just wish SE good luck!

It's times like this i'm glad AreaNet is taking it's time with GW 2, and didn't try to beat Cata or TOR to market.

FF14 was no where near ready for launch when it was released. It's just now finally getting to the point where it seems worth the money, although, i'm not sure it's ready for full fees. I think it should have gone freemium, which would have attracted more people to the game and still made them money.

So they've just sort of given up then?

@404

No, not at all. It's the exact opposite. Supposedly, they're going to spend about two years to essentially make a new game.

If anything, they probably SHOULD just give up instead of trying revive something that already has such a bad rep.

Just cancel the whole game. Nobody even cares about it anymore.

The few times i have logged on to try to like this game, all i see are Japanese players. I am going to agree with Ospov and say toss it.

@Ospov
Here we go again.
The "I-don't-care-so-nobody-else-should-either" obligatory comment.

@pluupy

It's not my fault the game sucked so bad that the vast majority of people who played it hated it.

Yeah so about Versus XIII... is that going to come out before hell freezes over?

@The Joy of Painting w Bob Ross

Just as quick as they actually do everything else that everybody wants.

The list of those things just keeps getting longer...

They've been ridiculously open about the changes being implemented to the game, and I've been (along with keeping track regularly of said changes) looking forward to going back when my schedule doesn't include 40+ hours of schoolwork every week.

But really... this just proves that no matter what, Japanese gaming will stay behind the times. If they used the free-to-play model a lot of games go for, they'd rake in cash and still be able to provide a more worthwhile and modern MMO. I guess I'd better get into it again before I have to pay and see if I can get in with a group of people that make it worth my while (same with FFXI).

@Nobledevil Gaming Optimist
I do enjoy those cashshop item whoring fashionistas every Korean MMO has. Oh wait. I don't.

Oh.. my.. GOD *drools* Glad i stayed with this game over the course of the year cause... FFXIV 2.0... YEA....

AMAZING.

It's always amazing to me how wrong companies can go so quickly. Such idiotic management plagues the industry and then we the gamers are blamed for their problems directly or in round-about ways.

There will be no recovery for FFXIV. They have a better chance of making it freemium and loading up the accounts of everyone they majorly screwed over with credits for all the months they've been with them and then some for the major ass plowing they gave their most loyal of fans (the ones that bought the game sight unseen basically). I know they already credited the accounts but seriously now, what happened was inexcusable and inexplicable.

But, no, the logical thing is to hook up DC and AC power cables to the dead horse. Pour vinegar all over it and send out for a spell to the local warlock hut in hopes of reviving this game.

Must be a nice dream world you live in Square-Enix but let me tell you something, it's in no way as cool as you think it is...

@Mmmmz
...have you played the game?

@pluupy
I have and it's a slap in the face in countless way. A shameless cash-in if there ever was one and I don't use that term loosely. It's great it turned into the exact opposite for them but at the same time they don't seem to have learned a damn thing.

Basically, I have yet to find a reason for the game to even exist. Truly, it doesn't do anything different enough to warrant it over an expansion. They tried new things with a half-assed approach and it shows.

It may very well turn into a better game (and I'm sure it has since I last played) but by then I won't care and so won't most other people. There'll always be a following but people really should wise up and stop taking this kind of crap from SE.

It's almost time for them to announce Final Fantasy XV so we know what we'll be playing in 2016. If they announce a Versus XV we'll have something to look forward to in 2019!

I'm confused about one thing. The PDF says the free trial ends NEXT YEAR in those months, when the PS3 version ships. This would be the wise decision, so I don't think it sounds right.

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Final Fantasy 14

Final Fantasy 14 'Version 2.0' begins charging this year, PS3 version in late 2012

Reader Comments (54)

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:15AM Naru now in 3D said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:18AM Naru now in 3D said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:17AM Naru now in 3D said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 12:24PM SirUrza said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:15AM Gibbeynator said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:23AM afcop said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:25AM Kayonesoft said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:26AM RasenganFury said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:26AM foxhound said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:48AM MayorMikeHaggar said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:07AM foxhound said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:31AM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:45AM MayorMikeHaggar said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 12:35PM IQ Review said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 1:07PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 1:14PM MayorMikeHaggar said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 1:40PM IQ Review said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 1:48PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:42PM Jennacide said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 3:51PM Haizeus said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:27AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:36AM Syesta said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 5:19PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 6:47PM Brandnizzle said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:29AM vask said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:39AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:43AM ReadingRambo said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:58AM Skrewd said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:50PM Caladbolg said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:45AM Draken Stark said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 10:48AM Draken Stark said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:13AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:19AM bghost26 said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:31AM mrantimatter said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:44AM 404 said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 1:35PM killerjuice said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 11:49AM Ospov said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 12:15PM afcop said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 11:11AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 6:17PM Ospov said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 12:10PM The Joy of Painting w Bob Ross said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:49PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:08PM Nobledevil Gaming Optimist said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 11:13AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:12PM SquallRinoa89 said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:26PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 11:11AM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 15th 2011 12:15PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:30PM skullivan said

Posted: Oct 14th 2011 2:47PM Jennacide said

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