Old is New. New is Old.
Tentonhammer has released an update preview for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI wrote by Ralsu after his several times of visits to Final Fantasy XI.
The details are as below:
Better Late Than Never?
Square Enix doesn't need you to make Final Fantasy XI a success. If you believe everything you read on the internet, Final Fantasy XI (FFXI) has around five hundred thousand subscribers. What's unique about FFXI is that its subscribers are scattered across various platforms and continents with players sharing the same servers. The mixing of myriad demographics creates some interesting interactions for the players and uncommon challenges for the development team. Nevertheless, EnixSquare Enix does want you like Eddie Murphy wants ice cream (Warning: Not safe for work), and everything done to FFXI since launch has proven it. I recently had a chance to tour the latest content updates for FFXI to see these accommodations firsthand.
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But First Some History
While I may consider myself something of a Final Fantasy buff, I can't begin to touch the level of fanaticism displayed by many Japanese fans. Yes, I have played Final Fantasy I, IV-VIII, X-XII, Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2, Mystical Quest and maybe even a couple of the Legends games on the Game Boy. Yes, I have seen some of the anime and the first Final Fantasy movie. Yes, I have a Cloud Strife action figure (And Aerith. And a chocobo.). And maybe I laminated an image of the Sphere Grid from FFX for easy reference. And possibly the License Board from FFXII. But never mind all of that because I have never engaged in Final Fantasy cosplay (see image at right). Whatever geeky level of insanity I may have achieved, there is always a Japanese gamer whose zeal for the franchise tops mine. And that is a problem.
See, the Japanese FFXI gamers at launch tended to be hardcore. They enjoyed the difficulty of the game. The relished in the fact that players could easily become lost and that no one was holding a newbie's hands. They didn't mind that players needed to grind for XP and cash.
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