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Final Fantasy XIV: M-M-O-Snap

By Heath | June 8, 2009 at 1:48 am

If you use the internet, which RPG Land is sometimes a part of, you’ve probably heard about the E3 announcement of Final Fantasy XIV. If you haven’t, the official website of the soon forthcoming MMORPG is available, in several languages, right here.

But let’s turn our attention to more important matters: the tide and current of the interscape. Announcements like this tend to make waves on the information superseas. Here’s a sampling of what fans like you, and unlike you, are saying.
NeoGAF members, as with most communities, had mixed reactions, including MobiousPidgeon, who seems to forget the financial success of Final Fantasy XI Online, when he says, “online? lol good luck with that.”

User centracore, on the other hand, is already sold on this MMO after hearing and seeing the very, very few details and media bits that have thus far been released, as he declares, “Day one for me, no question about it.”

FraGNeMeSiS, seeing the similarity in art direction (as it’s done by the same person), notes the obvious, “This looks like FFXI-2, really.”
I should add that while the art and atmosphere are similar, as of yet we know very little about the gameplay.

Pein rounds out our sampling of the GAF replies when he expresses his discontent thus: “Eat sh*t, Square.”

Ken Masters from the RPG Dreamers forums won’t be playing this one. He says, “As long as this remains a key feature in the console releases, ‘FREE,’ meaning after I’ve bought the game, that’s the end of payments. Then if so, I might look this game up, if not… yeah I’d rather play WoW.”
While we don’t know details yet, players should definitely count on a subscription fee, probably in the neighborhood of the common MMORPG figure of $15 a month.

Athrun of the same forum dislikes the game getting a number in the series, and says, “Yeah well when Final Fantasy Tactics doesn’t get a number, you’d think the MMO’s should be treated the same way. I guess numbering them is a way for Square Enix to generate more interest in them than if they had a more fitting title.”

And perhaps he’s right. Who can say for sure, what the hype level would be, if this game were released as its original codename Rapture, or even called Final Fantasy Online II? We’ll never know.

No internet pulse check would be complete without a look at good ol’ GameFAQs, where I’ve found myself both quoted as a well-spoken, insightful columnist and demonized as a cocky, know-nothing asshole.

Personal ancedotes aside, the forum is as bustling as ever, with the classic FAQs petitions springing up all over the place. “Sign here if you if you will only buy if there is no monthly fee,” says one thread title with replies approaching 300. User oO Riot Oo is quick to set things straight, though, as he makes the first reply and says, “You don’t understand how online videogames work, do you kiddo?” Most subsequent replies agree, such as Vegan_This when he adds, “We want a good MMO. We will pay fees for a good one.”

The cooler petition, for sure, is Mooglenator’s “Sign if you want moombas!”

Gan Ning324 makes a good observation and hopes for one specific contrast to Final Fantasy XI. In this thread, the member acknowledges the need for something more solo friendly, but points also towards a need to make more diverse parties possible as well, saying that the game seems to reward “the ideal party” a little too much. MonicasBack seems to have similar feelings, wanting smaller parties to still be effective, “or possibly duoing.”

That’s where we’ll conclude this little look at the internet’s reaction to Final Fantasy XIV having been announced as an MMORPG. Only time will tell how it all goes down with this one.

Topics: Editorials, Final Fantasy XIV, MMORPGLand, Netwaves