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A Realm Reborn may be the subtitle to the completely re-done version of Final Fantasy XIV, but looking at the new logo you'd be more inclined to think it was the other way around. It's an apt name for what is now being revealed as a complete overhaul of a game which was criticized in just about every way imaginable when it first came out last year.

The branding is just the beginning of what's new about this incarnation of the game. Originally referred to as Version 2.0, A Realm Reborn isn't just an update of the existing FFXIV (though Square Enix has also been busy working in that regard as well); the game has been entirely rebuilt from the ground up with an intended winter release. While it certainly reflects a willingness on Square Enix's part to listen to their fans and admit their mistakes, it remains as yet unclear what and how much will be different.

Naoki Yoshida, producer and director of the project, went on to add in a press release that "this new title not only becomes a symbol of a completely new Final Fantasy XIV, but also marks the beginning of a new stage as the latest title in the Final Fantasy series." Now, I'm not sure whether Yoshida's original comments were this foggy or if ambiguity was added in the process of translation, but depending on how you read it the second half of this statement could be either an exercise in redundancy or - a bit frighteningly given the absolute mess surrounding SE's most recent foray into online gaming - a comment on the direction of future titles in the Final Fantasy series.

Source: Kotaku

Quote (Death Penalty @ 26th July 2012 10:03)

Naoki Yoshida, producer and director of the project,

Was Naoki always the producer/director? I remember hearing something about how they replaced all of the leads on the project after the poor reception in order to try and get some renewed interest. I tried to look this up myself but the history around this game is such a godawful mess

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"We're not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting... fighting was the only thing I was ever good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in." - Frank Yeager (a.k.a. Grey Fox)

Quote (FallingHeart @ 26th July 2012 20:14)

...the history around this game is such a godawful mess

I second that, but would also like to add that "godawful mess" seems to fit the state of SE for the last few FF titles, and in general. I dunno how much longer they're planning on trying to make Final Fantasy, but I really sort of think the series might need a final Final Fantasy, and unless whatever's around the corner for them somehow manages to change my mind, the sooner the better.

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If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

Quote (FallingHeart @ 26th July 2012 20:14)

I tried to look this up myself but the history around this game is such a godawful mess

You said it. That's why this complete rebuilding business is such a double-edged sword. They're telling everyone that they're putting a lot of effort into this, they're going to correct it, etc. If they pull it off, then that'll be great for them. If not, though, it's going to be even worse: not only will they have spent all this time and money on totally reworking the project, but they also won't have any excuses to make. It's definitely a gamble, especially considering that they're working against a whole current of bias by now.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Final Fantasy 11 never took off because of it's hard as nails gameplay. On the other hand FF11 has a dedicate following not small enough but do not get me wrong it's not big enough to make real money.

Final Fantasy 14 they claimed it would be different they claimed it would not be like Final Fantasy 11 but it was and it failed.

I wonder if they have really learned their lesson? If they asked customers who like FF11 and had them BETA test it there will be a problem.

Quote (His Shadow @ 9th September 2012 17:48)

Final Fantasy 11 never took off because of it's hard as nails gameplay. On the other hand FF11 has a dedicate following not small enough but do not get me wrong it's not big enough to make real money.

Final Fantasy 14 they claimed it would be different they claimed it would not be like Final Fantasy 11 but it was and it failed.

I wonder if they have really learned their lesson? If they asked customers who like FF11 and had them BETA test it there will be a problem.

Well, to be fair (and this has all been mentioned in some other thread or another), it's a very difficult lesson to learn if you're a company which has always been invested in the standard RPG. Making a game in a different genre can be difficult if a company specializes in one rather than the other; there are all sorts of gameplay and atmospheric differences that need to be taken into account. But an MMO is a completely different ballgame. SE has no solid experience in the area, and as a result it's easy to see why they aren't getting things right. I think it may be a bit more strategic of them to recognize where their strengths are at - or at least the areas where they have no experience - and build games accordingly.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!