Final Fantasy XI - Video Games - http://maxpages.com/superguy911/Final_Fantasy

Final Fantasy XI was shown in concept art form and no moving footage was displayed. What was shown were a series of sketches by FFVII, VIII and Parasite Eve artist Tetsuya Nomura, along with a series of renders that displayed a group of FF characters in battle. The battle scene hinted at what FFXI was all about, with numerous characters featuring names floating over their heads. If what was on display is any indication, gameplay will be similar to an Ultima Online or Everquest environment, at least in the sense that multiple gamers can participate in online games at once. Whether they are part of a perpetual environment hasn't been revealed, but it might be hard to maintain a semi-linear storyline that way, which is an integral strength of the Final Fantasy series.

Final Fantasy X is significant since it is the first FF to be released for the PlayStation 2. While FFIX will be available in the summer of 2000, FFX should be ready by spring 2001. This will also be the first FF to be compatible with Square's Play-Online service. You'll be able to check your progress against an online strategy-engine, which will offer helpful suggestions if you have missed some important items for example. It was said during the presentation that Final Fantasy X will be "different from traditional play." If that wasn't enough to sate your appetite for all things FF, the perhaps the announcement that Final Fantasy XI would ship for PlayStation 2 in the summer of 2001, not long after the release of FFX, is sure to cause a commotion. In case you're wondering why exactly Square would release these two games so closely to each other, it's because Final Fantasy XI will be released as a "complete online game." What this means is that, like Ultima Online or Everquest, FF XI will act out its story entirely online. It's currently unknown if FFXI's game-world will be perpetual, meaning life in FFXI will go on even when you're not logged on, or if you can save and stop and have everything restart where it left off. What we do know is that the concept art that Square showed a whole pile of Final Fantasy characters in the midst of an epic battle, and every character had a different name on the top of their heads, indicating who's who and allowing you to keep track of your friends. From the logo Square displayed of FFXI, it said "Final Fantasy XI: Online Another World." While this is a far from confirmed final title, it completely aligns with Square's plan to offer a new level of interactivity to Japanese, and later, Western, gamers.

Again, it's unknown what impact this will have on the United States gaming community and how Square plans to implement this system here, since we're already familiar with what they're bringing to Japan. However, if their sheer effort is any indication, you can be sure, whether it be Sony or Square EA, an online presence will be formed to accommodate the introduction of Final Fantasy to the online world. We'll be here to report it when they do.

At the Square Millenium Conference three new Final Fantasy titles were revealed, with the most hotly-debated one being FFXI. This new addition to the series will steer onto a new path of presenting the game via in an entirely online world. Many are curious if Square can pull off the task of creating a game unlike traditional games by developing a massive multiplayer experience which will entertain gamers while at the same time not deserting what has brought the series its massive fame. Over the past 2 weeks rumors have spread about the game but a few more solid details have been confirmed by Square EA.

Simultaneous Release in the USA and Japan
Utilizes PlayOnline, by Square for the PS2
Monthly or other billing for playing

These are just those that have been confirmed. Other speculations about this title is the ability to "purchase" items, characters, magic, and a plethora of other assets which can aid in your quest. While not confirmed, this seems like a very likely option. As for PlayOnline, which is being developed by Square (as opposed to Sony), this new online network will sport chatrooms and other interactive features, but of course at a cost. The following is what Gaming Age has reported about PlayOnline:

"Square plans to charge a fixed usage fee of about 1,500 [yen] per user. This would exclude any connection charges required. The Company projects that its investment in servers to be about 2,000 [yen] per account. The total costs of running this service for things like servers and call centers are expected to be 2-3 billion [yen] per year."

"Square's development costs should total 2-3 billion [yen] during the startup phase, but will fall quickly soon after as updates become the focus of development. And quite interestingly, Square plans to launch PlayOnline in spring 2001 by marketing a modem simultaneously with the launch of Final Fantasy 10. There was no indication of what type of modem this would be. And finally, Square current plans are for the near-simultaneous launch of an English-language environment along with the Japanese-language environment."

How Square implements a billing cycle, considering many of the gamers are under 18 and thus don't always have access to a credit card, is still up in the air, but that shall hopefully work itself out nicely. The rumored release date is sometime within 2001, perhaps in the months following the summer release of FF the Movie.

Another question still left about PlayOnline is "What about Europe?" Few know that Square has sold MORE games in Europe than in the US, even though they ship fewer titles there. This is an amazing statistic considering that Europe is equivalent in size to the US, but Square only promotes their games to a few select countries.

Final Fantasy Online will keep eager fans posted with more information on FFXI as it becomes available.

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Page Updated Sun Mar 26, 2000 12:32am EST