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34 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn will launch this summer
By Tracey Lien on May 01, 2013 05.01.13
Square Enix will launch Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn — a massively-multiplayer online game set in the Final Fantasy universe — this summer on Windows PC and PlayStation 3, the company announced today. Final Fantasy 14 was officially closed in November 2012 in preparation for its relaunch in the form of A Realm Reborn. The reboot was ordered after the original Final Fantasy 14 MMO failed to attract and retain an audience. The game went into beta for the PC this February and will enter its third phase of closed beta testing in June. The third phase of beta testing will also introduce PlayStation 3 users to A Realm Reborn for the first time. The game will launch on both Windows PC and PlayStation 3 with cross-platform functionality. Those interested in becoming beta testers can...
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4 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn to add more beta testers and gamepad support in April
By Jenna Pitcher on Mar 21, 2013 03.21.13
The beta for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, the overhaul of massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy 14, will recruit more beta testers and add gamepad support in early April when phase two of the beta test begins, according to a post on the game's official forum by developer Naoki Yoshida. Phase two of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn's beta will focus on gamepad support testing so there will be no major content additions. Phase one involved 100,000 testers and through testing were able to pinpoint some server issues that weren't apparent in the alpha. The team were also able to catch Full Active Time Events-related (FATE) performance issues and fix server load problems in the starting zones. The guildheist system, originally known as the behest system in the...
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9 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14 will include magitek armor first introduced in Final Fantasy 6
By Dave Tach on Mar 15, 2013 03.15.13
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, the upcoming revamped re-release of Final Fantasy 14, will include magitek armor, a mechanical mount that debuted in Final Fantasy 6, according to a post on the game's official website. While visiting the design section at the developer, poster Fernehalwes snapped a few off-screen pictures of the humanoid contraptions at work in the game. You can check out a few small pics of the magitek armor as seen in Final Fantasy 14, as well as a Final Fantasy-inspired rewrite of Ice Ice Baby at the game's official blog. For more on Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, you can watch a recent video from the developers in which they describe how players will control their characters in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
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8 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn official benchmark test released ahead of games launch
By Jenna Pitcher on Feb 21, 2013 02.21.13
Square Enix released an official Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn benchmark test for gamers to check the performance of their machines ahead of the games release. The company highly recommends gamers to test the performance of their machines before purchasing the title, as it highlights that some machines may not run the game optimally even if they meet minimum system requirements. Using characters and maps from the game, the benchmark will rate the performance of machines and assign it a score. The latest video for the game titled "Exploration" was released alongside the test and showcases footage captured from the official benchmark. Square Enix is currently working with the manufacturers of AMD CrossFireX and Nvidia SLI to add support for the hardware ahead of the game's...
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2 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn beta set to begin Feb. 25 with new events
By Dave Tach on Feb 15, 2013 02.15.13
The beta for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, a visually upgraded and expanded version of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy 14, will begin on Feb. 25 and include new events, according to a post on the game's official forum by developer Naoki Yoshida. Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn's beta will add new Full Active Time Events. Called FATE events for short, individual players can participate by being in close proximity to the random events, which pop up in non-instanced areas. The game will automatically distribute rewards when they end. The "behest" system, in which NPCs offer monster vanquishing quests, has been renamed the "guildhest" system because of many as of yet undisclosed changes the developer has made. That feature may roll out "later with a...
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7 CommentsSquare Enix teases Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn's Shiva
By Tracey Lien on Jan 23, 2013 01.23.13
Square Enix revealed concept art today of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn's take on one of the most iconic aeons/monsters from the series, Shiva. Having appeared in every main series game as a summon since Final Fantasy 3 through to Final Fantasy 13 (in FF13-2 she took the form of an airship instead of a summon), Shiva returns in A Realm Reborn as an "Ice Queen" who takes on a humanoid female form. She maintains the same willowy, feminine appearance she has had in previous games, and while she may not appear as blue as she does in her previous incarnations, Square Enix says that the images represent works in progress and do not fully represent what will appear in-game. The PC beta for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn begins mid-February.
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5 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn now open for beta applications worldwide
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 07, 2013 01.07.13
Square Enix is now accepting beta applications worldwide Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn on Windows PC and PlayStation 3. Interested players in North America, Europe and Japan can fill out an application at their region-specific website. Players who fulfilled the Legacy Campaign requirements by registering their copy of Final Fantasy 14's original 2010 Version 1.0 before May 31, 2012 are eligible to be beta testers for the Windows PC version. These players can begin in phase 1 of testing, which will start in mid-February. Those who wish to participate in the PlayStation 3 beta must apply for it separately. Players who applied to be beta testers for the PS3 version of Final Fantasy 14 Version 1.0 but were selected to test the PC version will be reconsidered for A Realm Reborn PS3...
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3 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn PC beta begins mid-February, PlayStation 3 beta to follow
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Dec 26, 2012 12.26.12
The beta phase for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn on PC will begin in mid-February, with a beta for its PlayStation 3 version following after two rounds of closed access and debugging, producer and director Naoki Yoshida announced on The Lodestone today. There will be three rounds of closed beta testing and one open round. The first round will last between two and four weeks and will be followed by one to two weeks of debugging. Players will have access to between five and 10 worlds, all races and genders, parts of the main storyline, some sidequests, class-specific quests and certain customization options. The level cap will be 35. Phase one will also begin implementation of the in-game world's time cycle. The second beta phase will last between one and three weeks and will...
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1 CommentSquare Enix LA office hit with layoffs, will not affect online titles
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Dec 16, 2012 12.16.12
Square Enix has laid off several employees in its LA office, senior director of public relations Reilly Brennan confirmed to Massively. Speaking with the publication, Reilly Brennan said that layoffs were for restructuring purposes, although the reshuffling will not affect online games such as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The company has issued the following statement: "In order to ensure it is operating effectively, the Square Enix Los Angeles office has reduced its workforce. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. The decision will not have any impact on the operations of MMO titles. Customers can expect those services to continue, including the upcoming launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn." It is still unclear which...
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0 CommentsFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn fourth alpha test begins Dec. 3
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Nov 30, 2012 11.30.12
The fourth alpha testing phase for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn will begin on Dec. 3 and run until mid-month, and will include a third world to accommodate more testers, producer Naoki Yoshida announced in the latest producer letter for the upcoming MMO. Yoshida also announced that A Realm Reborn will consist of 40 separate areas that can support over 1,000 players at a time, and promised that the game will be "chock-full of Final Fantasy goodness." According to Yoshida, the fourth will be the final alpha test, although developer Square Enix is considering keeping all alpha worlds online until the end of the year. He also shared regional statistics for the game's group of testers: one is six applicants from North America were admitted to the alpha, while one-fourth of Japan's...
