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One More Time

Final Fantasy is getting a second MMO incarnation.

By John Gillooly on 4 June, 2009

The concept of a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) sequel stands largely untested. EverQuest II never managed the dizzying heights achieved by its still-running predecessor. However, this was hugely effected by the launch of World of Warcraft (WoW) at the same time, which greatly skews any conclusions to be made.

While Final Fantasy XIV isn’t a direct sequel to the long-running Final Fantasy XI, it certainly taps into a very similar mindset. Announced this week by Square Enix, it is due to launch in 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Windows (and likely Xbox 360 at some point as well). It promises to appeal to a wider range of players than the hardcore, group-focused Final Fantasy XI, bring new gameplay systems and more solo-friendly content.

There aren’t yet a huge number of details about the game. There was a trailer shown off during Sony’s press conference (and embedded below) that is comprised of cinematic and in-game footage. As one expects from a new title bearing the Final Fantasy moniker, it looks gorgeous – the reason Square went with a new game rather than expanding on Final Fantasy XI was to take advantage of the power of the hardware behind the PlayStation 3 and modern PCs. We don’t know how scalable the game will be (PC specs are ‘TBA’), but don’t expect this to be as system-friendly an MMO as titles like WoW are.

Square promises that Final Fantasy XI players will be able to migrate their friends list to the new game, but has quickly squashed any idea that characters can be migrated. This is because the game will feature a different mix of classes, although physical appearance is said to be similar. It will be fascinating to see just how the populations of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy IV turn out. The new casual-friendly focus may well keep away the hardcore players used to multi-hour bossfights and constant grouping, or we may see a wholesale move and race to the new endgame.

Final Fantasy has a pretty massive sentimental pull among gamers, so a more accessible MMO implementation could well rope in a whole new audience for Square Enix. Add to this that pretty much every MMO promised on consoles never quite happens, and the potential for success is huge, if only because Final Fantasy XI proved that Square Enix can manage a multiplatform MMO.