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FFXI Beta bundled with Japanese 360

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A Beta version of Final Fantasy XI for Xbox 360 will be distributed in a limited edition bundle for the console’s Japanese launch on Dec. 10. The bundle includes the 20GB hard drive, a wireless controller, remote control, headset, HD and LAN cables, and one month of Xbox Live Gold. The game was originally released for the PC and PS2 a few years ago, but Square Enix is attempting to broaden their platform support. Seems like a logical move given the development community’s recent grumblings over the PS3 architecture and the fact that this series has been on the 360-friendly PC for a while. The bundle can be yours for ¥39,795 (about $350).
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http://xbox360.joystiq.com/entry/1234000083063367/

Did a search if old am sorry.
 
That's pretty slick. Too bad it isn't a beta for a totally new game, but it's still great for anyone who wants to play FFXI.
 
It's such an odd, really hard to read move. But, ya know, I think it's a great idea. So I'm giving this the thumbs up for business strategy.
 
Amir0x said:
It's such an odd, really hard to read move. But, ya know, I think it's a great idea. So I'm giving this the thumbs up for business strategy.
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Considering how many people were crowding the FFXI booth on the side of the MS one at TGS, I'd say it's a very interesting move for MS.
But still, I find it quite a bit sad that MS has to use a years old game to get a chance in Japan.
 
It's a good but not great move, imo. It's certainly better than not budling anything at all with the 360. DOA4, RR6, NNN and the few other japan launch titles should be enough to get the 360 off to a good start in Japan. Maintaining that momentum will be the challenge.
 
Blimblim said:
Considering how many people were crowding the FFXI booth on the side of the MS one at TGS, I'd say it's a very interesting move for MS.
But still, I find it quite a bit sad that MS has to use a years old game to get a chance in Japan.
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It's just odd for me.

It's like, ok, on the one hand... this is FINAL FANTASY FUCKING ELEVEN bundled with a Microsoft Xbox 360 in Japan. I don't care how old it is, to me that is really freakin' significant.

But on the other hand, like you said... it's a year+ old, a MMORPG, has dated visuals, and is just a BETA period.

I just can't help thinking that, ya know, isn't this technically the first system ever to launch with a numbered Final Fantasy... and packaged in, to boot? IN JAPAN? This feels pretty big to me, but it's just so hard to read.
 
Amir0x said:
it's a year+ old, a MMORPG, has dated visuals, and is just a BETA period.
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Came out in japan on May 16, 2002. Now while FFXI fans are stupid, I wonder how much of a selling point slightly better graphics will be (in any region). But then Scott tells me that FFXI fans are *really* stupid, so I guess this will push some units.
 
EviLore said:
Came out in japan on May 16, 2002. Now while FFXI fans are stupid, I wonder how much of a selling point slightly better graphics will be (in any region). But then Scott tells me that FFXI fans are *really* stupid, so I guess this will push some units.
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Yeah, I'd imagine there'd definitely be some unit movement due to this, I just can't imagine how many. But, er, what's the word I'm looking for... it seems to really set the tone for the 360, if you can understand that. Microsoft definitely seems to at least understand a little what they must do to start winning the hearts of gamers in that territory, I just don't think they've gone far enough with it yet (or have been unable to?)
 
"Came out in japan on May 16, 2002. Now while FFXI fans are stupid, I wonder how much of a selling point slightly better graphics will be (in any region). But then Scott tells me that FFXI fans are *really* stupid, so I guess this will push some units."
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+slightly better graphics if you were playing the PC version
+vastly better graphics if you were playing the PS2 version
+longer draw distances
+voice chat/video chat whilst playing - no need to type in an all X360 party
+every person at launch is on the beta if they chose to be

Interesting though, i personally would have put the fact that people are possibly getting bored of a game a lot of them have played for 3 years+

I know some people see this as "only FFXI" but hells - for the Xbox that's a bit step in the right direction for Japan.
 
When is FFXII coming out over there? Will that boost or reduce the appeal of FFXI?

Mega moneyhats from MS to Squenix for this - it explains how they got a FF title at all.
 
EviLore said:
Came out in japan on May 16, 2002. Now while FFXI fans are stupid, I wonder how much of a selling point slightly better graphics will be (in any region). But then Scott tells me that FFXI fans are *really* stupid, so I guess this will push some units.
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Oh noes Im stupid.
 
Amir0x said:
It's just odd for me.

It's like, ok, on the one hand... this is FINAL FANTASY FUCKING ELEVEN bundled with a Microsoft Xbox 360 in Japan. I don't care how old it is, to me that is really freakin' significant.

But on the other hand, like you said... it's a year+ old, a MMORPG, has dated visuals, and is just a BETA period.

I just can't help thinking that, ya know, isn't this technically the first system ever to launch with a numbered Final Fantasy... and packaged in, to boot? IN JAPAN? This feels pretty big to me, but it's just so hard to read.
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Yeah I pretty much agree with this. Regardless of how old it is, 360 is shipping with a main numbered FF game in JAPAN. That is pretty fucking huge.
 
No it's really not huge cause FFXI is an old MMO spinoff more than it is a numbered FF regardless of that fact that it is indeed numbered. It doesn't have the appeal of a traditional FF and is pretty much a non factor for anyone but FFXI junkies who would be willing to spend the $350 to play the best version. It's good news for MS who gets Square on board and has been playing that up but realistically any Japanese support for them is good news. It's good for Square cause they get the beta out everyone who buys a 360 and some people who try it may enjoy it and subscribe but I wonder if they'll still have to buy the game. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement but Square's new Playonline title that will be on 360 is much more significant than FFXI in the grand scheme of things.
 
The 360 version is only slightly upgraded from the default PC version but thanks to some proggies, you can adjust the PC version to be the 360 version of the game.
 
Alphonse said:
The 360 version is only slightly upgraded from the default PC version but thanks to some proggies, you can adjust the PC version to be the 360 version of the game.
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As long as you've got a good spec PC, that is ;)
Some of those tools to improve the lighting and stuff are really nice.
 
Voicechat in an MMORPG would be awesome when you're with your friends, but a total disaster when encountering random people.
 
Beta FFXI 360 users to get new type of rare/ex cursed gear for free!
Nin +100 evasion Mages +100mp DD + 100 atk Knight +100 vit

That will get the 24/7 JP FFXI players to buy one.
 
DCharlie said:
+voice chat/video chat whilst playing - no need to type in an all X360 party
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Hmm, is this going to be the first MMORPG to have this?

If so this will be a great test of if it kills MMORPGs, since suddenly all the girl characters will have male voices and the whole escapism aspect is lost when no one's voice matches their character.
 
"Hmm, is this going to be the first MMORPG to have this?"

Lots of big guilds in MMORPGs use Teamspeak/Ventrillo to co-ordinate big battles, etc. Standard inside the game, I think it's the first, though.
 
"If so this will be a great test of if it kills MMORPGs, since suddenly all the girl characters will have male voices and the whole escapism aspect is lost when no one's voice matches their character."
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It's okay Bebpo - use voice masking no one will bust you! :D
 
afaik, voice chat won't be standard in the game... but DCharlie tells me that you can do it over Xbox Live at any time, so you'll have to add party members to your friendlist and do it that way. I don't know if Square Enix will support this, or even find a way to shut it out.
 
If so this will be a great test of if it kills MMORPGs, since suddenly all the girl characters will have male voices and the whole escapism aspect is lost when no one's voice matches their character.
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After doing all those WoW raids with Ventrilo, I can tell you this: it's annoying as fuck.

STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE CAVE MOBS SPAWNING FUCKING MORON STOP NUKING HEAL DAMNIT GET RID OF THAT FUCKING CURSE THEY'RE SPAWNING AGAIN STOP SPAMMING AOE FUCKING TANK HIM HEAL THE FUCKING TANK STAY AWAY FROM THE AOE FUCKING IDIOT USE YOUR POTIONS ROGUES STOP DOING SO MUCH DAMAGE DO MORE DAMAGE DO LESS DAMAGE HEAL MORE HEAL LESS NUKE LESS NUKE MORE USE EXECUTE HE'S ALMOST DEAD OH FUCKING GOD YOU DUMBASS THAT'S WEAK
 
"afaik, voice chat won't be standard in the game... but DCharlie tells me that you can do it over Xbox Live at any time, so you'll have to add party members to your friendlist and do it that way. I don't know if Square Enix will support this, or even find a way to shut it out."
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it would be incredibly lame if they shut it out- the whole point of the XBL2.0 infra is so that it doesn't matter if companies chose not to support in game voice chat, you can still open up communication. Unless i'm totally getting the wrong end of the stick.
 
Voice chat isn't going to be available in-game:
1UP: Will the 360 version support voice-chat? We sure hope not.

HT: No, it won't. The reason being is that we track player abuse through the chat logs, and if we removed the necessity of the chat log, it would be impossible to take action against abusive players.
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Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142462
bitwise said:
can you carry over your account from the PC or PS2 versions I wonder.
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Yes. PlayOnline accounts, and even your registration codes, are universal. If you've played a previous version of the game, you won't have to re-sign-up, or even input your 360 registration codes -- you'd just install the game, download whatever updates, and play.
D3VI0US said:
...I wonder if they'll still have to buy the game.
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I'm going to assume that they will, as it's doubtful that Square Enix will supply retail copies to every beta tester, if every single 360 owner can get in on it. Jokes about how few of those there will actually be, notwithstanding. ;)
D3VI0US said:
It's a mutually beneficial arrangement but Square's new Playonline title that will be on 360 is much more significant than FFXI in the grand scheme of things.
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There's no guarantee that this will spawn into future support. For all we know, this release of the game could flop horribly, or there could end up being some future, unforeseen conflict with using PlayOnline & XBox Live together. You just never know.
Bebpo said:
...and the whole escapism aspect is lost...
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I, for one, wouldn't miss that. :P
Sholmes said:
Man why couldn't they just call it FFOnline and make a normal FF game under FFXI?
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I can't believe people have found this worth complaining about for almost six years now. It's just a name, complain for 15 seconds and get over it already.
 
DCharlie said:
+voice chat/video chat whilst playing - no need to type in an all X360 party
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This is a big minus IMO. The last thing I want is to hear screaming and cursing in my ear all night while I'm trying to play the game... not to mention that it will 'harm' many of the cross gender roleplayers ... though perhaps that may not be a bad thing.
 
DCharlie said:
it would be incredibly lame if they shut it out- the whole point of the XBL2.0 infra is so that it doesn't matter if companies chose not to support in game voice chat, you can still open up communication. Unless i'm totally getting the wrong end of the stick.
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That would be wrong for social reasona and terribly shortsighted for variouys gameplay reasons. One thing I've always wanted to do on a non hackable game set is build a real squad based communications system that could be jammed, distorted by enemies, or even intercepted. Game developers should be responsible for determining what's reasonable for their game - not a provider of technology.
 
"This is a big minus IMO. The last thing I want is to hear screaming and cursing in my ear all night while I'm trying to play the game... not to mention that it will 'harm' many of the cross gender roleplayers ... though perhaps that may not be a bad thing"
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well, surely you would just say "okay, there are 4 people in my party - all X360 - lets open up a chat communication?"

If you think the person is annoying , they'll be annoying with text too! ;)

As you say for your second point - you are right, they must be able to block voice. For instance - R6 hide-and-seek style shooters. You would have to be cut off from the rest.

anyways, I see Voice chat as a very nice extra - plus it's optional, so you can opt out if you don't like it.
 
they're really sweetening the pot for japanese users. i want free ffxi too. and i don't even like mmorpgs. >:(
 
Jonnyram said:
That is only in-game itself.
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That's actually what I meant, heh. I just wanted to post official word on it not being supported in-game (to back up what you said), but I see now that I worded it badly. :\

EDIT: Changed it.
 
I'm going to assume that they will, as it's doubtful that Square Enix will supply retail copies to every beta tester, if every single 360 owner can get in on it. Jokes about how few of those there will actually be, notwithstanding. ;)
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Uh, that's called a "pack-in game". Systems used to always have them. The Japanese X360 will have FFXI. I don't know what the hell they mean by "beta" version, considering the game has been finished for quite some time now. There aren't enough new features in the X360 version to actually need another beta.
 
Neutron Night said:
Uh, that's called a "pack-in game".
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Retail version is being released sometime next year. This is not a pack-in of that, and instead only a beta version.

As for why they need another beta testing phase? That's easy: to test PlayOnline <-> XBox Live compatibility, help squash bugs in the port, etc... It's also possible that "The Treasures of Aht Urhgan" will be included in this beta, as well, giving even more reasoning behind having it.
conker said:
Does anyone even care about FFXI anymore?
Isn't that shit OLD?
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It's getting up there in age, yes, as it's going on 4 years old now. Despite that, the userbase is still quite large (5th most popular MMO, IIRC), and it's only going to increase with the 360 release.
 
Scott said:
It's also possible that "The Treasures of Aht Urhgan" will be included in this beta, as well, giving even more reasoning behind having it.
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I hope they do, but I don't know if I'd have enough time to start from level 1 and get to a good enough level for exploring the expansion during the beta phase... it's going to be weird starting on a blank server, with everyone at scratch, with all the new stuff that's been added over the past 3 years. Fellowship NPCs for the win? :)
 
Amir0x said:
I just can't help thinking that, ya know, isn't this technically the first system ever to launch with a numbered Final Fantasy... and packaged in, to boot? IN JAPAN?
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Wonderswan Color says hi.

(and that did real well.)
 
Neutron Night said:
WTF, are they on crack? This should be a launch game. FFXI isn't just old, it's downright archeological.
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You know what else is old? People saying that it's old. FFS, get over it already. The game hasn't even come out on a console in Europe yet.
 
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