Letter from the Producer, VI (03/16/2011)

[Grey Jorildyn]

I like both ;x I will definitely be playing Star Wars and FFXIV too provided it doesn't continue to be shit.

I feel the same way.

[Sephiroth]

Thing is Lucavi, FFXIV won't have any rival games on the PS3 so I expect it to be more popular on the PS3 than PC. Not only for that reason but because there isn't a lot of gamers who have a PC capable of running FFXIV but they may have a PS3. I know many who missed the PC launch for that reason. SE really need to re-open talks with MS about getting the game on the 360 too. Make some sacrifices regarding Live if they have to.

On the plus, there's 700k or so PC players who bought FFXIV who must have interest in an FF MMO or they wouldn't have bought it at release. If SE can get the game playing good they might have a chance at getting even 1/3 of those back which is a good chunk because we won't be seeing another FF MMO for what, 7-8 years? Sure a lot went to Rift, but did they go there because they wanted to or because they felt forced due to FFXIV being so crap that they didn't want to play it any more?

It seems there's two main audiences SE have to attract. Those who quit and those who are waiting on PS3. I don't know what their best strategy is but I'm sure they'll have people doing the necessary research and planning to do just that. Once the game is looking good they need to release some new trailers of good content, screenshots and whatever else it takes. Looking back at their original marketing, apart from the pretty CGI trailers it was all a joke. LOL at those videos of people slowly beating at small mobs. But that's the best they had.

I guess I'm wrong about Star Wars not being a competitor based on some posts here, but they just look like completely different games to me. Star Wars doesn't even come across as being an RPG to me, more of an action game. But I don't know what they're doing with it.

[Lucavi]

You don't consider Champions Online to be a rival? Okay. Your ignorance on other games, while admirable, given your love of SE and their products, will not bring subs to SE's table. You have to consider every angle, not simply the fact that SE is releasing it on PS3 and there aren't many MMOs for it atm. Champs Online is doing rather well right now.

[Hyan]

The token Japanese that support anything made by Japan isn't going to be enough - not nearly enough to warrant a new game with millions pumped into it.

I'll be surprised if it isn't enough. Yeah, if the game is bad it won't be enough. If the game is good- why wouldn't they support it? It's this MMO or no MMO, that's how the Japanese mindset seems to work.

Yoshida is such a black sheep in that sense, it's interesting.

[Celeras]

You don't consider Champions Online to be a rival? Okay. Your ignorance on other games

The Ps3 MMO is DC Universe Online, not Champions Online.

[Grey Jorildyn]

I guess I'm wrong about Star Wars not being a competitor based on some posts here, but they just look like completely different games to me. Star Wars doesn't even come across as being an RPG to me, more of an action game. But I don't know what they're doing with it.

And you are correct in this regard, however the MMO genre is unlike any other. When you buy two console games, no biggie, you'll play both, but a MMO has to suck you in for weeks, months, years in order to maximize its profits from you. TOR is an action-MMORPG, and the best one we've seen yet. You don't need to be into just one style of gameplay to enjoy a MMO. There are those out there that have enjoyed both WoW and EVE, as well as those that have enjoyed FFXI and Star Wars Galaxies. It's all about delivery sometimes. High fantasy and Sci-Fi share a good portion of their interest base. On top of that, have you seen the Taral V flashpoint walkthrough from PAX East? Holy crap TOR looks impressive now and for every three people that watched that video, you can probably bet at least one of them is gonna pick it up on launch.

Spoiler: show

Here's that video in case you missed it:

[Kensaki]

That flash-point instance thing really shows TOR is a real competitor maybe even more so than Rift to WoW which is a good thing.

Anyway yeah no other subscription MMO seems to be able to get a foothold in japan. I don't think WoW has even released there? JP PS3 launch is defiantly the most important launch of the game if it succeeds there the game is a success. Which is why SE is smart to put off the launch and use current player base as guinea pigs. If it was an Korean or american MMO it would already have been killed off as unprofitable or went the ftp with mini transactions route.

[Alkar]

FFXIV for PS3 is still in the top ten most anticipated games according to Famitsu. Considering all the bad press it's quite surprising.

[Grey Jorildyn]

No one ever said people were intelligent!

[Aratharn]

That TOR video is impressive.. all I could think of while watching was how awesome FFXIV could be if they had something similar to that..

[Corrderio]

FFXIV for PS3 is still in the top ten most anticipated games according to Famitsu. Considering all the bad press it's quite surprising.

It's Famitsu, what were you expecting?

[Don Katsu]

FFXIV for PS3 is still in the top ten most anticipated games according to Famitsu. Considering all the bad press it's quite surprising.

The PS3 verison of the game is already going to be better at launch than the PC version.

[Grey Jorildyn]

That isn't saying a whole lot...

[Kensaki]

That TOR video is impressive.. all I could think of while watching was how awesome FFXIV could be if they had something similar to that..

Theres nothing in the engine that says they can't do something similar in FFXIV TBH. Have you seen events in FFXIII? They're currently planning their first high-level dungeon for release we can only hope they make something epic.

[Draylo]

oops wrong thread

[Kaylia]

Theres nothing in the engine that says they can't do something similar in FFXIV TBH. Have you seen events in FFXIII? They're currently planning their first high-level dungeon for release we can only hope they make something epic.

Both games might use the same engine, but that doesn't mean they can accomplish the same thing. There is most likely a big layer of code between the basic engine and the actual game.

[Kensaki]

So you're saying white engine can't do triggered events cause they've changed it around compared to FFXIII?

[Gulkeeva]

The TOR video reminds me of wow 5man instance dungeon with laser guns, not saying thats a bad thing but thats what it mostly reminds me of

[Alkar]

It's Famitsu, what were you expecting?

Well Famitsu simply reports what people in Japan like. If you wanna consider bias then every single magazine is guilty... just look at all western magazines trashing japanese games for no reason and giving perfect scores to western games and FPS.
FFXIV has a really good chance to recover with the PS3 version if there's going to be plenty of content and changes by then.

[Lucavi]

FFXIV for PS3 is still in the top ten most anticipated games according to Famitsu. Considering all the bad press it's quite surprising.

Japan is number 1 to the Japanese. I don't even know if they have a U.S. version of Weeboos, but the non-Weeboo population of the States is pretty much the same way about anything that comes from the U.S. Its not surprising at all. Were you expecting something like a shooter to top the charts?