FFXIV: Mobile (Tencent)

[Bombur]

SE announced today that they licenced FFXIV to Tencent, and they are making a Mobile version of FFXIV. It will be seperate from the main game, and it will start at ARR.

[Anoat]

Considering ARR is essentially a PS3 game it doesn’t seem too difficult for modern smart phones. Not sure what they are trying to accomplish here unless they turn it into a gatcha.

Obligatory “it should have been FFXI Mobile instead!!!” comment.

[Gokulo]

Seeing this first thing in the morning was wild.

I'm in the "this feels unnecessary" camp, but I know SE is still hoping to tap into that lucrative mobile market, even after getting burned so many times.

I wish the trailer showed any gameplay so we could at least see how they're going to port the combat system etc. Instead, I wouldn't even know this wasn't the original game if not for the title and introduction. The only thing that stood out to me is the fact that the party was only shown in AF gear. Wonder if it's just for the cinematic effect or maybe mobile limitations mean you're stuck with that specific look, maybe with more AF added later too

[Madeline]

this company never learns anything

[Takiwaki]

2 years ago I told my old fc members this was happening when they started dumbing everything down in game. They didnt believe me. Ofc this is all be separate from the main game, but it looks close enough that they can just make it playable over mobile. The current combat system is simple enough that it should be super easy to do over mobile if they choose to lol.

[Kaisha]

I have to assume it'll be dumbed down to auto-targeting, dial-a-combos, AoE-on-every-skill to minimize the amount of active crap to hit onscreen, since otherwise if it was going to be a replica of ARR, you can just F2P the actual game up to Stormblood.

[arus2001]

WASD+Keyboard is bad enough with the game's button bloat. Mobile controls would be a fucking worse atrocity without significant class revision. Unironically, making the game turn-based would solve the issue, but "No one wants turn-based anymore!"

[Gokulo]

From their FB:

The game is scheduled for testing in several regions ahead of its initial launch in Mainland China. Adjustments will then be made based on feedback before its planned release for global audiences.

[Anoat]

Yeah they going after the Asian mobile market and the rest of the world is an afterthought. China and Japan and Singapore and South Korea LOVE their mobile games and aren’t as big into consoles and PCs as NA and EU are. This isn’t for us, it’s for them. The fact we are going to get a global release at all is surprising.

[Lucavi]

WOOO!! MOBILE GAMES!!! WOOOO!!!!!

[Takiwaki]

WASD+Keyboard is bad enough with the game's button bloat. Mobile controls would be a fucking worse atrocity without significant class revision. Unironically, making the game turn-based would solve the issue, but "No one wants turn-based anymore!"

So believe it or not but most modern mobile games have full controller and kb support.

[arus2001]

I'm aware, but if you're mandating extra accessories just to make the game playable, you're better off just going with a PC client or a dedicated handheld. I have an 8bitdo controller I snagged after turning my old phone into a giant NES/SNES/Genesis emulator. Even with the phone mount, it's pretty awkward.

tbh I have a similar argument that if you're designing your game around expecting people to have side-button mice or macro keyboards, you're fucking up somewhere. Action controls on touchscreens are otherwise still ass without tactile feedback like button clicks or stick resistance.

[Madeline]

doesn't this company have like

an awful track record with their mobile games closing/failing to meet expectations/losing their playerbase within 2-3 years max?

are they betting on tencent to make that better? lol

[Bombur]

Here is the full interview with Yoshi-P. SE hasn't made an English version of this yet.



Highlights from the interview


- CBU3 is not developing it, so it's not taking away resources, but Yoshi-P is overseeing it and feels he has a lot of say over development. But CBU3 will manage and supervise while live.

- The game will be free to play, but Yoshi-P promises there won't be gatcha, lootboxes, or P2W. The game will be emphasizing long-term player engagement rather than aggressive monetization strategies. Yoshi-P says he was very hard on monetization decisions.

- The mobile version will start with the story from version 2.0 and progress gradually. The rest will be released gradually (3.0-7.0) based on feedback.

- Everything from 2.0 will be in the mobile version at launch. But the job action, battle action, mechanics, and many more will be reformatted to fit mobile devices. Gold Saucer, Chocobo racing, and Triple Triad, will be available on release. Housing will be coming to the game, but don't know if it will be ready for release.

- The service will launch in Asia (China,S.Korea,Japan) first, followed by global expansion after thorough testing and feedback collection.

- The mobile version will be designed for more casual play. So you will be able to play shorter sessions on the go.

- The development team aims to expand FFXIV to more platforms and audiences, ensuring accessibility and enjoyment for diverse play styles.

[Takiwaki]

I'm aware, but if you're mandating extra accessories just to make the game playable, you're better off just going with a PC client or a dedicated handheld. I have an 8bitdo controller I snagged after turning my old phone into a giant NES/SNES/Genesis emulator. Even with the phone mount, it's pretty awkward.

tbh I have a similar argument that if you're designing your game around expecting people to have side-button mice or macro keyboards, you're fucking up somewhere. Action controls on touchscreens are otherwise still ass without tactile feedback like button clicks or stick resistance.

I hear and totally agree, but also have you seen the current generation use a screen to play games? they can use it better than using a controller. In fact some dont even know how to use a controller lol. The fact that there is a huge market for gaming phones with side buttons etc says alot.

I think this is going to be a huge fail from reading that interview.

[Rulke]

All I know is that the memes from this announcement are all on point.

[6souls]

I'm aware, but if you're mandating extra accessories just to make the game playable, you're better off just going with a PC client or a dedicated handheld. I have an 8bitdo controller I snagged after turning my old phone into a giant NES/SNES/Genesis emulator. Even with the phone mount, it's pretty awkward.

tbh I have a similar argument that if you're designing your game around expecting people to have side-button mice or macro keyboards, you're fucking up somewhere. Action controls on touchscreens are otherwise still ass without tactile feedback like button clicks or stick resistance.

The mobile version of Destiny has a not so great UI where the controller support is almost required to play. There is emulator support, but no announced PC version, although in-game tutorials have PC imputs.

[Madeline]

CBU3 shouldn't be supervising or engaging with this at all. They have enough people to keep happy that they already don't do a very good job with at times.

But yeah, this will either never make it west or it'll most likely fail when it does. I say most likely because who knows, kids are glued to phones these days but I imagine they're playing waifu jpeg simulators over an MMO.

Culture wise though this shit will probably be huge in it's initial launch areas or get drowned out because the saturation is real. There's no in between where the game is going to be good or fun to play.

[Bombur]

UI, Class, and Combat Showcase.


Every job has one auto combo, and up to 12ish ability buttons (with potentially more abilities using buttons that are split into 2/3 with a swipe).

[The Stig]

How cute is everything!!!!

I like how it got some stuff we have lost

I also thought SCH had a thunder elemental pet until I saw the WAR "tanking" it in the background