With Memorial Day only a little more than a week away, Square Enix has been busy trying to ensure Final Fantasy XIV becomes the game it was meant to be. With that being said, I give you love from Square Enix!

Battle Reform Blueprint

Letter From The Producer: IX

Also, on May 23'rd all Worlds (servers) will be brought down to impliment patch 1.17b. Check back here for more information on what this patch has in store for us!

Happy hunting everyone! :)

This brand new trailer was released on August 27, 2010, for Final Fantasy XIV in the wake of success at Gamescon 2010. It also features award winning singer, Susan Calloway performing the game's official theme song -- 'Answers'.



"Combine the edginess of Pink with the socially conscious lyrics of U2, wrap that in a voice that gracefully explodes like Sarah McLaughlin, yet soothes the soul like Sarah Barailles, and that would be the START of describing Susan Calloway..."

Be sure to join the discussion on our brand new FFXIV VN Board!

Play Online has announced the winners of the 8th Anniversary Fan Art Contest and two of them are totally edible! One is a lunch box and the other is a three-tiered cake decorated with characters from the game.

"With countless masterpieces submitted, our judges from among the development and operations teams were faced with quite a daunting task in selecting winners. All the winning entries were deemed to be masterful portrayals of the 8th Anniversary theme, captivating the judges with their originality and charm. A much-deserved congratulations to all the winners!"

You can view the winning entries at the Playonline website here.

The June version update is here, marking the arrival of "Vision of Abyssea", the first in the Abyssea series of battle add-ons set to offer epic new challenges to adventurers who would take up arms under the sunless skies of this forbidding realm.

But that's not all! This update will feature the long-awaited lifting of the level cap, accompanied by a host of new weapon skills and job abilities. Adventurers can also venture into the newly unlocked Walk of Echoes and experience the climactic conclusions of the Wings of the Goddess nation quests. There's bound to be something for everyone!

Players are also encouraged to revisit the Vision of Abyssea site, where the latest information on the formidable set of arms known as "Empyrean Weapons" has been revealed.

Visit the Final Fantasy XI official website for the full patch notes.

Here's an awesome trailer for Final Fantasy XIV that's currently being shown at E3!


Final Fantasy XIV E3 Trailer

To celebrate FINAL FANTASY XI reaching its 8th anniversary, Square Enix has announced that a brand new album, "FINAL FANTASY XI 8th Anniversary ~ Memories of Dusk and Dawn", is now available for purchase on iTunes.

The album is filled to the brim with some of the most recognizable songs from Vana'diel. From the soothing sounds of "Ronfaure" that accompanied your first steps outside Kingdom walls to the epic "Awakening" that brings back memories of hard-won battles, there is something for everyone.

Don't miss this perfect opportunity to relive the adventures of yesteryear as you prepare to embark on those of tomorrow!

Click here to view the album on iTunes!

Hey all you FF Fans out there. I’ve got a cool opportunity for fans of XI/XIII and XVI that might be reading our little FF blog here @ IGN. I am looking to fill three volunteer positions to get some regular content and news going.

Final Fantasy XI – I am looking for someone who is currently playing XI actively to write reviews of the bi-monthly version updates as well as an adventure’s log. What is an adventure’s log? Think of it like a mini blog letting the community know about your characters misadventures and happenings!

Final Fantasy XIII – I am working on a beginners guide to Paradigms shift and combat that should be live by the week’s end. If your further in to the game than I (second/third disc on 360) I’d love to collerabate to make the guide perfect. Also accepting general tips/hints about XIII since it just released.

Final Fantasy XIV – This one is a little less specific. Since the game is still in production information is only released a trickle at a time. If you keep up with all of the latest FF 14 news I’d love to hear from you.

All of these positions are volunteer only. I am looking for 1 – 2 submissions per game each week and will take multiple volunteers per game if the chance arrises. If your interested please pop an email to r.langdon86@gmail.com make sure to list your IGN username and desired game for coverage.

Several new screenshots have been released to help hype up the Beta event for Final Fantasy 14. If you didn’t get an invite then this is a great way to get excited. Special thanks to RPGGamer for posting these screens this morning. Visit the source link below for even more great screens.












Source: RPG Gamer

Vanafest was held two weeks ago and a three part add-on scenario for Final Fantasy XI was announced. The official site for the add-on was since launched and we will be bringing you more news on this as it comes about. For now here is the official post from the PlayOnline website.

An announcement was made today at VanaFest 2010 for "Abyssea," an all-new three-part series of battle-oriented add-ons.

A parallel world existing beside Vana'diel, Abyssea is a land fraught with perils and home to savage hordes of heretofore unseen creatures. Ferocious, towering NMs, new-look HNMs-even the garden varieties will confound would-be challengers with their unfamiliar and formidable powers. These and a whole host more await hapless adventurers with open arms and voracious maws.

In Abyssea, concerns such as the over-population of battle areas and the need for large time investments will be a thing of the past. The development team is hard at work creating a world where parties can engage in rewarding battles with powerful foes and collect prized equipment with the least of fuss.

More details are available via the following links:
The Official Abyssea Website

Source: PlayOnline

I’ve got a pair of Video Reviews for FFXIII for everyone this evening. Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting a collection of tips/videos and other FF13 related goodies. Let’s start things off by watching IGN and Gametrailers video reviews.



Gametrailers Video Review






IGN Video Review

Final Fantasy 13 launched yesterday in North America and Europe. To celebrate we’re going to be posting some FF 13 related news and impressions over the next few days. Let’s start things off with a quick round of the major reviews FF 13 has received from the North American press.



IGN Review

"Final Fantasy XIII is a great JRPG and sports a fast-paced, challenging, satisfying battle system. The game also boasts an intricate story, a likeable cast of characters and the best visuals in the series yet (of course).



But hardcore Final Fantasy fans might be disappointed by the game's abandonment of franchise traditions like open worlds, town exploration and complex mini-games. The game is still worth buying, but it doesn't quite feel as complete as its well-loved predecessors.

1Up Review

"I honestly didn't expect to enjoy FFXIII much, being a fan of RPGs with intricate systems and lots of freedom to explore, but it eventually won me over by focusing on a few core features and doing them incredibly well. It's not without its shortcomings; the first half of the game suffocates from its glacial pace and constrained game mechanics. The plot is awfully trite, too. FFXIII builds steam as it advances, though; it may well be the first Final Fantasy that actually gets better the longer you play rather than fizzling out in an aimless mess around 2/3 of the way through."

Kotaku Impressions

"One way to sum up Final Fantasy XIII is that it is a Horse-With-Blinders-On Simulation. It's about progress, and moving forward. It's not without a little bit of kleptomania, however, as sometimes there are little offshoots from the main path. Usually, you can see these offshoots coming a half a mile away, and, thanks to the mini-map's super-GPS level of readability, you can also see that the offshoots do, in fact, end after a distance of about ten game-world feet."

A massive FFXIII announcement was rumored for Friday and it is has finally come. The North American release date for FFXIII has been revealed as March 9th 2010. So make sure to mark off your calendars and have your pre-order slips ready because we’re only a few months away from launch. The release date announcement came with a new trailer which you can watch below.

The November major version update, starring the third and final add-on scenario, "A Shantotto Ascension—The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born," is now available for your downloading pleasure! With compelling new Wings of the Goddess quests, more heart-pounding action with the Moblin Maze Mongers, a host of job adjustments, and throngs of game-enhancing tweaks across the board, there is bound to be something for adventurers of all stripes!

Drool over the details here.

Source: PlayOnline

The fast-approaching major version update will usher in auspicious adjustments spanning a wide range of in-game elements. Today, it is our pleasure to introduce the changes that are scheduled for the Chocobo Circuit, the fishing quest "Inside the Belly," and more!

Read on for the details.

Source: PlayOnline

We're pleased to announce a new system that promises to offer adventurers unprecedented customization options for their equipment! Named the "Evolith" system for the curious stones whose powers must be harnessed to reap the benefits, it will be introduced in a version update coming as early as late November.

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