GamesRadar - Final Fantasy XI

Details on Final Fantasy XI's new Synergy system (News)

Nov 6, 2009

Massively writes: "In keeping with the extant nature of Final Fantasy XI's crafting, synergy doesn't promise to be simple. A number of reagents and elemental energies are dumped into the pictured "synergy furnace," at which point the entire part must begin carefully modulating and controlling the flow of elements therein. Crystals can be used to help alter the elemental composition, but will not be absolutely necessary from the sound of things. A failed synthesis can cause the whole mess to blow up in your face -- literally -- while success yields both slotted items and "cinders" that can be turned in for equipment to help boost your skill at the craft. There's a lot to digest here, so take a look and get ready for the most mold-breaking crafting yet seen in FFXI."

Final Fantasy XI: A Shantotto Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born - Trailer (Video)

Nov 4, 2009

Online RPG royalty featuring rabbits that will punch you in the nuts 'til you die.

Buy all Final Fantasy XI add-ons and start teleporting (News)

Nov 3, 2009

Massively:

"The last of Final Fantasy XI's add-on scenarios is coming out in just about a week, but that's not all that's coming with it. Players who have purchased all three of the mini-expansions (A Crystalline Prophecy, A Moogle Kupo d'Etat, and A Shantotto Ascension, all of which have small flash sites) will receive a special in-game item following the next version update. The fact that it's a cape may not sound like much, but veteran players would be rather interested in the item's special enchantment: it allows you to teleport."

Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection Revealed (News)

Oct 23, 2009

Square Enix Ltd. has today announced that the entire Final Fantasy XI universe, including all previous expansion packs and add-on scenarios, will be available for the first time ever in one download from 12th November 2009. Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection will be available exclusively as a Windows-based download, including support for Windows 7.

Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection Gets November Release Date (News)

Oct 14, 2009

GamingShogun.com writes: "The Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection will hit retail shelves on November 10th. This edition of the game will feature a low price of $19.99 as well as serve as a collection of EVERY bit of content developed for the game..."

Final Fantasy XI - A Shantotto Ascension: The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born (Video)

Sep 28, 2009

Online RPG royalty featuring rabbits that will punch you in the nuts 'til you die.

Final Fantasy XI Original Silver Dog Tag Available for Pre-Order (News)

Sep 24, 2009

Square Enix Ltd. today announced that the second product in the Final Fantasy XI Players' Collection the Original Silver Dog Tag is now available for pre-order. The Final Fantasy XI Players' Collection is a series of collectible accessories designed exclusively with fans of Final Fantasy XI in mind. Available for a limited time only, and produced in a made-to-order quantity only, the Final Fantasy XI Players' Collection allows players to always keep Vana'diel close to heart no matter where they go.

New Final Fantasy XI Add-On Sneak Peak (News)

Sep 24, 2009

DualShockers Writes:

"This just in from TGS, Square Enix has just revealed a new add on to it's long time running (7 years now) MMORPG Final Fantasy XI. This welcomed addition is coming in the form of "A Shantotto Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born". This will be the third scenario released this year alone. It will be available VIA the PlayOnline viewer. Masato Kato, the same man behind the stories for Final Fantasy XI and it's first expansion was also behind the three add-on scenarios this year. Check out the video below to see the latest sneak peak into this upcoming scenario, while I take the time to realize how old I'm getting now that FFXI has been around for 7 years. (Sigh)"

Final Fantasy XI introduces Buffalo Blitz 2009 (News)

Sep 19, 2009

Final Fantasy XI is hosting a new event soon: Buffalo Blitz 2009.

The event will run from September 25, 1 AM PDT, and end on October 5th, 1 AM PDT. Herds of Wild Buffalo will appear randomly in Ronfaure, Gustaberg, and Sarutabaruta, and must be led to the moogles stationed nearby for a "rich reward."

Final Fantasy XI gets an all-in-one release (News)

Aug 31, 2009

The complete Final Fantasy XI experience is to be made available on one disc over in Japan. "The Final Fantasy XI Vana'diel Collection 2" consists of every Final Fantasy XI expansion released in stores to date in addition to the recently released downloadable expansions, on disc for the first time.

For your 6090 Yen you'll get Final Fantasy XI, Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promanthia, Treasures of Aht Urhgan and Wings of the Goddess. In addition to these original disc-based expansions you'll also get your hands on the three recently released downloadable scenarios, on disc for the first time.

411mania: The Release List for the Week of August 24, 2009 (News)

Aug 26, 2009

411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Cursed Mountain, and Harvest Moon: Magical Melody.

Group of gamers playing entire Final Fantasy series for one whole week, taking donations for charity. (News)

Jul 18, 2009

A group of teenagers from Texas called "The Speed Gamers" are attempting to complete the entire Final Fantasy series in only a week, while taking donations for ACT Today, an organization to help support families affected by Autism.

(From their front page)

TheSpeedGamers have been streaming video game marathons for over a year to raise money for various charities. In total they have raised over $32,000 dollars and played 11 marathons.

TheSpeedGamers are based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, but have members from around the world.

Final Fantasy XI - A Moogle Kupo (Video)

Jul 13, 2009

Online RPG royalty featuring rabbits that will punch you in the nuts 'til you die.

Square Enix Bans Players with a Green Thumb (News)

Jul 9, 2009

If you've got a green thumb, you probably now have a sore thumb thanks to the Square-Enix banhammer. Gardeners across Final Fantasy XI have been complaining on fan forums that they've recently lost their accounts, only now tying the cause of their bans to their gardening activities.

Final Fantasy XI Job Adjustments and Additions (News)

Jul 7, 2009

A host of job adjustments and additions are in the pipes for the upcoming version update, including formidable new abilities for ninjas. Other jobs, too, are scheduled to benefit from myriad adjustments to magic and abilities. In this, the first part in the job adjustment series of articles, Sqauare-Enix cast the spotlight on ninjas, Vana'diel's agents of stealth and deception.

RandomNPC : Presale Date for Next FFXI DLC Revealed (News)

Jul 3, 2009

John "Karlinn" Boske writes "Square Enix has announced that the next mini-expansion for Final Fantasy XI will be available for prepurchase worldwide on Sunday, July 5. Titled A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses, the story apparently focuses on how a single drop of rain in a run-down Mog House spells trouble for Moogles everywhere, or something. You had to know something was up when every level one schmoe in the game got their own personal flying butler, no questions asked."

Final Fantasy XI (Screenshots)

Jun 30, 2009

Square Enix Sued for Deceiving Customers (News)

Jun 25, 2009

Examiner: "A federal class action suit is in progress against Square Enix. Allegedly deceiving 100,000 customers by not being upfront about fees and penalties, Square Enix will now enter court."

July Version Update Scheduled for Final Fantasy XI (News)

Jun 10, 2009

Yes, yes, you're all clamoring about Final Fantasy XIV, but let's get real here people and get to the present. Final Fantasy XI isn't dead yet and it's getting itself a nice version update.

The upcoming version update will bring a new slew of Wings of the Goddess missions as usual, but players will also be able to look forward to seeing brand new areas of past Vana'diel being made available, more job adjustments like what was done with the White Mage, more additions to campaign and Moblin Maze Mongers, and even more that's still being kept secret.

Final Fantasy XI Begins Character Reactivation Service (News)

May 30, 2009

A new service is now available for former players who wish to revive a character deleted longer than the original three-month time limit.

"The Character Reactivation Service offers customers who have deleted their characters an opportunity to adventure through Vana'diel once again with their original characters."

Final Fantasy XI Mog Tablet Quest to be added permanently (News)

May 27, 2009

Final Fantasy XI enthusiasts who've enjoyed the addition of The Mog Tablet Quest to this year's Adventurer Appreciation campaign will be happy to hear that the content is becoming a new game mechanic permanently for all players.

Final Fantasy XI celebrates seven years with their Adventurer Appreciation campaign (News)

May 8, 2009

Massively:

"It's been seven eventful years since chocobos and moogles have invaded MMOs, and Final Fantasy XI is still going strong as they celebrate another anniversary with their player base. Of course, any intrepid adventurer knows what the Adventurer Appreciation holiday is all about. It's not that the moogles come out and give away free items or how they recount many insane statistics to you, like how many times you've talked to NPCs. No, it's not about any of that."

Final Fantasy XI Anniversary Events Schedule (News)

May 8, 2009

Square Enix has unveiled the event schedule for the upcoming seven-year anniversary of its MMO, Final Fantasy XI.

The event runs from 01:00 on 12 May until 01:00 on 25 May PDT. Players will find Moogle NPCs in the selected zones, listed below, who will provide information concerning players' adventures in the game, as well as a large selection of gifts.

FF XI's Community Team Goes On a Podcast Tour (News)

May 6, 2009

The Final Fantasy XI community team members are going on a virtual tour, stopping by each of the major podcasts to answer some questions and get in-depth with what they do on the long running fantasy MMO.

Final Fantasy XI Feast of Swords (News)

Apr 30, 2009

Final Fantasy XI owners want a new sword? Want to go on a quest after a group of bandits? Well the annual feast of swords is here and that's exactly what they plan to give you. With more details here's the full release.

Final Fantasy XI reaches 2 Million active accounts, first growth since 2005 (News)

Apr 24, 2009

Square Enix has announced that their MMORPG Final Fantasy XI has reached 2 million active accounts for the first time since the game launched back in 2004.

Final Fantasy XI micro-expansion released (News)

Apr 20, 2009

Square Enix has revealed that 'A Crystalline Prophecy', the first of three downloadable micro-expansions for their MMO Final Fantasy XI, is now available for purchase and download.

Final Fantasy's April Version Update Is Live (News)

Apr 15, 2009

Sure, the majority of people are clamoring over Patch 3.1 for World of Warcraft today, but you Final Fantasy XI users already received something just as juicy -- the April version update.

For those of you not in the know, the April update launched expansions to many of the current game systems -- such as Moblin Maze Mongers, Fields of Valor, and Campaign -- and also added the ability for players to enchant items via "Item Augmentation." The update also added some nice changes to the White Mage, Red Mage, and Summoner classes, and will be the first of Square-Enix's revisit to all of the classes in FFXI.

Final Fantasy XI Square Enix Security Tokens available April 7 (News)

Apr 6, 2009

News has surfaced on the Square Enix authenticator tokens that keep Final Fantasy XI accounts secure. The company has announced that they will make available their security tokens on Tuesday, April 7th in Japan, North America and Europe. The tokens cost $9.99 and will be available for purchase through the PlayOnline viewer.

Additionally, if you opt to pick up a token, you'll get a special in-game bonus item called "The Mog Satchel" which grants additional inventory space equal to a character's Gobbiebag limit, potentially up to 60 slots.

FF11 Players to pay for Account Security, Bigger Inventory (News)

Apr 1, 2009

In a move that has annoyed and disappointed more than a few fans, Square Enix has decided to make some changes to FF11 including charging users for an all new 'Account Security Key' USB drive that protects players from hackers and account theft.

Extensive white mage changes to be rolled out with Final Fantasy XI's April update (News)

Mar 30, 2009

Massively:

"Play a white mage? You might want to perk your ears up and check out Square-Enix's latest message to the Final Fantasy XI community. It seems that your job is due for a very nice set of upgrades.

The April version update will be adding brand new WHM job abilities and changes to how white magic works in general, including changes to reraise, holy, cure, martyr, banish, and others. All of these changes are based around the WHM's newest two abilities -- Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery. Each of these abilities will be set to a 1 minute reuse timer and last for 2 hours, making them easily switchable depending on your situation. Using one will, of course, overwrite the other. Both of these abilities can't be active at once."

New FFXI Content Out Today (News)

Mar 23, 2009

Head over to the PlayOnline store to grab your copy of "A Crystalline Prophecy", or read more to see what you get for your money.

Square Enix Announces release date of DLC for FFXI (News)

Mar 16, 2009

Quote form Tiltedscreen.com

"Well no one can ever say that Sqaure Enix doesn't support their games. Square Enix announces today the first in a series of three previously announced add-on scenarios for their MMO game, FINAL FANTASY XI, will be available for purchase on 23rd March, 2009. The DLC scenario, titled "A Crystalline Prophecy – Ode of Life Bestowing," will be available exclusively for online purchase through the PlayOnline® Viewer, and will be priced at €9.99 and £7.99 or about $13.00 USD and $11.00 USD."

FFXI 'Crystalline Prophecy' Content Dated (News)

Mar 16, 2009

Square Enix, today announced that the first in a series of three previously announced add-on scenarios for their MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game, FINAL FANTASY XI, will be available for purchase on 23rd March, 2009.

Final Fantasy XI borrows page from WoW, offers authenticators (News)

Mar 12, 2009

Massively:

"With the rampant MMO account hacks that happen every day - and especially the seemingly high numbers that occur in Final Fantasy XI that we've heard about, we're glad to hear that this change is coming. Square Enix has announced that, like Blizzard, they will be offering an account authenticator security token to players, helping to ensure that their accounts are safer in the future from random hacks. There's no immediate information available on the exact cost or when they'll be offering them through PlayOnline beyond "in the near future", but we're sure that players will snap them up. Also, the FFXI variant will also be coming with a special in-game bonus "which may just prove indispensible during your many adventures in Vana'diel!"

New Final Fantasy XI Arrangement Album Announced: Sanctuary (News)

Mar 12, 2009

Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel was an incredibly unique arrangement album, as the Star Onions applied their own unique style to the music from Final Fantasy XI. Many fans considered it a very love/hate album though, as the diversity was so strong; fortunately, we here at Final Fantasy Union absolutely loved the album!

Square Enix Still Workin' On That New MMO (News)

Mar 10, 2009

Talk of the company's post-Final Fantasy XI MMO has been around for years now, but during an address to investors last month, Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada re-affirmed that while Final Fantasy XI was still quite profitable for the company, it couldn't last forever.

Wada: "We are currently developing a post-Final Fantasy XI flagship title."

Future Final Fantasy XI update to expand Fields of Valor, Moblin Maze Mongers (News)

Mar 1, 2009

Square-Enix has informed Final Fantasy XI players that the next big content patch will be delivered in April, and players have much to look forward to. The Fields of Valor and Moblin Maze Mongers systems will be expanding, due to their warm reception at the hands of FFXI players.

Final Fantasy XI Hosts Annual Doll Festival (News)

Feb 26, 2009

The Annual Doll Festival is well under way in Final Fantasy XI, in celebration of all the females that inhabit the world of Vana'Diel.

During this event players may decorate their homes with dolls and 'Bonbori' lanterns, crafted by the Mog House Maintenance Union's artisans.

Square Enix developing three scenario expansions for Final Fantasy XI (News)

Feb 10, 2009

Square Enix is currently developing three downloadable scenario expansions for Final Fantasy XI (PC / Sony PlayStation 2 / Microsoft Xbox 360).

The creation of these three expansions is led by Masato Kato, who created the stories and scenarios for Final Fantasy XI and its first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart.

- A Crystalline Prophecy – Ode of Life Bestowing
- A Moogle Kupo d'Etat – Evil in Small Doses
- A Shantotto Ascension – The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born

MMO Update: Everquest Still Making Money, Warhammer Update, LotRO Swag (News)

Jan 30, 2009

This week Warhammer Online "Gets to tha Choppa" with its first expansion, and Lord of the Rings Online gives you the chance to win some pretty nice swag just by logging in. It's Friday, people, and this is MMO Weekly.

Square Enix Junk Mail Pisses Off Man, Man Files Lawsuit, Man Wins (News)

Jan 27, 2009

Kotaku: "An individual with no connection to Square Enix or Final Fantasy XI (he's never played it supposedly!) was being heavily spammed with FFXI re-registration emails. This individual got annoyed and took legal action.

It's believed that his email address was being used by item dealers to create Japanese PlayOnline accounts to access FFXI. He apparently was getting a ton of these emails because his address was being used to create money trading accounts that were expected to be insta-banned and then re-registered right away for the next batch of trading.

The gentleman then contacted Square Enix to complain and ask for the company to cease contacting him regarding FFXI. Square Enix, however, refused, claiming that it was impossible to stop sending these emails to just his email address. Instead of just giving up (and blocking this spam?), he took Square Enix to court.

In early 2007, he filed a lawsuit in small claims court - and lost. He didn't stop there, but appealed to a district court and won."

Final Fantasy XI Online bans hundreds of players (News)

Jan 25, 2009

Via QJ.net: "Bannination is at hand in the land of Final Fantasy XI Online, people! According to a news bulletin posted at the game's official site, an issue allowing players to create multiple items for particular treasures and rewards by exploiting the game system in areas like Salvage and Assault were discovered on November of last year by the team."

FFXI: EULA Enforcement & You (News)

Jan 7, 2009

The Final Fantasy XI official site at PlayOnline.com has a new article focusing on the developers' enforcement of the EULA, particularly with regard to Real Money Transactions (RMT). The piece outlines the past year's work by the Special Task Force.

Official Final Fantasy XI site offers preview of December Update (News)

Dec 10, 2008

Massively: Every few months the Final Fantasy XI drops a massive update to the game, and we're due for another one of those later this month. The December Update is going to see updates and tweaks to elements of the title across the board, with new missions and quests centered in the Wings of the Goddess expansion areas one of the update's biggest selling points. The other big component is the introduction of the "Fields of Valor" system. Fields of Valor will allow players to take on 'training regimes', targetted missions to slay a number of specific enemies in a specified amount of time. Every day, one training mission will be assigned and the rewards for completing it include experience, gil, and points within the new Fields of Valor system. Points may eventually be turned in for fun bennies.

1UP: Square Enix was Interested in Final Fantasy XI on PS3 (News)

Dec 8, 2008

There are lots of ways you can play the everlasting Final Fantasy XI -- on your PC, your Xbox 360, and even (in case you've forgotten) on a hard drive-equipped PlayStation 2. Where many people can't play it, though, is on PlayStation 3s, as most models lack backwards compatibility. But when we caught up with the FFXI development team at the Fan Fest event in Hollywood, California over the weekend, we learned an interesting tidbit: It turns out Square Enix was indeed looking into the possibility of releasing a version of FFXI for the PS3, until they ran into a small snag.

Final Fantasy XI Confirmed For Dissidia (News)

Nov 22, 2008

You heard rightly, Final Fantasy XI will be represented in Dissidia: Final Fantasy in the form of Shantotto, the impish little Tarutaru from Windurst. It was confirmed at a recent Final Fantasy XI event, and it looks like she will be a playable character.

SquareEnix Announced Three New Final Fantasy XI Expansions (News)

Nov 22, 2008

SquareEnix Ltd., the publisher of SquareEnix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announced their plans for three new expansion scenarios for Final Fantasy XI.

Six years since its initial release, Final Fantasy XI currently has 500,000 active users playing in Europe, Japan, and...

Top 5 Iconic Final Fantasy Locations (News)

Nov 10, 2008

Every Final Fantasy story is set in a different world. This of course means, every compilation features different locations and environments. The environments in every Final Fantasy are thus different from each other, as they reflect the themes and ideas of the story, as well as the emotions involved in the story at the time you encounter them in a game for the first time. Of course this is helped with the oh-so-magic use of music...

Continuing with our Top 5 Season We've compiled our top 5 iconic Final Fantasy locations which can be found following. Do you agree with our choices? If not what would you change in the list? (Please note this article contains Spoilers)

FFXI Free Trial - Subtitled Japanese Commercials! (News)

Oct 13, 2008

These promotional videos ran in the Open Mega Theater at Tokyo Game Show 2008! It's a new comedic campaign featuring a humorous look at the world of Final Fantasy XI, and the many deep, emotional tales that flow throughout Vana'diel everyday. Enjoy!

Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival 2008 website goes live (News)

Oct 12, 2008

The official website for Square Enix's yearly fan-gathering for the Final Fantasy XI dedicated, Fan Festive 2008, is now open. This year's event is being held at the Renaissance Hollywood, Southern California and is only 54 days away with the whole thing kicking off on Friday, December 5th. There's a giveaway featuring an ultra-cute Nomad Moogle Sheild and other bits. In addition to the giveaway there will be contests aplenty. Attendees can expect a fan art contest to enter drawings and sculptures into as well as a costume contest. And finally, it wouldn't be complete without a sneak peek at an upcoming version update and a developer panel.

Final Fantasy XI's Insane 18-hour+ Bosses Patched Next Month (News)

Aug 23, 2008

"Included in the version update scheduled for early September will be modifications to the degree of difficulty of Pandemonium Warden (and associated pets), Absolute Virtue (and associated pets), and Jailer of Love. The aim of these changes is to create battles where a decisive outcome may be reached within a shorter period of time."

More after the jump.

Final Fantasy XI Boss Takes 24 Hours to Beat? (News)

Aug 13, 2008

Gamervision reports:

''A new patch has added some new bosses to Final Fantasy XI, including the somewhat ridiculously resilient Pandemonium Warden. A guild named Beyond the Limitation attempted to take down the Warden, but had to quit after 18 Hours of combat. One of the guild leaders reported, "People were passing out and getting physically ill. We decided to end it before we risked turning into a horrible new story about how video games ruin people's lives."

They estimated that it would have taken an additional five or six hours to beat the Pandemonium Warden, and had to question their abilities in the game. The boss changed forms every few hours, and when they finally decided to call it quits, the enemy was in it's 20th form. They are also one of the only guilds to take down the highest-level boss in the game without glitching it, so they weren't screwing up the Warden battle.''

Final Fantasy XI Team Talks Patches, Future MMOs, and More (News)

Jun 20, 2008

1UP writes: Final Fantasy XI development team on the eve of the latest patch release to their current expansion, Wings of the Goddess, and talked with Koichi Ogawa (FFXI planner), Mitsutoshi Gondai (FFXI job planner), Mizuki Ito (FFXI battle planner), and Hiromichi Tanaka (FFXI producer) about the state of the game and its future.

Final Fantasy XI Now Downloadable for PC (News)

May 30, 2008

As one of the only MMOs to ever prove successful on consoles, Final Fantasy XI has also avoided some perks normally associated with PC-focused online titles. One of those missing bonuses was remedied Thursday, as Square has announced that Final Fantasy XI and its expansions are now available in disc-free, downloadable form.

Previews of the June Final Fantasy XI update (News)

May 26, 2008

The next version up date will usher in a number of new additions to the Campaign system, as well as several changes to existing elements.

Final Fantasy XI '2008 edition' this month (News)

May 5, 2008

Square Enix has dated Final Fantasy XI '2008 Edition' a compilation box which will be out on PC and Xbox 360 on May 23.

The 2008 box contains the online Final Fantasy - which people are still playing, apparently - and all four expansion packs; Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia, Treasures of Aht Urghan and the latest, Wings of the Goddess.

Last year the 2007 edition hit the shelves, with the stand alone game and three ...

Final Fantasy XI 2008 Edition confirmed for May (News)

May 1, 2008

Square Enix has announced the May 23 release of Final Fantasy XI 2008 Edition, a new retail collection which includes the original Final Fantasy XI game plus all four expansions: Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia, Treasures of Aht Urghan and Wings of the Goddess.

Final Fantasy XI 2008 Edition will be released in Europe and other PAL territories on May 23, 2008.

Majority of MMO players transvestites? (News)

Mar 3, 2008

A new study from Nottingham Trent University explains the widespread underbelly of gender-swapping throughout the world MMO world. ...

The 5 worst Final Fantasy couples (Feature)

Feb 15, 2008

Final Fantasy might have given us some of the most memorable romances in videogame history - as you can see in yesterday's Top 10 Square Enix Couples feature - but not all of them have been memorable for the right reasons. Whether intentional or simply misguided, the series has always been host to some of the most awkward pairings imaginable. ...

FFXI gamer robbed, police refuse to investigate (News)

Feb 5, 2008

Play Reports: Luurs' avatar, 'Sots', had amassed the stash over four years of play, and the newspaper reveals that in total his horde was apparently worth 75 million Gil - or nearly 4,000 USD. US police authorities have, so far, refused to investigate this crime, despite Luurs identifying former friend 'Ayri' as a suspect.

Final Fantasy XI Doll Festival Fan Art Contest announced (News)

Feb 4, 2008

Square Enix's Final Fantasy XI development team announced that the Fan Art Contest during the upcoming Doll Festival that will begins in March of 2007. The official theme of this year's contest will be "The Ladies of Vana'diel." The contest will be accepting all submissions as of today until the March deadline. The official contest announcement (via the link below) has information on how to enter.

Kiddie Porn & Abuse Surrounding MMO Gold Selling (News)

Nov 16, 2007

Most MMO players know the story of IGE and Affinity Media by now, (the owners of WoWhead, Allakhazam, Thottbot and WoWinterface), and their relationship. A really interesting article popped up on Radar Online today which highlights some of the dodgy characters that are involved in the Affinity Media business which had claimed to have no involvement with IGE. Brock Pierce who is an advisor and a board member of Affinity Media, is highlighted in the above article and I have to say there's some pretty unsavoury stuff here pointing at child abuse. This has been brought up before regarding Brock Pierce who has apparently denied charges but there are filed legal cases which he has tried to settle.

In related news, there has been paperwork filed this week where IGE admits that it is Affinity Media (see additional link). Not that anyone doubted it. Next time you hit up an Affinity Media site, just think about who you are supporting and who's pockets your traffic is lining with cash.

Final Fantasy XI: 7,900 Banned or Suspended (News)

Oct 24, 2007

SquareEnix, the company behind Final Fantsay XI, has announced that they have recently banned or suspended 7,900 accounts for various infractions against the user agreement. They have also released a report from their Special Task Force on the issue:

"We would like to report the termination today of multiple accounts held by players involved in the usage of third-party tools or cheats, or engaged in RMT (Real Money Trading) activities.

Based on the results of our investigation, around 6,750 PlayOnline accounts were terminated while around 1,150 accounts were temporarily suspended.
Additionally, we have increased the number of mass bannings against certain PlayOnline violations in order to prevent illegal acts."

Final Fantasy Fan Festival 2007 Contests (News)

Oct 1, 2007

SquareEnix is hosting another round of contests for the Fan Festival attendees this year. Pool your talents and master the fine arts with your entry in the Art, Costume, or Movie contests.

TGS 2007: Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess Eyes-on (News)

Sep 21, 2007

The next expansion of the land of Vana'diel will turn back the clock to a time before the events of Final Fantasy XI's storyline, before the crystal war. Square-Enix's booth was running at trailer at TGS 2007, revealing the release date to be this November 22. Featured in the footage were lots of sweeping environmental pans showing off passages hewn into snow-covered rocks, armored black chocobo, and expanses of dusty desert mesas.

Latest Final Fantasy XI expansion in November (News)

Sep 20, 2007

PC and Xbox 360 expansion pack will receive a simultaneous worldwide release. Square Enix has announced that Wings of the Goddess, the fourth expansion pack for Final Fantasy XI is to be released worldwide for PC and Xbox 360 on November 22.

Wings of the Goddess will enable players to take a step back in time and uncover the breathtaking mysteries surrounding Vana'diel's violent past.

The fourth expansion follows the release of Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan, which have helped attract more than 500,000 subscribers to the game.

Final Fantasy XI Starter Pack launched (News)

Jul 19, 2007

Square Enix today announced the release of the Final Fantasy XI Starter Pack for a retail price of £4.99. The Starter Pack will be released on 20th July and is the ideal inexpensive introduction into the MMORPG genre. Included with the Starter Pack are the PlayOnline Viewer, Tetra Master online card game and the original Final Fantasy XI software.

Final Fantasy XI Premier Site Summit Wrap-Up (News)

Apr 5, 2007

Square Enix has recently held their first ever "Premier Site Summit" at the Square Enix offices. They invited the heads of the Premier Sites to attend an all day event where they discussed the state of the community, how to strengthen their communication and participate in some fun in-game events. Two representatives each from Allakhazam, FFXI Online, Stratics, Warcry, FFXI Vault and FFXIclopedia were in attendance, as well as North American Producer Yasu Kurosawa and Global Online Producer Sage Sundi.

Final Fantasy XI Chocobo Racing inbound (News)

Mar 27, 2007

Chocobos are skilled at way more things than just digging – weve known this for a good 16 years. Theyre excellent chefs, loyal babysitters, and if youll recall a little game called Final Fantasy VII, very good foot racers if bred correctly. So were happy to announce that youll soon be getting a little bit more for your $13 a month playing Final Fantasy XI online – Chocobo Racing. Though the fun starts with a March 29th update later this week, Square Enix will be rolling out several ...

Final Fantasy XI Vana'diel Collection Release Date (News)

Oct 11, 2006

Square announces a street date for it's ultimate FFXI Collection, and details of what's in the box.

FFXI cheaters hit with ban stick (News)

Jul 24, 2006

Cheaters beware! If you think taking advantage of others is the way to go, take this latest bit of news as a mild warning. More than 2,000 players within the Final Fantasy XI MMORPG universe have had their accounts either suspended or terminated recently because of the use of some "third-party software tools."

Pimp your chicken ride (News)

Jun 2, 2006

Good news has arrived for gamers that like a little animal husbandry mixed in with their battle against the forces of evil. The popular cross-platform massively multiplayer Final Fantasy XI is due for an upgrade, and the focal point will be the rearing of the giant, rideable chicken-beasts known as Chocobos. In the upcoming patch, players will be able to acquire the eggs of Chocobos and work to raise them into adulthood, at which point they'll be capable of breeding with other ...

Final Fantasy XI Beginner's Guide (Feature)

May 5, 2006

It's an adventure that never ends. Final Fantasy has always been a finite experience, bounded by a story that reaches a definite conclusion. Not Final Fantasy XI, though. It's been going strong for more than two years in the US, and with the release of the Xbox 360 version this week, it's available to more gamers than ever before. Whether you've just grabbed the new 360 version or got interested because of the Treasures of Aht Urghan expansion pack that hit the PS2 and PC this week, we've got ...

Final Fantasy XI Beginner's Guide, Day 4 (Feature)

Apr 25, 2006

Back to day 3 Day 4: Going it alone Today we'll walk you through the first 10 levels of your adventuring career and give you tips to maximize profit while doing it. Conquest Once you create a character and find your way out into the wilderness, the first thing on your mind is going to be slicing up monsters. But before you begin your bloody career, you should become acquainted with the "Conquest" system. Why? Because Conquest will be where most of your money comes from for the ...

Final Fantasy XI Beginner's Guide, Day 5 (Feature)

Apr 21, 2006

Back to Day 4 The Final Push While gil, items and experience points can take you pretty far in Final Fantasy XI, they're not always the answer. Today we'll help you through some of your first major milestones before pushing you out of the proverbial ...

Final Fantasy XI Beginner's Guide, Day 3 (Feature)

Apr 20, 2006

Back to Day 2 Day 3: MMO Boot camp If you've never played an online RPG before, be prepared to change the way you think. Sometimes it seems like the game bashes you over the head with rules - written and unwritten. So why do people bother? Because it turns out these rules actually help more than they hurt, most of the time - and the games are so addictive, anyway. In Final Fantasy XI, many of the rules are designed to force players to play with one another, and others simply aim to get them ...

Final Fantasy XI Beginner's Guide, Day 2 (Feature)

Apr 19, 2006

Back to Day 1 Day 2: Get a job If you've played other Final Fantasy games, chances are you've run into the "job system." It's a classic - it lets you totally change your character's class and abilities. Even better, once you hit level 18 you can equip a "Support Job" to make your character kick even more ass, with a sackful of new abilites. In total, Final Fantasy XI sports 18 jobs, each more classic than the last. Support Jobs operate at half the level of the main job, but can alter your ...

More MMORPG from Square Enix (News)

Apr 19, 2006

Wednesday 19 April 2006 Square Enix has confirmed that it's working on a new MMORPG for PS3 and PC via a comment from the producer of Final Fantasy XI, Hiromichi Tanaka. "As we work on Final Fantasy XI, we're currently working on a new MMORPG targeting Windows Vista and PS3," Tanaka told Impress Watch recently. Furthermore, it's a game that Square Enix hopes to release worldwide. That may sound a little strange, given that Square Enix has the clout and the rep to release its games wherever it ...

Final Fantasy XI: The Treasures of Aht Urghan (Preview)

Apr 10, 2006

Anyone who plays online role-playing games knows that it takes a ton of content to keep gamers satisfied - and to keep the subscription fees rolling in. Four years after launch, Square Enix's first foray into the massively multiplayer arena is still going strong. Final Fantasy XI will soon be growing once again with the release of its third expansion pack, Treasures of Aht Urghan. While hardcore fans of the game have the most to look forward to, the expansion provides ample opportunities for ...

Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan (News)

Mar 27, 2006

More information has been uncovered regarding the upcoming expansion of the world of Vana'diel. Some new enemies enter the fray in the form of the Mamool Ja tribe of beastmen that rule over the Mamool Ja Savagelands. Fortunately, in addition to the previously announced Corsair job class, Blue Mages are also scheduled to make their FFXI debut in the new expansion to combat the ever-increasing ...

Square Enix summons Final Fantasy fans to Santa Monica (News)

Mar 15, 2006

Joining the likes of Blizzard (World of Warcraft) and Sony Online Entertainment (EverQuest), Square Enix held its first annual Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival in Santa Monica over the blustery, unseasonably chill March 10th weekend. To fans of online role-playing games, the community is as important - if not moreso - than the gameplay itself. Pushing that sense of community into the real world is a great way to reinforce the relationship between fans ... as well as rack up some tidy merch sales. ...

Final Fantasy XI (Review)

Feb 15, 2006

You won't often hear this MMORPG mentioned in the same breath as the big players, but Final Fantasy XI undeniably has the scope, detail, imagination and population to rub shoulders with the best. You quest, you fight monsters, you develop your character - all in a peculiarly console-flavoured fantasy world. FFXI has been going for a few months over here, a little over a year in America, and around two in Japan. There have been two full-blown expansions, both of which are bundled into this ...

Final Fantasy XI FAQ (FAQ)

May 25, 2006

Go to GamesRadar to see the FAQ ...