Final Fantasy XI is the Most Profitable Final Fantasy Ever

Wondering why more than ten years after its release Square Enix is still building upon the Final Fantasy XI universe with a new expansion pack? CEO Yoichi Wada provided a big clue during a speech at the Vana Fest 2012 event yesterday.

[NovusTerminus]

Well, DUH!

That is what happens when you charge 11.95 a month, plus 1usd for characters. Every 6 months they have repurchased the game.

[Ranma1]

When is Square Enix gonna make a good Final Fantasy game like Squaresoft used to?

[Xalaris]

Speaking of Squaresoft, anyone know when the FFX remake for PS3 and Vita will come out? I haven't seen much news for it... :/

[Godmars290]

Sounds like a bad thing in regards to ever getting a game with a story if you ask me - this is why FF12 and FF13 look and play like MMOs.

[GraveLord]

I bet Final Fantasy VII is like #2.

[Lord_Sloth]

I actually believe that XIII was the second. Sure the game wasn't great but they advertised the hell out of it and it was purchased a lot.

[kratos123]

it sold less then all the other main ff games.
check it on vgchartz, they have some good stats.

[TheColbertinator]

Final Fantasy XI was great in its day but now its mainly dead.

I doubt FFXIV will have 10% of the success that XI had.

[Drabent]

Better make FFXIV f2p^^

[Kamikaze135]

I just hope they plan on supporting XIV just as much.

[Capt-FuzzyPants]

It looks like they will. I mean they are essentially remaking the game completely. They're having an open beta and everything.

[joab777]

I remember that me and all my friends played it all the time. It was awesome. I thought they had something special. The problem is two fold. Either they don't change things that need changing or they change things that should remain. It's the problem with the sp games too as well as so many others. It's an art to find that fine line of predicting the market.

[Chapulin]

I loved FFXI. I reached level 73 BLM it was awesome.

[Skizelli]

I never understood why they gave this game a numerical prefix. It should've been called Final Fantasy Online or something of the like.

[Leonesaurus]

Cause maybe the game was just as true as any other Final Fantasy before it?

This is what I don't understand with gamers who say this.

"I never understood why they gave this game a numerical prefix."

Just because a gamer doesn't want to pay for the game monthly since it's an MMO doesn't stop it from being the next big Final Fantasy title.

FF XI was actually my first FF game that I ever played and I got hooked on the series like crack.

It has way more stories to tell and characters to meet that are just as interesting, if not better, than any of the single player FF titles I've played.

That's not to say it's the king of FF titles, but it's definitely deserving of being in the numeric lineage.

The only major difference between a single player offline FF game and the online multiplayer FF games is that

A) You have to pay a fee to play continuously

and

B) Instead of meeting NPCs that you grow a bond with and add to your party to beat the game, you're adding real-live players to your party and you're forming even stronger bonds.

Sometimes they end up your enemies online, sometimes they end up being long-lasting allies.

Everyone's experience is a completely different adventure and I think that alone is enough to make it a strong, solid FF title deserving the numeric number of XI.

Same goes with FF XIV that I've been playing for nearly two years now. Great story, great world, great lore and characters.

Shitty launch, UI and other minor issues but they've improved upon them greatly since launch and they have the promise of 2.0 on the way.

I LOVE the online FF titles (both XIV and XI) and I love the offline FF titles. They all have something unique to add to the table and being that it's online, the stories continue on with new tales to tell and people to meet for years.

Imagine if any of your favorite offline FF titles could do that fan service for us? That would be awesome!

[Skizelli]

If you're going to make an MMO based on a single player series, then it should have its own identity, much like FF Tactics and Crystal Chronicles. Who cares if it's "just as true" (whatever that means) as any other game before it? The fact that XI and XIV are MMOs is precisely the reason why they shouldn't be included in the main series. If we followed your logic, then Tactics and Crystal Chronicles should be included in the main series as well. By why stop there? World of Warcraft would be Warcraft 4, Phantasy Star Online would be Phantasy Star V, Elder Scrolls Online would be Elder Scrolls VI, and so on.

Furthermore, I played WoW for 5 years. I have nothing against MMOs, aside from the fact that they suck up way too much time (the reason I don't play WoW anymore).

[Skizelli]

*But why stop there?

[Skizelli]

Lol, did disagreeing with my typo correction in addition to my response make you feel better?

[Leonesaurus]

Read the bottom of the page for a surprise.

[araman]

This would explain why they weren't willing to give up on FFXIV so quickly.

[Myst]

Cause it was just such a great game back then. Community was really nice and while the payment system was different from others it wasn't really as wise to have more than two characters anyway. Though one could be a mule you more than likely wouldn't need more than that. The leveling itself was hard to no reason to even pay for more to level lol.

[Raoh]

and they ruined ffxiv

All I wanted was a better looking ffxi with a more content and maybe, maybe a third job system.

Say Dark Knight/Black Mage/Warrior or Dark Knight/Black Mage/Thief or Beastmaster/White Mage/Ninja.

I had/have a level 59 Beastmaster, 57 Dark Knight, 37 warrior, thief and white mage, various jobs around 25 for subjob status.

FFXIV is trash though, haven't played since the redesign but.. they are just trying to fix a game that no one wanted.

[Capt-FuzzyPants]

I'm actually looking forward to it. I really hate when people say no one wanted it. Just because you didn't want doesn't mean everyone else didn't want it. You're not everyone. And it looks like the new game is going to be really good.

[Raoh]

Looks like the game is going to be good?

You mean the original FFXIV release in 2010 or the new redesign? Cause the original was a mess.

Also as far as what I or others wanted, a sequel should resemble something of the original. the only thing ffxi and ffxiv had in common was a monthly fee.

Also the word is that during this weeks vana fest, the original FFXi team just quit and left square enix, not a good sign.

[Chrono]

And FF14 is the least profitable one.

[Frodosmugins]

I can see why.. FFxI was great!
but FFXIV... tried to play it but the requirements to play the game means you need to buy a I7 PC or smth and thats even before you play the game wich was awfull and I love FF series..

I want to try it again when they move the game on new servers and improved gameplay(hopping*)then it might just be as popular as FFXI if people return!

[StoneyYoshi]

Since they are remaking the engine from the ground up they have said it will be more suitable for lower end pc's, and it will apparently look better than how it looks now. The fact that the team that handled FFXI has taken over FFXIV gives me high hopes and i doubt its gonna fail. i believe it will be amazing. wich is why i decided to purchase the game now for 20 bucks when you know they are gonna charge more for it once they come out with Version 2.0.

[Prototype]

I'm done with 11; I tried going back and all I got was a ton of headache, players who don't know how to properly play their jobs, "more" drama, and players who refuse to do any older content because it's not as rewarding as "Voidwatch."

Abyssea is the savior of 11, but also the decline of quality players; I'm gonna miss the 2004-2008 game but I damn sure will not miss the 2011-2012 community.

[Blax]

You're right. Nothing will ever top this game's wonder years. The camaraderie, the adventure, the design, this wasn't for everyone, but was something special for everyone who played.

Sure you had to party a lot, but I can't remember a final fantasy where you didn't...and you had my personal fav, beastmaster.

The music was was always excellent, and i'll prob be listening to till I die.

[Drabent]

Anyone still play on fenrir server add "Drabent"

[negroguy]

I don't understand how they can fail so hard with FFXIV. They had ffxi which was beyond excellent and then release that horrible game.

[Sithlord-Gamble]

Final Fantasy 11 online was awesome. I was totally addicted to that game when i used to play. I hope they bring this to the vita (as per previous rumors)

[Tru_Ray]

I loved this game too back in the day... I was Hume Lvl 75 Paladin. One day we did the Zilart missions 1-13 in a single session. It was the most fun that I ever had playing a video game and I have been gaming for over twenty years!

This game is criminally underrated IMO.

Tru_

[UnitSmiley]

Despite the terrible launch FFXIV had, Square has shown that they aren't ready to give up on it. The game has come a long way since launch and with version 2.0 comming up, it looks like they are changing nearly everything. The graphics engine, combat, ui, and even the story. I think we should all at least give 2.0 a chance. Most people consider mmos that have bad launches dead, but it would be nice for once to see a mmo rise from the grave and become a great example of how to never give up. Square is doing it's best, and under new management looks to change nearly everything the players didn't like about the original FFXIV.

I'm not saying 2.0 will be the greatest thing ever, but it's at least worth checking out, if anything just to see if an mmo can truly ever be revived and cured of the stigma it carries with it due to a terrible launch.

[Menchi]

I find it funny, people bad mouth this game, when they've never played it. It is an amazing game, and it actually has a pretty amazing story for some of the Expansions.

Yes, it is more difficult to get into, due to the nature of MMO's in general, but it really is one of the better games in the series, especially if you can get yourself a good linkshell.

[CoheedIV]

FFXI is my favorite MMO of all time even though I only played for 2 years. I haven't played in around 6 years, is the Fairy server still alive and kicking?

[tweet75]

never will play a game that requires a monthly fee

[ExposingLames]

Had all the SOCOM fans buy it so they could get the hardrive for the DLC maps and never even played it.

[-Gespenst-]

Makes perfect sense even if you don't really think about it.

[BlueEye]

Mission accomplished. Now shut it and FFXIV down and put more time and money into making the real Final Fantasy games.

[Leonesaurus]

No thanks, BlueEye.

We're enjoying FF XI and FF XIV, thank you. We don't need any troll comments about ending our experiences to better yours.

Just because you obviously don't play FF XI or FF XIV, don't be a scrub and talk shit to fans and the devs that put a lot of time and work into the game who all enjoy them and love them.

If you want FF Versus XIII, another sequel to the FF XIII series, or any other future FF game over teh MMOs, by all means, look forward to them and enjoy them.

But don't be an asshole and leave comments to ruin the FF games we enjoy just because you can't accept the fact that an MMO FF title is just as much a "real" FF game, as you put it, as any other I've seen or played on any system.

[Leonesaurus]

Reply to:

Skizelli

"If you're going to make an MMO based on a single player series, then it should have its own identity, much like FF Tactics and Crystal Chronicles. Who cares if it's "just as true" (whatever that means) as any other game before it? The fact that XI and XIV are MMOs is precisely the reason why they shouldn't be included in the main series. If we followed your logic, then Tactics and Crystal Chronicles should be included in the main series as well. By why stop there? World of Warcraft would be Warcraft 4, Phantasy Star Online would be Phantasy Star V, Elder Scrolls Online would be Elder Scrolls VI, and so on.

Furthermore, I played WoW for 5 years. I have nothing against MMOs, aside from the fact that they suck up way too much time (the reason I don't play WoW anymore)."

My response to your reply is, why not?

I never played FF Tactics yet, but I plan to since I downloaded it off PSN, and I haven't played the Crystal Chronicles games either.

But my response isn't that they don't deserve to not be included, more so, why weren't they included?

You tell me? Since you obviously have played them.

I wouldn't mind including Final Fantasy Tactics into the main series. I don't make games, I don't know what goes through their mindset when decided what is main series, and what is a spin-off or side project.

As for games like the Elder Scrolls Online or naming World of Warcraft Warcraft 4 or Elder Scrolls 6?

I have no problem what so ever since MMO games tend to be more popular world-wide due to the amount of people that play them and amount on content the games offer.

But when you refer to my logic, it's Square's logic also ever since they created FF XI.

Maybe they felt the same as I do and many others that the game belongs in the main roman numerals.

And to prove my point as to why gamers have no good argument to back up their comments like "XI and XIV don't belong in the main series" or "they're not as good nor deserving of being included" what reasons do you have to support your claim?

I presented you to mine. And all I got from the response was FF tactics and FF Crystal Chronicles weren't included in the main series, and other game series didn't name their MMOs in the main series either.

Maybe those companies weren't as confident in their projects to include it into the main series. Or maybe they have a different style of doing things.

Sqaure has had many directors and leaders on their titles.

Perhaps the reason games like Tactics and Crystal Chronicles weren't included is maybe due to other more important FF titles being worked on at the time, smaller FF projects being handed to new directors or introducing new concepts not yet experienced in the FF series painted them as more of a spin-off or side project.

Maybe they felt the MMOs were planned to be much more than those games and that they felt, as well as us gamers, that they deserve more attention and deserved a spot as a traditional FF roman numeral game.

Tactics and Chronicles, from what I've seen look and play a bit differently than the more common FF titles, opposed to an MMO mimicking an offline single-player FF title, with some changes to suit the genre switch.

That's my best guess.

[Skizelli]

I already gave you a valid argument as to why they shouldn't be included in the main series. THEY'RE MMOS. Tactics is a tactical RPG while Crystal Chronicles (not to be confused with FF Chronicles) is an action RPG. Why on earth would they include those in the main series? An MMO is an entirely different beast compared to an offline single-player experience. Who cares if it mimics it? It's still an MMO and should be treated as such by having its own brand. The thing about MMOs is that they constantly evolve. Additional plots are added or changed. It's an on-going storyline with no real closure.

Maybe other companies separate their online games from the main IP because they know better. Have you seen a complete list of FF games lately? Did you ever stop to think that maybe Square Enix has lost their damn minds? In my humble opinion, FFVII was the last good FF, and FFVI (FF3 in the States) is probably my favorite.