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100°

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Gets Another Microsoft-Branded Character Illustration

While speculation on the reasons behind the promotional partnership between Microsoft and Square Enix to push Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Windows 8 is still rampant, with many believing it hides a longer-term deal like a possible Xbox 720 release, what is known is that today it generated another beautiful piece of character concept art.

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Community4422d ago
Jek_Porkins4422d ago

Square Enix is supposed to show off something next week, the same time the next Xbox is going to be reveled...megaton incoming?

dktxx24422d ago

Would anything Square Enix does be a megaton?

Jek_Porkins4422d ago

Sure, Versus not being exclusive, an exclusive game for the next Xbox, either would be a megaton. It's more games, next gen games, so of course I'm excited and I just like using the word, never even knew it before coming here.

It'd be foolish to think Microsoft wouldn't have at least a couple of these "megatons" between the reveal and their E3 show.

DOMination-4422d ago

N4G will explode if versus is announced at the xbox reveal. And kinda rightly so. SE surely wouldn't be that dumb.

I actually think that will stay exclusive and theyll show a new rpg next week

Godmars2904422d ago (Edited 4422d ago )

Aside from FF14 being on Xbox3? That is what all this screams.

The "megaton" you're likely looking for would be vs13. And even then Square has to live down all of the mistakes they've made this gen, with the key one being making FF13 multi.

Abriael4422d ago

Umh no. All this screams is that Microsoft wants to push Windows 8 in Japan and is teaming with the only big Japanese-made mainly PC MMORPG for that purpose.

If it had anything to do with the 720, there would be no reason to limit the partnership to Japan.

SDF Repellent4422d ago

FF14, cross-platform play between PC and the new xbox. Oh, any maybe even FF Versus now also went multiplatforms. Megaton incoming 5/21.

Lucreto4422d ago

Not likely.

Microsoft is pushing Windows 8 in Japan and using a big MMORPG like FF XIV is an ideal way of doing that.

I read somewhere that Final Fantasy XIV released date was going to be announced at the end of May.

This could be it.

Jek_Porkins4422d ago

One might agree if the dates didn't line up so well, I have a feeling this is going to be pretty big news and it involves SE, they will most likely be at the big #XboxReveal

Lucreto4422d ago

@Jek_Porkins

It is possible but I doubt it will be Final Fantasy related.

They will show a new Final Fantasy at Sony's E3. It would be bad show to say that at Sony's conference then announce it at Microsofts conference.

KingKelloggTheWH4422d ago

Next xbox unveil next week,square showing something next week.
How much you want to bet it's this?

Abriael4422d ago (Edited 4422d ago )

My bet is that it's not. The reason why FFXIV was never announced for 360 wasn't the hardware, but Xbox Live's policies. I doubt those are going to change with the 720.

But we'll see :D

@Jek_Porkins: About Class4, I'll believe it when it happens. About Lionhead, it's a first party studio, so obviously they don't fall under the same problem, as their servers will be hosted my Microsoft itself.

The main problem with FFXIV is that it involves cross platform gameplay, and the Xbox Live policies are steel clad in that No cross platform is allowed.

KingKelloggTheWH4422d ago

True,but XBOX has made exceptions with their policies before(like the previous ff mmo).

Jek_Porkins4422d ago

Well Class4 is a zombie MMO by Undead Labs that was supposed to come to the Xbox 360, but looks like it's coming to the next Xbox now, and Lionhead is supposedly working on a new IP MMORPG for the next Xbox, so things indeed do and can change.

Microsoft getting something like this would be huge, but I guess we'll find out soon. N4G is going to be a fun place to visit after the #XboxReveal

Abriael4422d ago (Edited 4422d ago )

@KingKellogg: FFXI was not an exception. It was released on 360 before the current xbox live policies were set in place.

To my knowledge no exception has been ever made, in fact no MMORPG has been released on the 360. A few have been anounced, and then canceled when the current policy was set in place.

Personally I would love to see the game on ALL platforms (yes, even Mac, Wii U and Vita). With a MMORPG the more the better, but in this case the hurdle is not technical.

4422d ago
JAMurida4422d ago

I think it would be a good move on MS, as well as SE, for having it on the next Xbox. Would really make me consider getting a next Xbox if that was the case. Of course, unless they announce a PS4 version for XIV, but since they've invested so much into the PS3 version... Idk...

I wish Yoshida would just scrap the PS3 version honesty, since I already just have this feeling it won't run that well performance wise (I can see the bad framerates/freezing already) and just port it to the next gen consoles, that would be better suited for the game. But of course, business wise it wouldn't be smart.

helghast1024422d ago

That's quite a reach, the Windows 8 logo is plastered on there so there also has to be a Microsoft credit on there too.
That's almost as big a reach as saying "Final Fantasy XIV is a videogame, Xbox 360 is a videogame console, therefore it will release on it!".

660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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Obscure_Observer2d ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

2d ago
pwnmaster30002d ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

2d ago
Obscure_Observer2d ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger2d ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30002d ago (Edited 2d ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole2d ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

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Tacoboto2d ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing692d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif2d ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing692d ago (Edited 2d ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif2d ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

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-Foxtrot2d ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast2d ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts2d ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto2d ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

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Profchaos2d ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo2d ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner2d ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic18812d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Are you and Anast the same person?

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2d ago
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110°

FF14 lead apologises as the “quality of service has declined recently” as they fell into complacency

YoshiP, the director and producer of Final Fantasy 14, has apologised for the state of the game at the time of writing.

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CrimsonWing692d ago

Do you not see this happening during development? Like, why are we apologizing after the fact instead of stopping it during development?

Stopac2d ago

Criticism and reflection occur after the fact. The apology acknowledges the past criticisms with the new expansion and they're keeping transparency with players about it. Now that they've acknowledged it - it will be interesting to see what kind of cycle we'll get with a new expansion and I wonder if they're planning something special with beast master since they didn't mention it in the last live letter.

anast2d ago

It's all good, as long as the price of the product decreases.

Stopac2d ago

The base game and expansion go on sale all the time and doesn't stay full price for very long since a new expansion is on the horizon.

If you're stating they should reduce the price of new expansions or the sub fee, no, that's not gonna happen lmao people aren't even complaining about that. They are criticizing the same old pattern of content that releases and how it is devolving into mediocracy.

anast2d ago

"They are criticizing the same old pattern of content that releases and how it is devolving into mediocracy."

The product should be cheaper then.

PapaBop2d ago

I was unhappy with DT and have spent far less time in it than any other expansion but it's things like this that makes me respect Yoshi P. It's rare for such a high profile developer to be so candid in his assessment on a live game.

Stopac2d ago

Same, i've found my self resubbing every two patches instead of keeping it up. Don't own a home in the game so there's no point in keeping a constant sub going. The post story is getting interesting though.

260°

AMD CEO Shares Vision Behind Xbox Partnership and Next-Gen Chip Roadmap

AMD CEO Lisa Su talks about the Xbox AMD partnership, next-gen Ryzen + Radeon chips, and AI rendering tech coming to all Xbox devices.

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Obscure_Observer7d ago

AMD is really building hype around their unique partnership with Microsoft to help and build an advanced and seamless Xbox ecosystem across all Xbox consoles and devices.

I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimized chips" though? Seems ambitious.

Next year´s Xbox Showcase already looks promising and exciting. Here´s hoping they deliver.

InUrFoxHole7d ago

They had best show 3yrs in a row. Heading for another

VenomUK7d ago

Obscure_Observer said “I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimised chips" though? Seems ambitious.” To me, I interpret this to mean rather than having a couple of X/S products for launch and a handheld there is a longer term plan to release new products with higher specs at timed intervals. I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec.

Agent756d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games.

KwietStorm_BLM6d ago

It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever.

Ganif6d ago

Correct.

"Sony's PlayStation 6 reportedly will feature an AMD semi-custom APU with a Zen 5 CPU and UDNA GPU, capable of 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming. The console will include X3D cache and advanced AI upscaling technology."

https://www.tweaktown.com/n...

Obscure_Observer6d ago

"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever."

I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released.

Notellin6d ago

You should have just lead this comment with the fact that you have zero understanding of technology in the consoles and instead have a Toms Hardware online forum level of education.

Obscure_Observer3d ago

"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever"

I´d told you were on some bs

https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp...

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Agent756d ago

But Microsoft forgot the games

Obscure_Observer6d ago

@VenomUK

"I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec."

Very interesting theory. Still not sure how MS would actually make it work.

KwietStorm_BLM6d ago

"I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released."

How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is.

Obscure_Observer5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

"How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is."

Dude, what I know for certain is that a tech as old as X3D chips which is actually *older* than both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, is hardly the reason behind this new partnership between AMD and MS to build new *custom silicon* for next generation of consoles.

And yes it´s a huge announcement since AMD is working closely with MS to co-develop custom SoC which will allow backwards compatibility across all MS´s next gen devices allowing seamless integration between devices and full backwards compatibility across all generations of Xbox consoles.

I also know is that this announcement don´t have anything to do with Playstation and their strategy with AMD for the PS6, so stop comparing the two pretending that you know what´s going on, because you clearly don´t.

If Sony is working on something remotely similar, that´s remain to be seen.

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Fishy Fingers7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

Some odd, deliberate wording, no branding, not 'Xbox consoles, Xbox handhelds' specifically, feels and sounds like they're building towards hardware that anyone can be used or licensed to/by themselves and other manufacturers.

Multiplatform software and hardware 'Xbox/AMD APU'.

Obscure_Observer7d ago

I guess you missed Sarah Bond´s next generation Xbox announcement this week, were she clearly states:

"I´m thrilled to share that we´ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including, *our* next generation *Xbox consoles*."

But hey, I don´t think you´re entirely wrong, maybe MS will build their own Xbox consoles while licencing other manufactures to build and sell their own Xbox branded consoles. Who knows

BeHunted7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

I think you watched the wrong video. It's below the description, or you can watch it directly on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/kprpRvsOua...

HyperMoused7d ago

Shares vision....we provide chips for money, this deal will sell many chips, we will make lots of money...good vision

Christopher7d ago

The marketing behind this is so heavy that I worry about the actual outcome. Why are they just not showing us the product, why all this talking in market speak?

Lightning777d ago

Probably because the next xbox isn't ready to release yet?

The marketing and rumors seem to be heavy out of no where. The rumor was a 27 release but it maybe it could be 26 new console launch instead.

Who knows.

Eonjay6d ago

There PR is alrways super heavy handed. No one is acutally buying an Xbox as is.
Also it is very early to be talking so much about a next gen console.

Obscure_Observer6d ago

There´s a lot of people interested on Xbox Next and its ability to run games from major stores like Steam.

We know that the PS6 is just around the corner as well, but so far, no news on what it might improve over the PS5 or PS5 Pro.

However, Sony already made public that their priority and actual focus is the PS6. So its not "very early" to talk about next gen when the very console manufactures are talking about it.

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