Earlier today at GDC, the development team responsible for bringing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to prosperity shared some of their personal struggles, achievements, and insightful guidance to fellow MMORPG enthusiasts. Square Enix had not released an MMORPG linked to the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy XI: Online which was available on the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and PC. At this year’s Game Developers Conference, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn recited its multiple installments, regulations, and eventual success in its adventure into the MMORPG domain. Some of the tweets made accessible to the public were from the hosted panel; below we’ll go over the general idea and what exactly it means for the future of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Or, if you’re interested in picking up the task of creating the next MMORPG (and good luck with that) you’ll find the following information as helpful first-steps to the construction process.
[promo title=”Finding the Perfect Balance.”][/promo]
The first two slides shown from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s pitch casually glosses over some hinderances that befell the development team in patch 1.1 release. While the Play Station 3 version of the game managed to launch without a hitch; the PC version required such an immaculate graphics card and massive processing power that it was unplayable to some devout fans entrusted to beta the game into the next version. The staggering amount of detail applied to the MMORPG’s computer graphics were causing multiple PC-users numerous complications. From requesting customer support to apply the correct settings or worst case scenario: causing the PC to crash. Keep in mind that these were also Final Fantasy XIV‘s first glimpses out of the starting gate. The cities, towns, and dungeons had not even be completed yet.
Overall, the lesson that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn took away from this drawback was that while promoting cutting-edge graphics and content is important, it shouldn’t cause the game to be inaccessible. Reaching an audience is more crucial then “obsessing over graphics.”
Not understanding the content amongst the staff in the early stages of development created a rift between production and execution. Patches aren’t going to be your magic bullet to your problems, either. In Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s case, patches 1.1 and 1.2 were filled with necessary bumps on the head to develop and relaunch the product. With patch 2.2 due Mar. 27, 2014 “Into the Maelstrom” is giving most of its undivided attention to new content rather then mending the game’s past blemishes.
[promo title=”Bring on the Big Guns.”][/promo]
With a bountiful span of popular MMORPGs to contend with, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn took some notes on its competition and built an expectation for their final product. Listed below is a small sample form their commentary of what creates the MMORPG experience for so many dedicated players.
But more importantly: it is what the development team aspired to create for countless subscribers.
- Server stability.
- Customizable character creation.
- Gear options.
- Battle, class, and crafting systems.
- Dungeons.
- High-level raiding areas.
- Public areas.
- An appropriate game engine.
- Quest tracking and availability.
- Secure payment methods.
- 24-hour GM/help system.
- Forums to collect player feedback.
Have the developers behind the scenes kept their promise?
In a quick overview, it seems that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s protocol matches up with their execution. Whether or not it has been done successfully is for the community of players to decide. One specific notion that is brought up time, and time again is the idea of collecting player feedback. When you’re paying that monthly subscription fee, it can be tempting to migrate to another MMORPG. Player feedback for the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn team means continuous services to preserve a player’s engagement within the world of Eorza.
[promo title=”Remember the Fans.”][/promo]
In conclusion, the development team at Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is well aware of who they’re catering to. Without an “us” there is no “them” is how the pitch resolved itself. But the question remains: what exactly does this mean for the future of the Final Fantasy MMORPG? Before GDC had gotten started this week, “Into the Maelstrom” had been announced for 3/27. Its launch will likely embody the majority of what was spoken about at the GDC presentation. We’ll be sure to report on the potential success (or failure) of future Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn installments.
So for all you ongoing subscribers out there, has the rebirth of Final Fantasy XIV into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn served you well?
Feel free to watch the official trailer of patch 2.2 “Into the Maelstrom” below:
