Why do people keep thinking that the game is a ghost town?
Sure it's nothing like it was when FINAL FANTASY XI hit North America, but then neither is World of Warcraft.
Here's the facts:
1) World of Warcraft is the ONLY MMO that can be played on multiple platforms. On the day it came to the US, I started playing. It was not long after that the PS2 was added (it was already in use in Japan). It was also ported to the Xbox 360.
If this was a dead game... why port it to the 360?
Also note that this game was is the only way to get the HD for your PS2. (The HD only works on the classic PS2, not the new thin client)
2) New expansions come out all the time!
Rise of the Zilart Released: Oct 28, 2003 (Note that this is the release date for North America and they kindly included the expansion that was sold seperately in Japan)
Chains of Promathia Released: Sep 21, 2004
Treasures of the Aht Urhgan Released: Apr 18, 2006
Wings of the Goddess Released: Nov 21, 2007
3) The best support in the industry! Now I am a bit bias, but I say that because I am a technical analyst by trade (Forum Admin and Analyst??? What an amazing guy!!! Humble too...) and as such, I am impressed with no only the willingness their support reps to help, but their knowledge as well. I am not sure if they really know how to fix everything, or if they have a KB to do it, but either way, the end result is a professional support call with the help you needed. Much better than the classic "We cannot help you with that" response of many other companies. Just hit the link
https://secure.playonline.com/supportus/index.html and enter your issue, they'll even chat online with you!
4) It's Square Enix!! To be honest, this is all I had to say from the start. Their FINAL FANTASY product line is the hottest selling of all time. They're the people that invented the RPG as we know it. They set the bar with such classics as Final Fantasy VII (7) and then raised the bar again with Final Fantasy X (10).
Their products have such a fan base that there are two full length motion pictures (The Spirits Within) and (Advent Children). Shops in my town sell everything from the Final Fantasy VII Buster Sword, the Final Fantasy VIII Gunblade to various clothing accessories and even potion bottles shaped like those in game.
Final Fantasy XII is a stand alone for the PS2 and was amazing! Final Fantasy XIII is rumored to be destined for the PS3 and they've even teamed up with Disney for the Kingdom Hearts series.
4) The game is basicly a Japanese game with North America and Europe invited for the ride. They've included a simple translator service that translates terms so that the language barrier does not affect gameplay. I can honestly say that some of my favorite people to game with speak about as much english as I do Japanese (a year in highschool). But with time differances, if you're playing, then you're most likely going to be with other players from your general area.
5) The game's last expansion is only 8 months old!
6) All Players play together. Sure I may be on Unicorn and you may be on Titain, but you play together along side the PC, 360 and PS2 players. Win Win!
7) Many MMO's out there are fly-by-night companies. They pop-up with an MMO and then they and the game vanish... Shadowrun online anyone? This is not the case with Square Enix.
8) This is a Japanese game. Like Lineage and Lineage 2, there are some differances between asian games and western games that must be noted. One of these is the social aspect. You're expected to group and soloing might be possible, but it will not be as easy or rewarding and that's intended and not a flaw in the game design.
9) Every Final Fantasy title has a new world. The mercenaries of Seed in Final Fantasy VII Did not have to deal with SIN as they did in Final Fantasy X. In Final Fantasy XII, there are no Mithra like in FINAL FANTASY XI. So if something is not identical to the previous titles... it's not the same world. So the lack of Materia etc are to be expected, but you can expect some universal aspects.
A) Moogles!
B) Airships!
C) Great looking Pixel People!
D) Dragoons
E) Summoners
F) White Mage
G) Black Mages
H) A storyline that puts YOU in as the main character
I) Comedy
And more! There are just some things that are universal for Final Fantasy games, and this is definately true for FINAL FANTASY XI
So in conclusion, this game has a highly dedicated fan base that spreads over multiple platforms. The company is strong and has a history of gaming excellence and a willingness to go where others do not (when was the last Warcraft movie?) With regular expansions and international popularity, this game will be around for a long time and will survive despite other games coming and going over it's life.
Here's hoping that, like Ultima Online, we'll be playing for a decade and more!
