Grist for the Rumor Mill: FFXIV betas picked from FFXI HNMs?

*WARNING* This is just an uncorroborated rumor! *WARNING*
Yeah, I don't believe it either, and even the person that told me is high skeptical. I am more trying to get in front of this before the mindless repeaters get a hold of it. The newest rumor going around about FFXIV betas is that SE is going to give the beta invites to the best HNM LS's in FFXI.

Before you get started there are about a million problems with this, and I don't think it is true at all. First off SE has never done anything like this before. They have never even recognized the fact that there are "HNM LS's" as opposed to other kinds of LS's. How would they even determine what an "HNM LS's" is? Second, SE has already said how their beta testing is going to work and that while there will be a closed beta for a while with limited groups, there will be an open beta by the end. So even if this were true the closed beta testing would only be for a limited time. Third, it just doesn't make any sense. Everyone wants to get in on the beta, limiting it to HNM LS's would definitely leave a bad taste in the mouth's of non-HNM LS members. I don't think this is the kind of thing that SE wants to put forward. Finally and in the same vein, why would SE invite HNM LS's to a closed beta when they have been playing up how casual-friendly FFXIV is supposed to be.

There are now two groups of people reading this: The HNM LS members that are hoping it is true, and the non-HNM LS members that are hoping it is not true. And you might be saying "Hey, Ring! You aren't in an HNM LS, so that is the only reason you are poo-pooing the idea." and in response I would give you the /facepalm. You have to remember that there is NO evidence that this is the case now, except for a few things I have heard through various other people. The "cousin's friend's postman's dog told me" scenario. The only reason I am reporting it at all is that I trust the person that passed along the information in as much that he passed along what he heard and that he didn't make it up. He was pretty clear when he told me about it and stated that he didn't think much of it either because there were just too many things that didn't make sense.

There are a few things that could support the idea. First, and everyone's favorite reason: SE makes a lot of bad decisions. That one pretty much stands on it's own. Second, it's a beta. Beta's are not the real game and therefore it doesn't have to be equal before the game is released.

There are major issues with those ideas too, but I am not going to debate out every little detail here. Instead, I will just conclude that it is so far from realistic as to be laughable. Actually, I think the thing that motivates such a rumor is that someone was feeling like SE is ignoring all of the "hard work" they did playing FFXI, and that giving out betas to the "HNM LS's" would be a proper reward for a new game. This is kind of pathetic when you think about it, but I can understand they psychology of someone starting a rumor like that.

In the end, it might just happen, but I give it less than a 1%.