FFXIV Alpha News: Dates are Released! Or are they?

EDIT: It has been noted that this might be a fake message, so take it with a grain of salt until I can get some other confirmation.

SE has finally announced the dates of their Alpha trials for FFXIV, at least in Japanese.

Semi-translation stolen from BG, below.


Alpha tests (assuming this is Japanese time) will be from 19:00 to 24:00 (7PM to Midnight) on March 19 and 20th (this coming Friday and Saturday) and from 18:00 to 22:00 (6PM to 10PM) on March 21st and 25th. Beta tests start on April 1. All characters will be deleted between the Alpha and the Beta.

I will try to get this information in English and other languages as soon as it's available.

EDIT: It has been noted that this might be a fake message, so take it with a grain of salt until I can get some other confirmation.<br /><br />SE has finally announced the dates of their Alpha trials for FFXIV, at least in Japanese. <br /><br />Semi-translation stolen from BG, below.<br /><a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Alpha_times.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Alpha_times.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 339px;" /></a><br /><br />Alpha tests (assuming this is Japanese time) will be from 19:00 to 24:00 (7PM to Midnight) on March 19 and 20th (this coming Friday and Saturday) and from 18:00 to 22:00 (6PM to 10PM) on March 21st and 25th. Beta tests start on April 1. All characters will be deleted between the Alpha and the Beta. <br /><br />I will try to get this information in English and other languages as soon as it's available.

YANYOK's FFXIV Beta test NDA policy.

We at YANYOK needed to clear up our NDA policy in regards to FFXIV's Alpha/Beta.

We will be providing 100% coverage of all things FFXIV Alpha and Beta related. We already have "foreign correspondents" in the field ready, willing and able to provide all of the information that you want to hear about. We will be delivering all of this information to you as soon as we can wipe the drool off of the screenshots.

To be clear, no one at YANYOK have alpha or beta invites, all of the information will be passed along second hand, but you will be getting the information without a filter and without someone trying to ban your forum posts for talking about it.

I actually read on a forum that we shouldn't violate the NDA or SE won't want to communicate with us anymore. I laughed so hard that milk shot out of my nose.

We at YANYOK needed to clear up our NDA policy in regards to FFXIV's Alpha/Beta. <br /><br />We will be providing 100% coverage of all things FFXIV Alpha and Beta related. We already have "foreign correspondents" in the field ready, willing and able to provide all of the information that you want to hear about. We will be delivering all of this information to you as soon as we can wipe the drool off of the screenshots. <br /><br />To be clear, no one at YANYOK have alpha or beta invites, all of the information will be passed along second hand, but you will be getting the information without a filter and without someone trying to ban your forum posts for talking about it. <br /><br />I actually read on a forum that we shouldn't violate the NDA or SE won't want to communicate with us anymore. I laughed so hard that milk shot out of my nose.

FFXIV News: Beta Sign-ups Begin!

The beta sign-ups for FFXIV have begun! You can head over to the sign up now, or if you are afraid that I am trying to haxxor your account you can go there directly from the Final Fantasy XIV website. Just click on the big "beta sign-ups" button on the main page. That is only for the NA site, but from that link you can sign up for whatever region you are from or your account is from.

This is pretty surprising news as there was no hint of this before yesterday. It also disproves the idea that people will be picked from the largest HNM LS's, which I thought was crap to begin with.

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 274px;" /></a>The beta sign-ups for FFXIV have begun! You can head over to <a href="http://entry.ffxiv.com/na/index.html">the sign up</a> now, or if you are afraid that I am trying to haxxor your account you can go there directly from the <a href="http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/">Final Fantasy XIV website</a>. Just click on the big "beta sign-ups" button on the main page. That is only for the NA site, but from that link you can sign up for whatever region you are from or your account is from.<br /><br />This is pretty surprising news as there was no hint of this before yesterday. It also disproves the idea that people will be picked from the largest HNM LS's, which I thought was crap to begin with.

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%.

*WARNING* This is just an uncorroborated rumor! *WARNING*<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 274px;" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />In the end, it might just happen, but I give it less than a 1%.

FFXIV News: To Coupon or not to coupon.

The release date of FFXIII is racing forwards for Japan, while the rest of the world gets to wait in line and merely drool over the pretty pictures that are emerging to tease and tantalise us.

One such hook to reel in the eager masses was the release of further magazine images of the game which also contain a little caption at the foot of the page suggesting that a coupon will be available in Japan to those who buy the game that has some bearing on the next mmo from SE, FFXIV. Credited source goes to Finalfantasy.cc


Speculation is rife as to exactly what this coupon will allow you to do, with the leader being access to the beta testing of the game. If nothing SE is being consistent with its game plan of offering ingame articles for money, branching out across their games now rather than just being internal.

It IS a lure, although with the fan base being teased with the melting pot of images, teasers and tips I suspect there will be no small queue to aquire this game. While this seems to be currently only a Japanese promotion I do wonder if they will offer anything similar to the US/EU people, although a somewhat skeptical me doubts that will happen, particularly as it eventually trickles down to the EU side of the world, a small twinge of sadness realises that we get cut out of the loop a lot of the time. Sometimes it definately feels like we are the smaller, younger child bouncing after the grown ups going "hey look look, include meee too!"

Hey! I'm a gamer too! I don't want to just read about all the cool stuff other people are doing! I want to particpate too!

The release date of FFXIII is racing forwards for Japan, while the rest of the world gets to wait in line and merely drool over the pretty pictures that are emerging to tease and tantalise us.<br /><br />One such hook to reel in the eager masses was the release of further magazine images of the game which also contain a little caption at the foot of the page suggesting that a coupon will be available in Japan to those who buy the game that has some bearing on the next mmo from SE, FFXIV. Credited source goes to <a href="http://uk.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=27095233&union_id=1838">Finalfantasy.cc</a><br /><br /><a href="http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu343/ZLM34/ff1301.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu343/ZLM34/ff1301.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" /></span></a><br />Speculation is rife as to exactly what this coupon will allow you to do, with the leader being access to the beta testing of the game. If nothing SE is being consistent with its game plan of offering ingame articles for money, branching out across their games now rather than just being internal.<br /><br />It IS a lure, although with the fan base being teased with the melting pot of images, teasers and tips I suspect there will be no small queue to aquire this game. While this seems to be currently only a Japanese promotion I do wonder if they will offer anything similar to the US/EU people, although a somewhat skeptical me doubts that will happen, particularly as it eventually trickles down to the EU side of the world, a small twinge of sadness realises that we get cut out of the loop a lot of the time. Sometimes it definately feels like we are the smaller, younger child bouncing after the grown ups going "hey look look, include meee too!"<br /><br />Hey! I'm a gamer too! I don't want to just read about all the cool stuff other people are doing! I want to particpate too!