- Final Fantasy 14 free trial will be available immediately the servers are able to run smoothly.
- The game producers received a lot of backlash from the fans because of the delayed release of the game.
- New players will get the chance to know what all the fuss is all about, when it comes to this game.
In 2021, Final Fantasy 14 had record player numbers and a lot of interest about it as Endwalker launched in winter.
Square Enix’s action on the game has been so popular that it’s been difficult to buy the game. The popularity has been sustained for a month, and it seems like the game is not going to be sold again.
Challenges experienced
Producer and director Naoki Yoshida has posted a new blog discussing the problems players have been experiencing and outlining what the team is doing about them.
There are tons of new servers opening across the globe. In the next year, data centers will open in Europe, Japan, North America, and Oceania, Yoshida said during an interview with GameSpot. The executive believes those data centers will help solve issues that have plagued the game since its launch.
Some are ready for launch, but others have been delayed until later this year.
Server expansion
“Once again, I wish to apologize for the delays to server expansion caused by the global semiconductor shortage,” writes Yoshida. “[…] however, we believe this server expansion is a significant step forward in providing players the best gaming experience possible in FFXIV. Work on bolstering the servers will continue well into 2023, expending a vast amount of financial resources and manpower, but we will do our utmost to ensure this endeavor has no negative impact on your ability to play, so we would appreciate your support while you continue on your adventures.”
Yoshida goes on to say the team will have info on new content at the end of February.
Yoshida acknowledges that the server situation has improved since launch, and says, “we will be resuming digital sales starting on January 25, 2022 […] while some may consider this decision to resume sales to be premature, we ask for your understanding in this matter.”
He adds that the free trial will also be available once the game’s servers are working more smoothly.
Yoshida also took the opportunity to address criticism that had been directed at him and his team over the issues with the game’s launch.
Negative criticism
He talked about how criticism of the team’s mistakes can shift from helpful to abusive, which he believes encourages other players to be abusive as well.
Yoshida said the following (according to a machine translation of his Japanese comments): “The abusive remarks are really what I want to stop. I think my mentality is among the strongest in Japan, but that doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.”
Endwalker’s release was apparently more hotly anticipated than any other game at the time, so the delay was felt more keenly.
“It’s an analogy I often hear, but if you leave a damaged car in downtown New York, it will become more damaged: Psychologically people feel it’s OK to do more damage because it’s already been damaged by others.”
“If I have one request from me it’s this: Before pressing enter, I’d be happy if you can imagine the face of an unknown developer beyond the screen […] with all the staff have done so far working on FF14… I’m not asking for compliments because there are mistakes, but it would be helpful if people thought about how to convey their feelings.”
Keeping the faith
Because of the great fanbase, Final Fantasy 14 has a number of players who are maintaining a cheerful and optimistic frame of mind.
Many players expressed frustration when we asked about their experiences, but they felt the game and Endwalker’s storyline were worth it in the end.
Soon, new players will have a chance to discover why this game has been such a huge hit.
Did the delayed release of Final Fantasy 14 affect you? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below,
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