TenTonHammer.com - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

In this case, I think I'd prefer a thousand words to the picture.

Final Fantasy XI, and by final they mean continuing.
1UP has posted a preview of Final Fantasy XI for the XBox 360. This is an excellent article that talks about the status of the game and why some questionable design decisions were made.

" When Sony dropped support of the HDD hard drive for the PlayStation 2, effective with the launch of the PSTwo redesign, the flow of new players ground to a trickle, with the only real options either being the PC version of the game, or for gamers to hunt down refurbished, original style PS2s. While the game has sustained itself, the Final Fantasy XI community is now in for its first real infusion of new players in quite some time, thanks to the upcoming Xbox 360 version of the game. While the 360 version made its debut at this past E3, then its first public appearance at Square-Enix's event in Japan over the summer (and subsequently at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show), 1UP made a special trip to Japan to get some hands-on time with the game at the Square-Enix headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo. We also took the opportunity to sit down with Final Fantasy XI producer, Hiromichi Tanaka, to discuss the status of the game as is, as well as the upcoming expansion pack, FFXI: Treasures of Aht Urghan, along with the 360 version in particular. "

You can read the entire Final Fantasy XI for XBox 360 Preview at 1UP.
Still yearning for more?

• More Final Fantasy XI News

FFXI + XBox 360 = Mutant MMOG.
Computer and Video Games has posted a preview of Final Fantasy XI on the XBox 360. Coming soon to every platform even remotely near you:

"Xbox 360 Final Fantasy XI is unique. When the game arrives, you will play alongside people that have been living, breathing and attempting to breed in its online world for three years. This is thanks to the Xbox 360 game being compatible with the PlayStation 2 and PC versions of the huge role-play epic. It's going to be like walking into a small village pub where everyone knows each other. You'll be the weird outsider wearing the pink T-shirt and yellow wristband that's going to worry about getting beaten up on the way home."

You can read the entire Final Fantasy XI for XBox 360 Preview at CVG.

Finally, we'll see it on XBox 360. Finally.
Game Informer has an interview with Hiromichi Tanaka discussing Final Fantasy XI on the XBox 360. Going into my local EBGames store and asking for Final Fantasy XI (I pronounced it Final Fantasy Zi) over and over was fun yesterday. Small joys:

"As part of our Japan Extravaganza V 1.0, we talked to Hiroichi Tanaka, senior vice president of software development at Square Enix, about Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360. Find out why we should buy the game all over again, what’s new with the Xbox 360 version, and how FFXI is going to accomplish something that’s never been done before in the history of video games."

You can read the entire Final Fantasy Preview at Game Informer.

Oh Tanaka, we stand on guard for thee...
1UP has an interview with Hiromichi Tanaka on the future of Final Fantasy XI. Strangely a game with Final in the name has a future, go figure:

"At Square's recent Square Enix Party 2005 event in Tokyo this past weekend, 1UP had the pleasure of sitting down with Final Fantasy XI producer Hiromichi Tanaka to ask him about the popular MMO's most recent patch update, as well as the game's future on Xbox 360. While Tanaka and his team worked the crowd with team-based competitions for members of the audience, they also had a working Xbox 360 on display, running Final Fantasy XI. There wasn't much happening on the widescreen TV showcasing the 360 version, but the textures were exceptionally detailed, and the characters benefited from a richer color palette (as opposed to the occasionally washed-out look on the PC and PS2 versions) and enhanced lighting effects, which resulted in high-contrast shadows for a more solid look than ever before. We have a handful of new 360 screenshots for you to examine for yourself, but before you do, take a look at what Tanaka-san had to say about FFXI's current state of affairs."

You can read the entire Final Fantasy XI Preview at 1UP.