I was so scared that Final Fantasy XI was ending, that as soon as the theme music started up during the intro to this conference, I started getting all misty eyed. I began to suspect that Square Enix's conference in Tokyo was set to announce an end date.
I haven't played in years, but always had this idea that I might again, one day, in the back of my mind. The thought that it might not be possible saddened me. But I forgot all that and remembered my general disdain for mobile games when I saw this:
"MMMRPG" isn't Homer Simpson reacting to the idea of playing Final Fantasy, it's the buzzword Square Enix is using for the mobile client of Final Fantasy XI. MapleStory developer Nexon will assist in making the world of Vana'diel more friendly to touchscreen-only interfaces and smaller screens.
A standalone mobile game called Final Fantasy Grandmasters also takes place in the world of Vana'diel. It looks stupid and I don't want to talk about it.
Final Fantasy XI will get the first part of its final scenario in May of this year. It'll drop in three parts planned for May, August, and November, ending the FFXI storyline. The PS2 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will continue to receive support until March of 2016, after which Windows and mobile will be the only ways to play.
A lot of fans were hoping for a Vita version, but since Square Enix quite literally forgets that Vita exists, it's no surprise to see the game ported to cellphones while ignoring dedicated gaming handhelds.
