Finally, some good news for European FF fans:

I'm not sure just how many Shriners are aware of this, but anyway. Recently, Square has started sending out application emails to a small group of FF players to participate in the long awaited European FFXI Closed Beta Test (myself included.). As the applications close on the 17th of May (this Monday), I was just curious as to how may other fans have also received the email and submitted the application (I assume you had to be registered in the Fanzone section on Square Enix Europe's website to qualify.).

Although I was planning on importing the US version anyway (although I may not depending on how soon the Euro version is released), at least this is finally a sign that Square is going to be releasing FFXI in Europe.

So, who else has submitted the application for the Euro FFXI Beta?

I think Misao got an app in... it would be very nice to see some European players in Final Fantasy XI... you know, to lower down the idiot American players. :D

And fill it up with idiot Europeans! ^_~

And, of course, the few of use that are smart. :P

Woohoo, I finally registed with Fan Zone... hopefully they haven't sent out the Australian letters yet.

But of course, they have :(

Unfortunately, applications for the Euro FFXI Closed Beta closed yeterday (Monday the 17th), so I think you were a little too late ExS (Square Europe sent the application emails out to members nearly two weeks ago which is when I received my one in my inbox). I think everyone who applied should know by the start of June whether our applications were successful or not (I'm assuming they'll send out another email about it).

Still, this is only the limited Closed Beta Test after all. If you missed out the first time, you can probably apply for the Open Beta when it comes around (probably in a few months), so keep watching Square-Enix Europe's website for further news.

Damn...I just realized you were in Australia :(

Curses...

I don't think they ever held an open beta test for the US or the JPN servers.... mostly because there is no real reason for a server strain test.

Originally posted by MogKnight
I don't think they ever held an open beta test for the US or the JPN servers.... mostly because there is no real reason for a server strain test.


Exactly. As far as I know, it was a closed beta here, too.

Which brings me to a question, I understand they didn't open new servers for the North American release, but I wonder if new servers will be needed for the European release, considering the already high amount of registered people ? I guess we'll just see by then, though. Not that I want to switch servers anyway, I'm perfectly fine on Cerberus.

Originally posted by Evad D'Aragon

I understand they didn't open new servers for the North American release, but I wonder if new servers will be needed for the European release, considering the already high amount of registered people ?

It's unlikely, given the fact that in the email Square Enix Europe sent out in regards to the Euro Beta, they mentioned that as a first step towards the European release of FFXI, Square would be testing the connectivity of European ISPs to Square's servers, so I assume this means the existing servers and not new ones especially for the European release.

Besides, establishing Euro-specific servers would be an unwise move financially, given the relatively small amount of potential European players compared to the US wouldn't justify the massive cost to do so.

But then, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Was anyone here on the US closed beta? How long did it run for?

I'm getting cable this Sunday, and I realized the only reason I wanted broadband so bad was to play FF11 - and now I have to wait :(

Oh, Endikoh/Misao, what version are you beta testing? The PS2 or the PC? I can't imagine Square Enix sending out free HDDs, so i'm guessing it's the PC version... which I wouldn't have been able to run on my crap-box PC anyway :(

The US beta lasted from June to the beginning of October i think.

Originally posted by ExS

Oh, Endikoh/Misao, what version are you beta testing? The PS2 or the PC? I can't imagine Square Enix sending out free HDDs, so i'm guessing it's the PC version... which I wouldn't have been able to run on my crap-box PC anyway

Application results haven't been announced yet, (I assume Square won't send out results til just before the Beta begins, which would probably around the start of June), so I guess it's a little premature to be thinking that just because we submitted the application means we're guranteed participation in the Beta. Still, I guess we do have a good chance of being successful though anyway! :D

Secondly, only the PC version has been mentioned by Square as considered for a European release, as Sony Europe seems to not be interested in endorsing a European release of the PS2 Hard-drive (because apart from FFXI there wouldn't be any other games to run it on really available in PAL) which means a PAL release of the PS2 version of FFXI is still up in the air at the moment.

If the PC version does well enough however, it may convince them to reconsider the PS2 version, but at the moment at least, only the PC version looks set to grace European/Australian shores.

Oh, and my current PC is probably worse than yours ExS! (P160 overclocked at 200mhz with 64 megs of RAM, a crap video card, (which can't even run FFVII PC version) and an ancient 33.36K modem!) However I'm getting a far better machine in a few weeks which would easily be able to run FFXI on (Celeron P4 2.6 gHz with 512 megs of RAM and Geforce FX 9800 video card). Hopefully I'll be getting broadband (ADSL) in a few months too, but for the time being a standard 56k modem would suffice.

That's overkill a bit perhaps though, as anything over 800 mHz with a decent amount of RAM (128 megs at the least) and a reasonably modern video card should be able to run FFXI without too much problems.

Originally posted by Enkidoh




Besides, establishing Euro-specific servers would be an unwise move financially, given the relatively small amount of potential European players compared to the US wouldn't justify the massive cost to do so.



I really wasn't talking about euro-specific servers. I was talking about adding a server or two in Japan.

No... PS2 release?

;_;

I doubt it, though - there's no NTSC games which use the HDD (except FF11) as yet, anyway, so there's no reason Sony Computer Entertainment Europe would hold out on the HDD.

At least I hope so - there's no way my Celeron 600 and nVidia TNT2 would run FF11. It won't even run the benchmark :(

And the chances of me getter a better computer a slim, with wedding expenses coming up :p

There are 2 NTSC games that uses the HDD as of right now (except FFXI)

Resident Evil: Outbreak and eventually Socom 2.

As for running FFXI...

I have a 1.2 ghz Athlon, 768 ram, GeForce 5200... it'll run good at the lowest res.... but playing on my PS2 is better.

I believe Gran Turismo 4 will be using the HDD, too, but I might be mistaken.

so when is final fantasy 11 coming out in england?, does anyone know?

Originally posted by Ujikol

so when is final fantasy 11 coming out in england?, does anyone know?

The actual release date hasn't been announced yet In fact, there is nothing mentioned about it whatsoever on Square Europe's website), although I assume it'll probably be out sometime around October/November this year, depending on how long the Beta runs for (in most likelyhood the Euro Beta will run for a similar length as the US one, assuming no real problems with bandwith and connection are encountered that is).

As far as I know, they said that they wanted to have it playable at the end of this year. Or before the end of this year.
That's half a year, pretty soon.
One year after the US release, though... But we know they are slow.

Ohh about the beta testing. Yeah i got an invitation. There is a whole lot you have to filled in. Almost eveything about your comp.=P

I hope you did it before the deadline...?

Speaking with a friend on FF Online, it seems Square-Enix Europe has begun sending out the FFXI European Beta version packages in the mail, so if you submitted an application, depending on your location, keep a close eye on your post box over the next week or so (he lives in the UK and received his in the post this morning). If you haven't received it within a fortnight or so, I'd assume you weren't successful (I live in Australia so I assume it would probably take a good two to three weeks at least to arrive, assuming for arguments sake I did get into the Beta in the first place...)

Apparently, from what my FFO pal was telling me, the Euro Beta of FFXI is in fact a copy of the US version, but with the registration codes in the manual removed and replaced with 'beta' codes included in a covering letter from Square-Enix Europe, plus pages of the usual legal disclaimer garbage. It's not clear which server or servers the Beta will be taking place in, but I assume it would be confined to the special 'Atomos' server which I've seen marked as 'Beta' on the US FFXI website. I guess we'll find out...

Still, you'd at least think Square-Enix Europe would send successful applicants out another email just to let them know they were successful or not, and if so, to keep an eye out for the Beta package in the email instead of only knowning about it when you receive the package in the first place. Oh well, guess I should be thankful of even getting an application for it.

At least now we finally know the Beta is now starting to move along. *Starts sitting by postbox chewing his nails waiting for a game which most likely will never come...*

Yeah.. i have post it before the deadline. I got it pretty early in may. So.. well i don't have a heigh expation for it. I can buy ff11 online in game store=P

Well , I'm i, Belgium so I hope to receibe it soon , at least I hope so , if anyone has already received it , please let me know so I can figure out when I'll receive it depending in wich counrties ya'll live.

Thx.

Ah, interesting. Thanks for telling, Enkidoh.

Yeah i got my email sent it straight back and got my kit in the post last thursday. Been playing since when i can. At lvl11 Warrior which is fun.

Anyone want details let me know :D

Yeah, I need a lot of details.

I didn't receive any mail from Square-Enix, but I'm still hoping to get the game, but i hear everybody gets it except me.

Can you eventually post the mail you received by them and also give their email-adress, maybe if I send them some mail they'll answer me and tell me if I'm getting the game or not.

Thanks

Apparently Square isn't notifying successful applicants, as far as I'm aware, as my friend on FF Online only knew his application was successful when he found the package on his front door step. As I haven't received any further emails from Square (apart from the original application), I assume it's a case of, "you'll find out in due time'.

Which makes for a very anxious wait in my case....

I'm just like you , I can't wait to have the package and start playing , I even played (For the X th time) FF7, 9 , X and X-2 these last 3 months , just to ease my frustration

Dammit , still no news from then.
Guess I'll never get the game anyways. F*** them, I've been expecting this release for so much time and still didn't get anything.
Well , I'll just have to buy the game then.

See y'all

i've had my beta copy for about a month now, also they're changing some things, originally you had to send the "kit" back right, well i got an email from the support people, because i had thrown the address to send the game back to away, but they are mow making it so that we can keep the game.

News: The game is to be released in September. The Add-ons Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia will already be included. -> Good.

This is the PC version we're talking about. The release of the PS2 version has not been announced yet, and some sources claim that such a release will never happen, which is quite likely. -> Not so good.

it sucks that we get the game a year after the americans

No one would want it on the PS2 anyways. I heard that Online gaming on the PS2 is not really stablized to the point where DNAS hasn't been established yet.

But a PS2 release is still in water.... though I think most European gamers already have souped up PCs that they won't need the PS2 version. Also, the PS2 version does require the Harddrive, that alone could take awhile.

I guess investing on a better computer that can run it is a better idea for right now.

Originally posted by MogKnight
No one would want it on the PS2 anyways. I heard that Online gaming on the PS2 is not really stablized to the point where DNAS hasn't been established yet.



Where did you heard that ? I've had a lot less crashes than PC players you know...Unless you mean in Europe only ?


And besides, no matter what you say, it's more expensive to invest on a PC than getting the PS2 version...so I'm not sure no one would want the PS2 version...

Well, I wasn't talking about stability and compatabliity with the PC itself, of course stuff like that is gonna happen on the PC. I was refering to how Sony handles their online games in Europe, a few good games had their online mode disabled like Resident Evil: Outbreak... as to why they did that, I'm too sure about it.

Originally posted by MogKnight
Well, I wasn't talking about stability and compatabliity with the PC itself, of course stuff like that is gonna happen on the PC. I was refering to how Sony handles their online games in Europe, a few good games had their online mode disabled like Resident Evil: Outbreak... as to why they did that, I'm too sure about it.


...They did ? I don't really understand it either...

Yeah... it kinda defeats the purpose of RE:O doesn't it?

I think Sony is starting to delay a lot of things in Europe, maybe a release for the PS2 is more likely not possible.

i got this email too, and it was brilliant (the beta test, not the email!)