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Final Fantasy XI: Report: Shutting Down This Year?
MikeB
Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
MMOSite is reporting on a rumor that Final Fantasy XI may be shutting down this year. The rumor originates from a "Japanese game media" that has published the supposed public admittance from a Square Enix employee that Final Fantasy XI would be shutting down this year due to the release of Final Fantasy XIV. According to the MMOsite report, Square Enix Yoichi Wada has since denied the report.
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Image Credit: MMOsite
GameCrep (via VG247) appears to have a bit more information, stating that a top human resources employee at Square Enix posted the following on their personal blog (which has since been taken down):
"I think some amongst you will know, but FF11 started in 2002 … Well, this year it’ll end and the stage will shift to FF14.”
Given Final Fantasy XIV's similarities to the original game, Square Enix's desire to allow players to transition easier (such as the ability to carry over one's name), as well as the fact the blog post has since been taken down, there is certainly some plausibility to this rumor. However, since we cannot confirm anything either way at the moment, this story remains a rumor.
We'll be contacting Square Enix for comment, so stay tuned!
What do you think the chances are that Final Fantasy XI will be shut down this year to make room for Final Fantasy XIV? Let us know in the comments below!
[Thanks bubu_3k for the tip!]
Comments
I suppose it's possible, although I can't see why SE would take that course of action when the game still has a very healthy playerbase enjoying all facets of it.
I hope they don't shut it down tbh, it would be depressing to see one of the only remaining great mmorpg's go the way of the dodo bird.
Interesting development, thanks for posting Mike.
I see this as good news honestly.
I think Square would not even think in closing down FF11 if they were not planning to release FF14 this year.
They will probably offer some kind of deal to FF11 players, like 2 or 3 free months to active accounts and ask them to migrate to 14.
If they are indeed closing this year the only explanation is the release of 14 and the migration of players, nothing else...
SE has stated before that FFXI would continue development after FFXIV came out. Whether this is true or not is unknown but they did say before that they were going to keep it going. I would be pretty amazed if they shutdown FFXI just because they started FFXIV.
It makes sense to shut down final fantasy 11 at the launch of 14, I mean who is going to stay behind and play 11? I suppose a few might but not enough to keep it profitable.
Players who have played since launch, have multiple level 75 jobs and a have accomplished a great deal ingame are not likely to leave at all.
It is far more likely they will keep the FFXI account subbed and then purchase and sub to FFXIV along with it. The amount of time invested in this game by veteran players pretty much guarantees that, I've never met anyone who had played for any substantial amount of time and would just up and quit for another game.
FFXI players are some of the most loyal, dedicated players around.
It's a game. It's not a family, it's not a job, it's nothing more than a game (and a sub-par one at that *yawn*). Many players leave after playing MMOs for years, hell, most have! Just look at EQ1's, UO's, or DAoC's current subs. FFXI will go the way of the dodo just like those.
I didn't claim it was any of those things, I simply stated an accurate observation regarding players of the game.
Considering it has already outlasted every other game you have listed, I'm inclined to disagree.
It doesn't make good sense to me to shut down Final Fantasy 11 just because they are launching 14. Game companies don't seem to mind alienating their customers, but it really isn't a good idea for them to do so. If it becomes unprofitiable, then I would understand shutting it down. In either case it would be really unwise to preemptively announce they are shutting it down.
--------
"Chemistry: 'We do stuff in lab that would be a felony in your garage.'"
The most awesomest after school special T-shirt:
Front: UNO Chemistry Club
Back: /\OH --> Bad Decisions
SE already stated in a newsletter that they won't be shutting down ffxi because ffxiv is being released. They said this themselves a few months back.
<p>Funny but EQ1 still has a good community, even that EQ2 has been released for quite sometime now
</p>
i doubt it, SoE rarely cancel games. Look at EQ1, Vanguard, SWG....etc
It will be gone If it is EA or SEGA tho
i don't belive this, i will lose allot of respect for SE if they do.
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
WHat has SOE anything to do with FF11?
lol SOE? what are you on about
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
This
Seriously.
I can't figure out if people are that gullible, or just that fascinated by the idea of "games being shut down" - it sure seems to permeate a lot of games' threads around here.
FFXI *still* has a very healthy population and accounts for a large portion of SE's revenue. FFS... even after 8 years in service, despite its "outdated tech", despite its "old-school" style gameplay... it still has a healthier population than many of the newer AAA MMOs manage to maintain a mere several months after their launch. It's been unshaken by WoW. They have yet to even do a single server merge... something brand-new MMOs are doing after a few months in service.
And people seriously think SE's going to take it offline to "make way" for a brand-new, unproven MMO?
/facepalm
@MikeB - seriously... WTF were you even thinking posting that? You're helping an unsubstantiated rumor spread needlessly, among a sea of people including many who are downright giddy at the prospect of running around telling all their friends that a major title is "dying". And you feed them this kind of unfounded fodder?
/double facepalm
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Unless SE practally just say to the 11 playerbase look you've been with us this long switch for free or at least give a very good offer to do so, if they ARE in fact shutting it down to 'make way for 14', they've basically just killed any hope that they will have anywhere near the size of the playerbase they have with 11 for 2 reasons
1) One it's a big FU to their loyal fans with 11 basically nullifying all their hard work and saying now pay us more money to do everything again - Even SOE and Arena.net offered at least somthing that carried over with their sequels to at least show the loyal were in fact rewarded not just milked and dumpped.
2) With the above 'treatment' of the loyal playerbase already, would any 'newcommers' past the madly loyal players be willing to pick up the sequel knowing SE's 'reguard' towards their playerbase?
smells like AC2 all over again to me - I hope it is purly a rumour and/or misinterpation of the meaning
@WSI - it's purely so it's a 'you heared it here first!' comment later on, LOADS of sites post rumors in the hope they turn out to be fact
Bring on the WARRRRGGHH!
It doesn't make good sense to me to shut down Final Fantasy 11 just because they are launching 14. Game companies don't seem to mind alienating their customers, but it really isn't a good idea for them to do so. If it becomes unprofitiable, then I would understand shutting it down. In either case it would be really unwise to preemptively announce they are shutting it down.
The only reason I can think of why they would shut down a game that is still profitable and with a nice subscriber base, is that they need everyone working on FFXIV.
Maybe they don't want to allocate 20-30 people to work on FFXI and would rather everyone focus on the new game.
But, it's a mistake, it seems like the money FFXI brings in outweighs any of the drawbacks, because at this point, there is no drawback to having a 7 year old "successful" game.
I love what you do for me, Square-Enix!
"There is only one thing of which I am certain, and that's nothing is certain."
It seems like a pretty bad idea to shut down games to make way for sequels. Knowing a game company has a policy of shutting down online games after a certain shelf life would make me less likely to play their games in the first place. MMOs already feel like a lot of wasted time/effort. Knowing it's all going to get wiped in a few years kind makes it feel even more futile.
I doubt it will.
It's a game. It's not a family, it's not a job, it's nothing more than a game (and a sub-par one at that *yawn*). Many players leave after playing MMOs for years, hell, most have! Just look at EQ1's, UO's, or DAoC's current subs. FFXI will go the way of the dodo just like those.
Except none of those MMOs have gone the way of the dodo. Dodos are extinct, dead, gone. Those games are still around and quite playable.
And frankly, your opinion of the game notwithstanding, I'm pretty sure FFXI after 8 years is still running far stronger than any of them were at that age... possible exception of EQ.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
I doubt it'll be shutdown, they have said multiple times FFXI will continue to be supported after the launch of FFIV.
cool? no it wont shut down you know theyll keep at least a server or 2 up for people.
Never take life too seriously youre never gonna make it out alive.
Thank God, I never liked FFXI the game was horribly dated even when it first came out. Dont get me wrong it had good features, but it was completely inaccessible to most people because of the horrible login/download interface.