Final Fantasy XIV Beta Applications Now Open.

Written by: Michael Byrne (Twitter @magickmann1 - Google+) | January 7, 2013 11:27 am

37 Comments

Square Enix opens Final Fantasy XIV beta applications and releases an extended trailer

When one era ends, another begins. This has been the driving theme for Square Enix’s upcoming re-launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. To usher in the new era, Square Enix has opened Final Fantasy XIV beta applications to the public. Gamers hoping to jump in and check out all of the changes made to can now apply for the FFXIV beta phase which, as we reported here, is set to start at around mid February.

Some players won’t even have to sign up though. According to the Final Fantasy XIV Beta Application found here:

Players who met the Legacy campaign requirements can participate in the beta test starting from phase 1 and are not required to apply. However, we ask players who wish to participate in the PlayStation 3 beta test to apply for it.
If you applied to be a PlayStation 3 beta tester for FFXIV Version 1.0 and were selected to test the Windows version instead, you need not apply again to test the PS3 version—your original application will be reconsidered when we start selecting PS3 testers. However, if you wish to be considered as a Windows PC tester, we ask that you apply specifically for that.
If you have a FINAL FANTASY XIII (PS3) Members code, you can enter it for a chance to receive priority access to the PS3 Beta.

UPDATE: According to the official Twitter feed, the Final Fantasy XIV beta application site has been experiencing some issues and confirmation emails may not have been sent out. If you applied already and haven’t received your confirmation email Square Enix advises you to fill out the application again just to be sure.

To announce the beta application process, Square Enix dropped another cinematic trailer for fans of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to enjoy. Well, honestly it isn’t a “full” new trailer. The video starts by showing us the previous trailer again and tacks on about 3 more minutes of impressive visuals. We see a much brighter world, the arrival of our party that was teleported out of the previous trailer’s battle, and of course chocobos in full battle armor abound.

Once again, the trailer impresses visually and does its job to get me interested in the story, but it does little to assuage my concerns for ARR‘s re-launch. I still am very eager for the coming of ARR but I also think it’s time we started seeing some gameplay with some context and some “meat” for fans of the Final Fantasy series to dive into. I can’t wait to jump into FFXIV beta soon and look forward to experiencing all of the changes the FFXIV reboot has in store, but I don’t think the trailer gives a good indication of what FFXIV beta applicants will be experiencing in game which is what I think most Final Fantasy XIV fans want to see at this point.

Does the new Final Fantasy XIV beta trailer add to your excitement or does it leave you feeling about the same as previous videos? Are we likely to see any of the trailer content in the actual beta? Leave your comments below!

Final Fantasy XIV Beta Applications Now Open.

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Hicks64

The link didn’t work for me, but the link on FF14′s official twitter worked. Thanks for the heads up!
http://twitter.com/dryiggles Dr. Yiggles

Pretty Impressive Trailer. Much better than the old one that was displayed earlier. Not to say I’m going to play it or sub for it, but if I get in the beta I’ll definitely give as much feedback to help the game out.

Especially since it is a CG Trailer you can’t expect too much out of it, but here’s hoping it will end up being a good game when it launches and those who felt shafted by the original will enjoy ARR.
http://twitter.com/DennisIsAwesome DennisIsAwesome

that video was so epic i had to grab ahold of my head to keep it from exploding
http://twitter.com/Thaguf Thaguf

What is this song anyone know?
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Byrne/100001642673542 Michael Byrne
  
  It is called “Answers” and is sung by Susan Calloway
  - http://twitter.com/Thaguf Thaguf
    
    Thanks bro
http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm

Bahamut looks badass
Passio1

Its a great cinematic trailer, music ties in and sounds great like most FF titles.
Still with beta access i`d expect some more dynamic gameplay footage than has already been released by now.
Even though it is beta, the gameplay and mechanics won`t change that much from now till launch, so to not have released a bit more of it is worrying.

Lets face it Square have a massive task to try and salvage this project and they have more to do than companies launching a fresh game due to the panning this game got previously.

Hope that square can start to put out good games again, but thats the nostalgia playing on me.
Still for those that don`t know any better, this is a cracking trailer to drool over.
http://www.facebook.com/kirzansix Mike Coulombe

I always loved dramatic trailers like these. They help capture the moment a lot. It’s like a classic slow-mo charge in Stalingrad with classical music in war movies. So epic, yet very tragic.

Also, 5:09, WHADDUP CID?!?! Wow, they still know how to pull off the best cinematics, period. The amount of details is amazing. On par with their Agni’s Philosophy demo that was completely stunning.
http://www.facebook.com/urbanprintingz Urban Printings

trailer looked epic seriesly made me think twise about playing but is there going to be a subscription fee?, im willing to buy the box and play but not if theres a sub attached
- http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.hornsby.7 Jonathan Hornsby
  
  Thus far it seems you and I are out of luck there. Square still won’t accept they failed and are taking this little do-over all the way, sub fee included.
  - http://twitter.com/Picoman Picoman
    
    Oh, there you are, not noticed you in a while.
    
    Square has accepted it failed, their little do-over is progressing nicely and you continue to cry about games with subscriptions.
    Haha, i guess you like free stuff? or something? because the free model isnt exactly looking too healthy atm.
    - http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.hornsby.7 Jonathan Hornsby
      
      I am more than happy to pay for things that are worth it. But I will not pay for things that already proven not.
    - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
      
      They do have a challenge, a significant player-base will no longer pay a monthly sub. Another segment will wait for the game to go free to play.
      
      Personally, I think the Final Fantasy franchise could pull off a very successful and profitable free to play model.
      - http://twitter.com/Picoman Picoman
        
        By that logic, SE has lost nothing by those two groups not playing the game.
        
        XIV doesn’t have a cash shop at all.
        
        I know a lot of people enjoy giving all their money to Blizzard for subs, mounts, pets, consumables, transfers, name changes or race changes. I just call that greed.
        
        F2P is a lie.
        
        F2P is a trap.
      - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
        
        F2P allows more players to play. If you don’t have a successful P2P game, it’s the players that lose out.
        
        P2P that go F2P is sad truth that saved many a game.
        
        P2P without a healthy player population is not a trap. Players just leave.
        
        Let’s hope SE is not falling into a trap or lying to itself.
http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon

LOL – love this came out on same day as the crappy WOW teaser. Lets hope SE puts same effort into their gameplay as they did with that trailer.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WWV4XQQDWQQXJEW2FWHFQYUIKM Nicholas

Can anybody explain the interesting choice of country of origin options….
http://twitter.com/DaveBigger Dave

wtf is up with the sound >.<
http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.hornsby.7 Jonathan Hornsby

Wait a second…isn’t this trailer from a couple of months ago?
- http://twitter.com/Thaguf Thaguf
  
  Some of it was, the second half is new.
- http://openid.aol.com/jpuffer87 Justin Pfeifer
  
  Reading its hard.
- http://twitter.com/Picoman Picoman
  
  Even though many people will refer to it as a trailer, i sometimes do, it is actually the Opening Cinematic, End Of An Era + A New Beginning.
  The reason we previously just got End Of An Era was because it marked the end of 1.0 version of the game. Thats why you have seen the first 6 minutes before.
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    I had the same reaction the first time I watched this. Started the video and said, I’ve already seen this.
    Read the article and found out the new material as at the end. So, restarted the video.
http://twitter.com/scotb0t scotb0t

Badass cinematic. Maybe they should make a movie instead of a game.
http://twitter.com/adrunkmage @ADrunkMage

Should be noted that on there applications there is not an option to select US Country
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Byrne/100001642673542 Michael Byrne
  
  Use the address at the end of the video (the one that ends in NA). The link I used in the article was the “overall” link from FFXIV’s twitter.
  - http://twitter.com/adrunkmage @ADrunkMage
    
    Ty Sir Got it
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1018077056 Rolando Rangel

The aestethics of the cinematic is great hands down. But lets analyze the actual story of the cinematic. Granted the beginning struggle is very epic it makes you feel immeresed in the idea that the good guys lost, which is cool. The new part what exactly did it immerse you in? Chocobo riding? Really? The entire second half was primarily focussed on chocobo riding through a new, aparently known world cause the dude just whistled for his chocobo in a new world?? The idea was lost second part in, no direction, no immersion which feels to me like that’s what the reborn will be, no immersion and no direction.
- 7BitBrian
  
  A Realm reborn picks up 5 years after Bahamut destroys the world, that’s plenty of time to rebuild some stuff and train a chocobo I think.
http://twitter.com/Picoman Picoman

“Are we likely to see any of the trailer content in the actual beta?” – Michael Byrne

The first 6 minutes of the cinematic or so will become the past when ARR goes live. Right now it is still a recent event as we are in limbo between versions still.

So from this section, we don’t know if the Grand Company leaders and Cid survived but it is very likely that they flew off in an airship before being wiped out by Bahamut’s Mega Flare, like Louisoux (the old guy) /cry. Most of the Circle of Knowing (the praying characters) make it as they appear in the next section and we know they failed to control Bahamut, so he is now in the world. Bahamut will be tied to “The Great Labyrinth of Bahamut” which is content that will extend across most of the zones in the world.

Also from the first section, you can see that the cities took major damage but were not obliterated, so you will see those along with 40 new zones to explore. These zones will be scattered with parts of Dalamud (the big red meteor/prison) and are completely different from 1.0, no more copy/pasta.

The second part is basically a montage of what you will find in the game. So things like Odin, King Behemoth, Crystal Tower and a new world to explore!
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  I really liked the video and left feeling with a great sense of closure. The epic battle was over and the heroes were reborn with a new world to explore.
  
  While the game looks gorgeous, I didn’t get a sense of peril or pending epic quest.
  
  If it requires exposition to explain this, it’s a problem, the video left me with the impression everything is okay and everyone lives happily ever after.
  - http://twitter.com/Picoman Picoman
    
    Yep, well i guess the in-game cinematic post character creator will set the scene depending on what city you start in.
  - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
    
    I wondering though how many years into the future is it. As getting a chance to play a bit in the Alpha the starting area gave me that Awe feeling of wow this looks beautiful and All I wanted to do was explore the one area we were given. i’m excited to see the other areas.
    - Lucy Lestat
      
      it’s only 5 years in the future
DoctorOverlord

Beautiful cinematic. I really hope they did a decent job revamping the game. It would be nice to enter an era of MMOs where several games can successfully maintain themselves rather than there being only a single game dominating the market at a time.
http://twitter.com/Tidonius Tidonius

Anyone know what this FINAL FANTASY XIII (PS3) Members code is? I own FFXIII on PS3 but I’ve see no such code.

Final Fantasy XIV Beta Applications Now Open.

Square Enix opens Final Fantasy XIV beta applications and releases an extended trailer

New FFXIV Jobs Get Their Own Trailer

FFXIV PS3 UI Gets Some E3 Love

The Crystal Calls In A New FFXIV Trailer

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