Rebooted Final Fantasy 14 beta details and glamorous new video
Rather have a bowl of Chocobopops?
The Final Fantasy 14 reboot and PS3 version that have been years in the making - and have a lot riding on them - finally arrive this end of 2013.
But how soon?
Now we now know that PC closed beta testing begins mid-February. So says a beta roadmap dug up on NeoGAF.
That's the first phase of the beta; in total there will be four. Square Enix has estimated how long each of these phases will take, as well as the time needed in-between. When they're finished, out will come FF14: A Realm Reborn on PC and PS3.
The earliest estimate of a release seems to be mid-February plus seven weeks - roughly the end of March. But this is an MMO and they require a lot of testing, so I'll be damned if it makes that date.
The latest-case estimate is mid-February plus 18 weeks, which makes it roughly an end of June release. This sounds much more likely, although it's all subject to change.
The first two beta phases are hosted in Japan, are for PC, are closed and are protected by NDAs.
Things liven up by phase three when NDAs lift, PS3 testing begins and servers open overseas.
Phase four is the open beta and characters created during it will be carried over onto live servers. More or less everything should be in place by then.
Beta sign-ups for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn on PC and PS3 have begun.
There's a glitzy new trailer to watch, too.