It's pretty normal for a majorly hyped game to get release, fail expectations miserably (often because of rushing) and become a financial disaster for the publisher. However it's not normal for that to happen and for said game to receive an updated version hopefully rectifying all of its mistakes.
You gotta give it to Square Enix for recognizing their mistakes with Final Fantasy XIV and doing everything they can to turn it around. The game will have its (second) beta again this fall, and in the meantime has been releasing cinematic trailers like the one at the end of the article. But since barely any actual gameplay has been seen, it's no surprise that fans are still iffy about it.
But Squre Enix producer Sun Yoshida assures us that the game has definitely changed. In a translated quote (from German) to Play Front, Yoshida said the following:
"The new version will have more of the Final Fantasy feeling – We put things back from previous games, to give more of the feeling of belonging to the series…Things like chocobos, moogles, summons, high quality cutscenes or story items that will add just this Final Fantasy-feeling."
When in doubt, revert to previous successes? Yeah, it's a technique that many Japanese (and Western) developers have seemed to learn well, often putting out tons of sequels while still clinging on to a series name…I think I just described Final Fantasy, but it was totally unintentional.
Anyway, this type of thinking tends to stifle innovation, but in the wake of millions of dollars lost, it's certainly understandable. Hopefully for Square Enix their hard work will pay off and they'll be able to turn the game around and make players happy.
Source: PlayFront via Cinemablend
