Final Fantasy XIV Dated

MCV are reporting that the next iteration of über-popular Final Fantasy will not be in our grubby non-elven hands until March 2011. That’s only if you’re after the PS3 version, of course, as the PC edition will hit September 22nd in Europe, shockingly allowing bedroom hermits to get the jump on their living-room counterparts by a full six months.

Interestingly, we also get our first glimpse of the game’s subscription-based pricing model. A return to the MMO format of Final Fantasy XI, XIV will cost RPGers £8.99/€12.99 per month, with new characters (of which you can have a maximum of eight per account) costing a further £2.10/€3.99 – once again on a monthly basis. Whether or not the PS3 model follows suit remains to be seen. Check out the link for some more details of the PC Collector’s Edition, including (but not limited to) a Final Fantasy “tumbler”. We’re assuming Batman is not included.

Finally, and something you MMO fiends will likely know all about, retainers (NPCs that hang around hocking your wares and generally complaining about your punk ass when you’re (briefly no doubt) offline) will cost £0.70/€1.00 after the first slave-labourer who comes gratis. Which is nice of them.

Source: MCV