The relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV as FFXIV A Realm Reborn should have been a crowing moment in a troubled past for Square Enix. But stability and load issues are leaving many, especially North American and European, players singing the blues.
This weekend was supposed to be a time of unbridled joy for anyone that pre-ordered FFXIV. A time to enjoy Eorzea ahead the influx of players on launch day. To get a head start and be out of the starting zones when the game launches. But server outages are causing the majority of NA/EU players unable to even get pass the start screen. And if by some luck you were able to get pass the start screen and into the character selection screen, you often end up with an empty screen because NA/EU servers just would not load.
The most frustrating part is not the inability to enjoy Early Access, but the seemly ineptitude of Square Enix. While server issues are common place and even expected in the launch of a new MMO, FFXIV ARR is not a “new” MMO. Square Enix cannot fall back upon the age old excuse of not knowing how many players to expect. FFXIV had an established player base and they had the pre-order numbers. And on top of that, many of the same issues were present during the final phase of closed beta which took place a mere week ago. One would think with potential pitfalls spotted and a very good estimate on player base, Square Enix would have been more prepared, if not overly prepared, for the coming relaunch.
I truly hope all the server issues are resolved quickly and that FFXIV ARR does not begin life the same way that FFXIV’s life ended. I have really enjoyed the game so far, the parts that I’ve been able to see anyways. I plan to post a review of FFXIV ARR in the coming week.
ManuSLetuM 