FFXIV Dev Blog: Niconico Chokaigi 2 Event

29 Apr 2013
0

Three developer blog posts appeared in the past day and a half related to the Niconico Chokaigi 2 event. They are reposted below for your viewing pleasure. A lot of information has come out of the this event.  Most notable? Phase 3 of the beta test is scheduled to begin in early June (phase 2 was up to 580,000 participants), with  ARR being released later in the summer (simultaneously for PC and PS3).  Yoshida also confirmed a level sync system will be implemented, allowing players to participate in lower level FATEs (without having to change equipment, as your current equipment will adjust appropriately).    You can see more nuggets of information coming out of the event over at DualShockers (part 1 , part 2).

[pane title=”More than Meets the Odd Eye (April 28, 2013)”]

Hello all!

Fernehalwes here.

It was a long week, so I thought I’d spend my Sunday at home relaxing with a good movie and an ice-cold adult beverage. I had made it half-way through the movie (and all the way through the beverage) when I made the mistake of taking a break and checking my mail.

—-

Hey Ferne! It’s me, M!

You didn’t think I’d let you spend your Sunday at home relaxing with a good movie and an ice-cold adult beverage, did you? At least not while I’m here slaving away at the Niconico Chokaigi 2.

Today, the FINAL FANTASY XIV booth held a special player event. Lucky participants got to chose from one of four different face types and have a professional make-up artist transform them into a real-life Miqo’te!

JP20130428_1.jpg

Throw on a pair of velvety ears and a temporary tattoo…

JP20130428_2.jpg

And we have… Uh… We have…

JP20130428_3.jpg

I think I’m in love…

JP20130428_4.jpg

On second though…

JP20130428_5.jpg

Oh, and Ferne! Don’t even think of turning off your PC! I don’t know when my next update is coming, or what it’ll be about, but you’d better be ready when I send it! Toodles!

Project Manager M

—–

It’s going to be a long night…

Fernehalwes

[/pane]
[pane title=”Rear Window (April 28, 2013)”]

Hello all!

Fernehalwes back again for today’s second installment of the Developers’ Blog. In case you missed the first post, you can check it out here.

Not moments after I had sat back down to my movie (a new adult beverage in hand), did I hear my mailer chime…

It couldn’t be…

It’s only been five minutes…

It simply couldn’t be M again…

Why yes, it could…

——-

Hey Ferney! M here! Did you miss me? You weren’t thinking of sitting back down to your movie (a new adult beverage in hand), were you? We have work to do!

The Niconico Chokaigi 2 is over, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still bring the starveling masses some scrumptious recaps!

Just look at all the exciting stuff that happened over the past two days!

Our tireless sound director (and knee-socks aficionado) held a talk session with one of the voice actresses featured in ARR! Look at all the people who gathered to watch!

JP20130428_6.jpg

Our tireless sound director (and knee-socks connoisseur) composed a new jingle right on stage, in a matter of minutes! What a pro!

JP20130428_7.jpg

Our tireless sound director (and knee-socks nabber) got down and dirty to take some photos of our booth’s cosplayers… Uh, that doesn’t look like the company camera…

JP20130428_9.jpg

Our tireless director (and knee-soc─ HEY!

JP20130428_8.jpg

(Don’t let Soken know it was me who called security.)

Talk to you again tomorrow! Toodles!

Project Manager M

———

I put down my beverage for this?

Fernehalwes.

[/pane]
[pane title=”Pane Center Stage April 29, 2013″]

Hey all.

Fernehalwes here again. After those two quick updates yesterday, I was certain that a third would be right on their tails. But nothing came…that is, until just now. Why the delay? Well…

——–

Ugh… My head… Why didn’t someone tell me Dr. Kevorkians were more than just Dr. Pepper…?

Oh, hey…Ferne…

M calling in from… I don’t know, some motel with complementary Internet and a coin-operated sofa.

I would have gotten back to you sooner, but the Niconico Chokaigi 2 after party went a few mojitos longer than I had anticipated. How did I get myself into the after party, you ask? Well, let’s just say a little Project Manager charm goes a long way. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about… What was I here to talk about…? Ah yes, last weekend’s event! The event… The event…? Ah, yes, the event!

In addition to the obvious highlights (including make-up sessions and knee-sock photo ops), there were actually a lot of exciting stage presentations, many of them revealing juicy tidbits of new information about ARR.

▼A new Producer Letter Live

JP20130429_4.jpg

(May 1st is Yoshi-P’s 40th birthday, so the FINAL FANTASY XIV staff all pitched in to buy him this elegant boa and sophisticated pair of spectacles.)

▼A one-on-one talk session between Yoshi-P and Hiroyuki (absolutely dreamy founder of 2chan)

JP20130429_5.jpg

(Well, it wasn’t really one-on-one. If it weren’t for the mediator, they would have kept talking right on into the night. In fact, after the show, the three of them ended up going out for drinks. I can only hope they were gentlemen when deciding which one of them can have me.)
A special talk show with three of the voice actors appearing in ARR (Yuichi Nakamura, Shinnosuke Tachibana, Rie Tanaka) was also held, during which several in-game screenshots from all-new cutscenes were shown on the big screen!

▼Kan-E-Senna

JP20130429_2.jpg

▼Garuda

JP20130429_1.jpg

▼Alphinaud (a new character!)

JP20130429_3.jpg

(There was this guy at the after party who looked exactly like Alphinaud. I saw him looking my way in-between hors-d’ouvres, so I winked back, and well, one thing led to another, and─ Hey, how I tell you all about it over lunch tomorrow? What do you say?

Project Manager M

——-

Naw, I think I’m good.

Fernehalwes

[/pane]