Version Update Delay

[Manicora]

I like that was said before <Quake> and <Flood> are killer, lets never get to see <Burst>. Take care of your own house before you let your friends back in to play, We love the game... some a lil too much but as long as people need help getting there lives back in Order, take all the time you need (been without the game for 9 months once) I did just fine without it.

[Cenz]

Thank you for the update~! The version update i believe is the least of anyone's concerns. You guys are extremely dedicated to even inform us of anything so soon. As much as i miss the enjoyment of the game i have followed the situation diligently and really hope things calm over by you guys. I look forward to being able to log in again soon! I know when we are able to do so things would have leveled out! My prayers are with you all!

[Malulani]

Thank you for the update. Just take care of yourselves and your families, that is most important. We love our game dearly, but it is just a game. Do what you have to do for your wonderful country to heal and come back stronger than ever.

[Jrtaz]

Thanks for updates hope everything are well, take you time.

[CrystalWeapon]

We'll all be here waiting for you when you return ^_^d

Take your time and I hope things take a turn for the better in Japan. *Casts Luckaga VII*

[Deathbroker]

Japanese authorities have begun imposing sporadic power cuts nationwide to make up for production losses and a nuclear power crisis brought on by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The rationing in urban areas unaffected by the disasters is necessary, utility officials said, because hospitals in quake-stricken areas have been unable to operate at full capacity to treat those injured in Friday's magnitude 9.0 temblor and the tsunami that inundated the northeast after the quake.

Makeshift morgues in the hardest hit areas have been unable to make ice or run refrigeration sufficient to prevent sanitation risks from corpses of victims that have washed ashore and pulled from the sodden debris sprawling across Miyagi prefecture, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Rolling blackouts imposed on Tokyo and its vicinity Tuesday forced restaurants to halt hot food service for much of the day and supermarkets deprived of lights, heat and refrigeration closed during the outages.

The power cuts will continue at least until the end of April, officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The country relies on nuclear power for 30% of its energy needs, and at least 20% of the nuclear network has been idled by the earthquake either as a precaution or due to damage at the huge Fukushima complex.

While local government and industry managers said they understood the need to spread the disruptions, they criticized the utility for giving them scant notice of the cuts and failing to collaborate with them to determine optimal timing of the cutbacks.

"Confusion is occurring because we're being informed when, in what areas and how long the blackouts will occur only at the last minute," complained Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Assn. of Corporate Executives that represents some of Japan's most important producers and exporters. Sakurai suggested the utility ration power to industry by volume rather than time, allowing each producer to accommodate the reductions as best suits individual needs.

The utility has also been criticized for its handling of the crisis at the Fukushima complex, where three of the six reactors have been rocked by explosions caused by overheating in the core containment chambers. The earthquake and tsunami knocked out power to the cooling systems, triggering a series of breakdowns and missteps that have exposed nuclear fuel rods to the air at one reactor and released dangerous levels of radiation outside the plant.

The power company has agreed to provide enough energy to rail operators to keep Tokyo's subway system, the world's busiest with 8 million daily passengers, operating at near-normal capacity after sharply reduced service on Monday paralyzed much of the capital, Kyodo said.

Transport Minister Akihiro Ohata urged factories, businesses and schools to reduce consumption and stagger operating hours to accommodate the power cuts.

Japan is the world's third-largest economy and the nuclear power generation reductions coupled with soaring prices for oil are expected to result in severe losses in automotive, electronics and machinery production and export.

Rolling blackouts and restrictions on public transportation have been implemented across eastern Japan as part of the earthquake and tsunami disaster relief effort. Consequently, we have chosen to delay the upcoming major version update initially planned for mid-April.

While the new release date has been provisionally revised to May, we are unable to provide a detailed schedule at this point in time. The previously announced world merger will likewise be postponed.

We would like to express our apologies to our players, and will do our utmost to keep you abreast of the latest developments. Thank you for your continued understanding in this difficult time.

----
Sincerely,

The FINAL FANTASY XI Team

[Deathbroker]

Good thing none of you are all in business or you would see the important for them to actually get things going again which in turn would help them more then us posting ooooooooo I hope everything is ok SE We should be helping the with idea on how to get things started again if anything

[AJ_Anyia]

No worries and no rush, the important thing is getting everything righted over there first. RL > FFXI

[Deathbroker]

That mean it might last til the end of April thats a pretty long time.

[UltraBlackone]

No worries SE, take your time as I'm sure you have other things that are way more important at this time. One question I would like to ask however is what all changes this new update will yield. I heard something about fixing how EX items work but that's about all I know of for this update. Can anyone fill me in on some of the other changes to be made or is it a secret till it all comes out?