Letter from the Producer, XLVI (05/23/2013)

Hello again to all of you eagerly awaiting FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. We're now in the homestretch of our preparations for phase 3 of the beta test. Today is a special day, and I wanted to share my excitement with you all by way of my forty-sixth Letter from the Producer!

After keeping fans on edge for what must have felt like an eternity, today we finally announced the release date for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn! To coincide with this, we’ve also begun accepting preorders!

I hope you're all ready, because the adventure begins August 27, 2013! You're probably all curious about the timing of the release, but taking into account everyone's feedback from the beta test along with our goals for the start of A Realm Reborn, this is the date we've decided on. This will be a simultaneous worldwide release for both the PC and PlayStation 3.

Today’s announcement is accompanied by a slew of information. We have samples of the box art, brand-new illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano, the contents of the collector’s edition, and info on pricing as well as preorder bonuses.

We wanted to make sure everyone has the opportunity to explore Eorzea, and so we've done our best to make the game as affordable as possible. Having said that, a lot of work went into the collector's edition, so if you enjoy memorabilia, you won't be disappointed (but even this will be offered at barely cost price). Those of you who played Version 1.0 or are planning to play on PlayStation 3, make sure to read the Lodestone for more details(<a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=14019fb32d90859f118dccb8cd96bf81c212957d">US</a>/<a href="http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=d550623a6160d58af74cc8d8d97f335bd8e176d9">EU</a>) before preordering.

We've also released a new video today - FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn - A Tour of Eorzea, Part 2(<a href="http://youtu.be/8JQ87KtH1G8" target="_blank">US</a>/<a href="http://youtu.be/t9YRS7wW6Bs" target="_blank">EU</a>).

Optimization of the PlayStation 3 version is coming along nicely, and you'll be able to see we're really pushing it to the limit. Those planning to play on the PlayStation 3 will want to check it out!

There's a lot to be excited about, but there's still a mountain of work to do before release. As always, in order to bring you all the best game possible, I'm prepared for more sleepless nights in the office.

Well, I better get back to preparing for beta 3, but I'll see you all soon in my seventh LIVE letter. Until next time! :)