Letter from the Producer, XXVIII (05/28/2012)

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Originally Posted by MrLion

lol you guys have the worst logic ever..

Yoshida: Well, the public release of version 2.0 is set to kickoff with this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. We also plan to unveil a brand new promotion site for version 2.0 soon after E3 ends.

Lodestone Forum: So that means he's not showing anything at E3!!!

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Hahaha!! Yep I agree!! They skip over what Yoshi-p said, and goes to right to what's not going to be at E3 and think that nothing is going to be their. Its funny and sad at the same time >.>.

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Originally Posted by Colino

If we were to take everything literally that would imply version 2.0 is actually being released during E3. Which is obviously impossible, which goes to show how poorly translated this segment is.

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Showing something small and not showing anything entirely are two completely different things.

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Originally Posted by MrLion

lol you guys have the worst logic ever..

Yoshida: Well, the public release of version 2.0 is set to kickoff with this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. We also plan to unveil a brand new promotion site for version 2.0 soon after E3 ends.

Lodestone Forum: So that means he's not showing anything at E3!!!

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Finally someone else who can read between the lines.

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Originally Posted by MrLion

Showing something small and not showing anything entirely are two completely different things.

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Right, but we wouldn't know either way because the letter is written or translated quite poorly, he claims marketing is starting at e3 and only a couple of lines later claims that promotion will begin in August.

lol wow, I had to stop reading this thread when someone suggested E3 isn't a big event. Seriously lol.

Maybe public unveiling only means the PDF that was located at lodestone, those has never gotten any attention from worldwide public, only FFXIV players that refreshes lodestone everyday.

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Originally Posted by Chardrizard

Maybe public unveiling only means the PDF that was located at lodestone, those has never gotten any attention from worldwide public, only FFXIV players that refreshes lodestone everyday.

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Hey... I don't refresh lodestone every day... I refresh it every 30 mins...

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Originally Posted by Chardrizard

Maybe public unveiling only means the PDF that was located at lodestone, those has never gotten any attention from worldwide public, only FFXIV players that refreshes lodestone everyday.

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Certain sites saw them and reported on the news of 2.0 back in September, the PDF's haven't changed since that time.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

Certain sites saw them and reported on the news of 2.0 back in September, the PDF's haven't changed since that time.

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Its offical you didn't read the whole letter:

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There have been some changes to the roadmap for version 2.0. We had planned to release a new trailer for version 2.0 at E3 this year, but instead we’ve decided to keep it under wraps for now.
(The current version of the roadmap has been updated to reflect this.)

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So yeah, they have been updated since they were released.

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Originally Posted by ViciousValentine

This is almost impossible to calculate since its watched on over 10 different sources.

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And therein lies the problem. While you're absolutely right about online viewership, this number is absolutely unidentifiable, which means that while it's definitely a factor, it's ultimately irrelevant as a valid source of information until we can fully measure it. It could be in the 100s of thousands, it can be as little as 14 thousand, which still doesn't add up to the 275k attendees of Gamescom. It's the case of a concrete vs. invisible number really. Keep in mind that this is a population with a specific knowledge set that can easily get their online info from any other source(like Gamescom streaming or say a promotional 2.0 site for example), AND said online viewership is limited to the coverage that people on the show floor will give. If 1up or IGN or Spike decide not to show any FFXIV stuff that was there for example, well then tough break to anyone looking online for FFXIV info. This confounds the number further. If I recall, there was a big kerfuffle among a few podasts and other media outlets over the lack of SE coverage(I think FFXIV specifically) at e3 last year, but I could be wrong about that.

E3 is the big papa on the street right now, but over the years it's lost a lot of its luster, and a lot of companies have decided to opt out(if I'm not mistaken, bungie has decided to opt out this year for example, along with Irrational). Gamescom, PAX, even CES are gaining more steam, and a lot of gaming companies are doing their own thing like Nintendo with their Nintendo Direct shtick(which also doesn't seem to have a huge online viewership dent just yet).

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Originally Posted by Delsus

So yeah, they have been updated since they were released.

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What you mean today ?

@ Malakhim there are a lot of people on here who are talking about stuff they don't understand, E3 used to be a public event but they changed it because the event was getting too large so they made it industry only, back then people proclaimed that it was the end of E3 and that it would slowly die off, that didn't happen because gaming news sites decided to start streaming it instead.

If you go to any of these sites on the day of Sony, MS and Nintendo conferences you can barely watch the streams due to bandwidth problems, its safe to say that the numbers are massive.

Suggesting that numbers are irrelevant just because you don't know what they are is absurd, thats like saying the world population is irreverent if I didn't know what it was.

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Originally Posted by Malakhim

And therein lies the problem. While you're absolutely right about online viewership, this number is absolutely unidentifiable, which means that while it's definitely a factor, it's ultimately irrelevant as a valid source of information until we can fully measure it. It could be in the 100s of thousands, it can be as little as 14 thousand, which still doesn't add up to the 275k attendees of Gamescom. It's the case of a concrete vs. invisible number really. Keep in mind that this is a population with a specific knowledge set that can easily get their online info from any other source(like Gamescom streaming or say a promotional 2.0 site for example), AND said online viewership is limited to the coverage that people on the show floor will give. If 1up or IGN or Spike decide not to show any FFXIV stuff that was there, well then tough break to anyone looking online for FFXIV info.

E3 is the big papa on the street right now, but over the years it's lost a lot of its luster, and a lot of companies have decided to opt out(if I'm not mistaken, bungie has decided to opt out this year for example, along with Irrational). Gamescom, PAX, even CES are gaining more steam, and a lot of gaming companies are doing their own thing like Nintendo with their Nintendo Direct shtick(which also doesn't seem to have a huge online viewership dent just yet).

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Its entirely possible to find out how many people watched online, cross referance the amount of hits the vids get, filter my unique IP address and you get the ratings for E3 online viewers, just the websites don't make that info publicly available.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

What you mean today ?

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I do, but they have been updated (yes it was only today) but if they are on course for the planned release they have no need to update the roadmap, and the concept art will change very little, so only changes need to be updated (which they were today)

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Just the websites don't make that info publicly available.

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Which makes the info unofficial, which makes it speculation on SE's part. It'd be much easier for online streamers to post the numbers themselves, which I'll admit should exist, otherwise they wouldn't see the value in offering the service year after year.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

If you go to any of these sites on the day of Sony, MS and Nintendo conferences you can barely watch the streams due to bandwidth problems, its safe to say that the numbers are massive.

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It could be bandwidth, but it could also be because they're having issues with their streaming on the floor, or maybe your ISP decided to suck that day.

I didn't say disregard the online viewership, I said that they're irrelevant as a measurable metric because the information isn't published or shared as far as I'm aware, and all of that has an effect on your measurements. We're talking about creating sound business strategy here. You don't rely on invisible numbers for that.

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Originally Posted by Hycinthus

I'm looking forward to gameplay trailer,showing new UI, new redesigned world.

But knowing the timeframe they had, it will probably be #1, only CGI....

But also keeping my expectation even lower again, there will probably be nothing, only an announcement that they're working on it.

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I knew this was gonna happen, I called it first!

Anyway, even though I understand the part about releasing "a flood instead of a trickle", I think they should still show the trailer at E3 since it's done anyway. If marketing is all they're after, E3 is the place to do it. And then in August they can show more new things on top of that trailer.

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Originally Posted by Delsus

I do, but they have been updated (yes it was only today) but if they are on course for the planned release they have no need to update the roadmap, and the concept art will change very little, so only changes need to be updated (which they were today)

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So your point is moot is it not ?

Or are you just trying to be pedantic ?

I waited almost 8 months since the initial 2.0 announcement. Another two months won't kill me :D

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Originally Posted by Jinko

Suggesting that numbers are irrelevant just because you don't know what they are is absurd, thats like saying the world population is irreverent if I didn't know what it was.

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"I don't know exactly how many stars there are in the universe, therefore there are none"

Maybe someone at SE pointed out that 30 seconds of already existing cgi doesnt = a new trailer....

I hope when they say they are going to 'wow' us they really do cos most of the time player expectations are up here --- while se's are down here ____

lrn2market se

I give up lol just one disappointment after the next..meh

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Originally Posted by Ilethius

Maybe someone at SE pointed out that 30 seconds of already existing cgi doesnt = a new trailer....

I hope when they say they are going to 'wow' us they really do cos most of the time player expectations are up here --- while se's are down here ____

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I agree that a 30 second CGI is also a waste. CGI is not content, is not gameplay, is not user interface, is nothing but an eyecandy.

BUT, at least some form of trailer, even CGI, would put the word of FFXIV 2.0 into laypeople out there and the media. No MMO has ever tried what SE is trying to do. Everyone thinks FFXIV is dead and is never coming back.

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Originally Posted by Hycinthus

I knew this was gonna happen, I called it first!

Anyway, even though I understand the part about releasing "a flood instead of a trickle", I think they should still show the trailer at E3 since it's done anyway. If marketing is all they're after, E3 is the place to do it. And then in August they can show more new things on top of that trailer.

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Or they can show the relevent gameplay that everyone wants to see, they can see how the UI will work, see how things look, then release the CGI trailer showing abilities we do not have (Fire Arrow) and things we will never see ingame (or anything like it) at a later date.

The 1.0 trailer/opening movie has very little to do with the game, there are the races, classes, leves and a flashback in Mor Dhona, who thought we would get the Magic arrows we saw in the trailer.

It shows nothing of how the game will play, its not even represetative of the graphics, just CGI and useless, this will be what the new trailer will be like, not showing the game, but other movies like gameplay have some use, they are just getting thier priorities straight, the first thing they need is to do something to pull players in and preorder 2.0, and ONLY gameplay will do that, a CGI trailer will do nothing.

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Originally Posted by Babydoll

lrn2market se

I give up lol just one disappointment after the next..meh

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What, no more bikini self-pics then?

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Or they can show the relevent gameplay that everyone wants to see, they can see how the UI will work, see how things look, then release the CGI trailer showing abilities we do not have (Fire Arrow) and things we will never see ingame (or anything like it) at a later date.

The 1.0 trailer/opening movie has very little to do with the game, there are the races, classes, leves and a flashback in Mor Dhona, who thought we would get the Magic arrows we saw in the trailer.

It shows nothing of how the game will play, its not even represetative of the graphics, just CGI and useless, this will be what the new trailer will be like, not showing the game, but other movies like gameplay have some use, they are just getting thier priorities straight, the first thing they need is to do something to pull players in and preorder 2.0, and ONLY gameplay will do that, a CGI trailer will do nothing.

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You are basing all of this off of the assumption that they will show gameplay footage at E3, but looking at the letter that's far from being certain.

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Originally Posted by Baxta

The strangest thing about this decision is that August is too late for E3 and too early for TGS. The two biggest media events for video games and they want to release a trailer right in the middle of them, but not AT them? OK SE, I'm sure you know what you're doing but it seems an odd choice to me.

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true but its right in time for the lead up for the 2.0 beta and roll out to start.

I see what there playing at here. There going to put every thing they have into one strike and hope for a knockout.

It is one hell of a gamble, one i hope pays off for them.

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Originally Posted by Hycinthus

I agree that a 30 second CGI is also a waste. CGI is not content, is not gameplay, is not user interface, is nothing but an eyecandy.

BUT, at least some form of trailer, even CGI, would put the word of FFXIV 2.0 into laypeople out there and the media. No MMO has ever tried what SE is trying to do. Everyone thinks FFXIV is dead and is never coming back.

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This is why I can guarentee they will show some gameplay, they know a CGI trailer is useless its called prioritisation, relese gameplay before the trailer (perhaps even 1.xx content what will get ported to 2.0 like dungeons.

I wonder how many pages this topic will get before the next letter? So let say the next letter come out next Monday at same time for E3 and New Website.

Its a big surprise at the end of Sony Press Conference (new trailer Final Fantasy XV for the PS4) They can not have 2 FF. ^_^ also they need to push FFXIII versus so i forgive then for that and focus all 2.0 stuff for later. They can only have so much time to present.

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Originally Posted by Colino

You are basing all of this off of the assumption that they will show gameplay footage at E3, but looking at the letter that's far from being certain.

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And everyone else basing thier views on FFXIV WILL NOT BE AT E3 dispite this quote:

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Well, the public release of version 2.0 is set to kickoff with this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. We also plan to unveil a brand new promotion site for version 2.0 soon after E3 ends.

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Which means they will market the game at E3, ie they WILL be showing something.

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The enjoyment of our players is extremely important to us, and once 2.0 begins, we’ll be merging the current version and version 2.0 dev teams into one consolidated powerhouse that will continue bringing you as much new content as we can in the shortest span of time possible!

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Since i joined up XIV from Oct, 2011... and i think what i thought is true... SE team doesn't have enough people to finish the project. Not means they are bad, they are good indeed.. But they need more human resources to work for each content :)

hmmm... maybe they need to gain trust about how XIV will be succeed in future then they might hire some of new people to work. As far as i can tell is the modeling about the character, stuff like gears, new item, monsters and the world itself takes time most :p

well, i surprised as well about : Q3/Q4. Do you think the pace of leveling up Disciplines of War and Magic classes is appropriate? (When not power leveling, mind you.). For me the leveling system went too fast and can get all battle jobs to 50 in no time, well as new player i don't get PL too much i wait for shout at Ul'dah everyday. Compare to XI, 4 jobs to 75 in a year at 2008~2009 (i almost play everyday more than 6 hours) lol *BUT FUN AND CHALLENGING*
So, for people who likes to fight monsters than craft there will be nothing to do to level after got all battle jobs capped. This is one of XIV biggest weakness :rolleyes:

ps : sorry for my bad English, feel free to share your thoughts :o

Maybe they are just waiting until TGS. They do seem to care more about the japanese players than other regions as it is considering all our rep responses are just translated versions of response to japanese threads, so it wouldn't surprise me.

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Which means they will market the game at E3, ie they WILL be showing something.

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First of all I already pointed out how poorly worded that sentence is. Second of all, just a few lines after he explicitly states how the roadmap has been updated to say that marketing will commence in AUGUST (so AFTER E3) and

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But during our most recent global PR planning meeting, we came to the conclusion that the most effective way to introduce version 2.0 to the world would be with a flood of new material rather than just a trickle.

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Which is in contradiction to the only one line where he says "public release of version 2.0" which again is EXTREMELY poorly worded.

"But during our most recent global PR planning meeting, we came to the conclusion that the most effective way to introduce version 2.0 to the world would be with a flood of new material rather than just a trickle"

Why is there only a "trickle" of information available at this point in time? That is what worries me. So we are going to have "new material" in 2 months time. I just don't get it.

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Originally Posted by Griss

true but its right in time for the lead up for the 2.0 beta and roll out to start.

I see what there playing at here. There going to put every thing they have into one strike and hope for a knockout.

It is one hell of a gamble, one i hope pays off for them.

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This is about the only conclusion I could come to aswell. Skip E3 becuase they deem it too early, so they have a few interviews etc. but they keep the lid on. Have a big push in August, when things are quiet and hope the media picks up on it and they can generate enough hype to lead them into TGS and launch in a strong position.

Like you say though, seems a gamble to me too. There is a reason August is a quiet month and TGS is always more difficult for the western market to get info from unless they're dedicated. Oh well, fingers crossed.

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Originally Posted by Griss

true but its right in time for the lead up for the 2.0 beta and roll out to start.

I see what there playing at here. There going to put every thing they have into one strike and hope for a knockout.

It is one hell of a gamble, one i hope pays off for them.

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Capcom released a trailer for RE6 ages ago and many more since, its called great advertising strategy, something SE have never been good at.

Even FF13-2's adversing was pretty lacking until the last few months.

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Originally Posted by Lurex

"But during our most recent global PR planning meeting, we came to the conclusion that the most effective way to introduce version 2.0 to the world would be with a flood of new material rather than just a trickle"

Why is there only a "trickle" of information available at this point in time? That is what worries me. So we are going to have "new material" in 2 months time. I just don't get it.

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Miracle patch coming in 2 months will make that "trickle" into a "flood".

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Originally Posted by Colino

First of all I already pointed out how poorly worded that sentence is. Second of all, just a few lines after he explicitly states how the roadmap has been updated to say that marketing will commence in AUGUST (so AFTER E3) and



Which is in contradiction to the only one line where he says "public release of version 2.0" which again is EXTREMELY poorly worded.

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Or it could be a whole load of gameplay is released at E3, then at Gamescom they only show the trailer. The trailer will be CGI and is not really material, if they show gameplay of as much content as they can (solo play, party play, dungeons, primals, crafting, gathering) along with new pdfs of concept art etc etc, that is a flood of material, then throw the trailer out as an after thought, the content shown in E3 will get alot of views, people going Wow that GAMEPLAY looks awesome, possibly Wow that game is still going, and is trying to come back from the ashes, etc and both of these views will get people to preorder, unlike a CGI trailer.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

Capcom released a trailer for RE6 ages ago and many more since, its called great advertising strategy, something SE have never been good at.

Even FF13-2's adversing was pretty lacking until the last few months.

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I am sure we will get our commercials with pop idols singing in the background coming on every 5 minutes too once they release 2.0. Just have faith.

Ehm...am I missing something or why does everyone think they are skipping E3?
They aren't, they said there will be a shitload of NEW information on FFXIV 2.0 on E3 as well as a website afterwards.
NEW as in "stuff we haven't seen yet in the PDFs".

The ONLY thing they aren't showing is a trailer, and seriously, I'm kind of happy about that.
Trailers never really show anything about what has changed, they always look cool even if the game is crap.
If they only showed a trailer, everyone would have been like "Meeh. They are just hyping their broken game with an awesome-looking trailer while the game is actually shit."
By NOT doing that but rather showing information on what has changed and will continue to change with the release of 2.0, they can show way better that FFXIV 2.0 is NOT the same old broken game with only a new wrapping.

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Originally Posted by Req

I am sure we will get our commercials with pop idols singing in the background coming on every 5 minutes too once they release 2.0. Just have faith.

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I don't think you advertise an MMO with pop idols :P

What I don't understand is how people are expecting in game footage when they aren't even showing a trailer.

SE have been pretty foolish they should have made an in game footage trailer instead of the opening CGI trailer for E3.

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Originally Posted by Delsus

Or they can show the relevent gameplay that everyone wants to see, they can see how the UI will work, see how things look, then release the CGI trailer showing abilities we do not have (Fire Arrow) and things we will never see ingame (or anything like it) at a later date.

The 1.0 trailer/opening movie has very little to do with the game, there are the races, classes, leves and a flashback in Mor Dhona, who thought we would get the Magic arrows we saw in the trailer.

It shows nothing of how the game will play, its not even represetative of the graphics, just CGI and useless, this will be what the new trailer will be like, not showing the game, but other movies like gameplay have some use, they are just getting thier priorities straight, the first thing they need is to do something to pull players in and preorder 2.0, and ONLY gameplay will do that, a CGI trailer will do nothing.

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There is no gameplay at E3 period. The most you will see is interviews and artwork. If there was actual gameplay detailing how 2.0 will work and all then there would be no need to withdraw that trailer. Everyone has to understand that they are keeping the info under wraps for a longer time and not that they have something even bigger planned for E3.