Letter from the Producer Vi

[Abriael]

and your post and that link to the interview question once again proves, that he does not give ANY info about companies whatsoever, and in fact that it disproves that the video had anything to do with them at that

Actually he does give a bit of info, while very vague.

From what my buddies have told me, Companies are a group of people that are a bit more exclusive than linkshells. Exclusive in the sense that you have to devote yourself to a single company as appose to several like the current linkshell system. It will also be alot more involved rather than just a social deal. We anticipate a community home and possibly airship battles.

Your buddies gave you outdated information from the times of Tanaka, that Yoshida clearly stated as no more valid. Player companies will come after, and will be something entirely different from the "grand companies" that we'll be seeing relatively soon.

Also, no mention has ever been made anywhere about airship battles. The only snipped of detail is that player companies (in Tanaka's version) would probably get to own a (normal, seafaring) ship, and that could be related to possible PvP activities.

[TheVedis]

Actually he does give a bit of info, while very vague.

info yes, but about the video is the main thing i was pointing at, the fact that the video wasnt about companies but something totaly different.

and saying they will be involved, they are coming, we will give info soon
really isnt info in itself, which is what those interviews basicaly said

[Abriael]

info yes, but about the video is the main thing i was pointing at, the fact that the video wasnt about companies but something totaly different.

Oh yeah, that video is 100% unrelated, and even during that part of the presentation at the ebisu event (from which that video is from) no mention whatsoever was made of companies.

It MIGHT have something to do with the now obsolete concept of player companies envisioned by Tanaka, since they were supposed to own ships, and that viseo shows the creation of a boat and a cannon, but there's no confirmation of that anywhere. Any link between the two things is just assumption.

and saying they will be involved, they are coming, we will give info soon
really isnt info in itself, which is what those interviews basicaly said

The main info is what they will NOT be. Which is what Tanaka previously envisioned and (vaguely) explained as player run companies.

[Nephera]

To me grand companies sound like a possible few things

A) glorified guilds, possibly with things you can work towards as a guild (which is always nice)

B) Giant joinable factions that'll encourage a little competition and also give people a reason to band together outside of their linkshells (I'm thinking this is most likely)