Square-Enix says no free-to-play for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

By Anthony John Agnello February 25, 2013

Final-Fantasy-XIV---Wooden-castles — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Standing on the bones of many, many failed massively multiplayer role-playing games, the age of the subscription-based game seems to be well and truly over. In 2012, four major MMOs opened for business in the US and of them, only Guild Wars 2 is holding onto its original business model. Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA Online: The Exiled Realm of Arborea, and The Secret World, meanwhile, all had to transition from subscriptions to free-to-play. The writing for subscriptions is on the wall, but some publishers are pushing forward. Square-Enix is keeping subscriptions for its MMOs, including the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

“With the free-to-play model, you’ll get huge income one month, but the next month it depletes,” Naoki Yoshida, A Realm Reborn’s director, told The Penny Arcade Report on Friday, “Most MMOs have investors in the background, and the company uses the profit and splits the profit with the investors. But, if the game’s not successful, and it doesn’t reach the target, then they have to switch to free-to-play to try and get just a little profit from it. Among the MMOs in the market, only Blizzard and Square-Enix are making money without investors in the background.”

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Yoshida goes on to say that he doesn’t think it was subscriptions that hurt The Old Republic and The Secret World but the quality of the games themselves. Final Fantasy XI is an argument in Square-Enix’s favor. In the decade since the game came out, Square-Enix has earned on average around $48 million per year from the game, a tidy profit for a game whose expansions have been less frequent and less costly than those for Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.

Even as Final Fantasy XI continues to serve a devoted audience though, the future of Square’s subscription model is not guaranteed. First, the failure of Final Fantasy XIV’s initial release in 2010 may have shattered any mass appeal for the game. The MMO flopped so spectacularly that it was cited as the main reason for Square’s $150 million loss for fiscal 2011.

Meanwhile, Square’s other recently released MMO is struggling to find players. The subscription-based Dragon Quest X for Nintendo Wii has sold around just 634,000 copies since its August release. The game costs around $13 per month to play. Compared to past Dragon Quest releases, this is a poor showing. Dragon Quest IX for Nintendo DS, another online role-playing game, sold 4.3 million copies in its first six months on shelves.

Anthony John Agnello

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

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In defense of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s polarizing ending

Aerith prays in FInal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Midway through 1997’s Final Fantasy VII, Cloud Strife walks up a small staircase and finds his companion, Aerith, kneeling on a small platform. She’s locked in prayer as holy-looking light streaks in through the windows around her. That serene moment gives way to a shocking tragedy. Aerith looks at Cloud and calmly smiles before the camera pans above her head. A black shadow bursts out of the light above her; it’s the villainous Sephiroth, massive sword in tow. Before Cloud can process what’s happening, Sephiroth plunges his sword through Aerith’s back, killing her.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: all piano sheet music locations and rewards

Cloud playing the piano in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

While there's no shortage of ways to distract yourself while playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, one of the most unexpected minigames is the surprisingly deep piano system. In most of the major hub towns you encounter across the expansive world, Cloud can find a piano to sit down at and tickle the keys. You're free to play any song you want in free play, but you can turn this system into a full-on rhythm game, almost like Guitar Hero, by collecting sheet music of some of the game's most iconic tracks. There's even an NPC near each piano who will reward you if you get a high enough rank on each song. Cloud may not be the most expressive in his words, but he can sure play the piano with heart. Here is where you can find all the sheet music and what rewards await if you can master them.
Where to find all sheet music

Sheet music, thankfully, isn't hidden away in chests or has to be purchased for crazy amounts of Gil, but a few do have some hidden requirements. Each new composition is found on a piano in the world and is free to snag once you sit down. Even if you don't feel like playing right then and there, make sure you always at least grab the music to add to your collection so you don't have to backtrack later and get it. There are eight in total to find, and some will only come later in the story, but none are missable once you open up fast travel back to previous areas. This is the natural order you can collect them.
On Our Way
Our first piece of music can be picked up once you hit Chapter 4. During this section, go to the Crow's Nest town in the Junon region, which you can only enter by doing the "When Words Won't Do" side quest. Once you complete this quest and can freely enter the town, hit up the bar and grab this tune.
Tifa's Theme
After a rather exciting cruise to Costa del Sol in Chapter 6, you can add this piece to your collection by making a quick stop at the fancy Royal Crown Hotel.
Barret's Theme
Not much further into the game in Chapter 7 you will visit Barret's old hometown of Corel. The Rock Bottom Bar is waiting with his song.
Cinco de Chocobo
Chapter 9 takes you through the town of Gongaga. Even a town way out in the forest has a piano, which means yet another song to snag.
Two Legs? Nothin' to it
One chapter later, in Chapter 10, you need to do a little exploring in Cosmo Canyon to find your way to the piano, but the icon on your map won't lead you astray.
Aerith's Theme
Perhaps the most iconic song in the entire game, if not the franchise, is hidden behind a completely optional side quest. Once you reach Chapter 11, return to Nibelheim and do the "White-Haired Angel" side quest. It may seem totally irrelevant, but the quest ends with you playing and collecting this song.
Let the Battles Begin!
Once you prove your skills and get an A rank or better on all prior songs, you will get this new one as a reward from the NPC Dorian next to all pianos.
One-Winged Angel
We're not sure if fighting Sephiroth or getting this song is harder. If you want to play this terrifying arrangement, you need to donate all 88 Treasure Trove items to Johnny. This more or less requires you to 100% the entire game
All song rewards
For every song you A rank, Dorian will give you a prize when you talk to him. Here's everything you can get:

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Like the best RPGs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets sidequests right

The mayor of Under Junon in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Among its many highlights, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes simple sidequests a lot more engaging than I had expected. Take an early-game sidequest called When Words Won’t Do. On a surface level, it’s a simple escort mission where players must get a dog from Under Junon to Crow’s Nest unscathed. I did not initially have high hopes for this sidequest due to the poor reputation of escort missions; thankfully, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth defied that fate. To make this optional content more worthwhile, Square Enix gave it a strong narrative backbone.

When Words Won’t Do is actually a story about parents struggling to let go of their kids. Under Junon’s mayor sends players on this quest to help her son and unborn grandchild, and Barrett wonders if he’ll ever be able to let Marlene go during the mission. That’s thematically fitting for an escort mission where you can’t keep something out of your sight.