![]() Spoiled by convenient game launcher's and smooth buying experiences, it was definitely something. And while other platforms evolved and changed with the times, logging into PlayOnline is still like I remember it. Just for the Japanese market and centered around their IPs. In short, it was Square Enix's attempt to create something like Blizzard's battle net. An odd piece of software that only XI players know still exists. When we talk Final Fantasy XI, we have to talk about PlayOnline. PlayOnline and Setting up Final Fantasy XI And attempt to explain how an MMORPG can stay true to its vision and age gracefully. But while returning to Vana'diel this last week, it dawned on me that there was a lot more to Square Enix's other critically acclaimed MMORPG. Today I can appreciate World of WarCraft for what it is and the revolution it kickstarted. And I certainly blame my bias on growing up with Square Enix titles for that (and the state my life is in now.) The genre was dominated by Blizzard's World of WarCraft a game that revolutionized the genre and the industry to an extent we still feel today. ![]() And back in the late 2000's, Square Enix's MMO was not even a blip on anyone's radar. At school they'd talk about the crazy rounds they played the day before, while I was already agonizing over what I'd do in Final Fantasy XI once I got home. I vividly remember many lazy afternoons, spend grinding or desperately looking for quest NPC's while most of my friends played Counter Strike. My journey through Vana'diel started long, long ago.
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