Square Enix plans Euro FFXI test
Finally! It's still only "potentially" on its way to PCs in Europe, but it's good news all the same.
Square Enix recently sent out an email inviting a number of its European fans to participate in a closed beta test of Final Fantasy XI for Windows, which is "potentially on [its] way to Europe" following its successful launch in the States.
The email, which slipped under the radar just as the world went potty over the hype-drenched contents of E3, includes an address to sign up for the beta, although the publisher has asked recipients not to distribute the sign-up address openly, so we won't. Not that it's too hard to find, Google fans.
The "first step" in the closed beta process is to test connectivity to the service through various European ISPs. If you received the email, you still have time to sign up (assuming you're older than 13 and able to read and write English) as long as you get it done by the end of today (Monday 17th May).
All of which is very encouraging for European Final Fantasy fans, although for those who can't wait that long it's worth noting that it's still possible to play using the North American PC version, as we did when we probed it recently.
Sadly however, despite encouraging signs on the PC front, the PS2 version of the game is looking less and less likely to make an appearance in Europe thanks to the continued absence of the PS2 Hard Disk peripheral in this territory. If the situation changes, we will certainly let you know...