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I just received another text from SE, and it brings me joy to tell you that FFXIV Open Beta officlally starts tonight (September 1) at 7:00PM PDT.



There is also one more patch to download before you can enter open beta, but it is rather small in size. Open your game client, and you can begin downloading it right now.



Now you are fully prepped and ready to play FFXIV Open Beta. Try to wait it out for a few hours, and I will see you in the game tonight!

The Official Release of Final Fantasy XIV is less than a month away, and SquareEnix has been very busy getting ready for the big day. Just in case you have forgotten, let's take some time to briefly re-cap the month of August, 2010.

Official News

FFXIV Open Beta Postponed - Sadly, tonight isn't going to be the night we launch open beta. An official starting date will be announced very soon.

Keep your FFXIV Beta Names - Whenever Open Beta actually launches, take the time to reserve your character's name for the official launch.

Prerelease Trailer, Final Fantasy 14 Preview - This is easily one of the best game trailers I have ever seen, and never get tired of watching it.

Bonuses for FFXI Subscribers - If you are still a FFXI subscriber, you will get a few awesome goodies, including the Hermes Boots!

FFXIV Collector's Edition Preview - Take a look at what you can get if you pre-order FFXIV Collector's Edition.

FFXIV Origin Features and Articles

FFXIV Class Abilities - FFXIV Origin has launched a database for each discipline's abilities in FFXIV. Check it out!

An Innovative Way to Choose your FFXIV Discipline - learn to reap the most from your starting gear, and begin your Eorzean journeys as a Gladiator.

Assigning Attributes in FFXIV - Read here if you still need to know how about the function of attributes in FFXIV. Afterward, you will be ready for Open Beta and beyond.

FFXIV Guildleves - The 48 hour cooldown attached to your Guildleves isn't such a bad thing after all.

GPU Performance in FF14 - How does your GPU's Benchmark Performance and Power Consumption compare to the rest of the competition? Find out here!

FFXIV Recipes - We launched our crafting database earlier this month, and have improved things quite considerably with your support!

Community Threads

Tanaka Tires of 'Fatigue' Rumors - This infamously mistranslated text has sparked quite the discussion on our forums, check it out.

Text Commands of FFXIV - Get ready for Open Beta (whenever it comes) and familiarize yourself with the multitude of FFXIV's text commands.

Origin Linkshell - Open Beta Thread - Check back periodically and see what Origin will be doing once Open Beta really launches.

What will be your City in FFXIV - Take the poll and let us know your Eorzean starting city!

The perfect way to wrap up the month of August would have been the Open Beta launch, but sadly isn't meant to be. All in all, it has been a great month, and I can't wait to see you around in September.

Update - 9/1/2010 (1:06 AM PST): I just received follow-up from SE regarding the Open Beta delay. You can read the official statement right here.

Just as I was beginning to count down the hours until Open Beta launched, SE has decidied to postpone Open Beta at the last minute. The official statement reads:



A new launch date is yet to be decided, but I promise to keep you updated as more information becomes public.

The Making of a Realm #6 - Making Music in Eorzea

Minutes ago, SE released another 'Making of a Realm' video on their Official YouTube Channel. Today, we get to take a look into SE's world-renowned music department, and who better to talk music with than Nubuo Uematsu himself?



This was my first time taking a look at Uematsu-san's music studio, and I am amazed by the amount of sheer dedication he puts into his arrangement. It's no wonder that the music of FFXIV is perhaps the best MMO music I have ever heard. That being said, I can't wait to get in the game tomorrow and listen to the music of Gridania and Ul'dah!

I was also very interested when I heard that Susan Calloway was able to complete her part of the FFXIV Theme Song without even traveling to Japan. It goes to show how nice it is to be living in a high-tech age!

Open Beta Registration Instructions

The following was posted on the Official Forums just moments ago.

To participate in the open beta test, you will need to register a registration code. To do so, please follow the steps outlined below.

1. Access the following URL.
FINAL FANTASY XIV
* The page will become accessible starting at 19:00 on Aug. 31, 2010 (PDT).

2. Log in with your Square Enix account and have a registration code issued.
* Depending on the access status, we may temporarily suspend the issuance of registration code. If you cannot have registration code issued, we ask that you please wait a little while before trying again.

3. Register the registration code you received by e-mail on the Square Enix Account Management System.
Click "Select Service" from "Services and Options" on the left menu. Select "FINAL FANTASY XIV" from the services available and then "Add a service account." Enter the registration code you've been issued and proceed to the end of registration.


The Square Enix Account Management System: https://secure.square-enix.com/account/


As stated above, Open Beta Test requires a dedicated registration code and the login to Beta Test Site will become unavailable starting at 0:00 on Aug. 31, 2010 (PDT).
* Once the registration code is registered, you will be able to log in to Beta Test Site once again.

Thanks to Aria for timely notification.

Earlier this morning, players eligible for FFXIV Open Beta can begin downloading the software as of this very moment. That being said, get the jump on everybody and start downloading immediately!

Downloading FFXIV Open Beta

The FFXIV Open Beta 'patch' consists of 2 downloads. The first one is the download updater, and is around 17mb in size. Afterward, the real fun begins with the 1.24 GB patch.



I could be going a lot faster than this, so start seeding right away!

Friends List

We have been asking for it forever, and SE has finally brought friend lists to Open Beta! Here's how they work:

Friend List

Your friends list allows you to see the login status of all friends you meet throughout your travels in Eorzea. To access it, you must do the following.

• * Select Friend List under Social Lists on the main menu to display the friend list window.
• * Select a character name from the list to send that character a tell or to delete the character from your list. Select Add to add a new character to your list.

Blacklist

I hope you don't burn too many bridges as you play FFXIV, but you may have to put someone on the blacklist from time to time. Here's how you do it:

• * Select Blacklist under Social Lists on the main menu to display the blacklist window.
• * Select a character name from the list to delete that character from your list. Select Add to add a new character to your list.

Just in case you have forgotten, Final Fantasy XIV Open Beta starts tomorrow at 7PM PST. Look forward to seeing all of you there.