THE BUZZ: Naoki Yoshida, Producer on Final Fantasy XIV, has clarified that the upcoming 2.0 update for Final Fantasy XIV will only bring in a new engine, and will not change the gameplay in anyway.

The game has been free to play since shortly after its disastrous launch, with subscription fees set to be reintroduced in a month or two. The update is set to release in 2013 featuring a whole new engine built from scratch. ”Players, community websites, and the gaming media may see the roadmap we have provided and take it as, ‘Oh, they’re creating a completely different game,’ but this is not the case,” said Yoshida. ”FFXIV will always be FFXIV and nothing else.”

Clarifying the reasoning behind 2.0 he said, ”The first thing I did when I became the producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV last December was to ask myself, ‘What kind of service system, game content, and community content would be necessary if we were to continue to offer this service 10 years into the future?’ In doing so, I went back and restudied the systems used by other MMOs offered worldwide, such as World of Warcraft and Rift.”

EGM’s TAKE: 2.0 might be the saving grace which will right all of the wrongs, however it’s a long road to redemption for this MMO.

What changes would you like to see made in 2.0? Leave a comment below.

Source: Gamasutra