These days, the idea of an MMO on a video game console is not particularly surprising, considering that your consoles are all connected to the internet anyway and almost certainly over wifi, meaning that the modem isn’t even in the same room. But when Final Fantasy XI launched in 2002, the console landscape was very different, and the latest discussion on the game’s anniversary site with Sony Interactive Entertainment vice president Muneki Shimada discusses how console hardware and expectations of same have changed since those initial days.
There was already a game console with a built-in modem at the time: the Dreamcast. However, aside from PCs, I believe there weren’t any other gaming platforms with internet access. Given that context, we often discussed what sort of online features we should incorporate. Online multiplayer was obviously a given, but we were still fumbling in the dark in terms of other ways to make use of online capabilities.
Players who are looking for less of a history lesson and more something to do right now (or near enough to right now, at least) can look forward to the return of the Buffalo Blitz event starting on September 16th, tasking players once again with the wrangling of oversized buffalo to earn prizes. There’s even a new vaquero hat available to players who take part this year, so that’s pretty cool.
Blazing Buffaloes is stampeding back to #FFXI on Friday, Sept. 16!
Partake in this year's round-up and earn an all-new item!
Yee-haw! 🤠https://t.co/J0w1AFaskz pic.twitter.com/BSU5ajy3w3
— FINAL FANTASY XI (@FFXI_EN) September 8, 2022
