Final Fantasy XI streaming video goes live

[02.08.02] » Square's MMORPG home to three, four simultaneous players.

   For those who are curious as to what Square's ambitious online-only RPG, Final Fantasy XI, actually looks like in action, the company has put up a streaming broadcast, straight from the beta test. Though a regularly updated "webcam" of Vana'diel has been up for some time on the game's PlayOnline site, the streaming video offers music, increased resolution, and an image that updates much more than once every ten seconds.

   Not that you should expect much excitement from the live broadcast. The camera presents a static view of one of Vana'diel's towns and, other than the coming and goings of the beta testers, the movement of the sun, and a drawbridge, not much is going on. The few minutes the GIA spent watching the video while writing up this story were almost exclusively comprised of a Misura character standing motionless while a Tarutaru mugged for the camera by giggling occasionally. All this finally culminated in the bone-shattering excitement of four characters standing around doing almost nothing all at the same time.

   Still, the broadcast is worth checking out, if only for the pleasant, and decidedly not-Uematsu, music that accompanies it. However, be forewarned that the video is currently only being offered in streaming Windows Media format.