To follow up on an earlier story, it appears as though one of the major problems Final Fantasy XI has been experiencing as of late has been determined. Sony has recently released information which states that Final Fantasy XI is incompatible with certain unspecified models of the PS2 console. In these cases, an error message prevents booting and the game fails to load. Players with this type of problem are asked to contact Sony, but it is unknown whether this is to fix the problem or merely to allow Sony to collect information on it.
This incompatibility with PlayStation2 models is one of several technical difficulties that have stymied the operation of Final Fantasy XI since its release. Another difficulty that prospective FFXI players have encountered is the unavailability of PlayStation2 hard drives. These products have become so hard to find that many players have been forced to look to internet service providers who happen to carry them. Additionally, most ISP's only offer the hard drive as part of a package deal which includes the purchase of internet service, causing more problems for users with existing broadband connections. Moreover, these hard drives often take upwards of 7 weeks to arrive after an order is placed, extending the waiting period still further.
As of today, Final Fantasy XI is due for release in North America in 2003. Although this release date might be pushed back should the game experience more problems, hopefully there will be enough time for Squaresoft to fully debug its first venture into the online gaming industry before it arrives in the North American market.
[Source:] GameForums
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