A Realm Reborn news: "FFXIV Hub"!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn news? FFXIV only? Yep! Check the new "FFXIV Hub": visit http://ffxivhub.tumblr.com! (Sama's Potion won't host FFXIV updates anymore)

Don't forget to Like FFXIV Hub on Facebook and to follow all the updates on Twitter!

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn release date announced, new video, new producer's letter

As expected, the launch date for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has been announced today... August 27 (which is also my birthday)! Check all the juicy details, including Collector's Edition and pre-order bonuses, here (EN), here (FR), here (DE), here (NA) or here (JP).

Also, a new video, "A Tour of Eorzea - Part 2" has been published on YouTube and Letter from the Producer XLVI is now out (click).

Latest FFXIV news and future of Sama's Potion

Hi folks! First of all, here are the latest A Realm Reborn news:

• Release date to be announced today: a post has been published on The Lodestone but then quickly deleted (click!), with details about the new Collector's Edition bonuses (Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Behemoth Barding and Coeurl Mount) and more! FFXIV French team tweeted about something happening in a few hours, so we can expect to get that Lodestone post up again and with more details (the release date itself was missing from the already published one)
• A Realm Reborn will be at E3 2013! New videos (+ trailer), "surprise" battle content, "juicy announcements": click (it is actually from The Lodestone, but there's not a URL for it since it's only a post on the home page)
• Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VII will air May 30, from 13:00 (GMT), on YouTube, details here
• Latest Dev Tracker posts: Jobs for DoL and DoH, Guardian's and Character Redesign, Armoury Chest
• Dev blog post "Getting in character" gives us a preview of revamped character creation system, offering new customization options: click!
• New PS3 screenshots showing Level Sync and more: click!
• Wallpapers and Windows themes: here and here (not sure about how to download the themes, tho)!

Also, I just wanted to give you a quick update about Sama's Potion itself: I'm currently preparing my university thesis and learning Dutch, so I don't have much time to regularly update this blog like I used to. That being said, I'm still using social networks to link you every news and more of Final Fantasy XIV as soon as I get to know of them, so please Like / Follow Sama's Potion (on the Facebook page you'll only find news and pics; on Twitter I also like to tweet with other FFXIV players and other people, so it's a little "cluttered")! :D But there's more: I'll revamp Sama's Potion soon, making it FFXIV only and adding new features. Changing its name too. That's all! :)

FFXIV: Letter from the Producer XLV and official site updated

First: Letter from the Producer XLV is now online. Yoshi-P is reminding us that much awaited A Realm Reborn beta phase 3 will begin in early June; also, we get to know that, at the end of this month, it will be possible to pre-order A Realm Reborn and the release date (summer 2013 - PC and PS3) will be announced, along with pricing and collector's edition details!

Also, Final Fantasy XIV official website has been updated: "Today we added a lot of new content to the official FFXIV website! We've revealed information on Odin, Bahamut, a bestiary section filled with vile beasts, and a plethora of images from the three city-states!". Quick links (UK): Primals and Beastmen, Bestiary, Locations.

Last but not least: a few more beta phase 3 images have been added to FFXIV official Facebook. Check them here.

New FFXIV: A Realm Reborn screenshots show Ul'dah and more

Square Enix is releasing, on Final Fantasy XIV official Facebook page, screenshots (10 so far) from A Realm Reborn beta phase 3, which will kick off in June. Check them all by clicking here!

FFXIV: Niconico Chokaigi 2 and new info and pics on beastmen and primals

Tomorrow, Niconico Chokaigi 2 event will take place and Square Enix will be there with a FFXIV: A Realm Reborn beta demo area. Learn a little more here.

Also, today more info on Eorzea's primals and beastmen have been released, along with new pics! Check them by clicking on the following links:

• Ifrit / The Amalj'aa
• Ramuh / The Sylphs
• Garuda / The Ixal
• Titan / The Kobolds
• Leviathan / The Sahagin

"Eorzea is home to myriad unique races. Among them are the tribes of the beastmen, who are responsible for calling down the god-like beings known as primals.
Primals are possessed of terrifying power, and are effectively immortal─they can return from death's halls no matter how many times they are slain. They are wont to bless their beastman worshippers with spiritual and physical strength, and the city-states deem them a most dire threat."

Final Fantasy XIV: ARR's Limsa is alive!

Today's Developers' blog post gives us a glimpse of Limsa Lominsa in A Realm Reborn, showing us that everything feels more alive than FFXIV 1.0, also thanks to NPCs actually doing various things, like...
"Yellowjackets patrolling the streets...
Fishers repairing their nets...
Sea Wolves doing push-ups with Miqo’te sitting on their backs...wait, wha?"

"Serving wenches waiting on tables...
Peddlers gesturing to potential customers...
Unconscious prisoners hanging suspended over the sea while carefree pirates point and laugh at the poor lads' misfortune...wait, wha?"

FFXIV: new screenshots for classes and jobs

Yesterday (sorry, it was a busy day), Square Enix released new A Realm Reborn screenshots, for every combat class and job (but Arcanist and Summoner). Check them all by clicking on the following links:

• Gladiator / Paladin
• Pugilist / Monk
• Marauder / Warrior
• Lancer / Dragoon
• Archer / Bard
• Conjurer / White Mage
• Thaumaturge / Black Mage

FFXIV: Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI video and Q&A summary

Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI is now on YouTube for you to watch at any time; subtitles are available in English and Japanese. Click here (EN), here (DE), here (FR) or here (JP) to read the whole Q&A summary.

Don't forget to check this Facebook album, where you'll find most of the A Realm Reborn artworks, including the ones shown during this last live letter.

Colibris making their comeback in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Someone already spotted them in the last live letter from the producer, but now these A Realm Reborn screenshots clearly show a new Final Fantasy XIV foe: directly from Final Fantasy XI... Colibri!

FFXIV A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy VI-like Magitek clip is now online

This is nothing new to those who watched Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI (April 4): in Final Fantasy XIV we'll be able to ride Magiteks and, for the live stream, part of the opening scene of Final Fantasy VI has been remade in A Realm Reborn, together with a new version of Terra's theme (I loved it! Did you?). Today, this clip has been made available in high quality (/joy even for those who have already watched it live):

Also, click here to check all the Q&A and most of the artworks featured in Live Letter VI.

Final Fantasy XIV: Legacy credit application site

UPDATE from Square Enix: "In order to better cater to members of our global community, we have raised the character input limit and expanded the variety of acceptable characters when registering your name for the Legacy Credits. Please refer to the registration site for details on the new character limit and types of characters that can be used.
Players who have already completed registration may do so again if they desire. However, only the most recent name registered will appear in the Legacy Credits".

If you're a Legacy FFXIV player, you can get your name in A Realm Reborn's credits. The website to do it is now online, and you have time until April 30 May 7, 2:59 pm (GMT): click here. Will you use your character's name or your real name?

UPDATE: More info from the official FFXIV forum:
"First, all names will be accepted at first, but if we determine that a certain name cannot be used, we will send an email to the address registered to your Square Enix Account after the registration period is over, asking you to re-register. 
Also, in the event that multiple people enter the same exact name, it will only be displayed once. For example, if 10 people registered “Naoki Yoshida,” this name would only appear once."

Final Fantasy XIV: Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI Q&A and artworks

Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI ended less than 1 hour ago. Here (EN), here (DE), here (FR) and here (JP) you can check all the questions and answers. Also, new artworks were shown: I've uploaded most of them into this Facebook album.

Final Fantasy XIV + April Fools = new playable race Viangaa

Yesterday (sorry, I wasn't home!), Fernehalwes showed us a new playable race for FFXIV A Realm Reborn: Viangaa! "You may recall back when Yoshi-P used official player polls to find out what race should be added to the list of playable characters. It turned out that there was a lot of support for both the rabbit-like Viera and croco...gator...lizard-like Bangaa from FINAL FANTASY XII and the Ivalice series. However, instead of deciding on the Viera and incurring the fiery wrath the Bangaa crowd, or selecting the Bangaa and forever alienating the Viera crowd, it appears the dev team has decided to take the best of both worlds...and create the Viangaa!".

We get to know more about "the beautiful, yet fierce Viangaa":

Physical Appearance

• Taller and more sophisticated than an Elezen but with a build sturdier than a Roegadyn
• Customizable ear length, snout length, skin color, and “package” size

Basic Characteristics

• Hail from the Farreach, leading many to take up residence in the city-state of Sharlayan.
• Have excellent negotiating skills (store prices are 10% lower)
• Movement speed is 1.2 times faster than other races
• They have an extremely musky odor which other animals detest
• ...Chocobos and other living mounts will not allow Viangaa to ride them
• ...All field monsters will aggro
• Skilled at both the bow and magic (starting bonuses to DEX and INT)
• Extremely conservative. Conversation with other races is strictly forbidden.
• ...If chat window is used, a Viangaa assassin will be sent to stalk the player.

Of course, "it was all an April Fool's joke"!

FFXIV, BGM preview: Ul'dah and Thanalan

After Limsa Lominsa / La Noscea and Gridania / Black Shroud BGM previews, today's dev blog post lets us listen to tracks from Ul'dah and Thanalan! Here we go:

I'm already sooo in love with the one that starts @3:17, can't wait to hear it in full!

Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD trailer officially released + screenshots

The first trailer for Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD (PS3 and PS Vita) has been now released by Square Enix!

Click here to visit the official website, but at the moment you'll only find the trailer and the following screenshots:

The JP website also got two sets of comparison images, showing how the HD treatment is... an HD treatment:

Will you play FFX and X-2 again (or, maybe, for the first time)? I loved both games; I had much fun completing Final Fantasy X-2 100%, really liked the battle system too (despite being the "same old" ATB one, it felt more fast and dynamic than previous FF games).

Final Fantasy XIV (and XI) panel @ Pax East: video and artworks

Yesterday's stream of Pax East Square Enix panel is now available online. The quality is not that good, but it looks like a better version is coming soon, so stay tuned!

Here are higher quality images of the FFXIV Chocobo costume and the Warrior of Light helm (thanks to DoctorMog!):

"Song of the week" #14

"Song of the week" #13 was Somnus from Final Fantasy Versus XIII... so yes, of course today's entry is all about the main subject of this blog: Final Fantasy XIV!

"Answers" by Susan Calloway and Nobuo Uematsu
From the album "Final Fantasy Vocal Collection", 2013

Live performance (Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Returning Home):

Answers has been featured in-game and in various videos, including the beautiful End of an Era trailer.

FFXIV: Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI to air April 4

UPDATE: Streaming URL, click

Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE #6 will air April 4 from 11 am (GMT) on YouTube. To submit one or more questions:

• Before the live stream, post in this Lodestone forum thread
• During the live stream, send tweets to @FF_XIV_EN, using the hashtag #XIVLive

Read all the details here. Did you miss the fifth live letter? Then check this post.

Square Enix announces Software Token app for Android and iOS

UPDATE: Software Token is now available for Android and iOS devices. Peruse all the details here (EN), here (DE), here (FR), here (NA) or here (JP).

f you don't have a Final Fantasy XI or XIV Security Token, but still want to add that extra security to your Square Enix account... good news! A new app for Android and iOS devices will be released in early April and will be able to generate one-time passwords, just like a physical token does. Stay tuned!

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII new screenshots and info

UPDATE: More new screenshots and artworks are now out:

Square Enix released new screenshots from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. They show us an Ability Shop, an Item Shop and a region called the Dead Dunes. "As Lightning explores the terrain she'll find hidden ruins riddled with treasure to be discovered and important information to unearth that can aid her on her quest. But, stray too far from civilisation and the harsh wilderness is sure to prey on you". Learn more here, here, and here.

Also, you can find more new screenshots on these V-Jump scans; thanks to @Vash_PSX and Square Portal! UPDATE: Square Enix released even more screenshots, so now we also have all the ones that could be seen on the scans I previously posted (this and this):