Beta Test and Release

Beta Servers
Tanaka has confirmed that we can choose our own servers! That's great news for all the pre linkshell/guilds out there! In the Beta, below are the current servers. If you are in the Beta, then you may choose which to occupy. Emperor Exdeath Gabranth Garland Golbez Jecht Kefka Sephiroth Shadowlord Ultimecia

Beta Test
Final Fantasy XIV will have a beta test for the PC, followed by a PS3 beta test after. The Beta Test itself will be preceded by an alpha test, which has begun to invite testers as of VanaFest 2010. The alpha test is typically relatively brief, and is followed by a closed beta, which will be expanding and inviting more testers at certain time intervals, finally followed by an open beta at a later stage, prior to the actual launch of the game.

The beta test for FINAL FANTASY XIV has started on the 10th of July 2010. Several changes have been made for the beta. One of the biggest changes includes the implementation of item durability decay and major overhaul to the combat by increasing its pace. For more information visit here

The respective Beta testing sites can be found at the following URLs:


 * North American Beta Testing Site: https://dev-na.ffxiv.com
 * European Beta Testing Site: https://dev-eu.ffxiv.com
 * Japanese Beta Testing Site:https://dev-jp.ffxiv.com

The games director, Hiromichi Tanaka, confirmed in an interview with Game Watch on Oct 2, 2009, that the Beta will be PC only. However, the beta applications themselves explain that a PS3 Beta test will occur, but at a later date. It will be starting as a closed Beta for 10,000 testers, expanding at several times, before being opened to the public. They plan on having a full population as early as Summer 2010.

The FFXIVCore Community has several useful topics on the Alpha and Beta test, and fans interested in volunteering for testing should check them out for information regarding samples of the invite e-mails, testing dates, information on expectations and the NDA, and much more. You can see all of that information here.

What is a Beta?
A beta test is generally conducted in multiple stages, the first being conducted primarily by "inside members" of the company, development team, etc. One could consider this the final stage of actual game development (not including content expansion). The tests to follow are generally done in waves, and select members are chosen sometimes from mailing lists, sometimes from direct applications, sometimes keys are given to different hubs for distribution (ie: FilePlanet) and sometimes to dedicated communities like the one you're at now. Also, make sure to pre-order the game as soon as the option becomes available.

These members are then given access to a special forum where they will be in close communication with the developers to work out any glitches found. During this stage they are usually put under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which means they are not allowed to provide information about the game to the public during the testing period. This stage usually occupies the bulk of the beta.

Once the major bugs and glitches have been ironed out, an open beta will likely be conducted with the goal of testing the server's capability to handle major traffic and find any little bugs that might have been overlooked. There's no guaranteed way to be selected for a beta test, though, oftentimes it's necessary to test a wide variety of PC configurations. So hey, if you have multiple PC's, and multiples emails... it may not be a bad idea to hedge your bets.

Open Beta
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 19:00 (PDT)
 * The Open Beta Test will be online continuously for 24 hours a day.
 * Log-in Capacity: During the initial stages of the beta test, the number of players allowed to be logged in at any given time will be limited, with capacity to gradually increase as adjustments are performed on server load. Should the maximum capacity already be reached when you attempt to log in, a message will appear indicating that the world is currently congested, and you will be asked to try again in a short while. At this time you will be placed on a waiting list in the order of attempted log-in time. To maintain your position on the waiting list, you must initiate the log-in procedure again within ten minutes of your first attempt.

Release
The release date will be on September 22nd for the Collector's edition and on September 30th for the normal release! Beta testing apps are now open! Apply here: http://entry.ffxiv.com/ Good luck!

Collector's Edition is now available for pre-order on the following retailer below!

Amazon.com Standard | Collector's Edition

Bestbuy Standard | Collector's Edition

Gamestop.com Standard | Collector's Edition

Amazon.co.uk Standard | Collector's Edition

Play.com(UK) Standard | Collector's Edition

Game.co.uk Standard | Collector's Edition

Gamestation.co.uk Standard | Collector's Edition

Softunity.com(German) Standard | Collector's Edition The Limited FINAL FANTASY XIV PC Collector's Edition include:
 * EARLY ACCESS - Play eight days prior to the release of the Standard Edition
 * BEHIND-THE-SCENSE DVD - Get an insider look at the making of FINAL FANTASY XIV
 * SECURITY TOKEN - A FINAL FANTASY XIV branded Security Token used with your regular password
 * TRAVEL JOURNAL - Record your travels in this beautifully bound journal with never-before-seen concept art
 * RIGHT OF PASSAGE - Redeem a voucher to receive your fully personalized right of passage certificate
 * FREE GAMEPLAY - Free gameplay for 30 days
 * BUDDY PASS - Invite a friend to play free for a limited time

EU version of the Collector's Edition is slightly different than the US version. In the EU Collector's Edition:
 * ADVENTURERS BRANDED TUMBLER - Carry a small piece of Eorzea around with you with this branded tumbler
 * BEHIND-THE-SCENSE DVD - Get an insider look at the making of FINAL FANTASY XIV
 * TRAVEL JOURNAL - Record your travels in this beautifully bound journal with never-before-seen concept art
 * MAP OF EORZEA - A detailed map showing the key areas of Eorzea, essential for the committed traveller
 * SECURITY TOKEN - A FINAL FANTASY XIV branded Security Token used with your regular password
 * EARLY ACCESS - Play eight days prior to the release of the Standard Edition
 * GUEST PASS - Invite a friend to play free for a limited time

Versions & Pricing: Standard Edition($50) and Collector's Edition ($75)

Subscription Pricing: Monthly fee: $12.99 | Additional character slots: $3.00/month each (Max: 7 more for a total of 8 slots) Every account begins with one retainer (basically a mule that can stay online and sell for you while you're offline), you may purchase more at $1.00/month each.

Other Technical Info

 * Online System Information
 * System Requirements

Source
Final Fantasy 14 Online. http://www.finalfantasy14-online.com/forum/ffxiv-beta-information.php.