There was great curiosity about Final Fantasy XI before its release in 2002Images and previews of the game captured people's attentionA special bonus disk was included with the release of Final Fantasy X, containing a trailer for the gameIts creator Square Enix also held beta tests for the game to gather players' feedback and improve itThis allowed them to handle any concerns that people had and fine-tune it.

Final Fantasy XI was launched in Japan on May 16 2002 for the Sony PlayStation 2The PC release came on November 5thIt had its PC release in North America on October 28 2003, with the European release following in September 2004The initial Japanese launch was a complicated affair, as the game required a hard drive for the PlayStation 2 console and stocks of these were limited at firstSquare Enix responded well to any issues that developed, and also released a game patch to enhance it.

Square Enix adopted an interesting approach to the game, developing it and reworking it even after it had been releasedThe company has revised it since its launch and made it even better, adding in new areas and new contentThis has enriched the Final Fantasy XI experienceThere have been two expansions, Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia, to complement the gameA third expansion, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, is planned for spring 2006.

Final Fantasy XI has established itself as a major presence in online gamingIt sold well, building up more than 500,000 subscribers by January 7 2004There were almost a million game characters active within this time periodIt was well received, enjoying many positive reviews from the game pressIt was crucial in building up Square Enix's PlayOnline service and more than fulfilled their hopes for the title.

Final Fantasy XI is a truly great gameIt has combined the creativity and innovation that is the hallmark of Final Fantasy with a state of the art online gaming formatIt is an amazing experience and has taken the series in a new directionIt will continue entertaining people for a long time to come.