Final Fantasy XIV Made in China? [Update #2]

The Final Fantasy XIV saga of pre-launch failures continues this week, as well, making it impossible to resist beating a dead horse... or should I say "horsebird"? Brain-damaging as it sounds, that's what chocobos - the franchise's most fluffy trademark - appear to be called in the new game's Japanese version. According to San'plex, the word "chocobo" was renamed using two absurd Chinese characters, literally meaning "horse" and "bird".



Several other names are also written with Chinese characters in the game's Japanese version, instead of the series' usual "Engrish" terms. This gives players one more reason to suspect that the game was not only made for the Chinese market, but actually made in China, to some degree.

Their paranoia was further fueled just a couple of days ago, when Square Enix and Shanda Games (China's online games giant) issued a joint press release announcing their "strategic partnership". The deal's first provision? You guessed: an exclusive license in mainland China to Final Fantasy XIV.

But the strongest hint of a Chinese influence in the game's design came last month, when Square revealed a draconian "fatigue" system that will prohibit players from gaining any more experience, after playing for a certain number of hours each week (the gained XP gradually diminishes after the first 8 hours, and after another 7 hours no more XP can be gained, until the following week's reset of this playtime counter).

This very same kind of "fatigue" system is said to be mandatory for all online games in communist China, as a protection for players prone to MMO addiction. Does anyone dare say "coincidence"?...

Once again faced with an angry mob of "fans", Square Enix eventually decided to revert the corrupted names back to their "Engrish" terminology, giving an unconvincing explanation for their use of Chinese characters in the first place.

"Even in [Final Fantasy] XI there were these Chinese-like Kanji names - it was just intended to build atmosphere. It's just made-in-Japan Chinese for a Japanese audience, the Chinese version is probably translated completely differently I expect", said Square Enix's Hiromichi Tanaka.

At this point, it's hard to imagine a successful launch for the game anymore, be it in Japan or elsewhere. And with well over a week left until its public debut this September 30, plenty of shit can still hit the fan... Fortunately for Square, there's already a "nude-filter" mod out there to make the miqo'te chicks even hotter than they already are.

P.S. Speaking of chicks - in Soviet Russia, Chocobo rides you!

(Originally posted on Sep 18, 2010)

Update: The game's Collector's Edition comes with items that are explicitly "Made in China", including a tumbler (drinking glass) covered with mold and ironically unsuitable for containing "salt and solid materials, carbonated beverages, milk or other dairy beverages, fruit juices, etc.".

As San'plex puts it - "A glass which cannot be drunk from and a game which cannot be played - Square Enix is certainly breaking new ground".

(Updated on Sep 22, 2010)

Update #2: Fantastic news! The "horsebirds" formerly known as "chocobo" have just been patched, and they are now called... "chocopo". No, srsly! How many times can these guys screw up in such an epic manner, almost every single day now? And the game is still not fully released yet, beyond this week's Collector's Edition.

(Updated #2 on Sep 23, 2010)