responsible gaming

When Square Enix announced the release of Final Fantasy XIV Online, I'm sure a lot of people assumed it was going to be a typical MMORPG, where players would spend every waking moment feeding their addiction of leveling completely fictional characters in a virtual world as if they were inhabiting that character for real.

So I found it really refreshing that Square Enix are pushing for their players to be responsible.

Before the collector's edition went live on the 24th, there were many outraged comments from all quarters of the world wide web about the 8 hour limit of gaining experience for characters per week. I was baffled by the outcry, it's not as if you can't spend all day every day playing if you really wanted to. It's just that this system encourages people to take a more casual approach to the game than, say, World of Warcraft.

This element of the game is further highlighted by the note to players that pops up as you start the game:

Exploring Eorzea is a thrilling experience. During your time there, you will be able to talk, join, and adventure with many other individuals in an experience that is unique to online games. That being said, I have no desire to see your real life suffer as a consequence.

Don't forget your family, your friends, your school, or your work.

It is an unfortunate truth that there are people out there who actually need this type of reminder to experience real life outside their games, but I am pleased that SE are aware that gaming can be an addiction for many.

I've had a chance to play about 4 hours of the game since purchasing the collectors edition on Friday, and I love it. It really is a completely different game to WoW, and it suits casual gamers like myself. I can jump online, do a few quests, explore a little and still feel like I've made progress by the time I log out. No need for all nighters or running late for a date with mates with this game, no need for missing showers just for that extra experience and turning up to work all smelly and gross. No junk food diets, no missing family gatherings, no failing subjects at university. Just a satisfying, casual game.

However, I am a little tired of seeing so many freaking cat girls running around...