Multiple Consoles

As millions of people are enjoying their copy of Final Fantasy XIII, millions of others are awaiting the arrival of Square Enix's next MMORPG for the PlayStation 3 and PC later this year - Final Fantasy XIV. Within the past few days those people are getting a little more giddy over the prospect of taking on some of the new characters detailed in the latest issue of Famitsu and the interview they did with a few fellows from the team working on FF XIV.

The interviews was done with Atsushi Okada, FFXIV Battle Planner; Kenichi Iwao, FFXIV Planner; and Sei Sato, FFXIV Planner. And here's the details we've got thus far from the three of them from their interview.

• Players may fight solo or go fight in parties. Something not so easily executed in Final Fantasy XI when it comes to going solo.
• Enemy monsters may form a party as well and give a "party vs. party" feel when going into battles.
• Pulling an enemy back to your camp is a thing of the past. You will now have something similar to a moving camp from enemy to enemy.
• There are six total elements that you may pursue with your character: fire, ice, wind, water, thunder and earth. You choose the path as to which elements you will be more proficient in as you progress. Fire is dominant over ice, etc. Players and enemies affected by these elements.
• You no longer attain MP by simply kneeling and healing yourself. It will be tougher to keep up your MP levels as you are constantly moving from battle to battle.
• Position and distance of your character opposite of the enemy will be vital to how well you will execute your attacks on the enemy and make battles much more tactical. (see the chart at the top as an example)

Here's also a basic breakdown of each class available in the game. Keep in mind this is a translation from Famitsu.

Archer

Iwao:  "More than anything, the Archer is a long-distance striker.  From a range, they have to decide where to stand and what archery techniques to employ.  Their defense is low, so if they catch the attention of the enemy, they could be in trouble.  A good Archer needs to keep watch over the entire battle and adapt to the situation by firing off the most effective shots possible without incurring the wrath of the enemy."

Conjurer

Iwao:  "Attack magic, defense magic, healing magic -- a Conjurer has many different lines of spells to choose from.  It's safe to say it's like an almighty magic-user that can serve as attack or support.  Conjurers can also place magical effects on themselves that affect the area around them."

Gladiator

Sato:  "Gladiator is offense and defense rolled into one -- a class that is good at taking hits and dishing out the damage.  Because of its versatility, I see it becoming a popular class."

Lancer

Sato: 'Lancer attacks from a farther range than most melee classes and has a wider sphere of influence.  They can easily adjust their position to help out back-end members that get into trouble."

Marauder

Okada:  "While their special attacks are powerful, some require that the Marauder be stationary while they activate.  Due to this, a Marauder must be adept at reading an enemy's movements."

Pugilist

Iwao:  "Despite their short reach and low defense, the Pugilist is a class that can really turn the tide of a battle with their tricky techniques.  They will also employ a number of "stances" that will prove effective based on the condition of the enemy and the party."

Thaumaturge

Sato:  "Basically, Thaumaturges have magic that does powerful damage.  However, there also are great risks to balance this out.  This is one particular area where we are waiting to hear feedback from the players."

Blacksmith and Miner

Iwao:  "Blacksmiths are Disciples of the Hand who use metals to create and repair weapons and armor.  Miners are Disciples of the Land who dig up ore.  These classes will have very limited battle-related abilities, but may receive other things to compensate.  For example, a Blacksmith may get an ability that enfeebles a gold-based enemy or one that increases the chances of having treasure drop."

Kyle: I know, that's a lot of information to take in, but trust me, it's worth the read. I am a little more excited to see how this will play out with each new update to the game while comparing it to Final Fantasy XI. So far, so good.

Codemasters is looking to put their Formula 1 license ownership to good use after they picked up the rights to the F1 license when Sony bulked at the idea of paying the suggested amount from the Formula 1 crew. Codemasters has went on to produce Formula One 2009 for the iPhone, PSP and Nintendo Wii.

"Where's the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC love for a new Formula 1 game?" (of course you're asking this question for those three specific consoles!) you may ask yourself, but the Codemasters team who has worked on many recent racers such as GRID and the DiRT series has announced we can expect said consoles to receive their versions of the F1 racing world in all its glory this September. And as one would expect, they're using their classic EGO in-house engine to develop F1 2010.

Kyle: As a fan of pretty much any respectable racing game/developer, I'm excited to play my first Formula 1 games since my Nintendo 64 day.

The Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package is coming to Xbox LIVE on March 30th!

The multiple Game of the Year award-winner just got bigger, with more epic multiplayer content, coming first to Xbox LIVE!

Loading Reality has learned from Activision that the Stimulus Package will deliver additional multiplayer maps, including brand-new battlegrounds and fan-favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Additionally, Silver Xbox LIVE members who have not yet experienced the exciting adrenaline rush of "Modern Warfare 2" will be able to try it with a Multiplayer Unlock event running from March 12 to March 15.

Also, look for a new trailer featuring the maps from "Stimulus Package" to premiere soon.

The latest installment in the Ghost Recon franchise, entitled Future Soldier, has finally been unveiled through the latest UK edition of the Official Playstation Magazine. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, set roughly 10-15 years after the Advanced Warfighter series, is going to see the Ghosts facing a ultranationalist group that has deposed of Russia's president.

Futuristic gear and weaponry will be a primary focus in Future Soldier. Things like stealth cloaks, armored ground drones, and exo-skeleton legs will be utilized by the Ghosts.

The exo-skeleton legs in particular will largely alter the gameplay. Since the Ghosts are now very agile, they will be able to do what they have never done in previous installments, such as rolling and jumping.

Expect character classes to be a main focus in Future Fighter, and in addition, 4-player co-op is also a promise.

The newest issue that covers Future Soldier will be released on general sale March 16th. Future Soldier is currently slated for a release this year.

Philip: Hm...I'm interested in seeing how this plays out. Futuristic warfare is somewhat more appealing than modern warfare. If Future Soldier is a success (and why would it not be?), expect plenty of developers to take war games into the future. (Knock, knock Infinity Ward.)