Less than a week ago we were reporting that FFXIV might be coming to Xbox because of a Linkedin profile.  Just a few days before that, we reported that Amazon was taking pre-orders for FFXIV.  Now what happens when those two stories have a baby?  You guessed it.  Amazon is now taking pre-orders for FFXIV on Xbox! Not much else to this story, but seems strange that Amazon would go to the trouble of adding a pre-order for the Xbox version without some information from Square Enix.  Would they really go to the trouble and then have to issue tens of thousands of refunds?  We’ll see.  But for those Xbox owners out there – looks like you can now order the game!  We’ve updated our new pre-order price tracking page as well with the info.

With beta applications now 6 weeks old, the chatter is all about (for some) when Square Enix will pull the trigger on the first round of beta testing, or (for others) how Square Enix started a beta test that nobody knows about.  With this chatter comes speculation, and with speculation comes speculation about Japanese interviews – and speculation about Japanese interviews is never a good idea by those not trained in the art. This brings us to the latest Famitsu interview with FFXIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka.

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The blog Siliconera is reporting that a Square Enix employee, Yuuki Akama, listed on her Linkedin profile that she was working on FFXIV for not only PS3 and PC, but for Xbox too!  Square Enix has previously reported that PS3 will be the only console at launch, but has not ruled out Xbox as a later addition to the party.  This is of course not a complete surprise, as we had previously reported that negotiations were underway for additional consoles (i.e. Xbox).  Notably, the Linkedin profile has since been revised to avoid references to FFXIV.  Conspiracy theorists engage!

Well maybe not earth shattering, but Amazon.com has started accepting orders for Final Fantasy XIV!  Listed price is $59.99, but of course they guarantee the price should it change on release.  They have both PC and PS3 versions listed.  If you’re someone who likes to buy early – it doesn’t get any earlier than this.  Also, for those that have asked how they can help out the site a bit, we’ve tacked up a link straight to the game at amazon.com in the right column – so feel free to use that when ready to buy.

UPDATE: As others have pointed out, Amazon is offering a $10 “Video Games Credit” for a future purchase with every purchase of Final Fantasy XIII – so for those planning on buying both games, this is a pretty nice offer.  We’ve added the FFXIII amazon link down next to the FFXIV one.

Elmer over at ZAM has just translated an article from Dengeki Games. A few highlights (with interspersed comments) are below:

Ｑ：How much of the game will players be able to experience in the beta?
Ａ：We started at about 10% of the final product with the playable Alpha version and are ultimately trying to perfect the underlying game system. The bulk of the game won’t be made public until the retail version is out.

This is nice to hear. It’s a balance for SE for sure, but nice to know that for both those who are able to beta test, and those that are not, that there will be a lot left unseen.

Ｑ：What can you tell us about the transition from the Beta to the final version or about world transfers in general?
Ａ：Once service starts, we want to make it so you can move along with the friends you make during the Beta to the same world. As for world transfers, that may be a possibility in the future, with some limitations probably.

Square Enix really messed up server selection the first time around with XI. You simply have to be able to play (from the very start) with existing friends. Frankly, this is even more critical this time around where players will almost certainly be moving en masse from XI. I expect this to be addressed from the very beginning, and not to limited to only those who beta test, as this suggests.

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On this episode we discuss the Distant Worlds premiere of Final Fantasy XIV music, as well as jump into some update news! Going over weapons for Gladiator and Pugilist disciplines leads to discussion on the possibility of PvP and arena based combat. We also take a look at the screen shots that were leaked onto the European Final Fantasy XIV site before the update that followed the recording of this episode.

We’re also excited to announce that Aniero and Fusionx will be appearing on the Voices of Vana’diel call in podcast coming up at the end of January. Head over to the Limit Break Radio Forums and sign up for the episode so you can call in and ask the hosts of Aetheryte Radio your questions or share your thoughts!

We encourage you to leave feed back for the show if you haven’t already either via our forums or iTunes reviews. If you have any questions that you would like answered on a future show let us know at podcast@eorzeapedia.com.

VanaFest 2010 has been announced for February 28th in Tokyo Japan!

VanaFest is a live stage event where attendees get to see developer panels, announcements of new content, concerts, and more! Those that attend also receive a special in game item for Final Fantasy XI that is only available from the Festival events.

The official website for the event hints that there will be some kind of information about Final Fantasy XIV present. However, it doesn’t go into any more detail than that. It could be a new release of information, announcement of the beta starting, or maybe something else. One thing looks certain though, Square Enix will now be using the Festivals to discuss both of their Final Fantasy Online titles.

Only those with a Japanese PlayOnline ID that has been active since December 2008 will be able to enter into the ticket lottery for this year. Tickets are not being sold, so those wishing to attend must meet the above requirement to have a shot at attending. 1,114 tickets will be available for this event. Quite a nice number don’t you think?

We’ll bring you more information from the FFXI Festival events as we get it! For more FFXI related information about the event click here.