1

Sneak Peek at Square's New MMO!

Update: Everyone has been debating: Joke? No joke?

Credit for the screenshots go to Estya of Ramuh or StarvingArtist from Dreams in Vana'diel. He e-mailed me on Monday asking if I could help him pull off an April Fool's joke and attached the screens you saw. We thought they looked convincing enough to cause waves and boy did we get them! Myself, Vlorsutes, and Thayos all helped write the article. We gave Estya a month of free premium for the idea and material.

The story made it to Google News and got some diggs. I dunno where else they started popping up, but we found it amusing. Hope everyone had a great April Fool's Day!

----

Rare screenshots from Square Enix's highly anticipated next-generation MMORPG have been released exclusively on Allakhazam.com.

The screenshots, showing scenes from the upcoming game known only as Project Rapture, were leaked to the Final Fantasy XI Online staff by a source close to the game's development team.

After much deliberation -- and anxiety and excitement -- the staff of Allakhazam decided to release the screenshots.
Despite the low quality of the images, the screenshots speak for themselves.

Details are scarce at this time, but Allakhazam.com has confirmed Project Rapture will implement Square Enix's Crystal Tools graphics engine. The game is planned to be released for the Xbox360, the Playstation 3 and for PCs using the Windows Vista operating system.

 

Discuss this on the forums now!

Comments

« Previous 1 2
Post Comment
joke
# Oct 07 2008 at 1:32 PM Rating: Decent
ok so at this point we know these pics are fraudulent. but does anyone know where we can find legitimate info? like races and jobs? and the one thing that ffxi kills the competition with, the ability to change jobs at any given time.
blarf
# Apr 03 2008 at 10:34 PM Rating: Decent
The Chocobo's show its fake, but we all know that anyways by now i guess :P
april fools
# Apr 02 2008 at 3:46 AM Rating: Default
Quote:
Murata finished by showing a trailer of Final Fantasy XIII. Unfortunately for everyone expecting a giant info blowout or a real-time demonstration of the power of Crystal Tools, it was the same BLIZZRAD! pre-rendered footage from E3 2006.
Quote:
'Crystal Tools': Final Fantasy Engine Renamed, Supports Wii
this was all researched by me.. this morning to disprove this as SE's new MMO... just a sequal to 12 it seems.. and if you do notice guys that the crystal tools logo appears in the lower left of the screen shots...
In other news...
# Apr 02 2008 at 3:15 AM Rating: Decent
http://movies.ign.com/dor/articles/863515/legend-of-zelda-movie-trailer/videos/legendofzelda_filmtrailer_040108.html
OK!
# Apr 02 2008 at 2:03 AM Rating: Good
I'll remind you all again SE has made a point, "So long as players want to keep playing FFxi we will keep making content for the game." This means they don't have any plans to stop survice for the game, even if they release a new MMO. So don't get your panties in a bunch, they still plan on making content for the game.
heh
# Apr 01 2008 at 8:30 PM Rating: Decent
Its True
# Apr 01 2008 at 7:38 PM Rating: Default
43 posts
I found a link talking about it... check it out


http://youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU&feature=related
Its True
# Apr 01 2008 at 10:52 PM Rating: Decent
wow..........old
its true...
# Apr 01 2008 at 7:37 PM Rating: Default
43 posts
I found a link on it... check it out

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU&feature=related
doubt it but....
# Apr 01 2008 at 5:53 PM Rating: Decent
*
202 posts
The picture of the viera alone with the bow about o be fired, kinda looks like (in a way) the bastok aketon...

or is that just me?
If only...
# Apr 01 2008 at 3:01 PM Rating: Decent
*
67 posts
Too close to April Fools to believe.

But all the same I want to play a Nu Mou so bad...

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Nu_Mou

Cruel, alla, very cruel ;p
nice try~
# Apr 01 2008 at 2:56 PM Rating: Decent
The skin cracked me up. But this post!? Should have used something with very little or no FFXI stuff in it imo.
Evil Kitty!
# Apr 01 2008 at 2:15 PM Rating: Decent
I'm lol'ing over the skin. I thought I got enough pink and purple at home, my daughter has nothing but pink and purple items. My head is going to explode, or I'm just only going to see pink and purple blurs for the next fews days. Evil, evil I tell you! :P

And the Hello Kitty player of the month, is by far the best one they've had so far. lol^^

I was thinking about the topic, and I came to 2 conclusions last night while driving home from work:

1.) If this is a April Fools joke, it's just so cruel.

and...

2.) If this were to be real, it'd be oh so damned cruel. I maybe 2+ years into FFXI, but even if this game were to come out in the next 2 years I don't think I'd be done with FFXI by then. ><


Cruel, cruel, cruel.......I'd cry if I could, lol.

Edited, Apr 1st 2008 4:18pm by Nuhnisgodly
meh
# Apr 01 2008 at 12:46 PM Rating: Decent
**
403 posts
Looks like doctored screenshots from XI. This, minus the blur, might be what XI would look like if it was allowed to use more than 0% of your computer's video card's processing power.
WIki
# Apr 01 2008 at 7:57 AM Rating: Default
i dont understand this because wikik has a post about this aswell but the fine print isnt copyrighted and it says something about april fools if anyone knows the real story behind this plz do tell because SE's not stupid enough to go close a game like FF11 when they released a new exspansion just 3 months ago
new people are still coming daily it wouldnt make any sence to shut down ff11
Rapture is real
# Apr 01 2008 at 7:55 AM Rating: Default
The rapture project is real the screen shots might be an April Fools joke, but these articles http://www.gamespot.com/news/6186627.html?sid=6186627&part=rss&subj=6186627, http://gnn.gamer.com.tw/8/29458.html details a press release involving the crystal tools use in the FFXIII and in a next generation mmo codenamed Rapture.
Optimistic
# Apr 01 2008 at 7:44 AM Rating: Default
Well, the pics may be fake, but the project isn't.

http://play.tm/story/16037

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled_Square_Enix_project

Edited, Apr 1st 2008 11:51am by triplesecs
Optimistic
# Apr 01 2008 at 4:59 PM Rating: Decent
**
453 posts
triplesecs wrote:
Well, the pics may be fake, but the project isn't.

http://play.tm/story/16037

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled_Square_Enix_project

Edited, Apr 1st 2008 11:51am by triplesecs


The Wiki page made mention of a concept video. Does anyone know where to find this vid? I'd be very appreciative if anyone has a link to this.
Optimistic
# Apr 02 2008 at 9:01 AM Rating: Good
Here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Kceq4AbGk

Don't worry, you won't get Rick Rolled. LOL =P
Optimistic
# Apr 02 2008 at 11:23 PM Rating: Decent
**
453 posts
Tyty^^
It's
# Apr 01 2008 at 4:50 AM Rating: Decent
Fake.
Heh
# Apr 01 2008 at 2:24 AM Rating: Decent
**
634 posts
This would probably have a better chance of working if it weren't for the Hello Kitty skin, god my eyes hurt.
Heh
# Apr 01 2008 at 3:06 AM Rating: Default
***
1,235 posts
Man I hope it IS April Fools joke #2, because I don't want to ride around with Easter Bunny ears!
Heh
# Apr 01 2008 at 3:36 AM Rating: Decent
Restyoneck wrote:
Man I hope it IS April Fools joke #2, because I don't want to ride around with Easter Bunny ears!


i doubt it. they look like Viera.
hmm
# Apr 01 2008 at 12:49 AM Rating: Excellent
*
140 posts
Hmmm i was assuming it had to be an april fools until i googled Rapture..now im just confused.
pikko care to enlighten us?:)
Also...
# Apr 01 2008 at 12:12 AM Rating: Default
Two points to add here,

1: Notice that in every picture it is the same 2 characters... SE would show more races than just the two (screenshots with multiple new races) those are just the two most closely resembling FFXI's races and easiest to change over...
So looking at the screenshots you can pretty much tell not to mention the map in one of them looks like Altep area...

2: Keep in mind, even if it did seem semi-legit because the site may have recieved them in a legit way SE could be the ones behind the joke but considering also included in the SS's is the crystal logo and SE logo and that the logo's are from 2 different image source types (one being logos both crystal and SE together (that's the crystal logo) and the other being the SE logo from most ffxi images) it looks more like it was put together since the semi-transparent logo from the images from crystal tool is harder to photoshop over to a different image...
lolobvious?
# Mar 31 2008 at 9:50 PM Rating: Decent
**
656 posts
this is so definitely april fools XD

This site had much more success of "oh no fkkn way" factor.

Sorry, but this April fools failed compared to this site XD

www.ytmnd.com
.
# Mar 31 2008 at 9:30 PM Rating: Default
*
97 posts
I sure as hell hope I don't need Vista to play if it does come out...I really prefer XP and don't want to have to spend a **** ton of money to play the game.

I also hope that they don't go and shut down FFXI, I love this game too much...I worked so hard for 4 years to get where I am.

/sigh
no mac support
# Mar 31 2008 at 9:22 PM Rating: Default
*
112 posts
guess i'll hafta upgrade to leopard so i can get bootcamp.
Maybe>?
# Mar 31 2008 at 9:20 PM Rating: Decent
**
867 posts
I've definitely been wanting to see something released on the new MMO, but being this is my favorite holiday of all it looks like a Fools'ing.

Unless this being a trick where the 1st they say April Fools, only to later the day the April Fools being an April Fools in itself!? >.>

...Or an April Fools of an April Fools inside another April Fools--->

/headexplode
Sceptical
# Mar 31 2008 at 8:32 PM Rating: Default
***
2,815 posts
Uhm this is all? Can you say cheap graphics?

I duno i was expecing more from the next MMO, I'd imaging it yknow NEXT GEN? This almost looks like a fake bunch of pics.

1- Exact same chocobo models as FFXI, what the heck?
2- the mog just looks to me like a BLM taru with ears stitched on.
3- The viera is wearing something that i'm sure ive seen people wear in game just retextured, and seems to me like a mithra with patched on ears and modified hair.
4- the terrain looks as low quality as FFXI, with obvious texture stretching and very low res geometry.
5- The tree trunks are as horribly low res as the ones in FFXI jut a new texture for the leaf part, which is also inexcusably low res for a next gen game...

I duno, even FF12 looks better than what i'm seeing here. This is either a very tricky hoax, or an early prototype that's reusing FFXI assets as temporary (i hope) stand-ins to be replace by something, yknow, next gen. If this is how it'll look in the end then... wow SE, fail.... so fail.

Anyway thats just how i'm seeing it. Keep in mind i'm currently working on my 2nd big ticket next gen game so i know cheap when i see it. Also, FFXI clone, not interested.

6- Final nail in the coffin. Looking closer at the chocobo's feet, i see the shadows are a very soft raytraced look. The shadow cast by the raised foot is softer than the one near the ground, which is still not doable even next gen. Now i think this is something someone put togetheri n max/maya and rendered out to try and make it next gen.

APRIL FOOLS MUCH?
Nice effort. sorry it didnt last more than an hour or so...

Edited, Apr 1st 2008 1:01am by RattyBatty
« Previous 1 2
Post Comment

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.