After a long wait, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn finally went on sale on June 23rd for the Mac, offering owners of that OS the chance to play what might be the best MMORPG on the market currently. However, the launch has been anything but smooth, with the game being plagued with a bevy of issues. The issues have gotten so bad that, like Warner Bros. with Batman: Arkham Knight on PC, Square Enix have been forced to suspend further sales of the game on Mac, and offer refunds to those who desire them, while they work on fixing the issues.

Producer and director Naoki Yoshida took to the forums to apologise and explain the situation.

“I believe that the biggest problem with the Mac version release was the significant discrepancy between the performance of the product our development team produced and the expectations our customers had for it, which was due to the lack of information available on our product when sales commenced, as well as other issues.

“Up until the official release of the Mac version on June 23rd, we were working to improve the client’s performance. Consequently, the system requirements which we should have released were not made available in time, which was a serious problem.”

“We planned to conduct maintenance which would conclude on June 23rd at 6:00 PM (JST). However, due to our miscommunication with retailers, the Mac version was made available earlier than intended. As a result, some customers were able to download and play a pre-release build which suffered from performance problems. We apologize for this oversight.

“We have judged that there is still a lack of information on the Mac version and its system requirements,” he continued. “We are planning to make an announcement which will include detailed information on the product, system requirements, and screen resolution. Until this is done, and I am personally satisfied that our users are adequately informed, we will be suspending the sale of the Mac version.

“I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this will cause to those interested in purchasing the Mac version, and ask that you bear with us until sales recommence. For those who already have a Mac version of the game, as service itself will not be suspended, please rest assured you will be able to continue playing as before.

“The mistakes made by the development and operation teams in the lead up to this release have caused considerable confusion and trouble,” he concluded. “To our customers who eagerly anticipate purchasing, or who have already ordered, their copy of the Mac version of FINAL FANTASY XIV, and to all of our distributors, we offer our deepest and most heartfelt apologies.

“We aim to recommence sales of the Mac version as soon as we are satisfied that the product information and system requirements are properly prepared.

“And to those players who are already playing the Mac version in the required system environment, we deeply apologize for the ongoing inconveniences.

“We will continue to do our utmost to ensure that, no matter the version, FINAL FANTASY XIV is a game that deserves your time and support,” he concluded.

I mean, at least this sounds like more of an honest mistake than the entire Batman: Arkham Knight debacle seems to have been, but I seriously wish these companies would take a closer look at the product they release to the market, before they actually just send it out into the wild.

The end is almost near…at least for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s current world story. The new 2.5 patch will be adding the first part of the story’s conclusion with Before the Fall. There’s plenty of new content to be had especially in the form of new quests and the Golden Saucer, a remix of the popular area from Final Fantasy VII but with its unique spin. Check out the video for patch 2.5 above.

The first part of Before the Fall will be out on January 20th for players while part 2 will arrive with patch 2.51 in March. This is all meant to prepare players for the arrival of Heavensward, the next major expansion for A Realm Reborn, which will add several new areas, a new class and much more content to significantly advance the game.

Are you prepping for the end? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be receiving its first major patch of the year to prepare the game for the Heavensward expansion. Before this expansion though, warriors will be busy wrapping up the Crystal Tower story with part one of Before the Fall in patch 2.5.

Detailed on the Lodestone site, part one will release in January mid to end and features new challenges, new recipes, new gear, new dungeons and two thirds of the final main scenario’s quests. You’ll also encounter Hildibrand, an agent of inquiry, as he embarks on his investigation. There will also be a battle against Odin in Urth’s Fount.

You’ll also have the Gold Saucer to explore which will feature Chocobo racing and breaking, Triple Triad mini-games and other relaxing activities. Part two of Before the Fall will be out by March end so there’s plenty to look forward to enroute to Ishgard. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments.

Square Enix is offering a free trial of its MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to PS3 and PS4 players. Though it was initially restricted to PlayStation Plus subscribers, the free trial is now open to all. Check out the “Winter Parade” trailer above to help celebrate the occasion.

You’ll be able to play for 14 days with the free trial and achieve a maximum level of 20. If you pick up the full game, you’ll be able to transfer your character into the full game.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has seen several updates and changes since its release. The first major expansion to arrive is Heavensward which adds some new areas and missions, a new story which deals with the Dragonsong War and a new class (not to mention an increased level cap).

Will you be taking part in the free trial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be receiving a new expansion next year with Heavensward that adds new flying mounts, a new class and much more. For those who are still on the fence as to whether they should take part or not, Square Enix has revealed that a free 14-day trial of the experience is currently live for Steam.

You’ll be able to play for up to 14 days upon creating your account and while you’ll be free to explore Eorzea, there are some restrictions here and there. You can only level up your character to level 20 and you won’t be able to access all in-game activities. Check out all the specifics at The Lodestone to find out what is and isn’t available.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is also available on the PS3 and PS4. Will you be taking part in the free trial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s first expansion will be Heavensward and Square Enix is adding a fair amount of new content to the game.

At the London Fan Festival, director Naoki Yoshida confirmed flying mounts for the expansion. There will be a total of six and these will include a Black Chocobo, which is the first flying mount you can obtain. That’s not all – you’ll also be able to own an airship, though flying it will be limited to the new areas in Heavensward only.

Other new additions in the expansion include the Dark Knight, a tank that specializes in greatswords and won’t require any base class for players to try out (besides utilizing the power of darkness); two new beast tribes (Vanu Vanu and the Gnath); and a new gunslinger class that is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

What are your thoughts on Heavensward? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

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Square Enix have started to tease players of the surprisingly successful Final Fantasy MMO, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, with a trailer for their upcoming patch. Patch 2.4, titled Dreams of Ice, will sport a number of new gaming titbits for players to sink their teeth into.

This includes The Akh Afah Amphitheatre which (as the name would imply) sports a glacial blue lick of paint with some nice geomagnetic storm fronts in the sky, for added ambiance of course. This is a Final Fantasy game after all, the aesthetic is key. Players can expect to tackle some rather tough looking nasties.

Also inbound is the Final Coil of Bahamut, an eight person rain that brings an end to the Bahamut story but is also said to be considerably more difficult than some of the dungeons that have come before.

Another addition is that of the Rogue class. Behaving much like any other rogue in any other game, they prefer light armour and dual wield short weapons. Stealth is also a skill in their repertoire, level up enough and you can turn invisible. Just straight up invisible.

Last year, Square Enix did the impossible when they took the disaster of a game that was Final Fantasy XIV, and then retooled it into the amazing, gorgeous, beautiful Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which stood not only as a game that was miles better than the original FF14, but also a great MMORPG that might currently be the best game in its genre, as well as the best Final Fantasy game in years.

Well, if you somehow haven’t jumped in on the game yet, Square Enix is now going to offer you more of a reason to- in November, they will be releasing a Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Game of the Year Edition, which will come in a high quality, printed “Book of Diamonds” Grimoire box, contain 5 exclusive art cards and include 30 days of playtime, as well as a digital timecard for an additional 60 free days of adventure in the realms of Eorzea, for a grand total of 90 days that you can play the game before you need to pay for a subscription.

It sounds like a great deal (though the positioning of it might be a bit suspect), and really, if you are a fan of either Final Fantasy or MMORPGs, you owe it to yourself to check this game out, so might as well jump in with this edition.

If you’ve ever wondered what the fuss is about for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Square Enix’s reboot of the original MMORPG that is available for PS3, PS4 and PC, then you’re in luck – the Japanese publisher has announced that fans will have a chance to try the game for two weeks, absolutely free. The free period will have already begun by the time you read this and you’ll be allowed to level your characters up to level 20.

You won’t get everything the game has to offer but there are 72 player PVP faction wars, the Defenders of Eorzea update and much more available. You can also recruit a friend and pick up in-game items if your friend subscribes for a minimum of 30 days.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn may be a paid MMORPG but it’s arguably one of the better ones on the market. Will you be taking part during the free period? Let us know in the comments below.

Square Enix will be at Gamescom 2014 from August 13th to 17th and will be bringing in tons of different titles to show off. These include Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call, Nosgoth and much more. This includes Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King.

This will reportedly be Square Enix’s biggest showing yet as it will have more than 180 hands-on stations for players to try out games. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn fans will not only be able to play with 48 players in real time to fight off epic bosses but will also be able to experience the frontline PvP mode which sees 8 team of three squaring off against each other. Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris will also be able to play and you can try out the new four player co-op in the process.

Sound good? Let us know in the comments below.