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MORE FINAL FANTASY XI DETAILS

Accourding to Japanese PC mag Login, Square revealed some more details about the upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online RPG. Final Fantasy XI is being developed for both the Playstation 2 and PC.

Although the final specs aren't revealed yet, it's already certain that the game will require a graphic card that supports T & L (Transform and Lighting) and Direct X 8.1, so it will be a GeForce 1 minimum. Players will also be able to chose the resolution suited for their system.

Also, PS2 and PC players will be able to share data with each other, since the game uses server-side saving ie. the characters will be stored on the server, not on the harddrive.

The PC version will be released on a CD-ROM,  so not the DVD format that the PS2 version will use.

Squaresoft also plans to release expension packs for both versions.

The PS2 version of FFXI is scheduled for a spring release in Japan, the PC version should follow soon after that. As always, no EU or US dates have been released, but I'm guessing it will be end 2002 at earliest.
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XBOX LAUNCH IN JAPAN: THE NUMBERS

Microsofts console sold 121 000 out of 250 000 available consoles in the first three days of availablility.. This is quite low compared to PS2, which sold 980 000 in two days, and the GameCube, with 133 000 consoles being sold. Even Sega's Dreamcast sold more: 150 000 units. However, the Xbox is quite expensive, and  Microsoft is quite unknown in Japan and a newcomer to the console market.

Software then. The number one launch game was Dead Or Alive 3, which sold over 70 000 times. That's more then three times the amount number two, Genma Onimusha, with 19 000 copies being sold. Number three  was Project Gotham Racing with 15 000 units, number four was Sega's Jet Set Radio future with a mere 9 800 copies. You can find all the numbers here.

source: gamefront
PS2 EUROPE RELEASE DATES

Here are some of the latest release dates for Europe::

ICO: 20/3/2002
Jedi Starfighter: 22/3/2002
PS2 + Metal Gear solid: 22/3/2002
Mr. Moskeeto: 29/3/2002
Mad Maestro: 29/3/2002
Parappa the Rapper: 15/4/2002
Virtua Fighter 4: 8/5/2002
Prisoner of War: 10/5/2002
Final Fantasy X: 28/5/2002
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