Hardship is a social glue, especially in games. Shared victories and mutual defeat, confusion, frustration— these are bonding mechanisms that transcend the IRL-URL barrier. In MMORPGs, in which community is a main draw, the difference between a challenging game and an easy game can also mean the difference between a…
When Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida revealed the MMORPG’s upcoming Palace of the Dead dungeon last April, I had what I now realize was an embarrassingly romantic notion of what it would be: dungeon-crawling with friendly strangers, sneaking by traps and strategically navigating its roguelike-inspired,…
Behold the limited edition Final Fantasy XI XIth Anniversary keyboard, nearly $300 worth of Moogle-embossed enter keys and FF-fonted F-keys. It's so beautiful.
