Can the 'Most Disappointing Game of the Year' be saved by an update?

Final Fantasy XIV (or Final Fantasy Online, if you prefer) was one of the biggest let downs of 2010. Released with the typical fanfare of a Square Enix release, FF XIV was supposed to be the MMORPG to end World Of Warcraft's long reign over the genre.

But, of course, this was not to be. Like so many others that have tried to conquer subscription-based gameplay, FF XIV was a bitter disappointment. Bad menus, a broken economy and endlessly confusing game play rendered it pretty much unplayable. The game received negative reviews from everyone, and Square Enix have made numerous apologies, and open letters admitting that the game is just not good enough.

But now there seems to be a glimmer of hope for FF XIV. Square Enix has never stopped working on it, and in an open letter, have announced their new plans to revitalise the game.

The first thing they are changing is the billing. FF XIV was so stunningly bad when they released it they weren't even charging the subscription fees, but now it looks like that period is coming to a close and fees will be back in either November or December this year.

The game itself is getting almost completely overhauled, and new updates are promised to be regular and wide-reaching, addressing many of the games broad range of issues.

The PS3 version has finally been given a date too, initially, the release was pushed back to give the developers time to improve the game, and it now seems like by December 2012 it will be finished enough to support cross-platform gaming.

Whether or not these changes will be enough to save the game remains to be seen, but the return of subscription fees probably isn't going to help. Gamers aren't going to be happy paying £12.99 a month for a game that has actually won awards for its stunningly poor quality.

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