This is Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. First of all, I would like to thank the PlayStation.Blog team for the opportunity to share with you the latest developments in our game.

We were recently in San Francisco as part of a tour to show A Realm Reborn to members of the gaming media. Our guests had a chance to take the game for a spin, after which I sat down with them for an interview. I expect that reports will be hitting various online media outlets starting today, so please keep an eye out!

We consider it one of our missions to reacquaint gamers all over the world with the wonders of FINAL FANTASY. To this end, we’ll be incorporating the most memorable elements of the series into A Realm Reborn. Mind you, this won’t be limited only to the game’s launch; in subsequent patches, we plan to keep adding more great stuff from FINAL FANTASY’s 25-year history. For starters, adventurers will be able to take on the Crystal Tower (FFIII) raid dungeon, do battle with classic summons (such as Ifrit, Titan, and Leviathan), and ride magitek armor (FFVI). It goes without saying that there’ll be moogles and chocobos as well. Your trusty steed will fight beside you in battle, and can also be dressed up in neat costumes. Future patches will introduce series mainstay Gilgamesh, and also the fun and excitement of the Gold Saucer (FFVII). The list goes on and on!

We’ve also released new screens to show our progress on the PS3 version. Though performance is still being optimized, I’m sure you’ll agree that the visual quality is almost on par with the Windows PC version.

My team and I are very much looking forward to the beta test, which is about to commence. PS3 players will be able to jump in to start testing when the third phase of the Beta launches. If you haven’t already signed up to become a tester, you can do so at the Beta Tester Application Site. We want as many people as possible to join in. I hope to see you there!

We’ll continue to release new info on A Realm Reborn, so be sure to keep an eye on PlayStation.Blog. Alternately, you can visit our official site along with the Developers’ Blog. The blog regularly hosts the latest behind-the-scenes info straight from the development floor, and you’re bound to get a kick out of the info.

Thank you for reading! We hope we can rely on your support for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn as well as the FINAL FANTASY series at large!