The Xbox 360 Beta

In addition to the February version update content being implemented across all platforms, Xbox 360 Beta users will be receiving a specific Xbox 360-related update.

-The user interface will be increased in scale by approximately 20% to compensate for small characters on some HDTV displays. Standard TV displays will not be affected.

-It will now be possible to enter numbers from the numeric keypad when using a USB keyboard. This change will not affect game controls that already utilize the numeric keypad.

The Hydra world is the stage for the Xbox 360 Beta and is currently home to many thousands of players from Japan, North America, and Europe. With the number of simultaneous logins exceeding the public worlds, the strong North American and European presence can be seen in the peak login time that begins in Japan's morning and stretches into the afternoon.

As was previously announced, the sale and official commencement of service for the Xbox 360 version of FINAL FANTASY XI will coincide with the release date of the upcoming expansion disc, Treasures of Aht Urhgan. All three expansion discs-Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia, and Treasures of Aht Urhgan-will be included in the release version of FINAL FANTASY XI for the Xbox 360.

As the date for official service looms nearer, the development team is looking into the possibility of transferring character data to the public servers for all players currently enjoying the Xbox 360 Beta. As the beta testing continues, however, technical issues may arise that could prevent such a transfer. We will be sure to bring you updates on this matter as soon as they are available.

We would like to remind players that it is possible to make an Xbox 360 Beta character using an existing PlayOnline account for Windows or the PlayStation 2. A FINAL FANTASY XI character made with a PlayOnline Beta account for the Xbox 360 cannot be transferred to an existing account on a different platform.

FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team (02/02/2006)