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Though E3 is over, the gaming world is still bewildered over the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV. Only a trailer was shown and information is  scarce, but nevertheless there are a few details about the game. Our own Jordan Jackson spoke with a representative of Square Enix on the last day of the show about the next installment of Final Fantasy.

Originally codenamed Rapture, Final Fantasy XIV began its development phase about four or five years ago at the hands of the primary development team of Final Fantasy XI. Unsurprisingly, there are similarities between the two MMOs. The races are nearly the same, so Final Fantasy XI veterans will be familiar with them. They will be able to create a character that’s similar to their FFXI character, but no direct transfers will be allowed.

However, Final Fantasy XIV will be set in a completely different world known as Eorzea. Gameplay will be different, too. The game will have a blend of casual and party-oriented content, so players can jump in for short play sessions and enjoy the game without constantly needing a party. Square Enix wants to appeal to all types of players. FFXIV will have a job system, but it will be somewhat different this time.

Square Enix has slated the game for a worldwide launch next year with language support for Japanese, English, German, and French. Our source emphasized that FFXIV will be for PC and PS3 “at launch” and that they are keeping their options open. An eventual release on “Microsoft hardware” is possible. Servers will be worldwide and multiplatform, just as with Final Fantasy XI. The game will not utilize PlayOnline, but POL users will be able to carry over their friends lists. There will be a beta, but it is not known when that will begin.

The representative also said that this is not quite the end of Final Fantasy XI. That game will continue as long as people want to play it, and there is still some content in the works for it.