Final Fantasy XIV Open Beta Begins Thursday

Square Enix ironed out the Open Beta bugs.

PC gamers disappointed over Tuesday's news that the open beta for Final Fantasy XIV was delayed won't have to worry about a long wait. According to Square Enix, the MMORPG's open beta will commence on Thursday, September 2, 2010. Apparently the show-stopping bugs weren't quite that serious.

"Along with the completion on investigation and correction of the critical issue, we have decided to begin FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test on Sep. 2, 2010 at 02:00 (GMT)," the company announced. "Starting on Sep. 2, 2010 at 02:00 (GMT), acquisition of registration code required for FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test will become available on the FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test Application Site."

As previously stated, Final Fantasy XIV for the PC is slated for a worldwide release on September 30, 2010. A Collector's Edition is also planned, scheduled to hit retail shelves a week prior to the Standard release. The PlayStation 3 won't see the sci-fi/fantasy MMORPG until sometime in March 2011--the delay stems from memory issues as reported by producer Hiromichi Tanaka.

Gamers wanting to take part in the Open Beta will need to meet the following minimum requirements:

• OS: Windows XP SP3 or later
• CPU: Intel core 2 Duo (2.0 GHz) / AMD Athlon X2 (2.0 GHz)
• Memory: 1.5 GB for XP / 2 GB for Vista & 7
• Storage: Install - 15 GB / Download - 6 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce 9600 series with 512 MB VRAM or equivalent / AMD Radeon HD 2900 series with 512 MB VRAM or equivalent
• Sound: DirectSound compatible (DirectX 9.0c)
• Internet: Broadband
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 @ 32-bit
• DirectX: 9.0c
• Controls: Mouse, Keyboard