PlayOnline is an online gaming service created by Square Co. (now Square Enix), and is used as a hub for many of the online PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 games the company publishes. Currently, the only game supported by the service is Final Fantasy XI. Games previously supported were Front Mission Online, Fantasy Earth: The Ring of Dominion, Tetra Master, and the Japanese releases of EverQuest II, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and JongHoLo.
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Initially, PlayOnline was a subsite of SquareSoft.com and contained content such as online strategy guides and special sites for games published by Square (starting with Final Fantasy IX). It was introduced at the time of Final Fantasy IX's release, in which PlayOnline.com featured an online strategy guide that worked in conjunction with the printed version of the guide published by BradyGames. This subsite no longer exists, however. Square Enix integrated the site's features into their own site at Square-Enix.com,[1] in order to put up a site for the U.S. release of Final Fantasy XI.
PlayOnline.com now links to the Japanese PlayOnline site, which contains links to individual game sites and explanations of PlayOnline features. The U.S. And European websites contain information solely on Final Fantasy XI and PlayOnline features.
Any person over the age of 13 can sign up for a PlayOnline account. The person signing up must give their credit card number; however, several services - such as e-mail, IM, and Friend Lists - are free of charge to the subscriber.
When playing a PlayOnline game, a person will have to purchase a Content ID. The Content ID allows users to subscribe to a particular game, for a monthly fee. This is required in order to play the online games, and incorporates the free features of the service.
When a player first buys a PlayOnline game, they will receive an Activation Code, and not unlike Microsoft Windows XP must be typed in to gain access to that game's features. At that point, the subscriber may choose to continue purchasing Content ID's every month, on a subscription basis.
In certain games, Players may also purchase more playable characters, and customize them as he/she wants. The added costs will be presented in the month-to-month bills.
In order to prevent theft, Square Enix has elected to use a numeric based user name. As a player logs-in through the PlayOnline viewer, they must enter a unique ID Number, used to identify them, and a password. The Player ID is presented after the player signs-up for the service, and cannot be changed or chosen. In addition to this, the user has the option of adding additional measures of security by signing up for a separate Square Enix account, linking them together and purchasing a small security token. The token generates a random number that's used as a one-time password.
The user's default PlayOnline e-mail account is also randomized, however, unlike the Player ID, it can be customized through use of the PlayOnline Plus service, which allows users to select one of their Final Fantasy XI characters, and use their name as the account name.
On the Xbox 360 version of the Viewer, the user is required to link their PlayOnline account with an Xbox Live Gamertag. Once a Gamertag is linked, it cannot be undone, and the same Gamertag cannot be used to link to another PlayOnline Account.
PlayOnline is accessed through a program called the PlayOnline Viewer. This program is used to access online games, extra features (such as access to Viewer downloads like wallpapers and e-mail greeting cards), news and information about PlayOnline and Final Fantasy XI, chatrooms, e-mail, and a personal Friend List to keep track of people met on the service. PlayOnline service is free, but games under the service branch require paid subscriptions. PlayOnline does not have any Internet browsing software.
Previously, users were able to access special features, such as access to Square Enix Mobile downloads for Verizon Wireless and AT&T customers, and other paid subscription services under the PlayOnline Plus service, such as a unique e-mail address based on the names of characters in PlayOnline services.
Currently, PlayOnline can be accessed through the PC, PS2 (Japan and North America), or Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI (in all regions). On March 22, 2007, PlayOnline became available for download from the website. However, this version is meant to fix compatibility with Windows Vista although it may also work with Windows XP and below. This version of the Viewer only comes with Tetra Master, Final Fantasy XI must still be purchased separately.[2]
In an official Press Release from Square Enix, PlayOnline will not be used for the upcoming game Final Fantasy XIV.[3] Square Enix has stated that the reasoning behind this is because "...PlayOnline has offered less content over the years, the need for the next online Final Fantasy to us PO is moot."[4] The PlayOnline Service is not being maintained much by Square Enix, this is most evident in the lack of updates for the Viewer, for example, the History subpage only shows events until 2006, and even then, very few events.
On Friday, December 31, 2010, Square Enix ended the Tetra Master, and PlayOnline Plus features, leaving PlayOnline as a launcher for Final Fantasy XI. PlayOnline still works as it did prior to the discontinuation of those services, however, the menu options for Tetra Master and PlayOnline Plus were removed, and the "Games" menu on the main menu was changed to be a direct link to Final Fantasy XI. The only PlayOnline Plus service remaining is Friend List Plus, which allows users to access their Friend List using a web browser. Oddly, even though the options were removed, the associated files are still stored on the hard drive, and have yet to be removed via a version update.
Square Enix has recently announced that all billing functions will move from the PlayOnline Viewer to Square Enix accounts. The transfer process has begun as of Wednesday, July 27, 2011, and all PlayOnline users are required to complete the transfer process by August 31, 2011. Users will still use the PlayOnline Viewer to login to, and play, Final Fantasy XI, however, all billing and support functions will no longer work. The transfer process began with an update to the Viewer.
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