Square Enix has just gone and revealed the release date for the publisher’s upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Final Fantasy XIV, announcing that eager PC gamers will be able to get their hands on the title in late September, while PS3 owners will have to wait until March 2011.

In addition, the PC system specifications for Final Fantasy XIV have also been unveiled, with plans of a new PC beta also coming to light.

But first thing’s first: Final Fantasy XIV will launch worldwide on September 30th, while a Collector’s Edition will hit European retailers on September 22nd.

The announced monthly subscription fee for the game will be $12.99/£8.99/€12.99, while additional characters will be available for $3.00/£2.10/€3.00 per month (with up to a maximum of eight characters able to be registered on one account).

An individual account is entitled to one free retainer character (a non-playable character able to hold on to item sales and storage when users log out), while additional retainers will cost $1.00/£0.70/€1.00.

Pricing for the PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV, which has been delayed into March next year, will be announced at a later date.

A new beta test for the PC version of Final Fantasy XIV, meanwhile, will begin in early July, and will be available to those who pre-order the game through select retailers, starting today. Pre-ordering the game will also net you an in-game item called the ‘Garlond Goggles,’ which increases the in-game levelling speed of a character.

Final Fantasy XIV executive producer Hiromichi Tanaka said:

“This September, players around the world will join together to explore the fascinating and exciting realm of Eorzea. We’re presenting players with a new style of online gameplay, that we know will please avid fans of online games, but welcome more casual gamers as well with the variety of gameplay and story-driven content.”

The PC Collector’s Edition of Final Fantasy XIV includes the following items:

• Adventurers Branded Tumbler: Carry a small piece of Eorzea around with you with this branded tumbler
• Behind-the-Scenes DVD: Get an insider look at the making of FFXIV with exclusive video content, interviews and more in this special documentary DVD
• Early access: Play a few days prior to the release of the PC Standard Edition
• Free Gameplay: 30-day free gameplay
• Game Disc
• Game Manual
• Guest Pass: Invite a friend to play free for a limited time
• Map of Eorzea: A detailed map showing the key areas of Eorzea, essential for the committed traveller
• Security Token: A FFXIV branded Security Token used in addition to your regular password
• Travel Journal: Record your travels in this journal filled with pages of never-before-seen concept art

The recommended system specifications for Final Fantasy XIV are as follows:

Operating System:

• Windows XP SP3
• Windows Vista 32-bit / 64-bit SP2
• Windows 7 32-bit / 64-bit

CPU

• Intel Core2 Duo (2.0GHz)
• AMD Athlon X2 (2.0GHz)

RAM

• Windows XP: 1.5GB or higher
• Windows Vista / Windows 7: 2GB or higher

HDD/SSD Space

• Installation: 15GB or more
• Download: Space on the hard drive where ‘My Documents’ is located should be 6GB or more

Graphics Card

• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600 series or higher
• 512MB ATI Radeon HD 2900 series or higher

Sound Card

• DirectSound compatible sound card (DirectX 9.0c or higher)

Internet Connection

• Broadband Internet connection or higher

Screen Resolution

• 1280 x 720 or higher; 32-bit or higher

DirectX

• DirectX 9.0c

Others

• Mouse, Keyboard, Gamepad

Source: MCV UK and VG247

Tags: beta, collectorsedition, dated, delayed, finalfantasyXIV, finalfantasyxivonline, squareenix