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Square Enix Sued Over Final Fantasy XI

Usually reserved for companies whose pollutants cause fish to grow extra eyeballs and automobile manufacturers whose wheels fall off at speeds greater than 100 miles per hour, Square Enix has become the target of a class action lawsuit. Filed in the Central District of California, the main plaintiff Esther Long charges that Square Enix was deceptive in its advertising for Final Fantasy XI. A potential class of other, unnamed plaintiffs potentially number as high as 100,000 individuals. It seems like just the other day we were talking about the company's newly announced online multiplayer game, Final Fantasy XIV, which is due sometime in 2010. Hopefully this case has no effect on that title's development.

Surprisingly, it seems that many people still play 2005's Final Fantasy XI, and at least one of them isn't happy about it. in the court document, Esther Long complains that Square Enix was not completely upfront about things like hidden fees associated with the game, late payment penalties, and the termination of player accounts that are delinquent on their payment. It could be that these complaints are valid, and that the case has legs; or it could simply be that somebody didn't carefully read the fine print. If your name starts with "Phoenix", or you just really like courtroom drama, you can check out the official court documents here.

Disclaimer: playing a console-based MMORPG set in the Final Fantasy Universe can lead to unwanted side-effects such as decreased physical fitness, loss of friends and attendance at cosplay events. Proceed at your own risk.