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Even before our shores are graced with the arrival of Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix looks all geared up to start public beta testing for the next installment. Final Fantasy XIV will be a MMORPG and according to a FAQ on the website, the game is scheduled to release sometime next year.
The public beta test is currently open only for the PC version of the game; however the site did confirm that beta testing for the PS3 version will commence at a later date. Square Enix has set certain criterion for beta test applicants—you need to be over 18 and capable of writing (bug reports) in Japanese, English, French or German. Additionally, you will also need to have an internet connection that is capable of downloading oodles of data, and you need to sign-up for a Square Enix ID if you do not have one already. Another bit of good news is that unlike qualifiers for most other public beta testing, Sqaure Enix does not require applicants to have any prior experience with testing or even playing a MMOG. Also, this testing phase does not appear to be region restricted as they seem to be taking applications from all corners of the world. There is a caveat here though—qualifying in all the criterions mentioned here does not translate into being accepted for beta testing. It appears that Sqaure Enix will be short-listing beta testers from the list of applicants, in multiple stages using undisclosed methods.
You can apply for the beta testing by heading to the beta application page on the official Final Fantasy XIV website ; and you can get yourself a Square Enix account ID by landing on this page .