Final Fantasy XI:

First, let's talk about the game, and the monetary buy-in that is required:

• FFXI is sold with a 40GB hard drive attachment, which bumps the price of the game up to $99.
  
• In order to attach the hard drive, a Network Adapter is required, which is $40.
  
• In order to attach Network Adapter to the Network, you will need a Network Cable. Depending on the length of cable required, cost will start at about $5 and go upward. (I had one already)
  
• ISP costs - varies. I pay $45 a month for high speed access.
  
• USB Keyboard (optional): For typing within the game. I bought the small one from Logitech. About $20.
  

After shelling out the money, the real challenge comes when you take your new toys home.

1. Install the HDD and the Network Adapter.
   
   Pretty simple Slot A into Tab B kind of work. If you can plug in a memory card or a controller into the PS2, you shouldn't have any problems with this step.
   
2. Install the drivers for the HDD and the Network Adapter
   
   Drivers? For the PS2? This must be some mistake.
   
3. Configure the Network Adapter.
   
   While configuring the Network Adapter, you need to configure ISP settings. Not easy, nor fun if you don't use a keyboard.
   
4. Install the PlayOnline proprietary software, which comes with FFXI. To further confuse things, this is on the second DVD, not the first.
   
5. Patch the PlayOnline software
   
6. Register for a PlayOnline account.
   In step two of the registration process, it asks for a registration code. The registration code is located in the rear of the FFXI manual (not intuitive). It then asks for the standard info -- name, address, phone number. After that it asks for credit card info, as well as the name and address again. For those that don't have a keyboard, this is a fairly painful process. Keep in mind, I haven't even started up FFXI yet!
   
7. Log onto PlayOnline
   
8. Select Games, and Play.
   
   This didn't work for me, so I ended up having to do a re-install of the game.
   
9. Inside PlayOnline, install Final Fantasy XI. A little timer on the bottom indicates it will take 40 minutes.
   
10. Create and Register Content IDs
    
    
    A content ID is apparently needed for each character. There's also a code for Expansion content that must be registered. Each Content ID created is also apparently charged an additional fee.
    
11. Patch Final Fantasy XI
    
    First it checks the files on the hard drive (1354), then it downloads the files that need to be added/updated (1576). From start to finish, a little over an hour to complete this step.
    
12. Create your characters and log in.
    

After all this, then you can play the game. Total time from opening the box to playing the game: over four hours. This is somewhat unacceptable.

Now granted, maybe it would have worked faster if I had already had the network adapter beforehand, but I think I saved myself a lot of time by having a network already in place that I could just connect up to.

Having high speed internet also speeds up the patching process considerably.

I'm a fairly technical person, but the process of this game was every bit as frustrating as a MMOG on a PC, perhaps more so, due to the limited input through the devices of the PS2 (even though it can take on a keyboard, much of the PS2 interface outside of the game is still designed for controller-typing).