Happy Holidays, adventurers! 2011 is wrapping up quite nicely, with a lot of things to be excited about. First, if you haven't heard about this cool bit of news yet, PlayStation's Kevin Butler recently honored Okeneko and Siloeyes–two newlywed players who found a romance for the ages in Vana'diel–with a touching video toast! If any of you have similar stories of being hit by Cupid's Sidewinder, post them on the forums as we would love to hear more heartwarming tales of Vana'dielian lovers.

Now, on to the goodies that have been implemented! I don't know how many times you all watched the new weapon skill video when it debuted, but I, for one, couldn't take my eyes off the sheer epicness of it all. These weapon skills showcase some truly spectacular animations, with unique moves for each race providing some serious flair (somersaulting Mithras anyone?). While it's possible to unlock all of them via merits, if you plan on fully upgrading them to their maximum levels, you'll need to be a bit selective. Which weapon skills will prove to be your favorites? Those with numerous jobs face some potentially tough choices, but fortunately there's always room to go back and explore other options later.

As for the user interface, the development team started with minor tweaks at first, such as improving font and icon resolution, but now they've moved on to long-awaited chat widget and macro palette revamps. In his latest post on the forums, Producer Hiromichi Tanaka also mentioned that they were moving forward with discussions about a total UI revamp, which is something all fans (including myself!) can get behind.

There's a lot in store for 2012, a year that will mark the FINAL FANTASY series' twenty-fifth anniversary as well as the tenth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY XI. Stay tuned for more details on all the new game content and exciting features we have planned, all of which promise to make 2012 a year to remember! Enjoy the holiday season, and we will see you in Vana'diel!