Square Enix is relying almost completely on the power of online marketing to shift copies of its latest Final Fantasy MMORPG.

Final Fantasy XI Online: Wings Of The Goddess is the fourth expansion pack in the series, following on from Rise of Zilart, Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht, and was released on Xbox 360 and PC this week.

The marketing for the game kicked off this month with a trailer on Xbox Live Marketplace and a promotional editorial tie-in with the popular Xbox.com site. This was augmented with a direct marketing programme to a 500,000-strong consumer base, and extensive interactive online programmes on specialised sites that support MMORPG games across PAL regions. A Q&A with the developers of the game was also syndicated online.

“Our marketing communications strategy for FFXI WOTG is being driven by our intensity of online and direct communication to the consumer base,” explained Square’s VP of European marketing Larry Sparks.

“We have engaged in a multi-layered programme that will talk to the consumer in a way that they understand the values of the engaging consumer offering in this next chapter of FFXI Online.”

Wings Of The Goddess is set 20 years before the events of Final Fantasy XI. Players explore familiar areas in the earlier time zone and meet previous versions of existing enemies, expanding the history and plot of the game.