FFXIII
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Final Fantasy XIII coming to Xbox 360 in Taiwan
North America? Check. Europe? Check. Japan? We'll come back to that one. Microsoft can now add Taiwan to its list of territories to have Final Fantasy XIII grace the Xbox 360. At a game exhibition in Taipei (via GNN Gamer), Microsoft executive Grace Chou announced the Chinese territory would be getting the Xbox 360 version, although she said it was currently undecided which localized variant (i.e. Japanese voices, English voices or both) would be used. Also unclear is what other Asian countries, if any, would get the Xbox 360 version.Our fingers are crossed that this news matters at all before the Mayan-predicted "spiritual transformation" (read: potential apocalypse) of 2012. Seriously, this game isn't coming for a long time. [Via Kotaku]
360's North American success helped Square go 'platform neutral' with FFXIII
When pondering the idea of bringing Final Fantasy XIII to the Xbox 360, Square Enix based their decision to go "platform neutral" on the success each console had in reaching different demographics in different territories. Square president Yoichi Wada told GamesIndustry.biz that "we always consider the territory and hardware for titles, and I just want to make sure that we're neutral about dealing with companies," admitting that "in Japan we know that the Xbox 360 isn't really that strong yet." But Wada continues saying that "in North America Microsoft is doing very well with its hardware, and for that reason it's a very important partner for us," mentioning "we're now in the age of the multi-platform, but depending on age and territory, users have different tastes."Different tastes, different consoles and different opinions. Square Enix is just sharing the love and stuffing their pockets full of cash and coin.
Neil Goldman wants you to sign a Final Fantasy XIII petition
A Neil Goldman-lookalike and soundalike has posted a video on Youtube expressing his ... dissatisfaction with yesterday's announcement that Final Fantasy XIII will be go multiplatform. This "expert" in Japanese culture offers to the "gaming community" the consequences of Square-Enix's actions. He encourages us all to sign an online petition requesting an apology from Square-Enix and changing FFXIII back to a PS3 exclusive. Watch especially for the toast he offers at 1:38! Some real comedy gold here.[Yes, we are aware this is Kevin Bowen of Something Awful. It doesn't make it any less hilarious. Apparently the people at PetitionOnline.com caught on as well, as the petition has been taken down.]
Final Fantasy XIII petition video is an instant comedy classic
[Update: Apparently this is a video of Kevin Bowen of Something Awful fame (infame?), making us 99.999% sure that it's a joke. Thanks, commenters.]We can't really decide whether or not the ridiculously over-the-top mad genius in this Final Fantasy XIII petition video (some slightly NSFW language) is for real or not. On the one hand, the know-it-all, spittle-flecked delivery and lines like "I personally do not admire this game any more," seem like a satire of every fanboy stereotype in the book. On the other hand, the final few minutes of the video are delivered with such passion ("I don't think you realize how emotionally invested some of your fans are!") that it feels almost real. Regardless of its veracity, the video is an instant comedy classic, intentionally or not. If there's any justice in the world, references to"public sue-de-ku" and "Final Fantasy [making] its final sale" will live on as inside jokes in the gaming community for years to come.
Final Fantasy XIII still not playable at upcoming Square Enix party
What would you do to get into the upcoming Square Enix party? Well, don't get your bloodthirst too ready, as the hotly anticipated games, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII (pictured), won't be making a playable appearance at the invite-only event. Once again, only video trailers will be shown. And, in typical Square Enix fashion, we're assuming no recording devices of any sort will be allowed near these screens. Bah!Ever since its debut, people have been clamoring for a playable test drive of the upcoming RPG. 2008 is the promised time for playable demos. Perhaps E3 or TGS?[Via Kotaku]
April Fools' Alert #15: A potpourri of nonsense
As we bid adieu to this All Fools' Day, it's time to take a broom to the leftover balderdash and sweep it out of the house so we can start fresh and clean tomorrow. Straightgamer.net -- OH NO! The boys over at GayGamer.net went to "therapy" and are now devout heterosexuals. Now all they can talk about is boobs, beer and babes. That's so not fierce! Lego Halo -- 1Up reposted EGM's April issue gag for the internets. Wii Want More -- A Wii downloadable content service?! ROFLCOPTERBBQ Brain Age Mobile for iPhone -- The Wiicast does a very subtle trick that any other day of the year might be believable. Reggie talks Earthbound -- Starmen.net spliced together some clips and gets Monsieur Fils-Aime talking frankly about Nintendo's thoughts on Earthbound in America. N64 games ported to DS -- Vooks.net got the scoop on some N64 titles being "retooled & refreshed" for the handheld. Final Fantasy XIII demo and Final Fantasy VII remake -- PSXExtreme didn't even try to be witty, they just went for some painful lies.
Rumor: New FFXIII and Versus footage at PS Premiere
We're counting this as a rumor simply because new Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII footage is a pretty big leap of faith for us to take. Insert your "only the penitent man shall pass" Indy quotes here. Anyway, the new footage is going to be unveiled at the PS Premiere event ... that's all we know. That's not entirely true -- we have the rumored contents of the footage. Bulleted list, here we go: There will be a 3-4 minute video showing a three person party fighting on some plains. The battle camera will give you motion sickness, according to the original poster. The final design of Final Fantasy Versus XIII's antagonist will be revealed. Apparently he has long gold or white hair -- not stereotypical at all. While it may not sound like much, enthusiasts will drool if the video is released to the public. It's unknown whether or not the video will be behind closed doors or not. If it is, then the video might as well not exist since nobody will see it.[Via PS3Forums]
Square Enix aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases
Here's a slice of news pie that we wouldn't mind gulping down with a tall glass of awesome. Everyone in the RPG business knows the rule: Japan gets the game about six months before any other area. Right? Maybe that won't be the case anymore. Square Enix's Yoichi Wada went on record recently, stating that they plan to start "making simultaneous releases the norm."Does this include PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy XIII, or the multi-plat Last Remnant? It might. Due to the overwhelming strength of the gaming market outside of Japan, we're seeing a shift in game release ideology. Either this means the US and Europe will get the aforementioned games earlier than expected, or Japan will get them later than anticipated. Who knows -- maybe Square Enix really will start opening up development offices outside of Japan.
GDC08: Final Fantasy, beautiful men, and fighting the uncanny valley
Note: We'd like to show you images from the session, but as is typical of Square Enix events, no photography of any sort was allowed.Isamu Kamikokuryo discussed the process of making art for Final Fantasy in a crowded Q&A panel at this year's Game Developer's Conference. At first, Kamikokuryo reminisced about how he got his job at Square Enix. It wasn't particularly romantic: he followed a simple call for applicants, and submitted a resume with a photograph of one of his oil paintings. He got a call back, and got a job that many fanboys would kill for.Eventually, the discussion moved on to the high quality graphics that Square Enix has been able to produce in its pre-rendered movies. Asked how the team copes with "the uncanny valley problem," Kamikokuryo noted that it's something everyone on the team is constantly thinking about. "In terms of the uncanny valley, that is something we have to fight against. We can't go there -- that's basically how we feel about it. For all the things we create, many of the section creators get together and we make adjustments so this uncanny valley phenomenon doesn't happen. We don't usually use that phrase, because all the staff has this in mind while we do our work."
New info on latest Square Enix MMO at GDC?
It's been a long time since we've heard anything about this seemingly secretive new MMO from Square Enix; however, some promising info on this illusive title has recently popped up. It's been revealed on the Game Developers Conference website that Square Enix has four representatives speaking at the event -- one of which is Taku Murata, general manager of R&D, who will be discussing the technology that goes behind making Square Enix's current-gen games (specifically the White Engine). The news nugget about the MMO can be found rather subtly on Murata's personal page where it states he'll be talking about the White Engine used in Final Fantasy XIII, the new MMO in development, and other future titles. Of course, this only confirms that the MMO has not disappeared into vaporware, and still leaves a lot of room for speculation. Will we be seeing some new game footage or will new info on the game itself be divulged? We guess we'll just have to wait until GDC rolls in to find out. [Via Forever Fantasy]
Nomura dishes some XIII and Versus XIII info in Famitsu
From the pages of Famitsu, translated kindly by the folk over at the PS3 Forums, we've gained a little bit of insight regarding the character design process for the female lead of XIII, Lightning, and some information regarding the mysterious prince of Versus XIII courtesy of Tetsuya Nomura.As far as Lightning goes, Nomura describes her as having muscular (read: sexy) legs, "isn't sweet", very strict to herself and others, and despises those who whine. She's a lot like a military soldier. He says the scenario writer for FFXIII, Motomu Toriyama, wanted Lightning to be even more muscular and macho, but Nomura thought people wouldn't be fond of her as a main character if she was built that way. She's a little less feminine than Aya Brea from Parasite Eve, apparently.The hero's clothes from Versus XIII will probably be revised from what we've seen so far. He's not like Cloud or Squall -- Nomura admits that when people hear him speak, a lot of people may not like him. Who knows, maybe he's really whiny. Like Tidus on whiny-steroids. His name will be related to weather as well, but Nomura is bored of this tradition so perhaps it will change, or be a surname of some kind. The next time he talks about Versus XIII information, Nomura says, he will reveal the character's name. It's probably something lame like Snow. What do you guys think?
Square Enix: Final Fantasy XIII release date rumors 'erroneous'
Boy, this is awkward ... After "certain videogame websites" reported last week that Final Fantasy XIII had been promised for 2008, Square Enix has issued this sobering statement: "Any reports of a confirmed release date are erroneous and should be disregarded. Square Enix will make an official announcement in the future concerning the release date when it has been determined."While we had corrected and reclassified our post as a mistranslation before the release of this statement, we felt it important to highlight Square Enix's official response to the misinformation, despite again acknowledging our error. Is an "our bad" enough of an apology? If not, feel free to take a few shots at us in the comments section. (Hint: This is the one time you won't be banned for it!)
Rumor: FFXIII director predicts demo in 2008 [update]
We know that Final Fantasy games, much like fine wine and Radiohead albums, take some time to come together nicely -- still, it's hard for us to believe that Final Fantasy XIII (in all its shapes and forms) will be dropping any time soon. We've had our hearts broken so many times by delays for hotly anticipated titles that we've sadly come to expect them.Fear not, for the long wait for the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection will be over soon enough. According to FinalFantasyVersusXIII.net's translation (there appear to be conflicting versions), game director Motomu Toriyama teases that a playable demo for FFXIII would be arriving in 2008 to show off the game's revamped battle system. So don your steepled hat and cuddle tight your cactuar plushie -- your chance to sit down with the unluckiest chapter in Square Enix's seminal RPG franchise may have just gotten a teensy bit closer.[Update: We originally posted an incorrect interpretation of the original translated comments. The post has been corrected and Joystiq apologizes for the error.][Update 2: Square Enix has released an official response – and we eat more crow.]
Demo promised for Final Fantasy XIII
The theme for Final Fantasy XIII is determination, says a new interview in a recent Famitsu. Looking at the long, painful wait that Square Enix fans are enduring for the release of this hotly anticipated title, we can agree.Nomura has been releasing a few cryptic keys on the upcoming PS3 games, many of which are sure to keep the Square Enix faithful guessing for days. According to FF-XIII.net, "2008 will be the year. There will be tons of news bits, info on characters and summons, and an unexpected connection between the keywords Cocoon and Farushi."Thankfully, a playable demo continues to be teased by the development staff, eager to show how the new battle system plays. When asked about the release date, Nomura can only offer the vague: "I wonder when we'll be able to sleep..." If that is a clue, we're guessing it has something to do with Birth by Sleep. Of course, we could be totally off-base with that one. Check FF-XIII.net for more new scans. [Update: Better scans here.][Thanks, Rob!]
New FFXIII scan finally features new screens [Update]
Square Enix knows how to tease. Finally, a new magazine scan features some brand new images of the upcoming PS3 exclusives, Final Fantasy XIII and Versus. Not much can be gathered from the image other than the obvious: it's pretty. We can see some of the summons, but we want Square Enix to give us some delicious video. Soon, please?[Update: More scans, courtesy of FF-XIII.net.][Via NeoGAF]
Vague FFXIII information reveals use of split screen
A recent report from the British magazine, PlayStation World, dropped a few interesting hints for us to mess around with and speculate and make a sandwich. Sorry in advance -- no new images. We usually try to stay away from spoiling story elements, but in the world of FFXIII we've come to understand that the rebellion against the Cocoon is led by Lightning, the only character we've heard of so far.The other person we've seen, but haven't been introduced to, is the guy with the blond hair who looks like a mix between Seifer and Cloud (seen in the last new trailer). He has unclear motives for us, the player. We're not told if he's on Lightning's side or not for a long time -- so perhaps he's a villain instead of an ally. Who knows?An aspect of the game we haven't heard about previously is a type of "split-screen" that shows different characters in different places at the same time. Speculation is that the split-screen function is for cut-scenes, but we think it'll play a slightly more prevalent role. We have no idea what -- it's just our speculation. What think you, masses?
Mysterious Final Fantasy XIII art surfaces
Is it official concept art or is it very well made fan art? (We're leaning towards the latter.) Images of character designs from the upcoming PS3 Final Fantasy XIII and Versus can be found at Ruliweb. The origins of the art is unclear, but considering the incredible size of the Square Enix fan community, we wouldn't be surprised if this is an overzealous fan that's simply showing off. Kudos to them.[Via Digg]
New trailers of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Versus
A new DVD release in Japan called CLOUD features new extended trailers of the upcoming Square Enix behemoths: Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII Versus. The trailers have been ripped off the disc and uploaded by an anonymous person going by the moniker "Xlude." It appears that these are either very similar to the trailers shown at the Closed Mega Theater at Tokyo Game Show earlier this year. (This means no one outside of Japan has been able to see this before!) [Update: Having reviewed the footage, it's clear that these trailers still don't include everything at TGS. For example, FFXIII featured an Afrika-like scene. Versus included very revealing story details. Read our TGS impressions here and here.]Enjoy the FFXIII trailer above, and check out Versus after the cut. We're already in love with the style that permeates every second of both these trailers. These two are easily going to sell truckloads of PS3s. We can feel it. [Thanks, FF-XIII.net!]
New Final Fantasy XIII trailers at Jump Festa
Square Enix has unveiled its lineup for their annual Jump Festa event and among the sea of trailers and playable games is yet another lovely video of Final Fantasy XIII -- not just the game, but advertised is the entire Fabula Nova Crystallis series. We don't know if this "new" trailer is going to be a remixed version of what was shown behind closed doors at the Tokyo Game Show or not, because this one is also going to be shown behind closed doors. If it's all new footage, that'd be grand, but we just won't know. Hopefully someday Square Enix will allow the general public to see how their titles are progressing, but until then, we'll just keep you up to date on potential videos that may or may not get leaked.
GameInformer reveals a few new FFXIII screens
If you're really starved for anything related to Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, then we might have an appetizer for you today. It's not much at all, but GameInformer has gotten a hold of five screenshots that, for the most part, haven't been seen. Whether or not these are hi-res screencaps of the closed-door videos shown at TGS are anyone's guess, but they seem to detail predominantly summoned creatures, a big ol' airship of ultimate destruction, and that funky Seifer-meets-beanie guy. Whether or not five screenshots tickle your fancy is up to you, but it's good to see a trickle of info about this game every now and then.
