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Final Fantasy XIII finally operating on PS3 hardware
It was bound to happen eventually. Final Fantasy XIII has been confirmed to have entered the land of PS3 hardware. Yep, the White Engine is up and running on the PS3, so those graphics we've drooled over are apparently going to be exactly what we see in the final build. No surprises -- this is Square Enix, after all. What isn't clear is how recently this change took place. Was it on PS3 hardware at TGS? Was it on PS3 hardware at E3? Either way you paint it, the canvas is still mostly empty; if FFXIII is just not getting onto the PS3 hardware, we'll probably not see it in 2008. Not very surprising, since FFXII took nearly five years to develop, granted there were a lot of hardships felt by many of the people involved in the game during development. Also revealed is that the December issue of EGM is going to feature FFXIII as one of its headlining previews, so if you're itching for info on the game, run out and snag that issue when it comes out. We'll be on top of it as well!
TGS07: Final Fantasy XIII trailer impressions
After adamantly insisting that you do not videotape or record the screening in any way or else, the Square Enix private theater showcased numerous titles from the ever-expanding Final Fantasy universe. The first trailer on display was the lead game in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, Final Fantasy XIII. In English, a narrator explains a corruption that seems to plaguing the land. "Those tainted by the outside were exiled," he explains.Earlier trailers highlighted Lightning, but the trailer at TGS showed off a number of new characters, environments and creatures. A gunman that seems to have specific mastery over water shoots a crystal, creating a massive water summon. Paths of ice form in the sky, as he rides along on a motorcycle. Certainly, a spectacle to behold. Then a massive African-inspired scene provides a stark contrast to the futuristic environments we've seen of the game so far. Fantastic Mammoth-like beasts walk across a river in a scene that could've been ripped out of a Afrika gone slightly astray. Debuting in this new trailer was a brand new female character that stands, staring at a frozen planet orbiting in the sky. The trailer ends with a proud proclamation "PS3 Only," to silence any doubters.Once again, we were stunned by the visuals of the trailer, which went beyond the quality of most Hollywood productions. The new dry landscape showcased provides reassurance that the game will not remain stagnant in its visual look. However, in spite of the incredible excitement generated by the trailer, we were surprised that a different game in the Square Enix theater stole the show.
No FFXIII/Versus demos until 2008, new videos soon
If you were itching to get your fantasy/sci-fi RPG on this year, you may have to find a source other than Final Fantasy XIII. A long time ago, we had gotten wind that the main XIII game would have a playable demo for us sometime in the third quarter of this year. It's around that time and we've heard nothing ... until now. Famitsu magazine interviewed Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto who said there would not be a demo for XIII or Versus XIII until 2008.Whether or not Square Enix was being facetious when they announced their games were only 13% and 1.3% complete, it's true they've admitted the games are currently a mess, so we're fine without a demo. Whatever it takes to put the game together properly, you know? In any case, Square Enix have announced that new videos of both games will be shown in a matter of months (we assume Tokyo Game Show). You can count on us to bring them here as soon as they're made available.[Thanks, Justin!]
Final Fantasy Versus XIII less than 2% complete
Hope you're holding your breath for the upcoming PS3 Final Fantasy games. The status of Final Fantasy XIII and its Versus variant were revealed today, and get ready for a shocker: Versus XIII stands as only 1.3% completed. When will this game come out? 2012?Thankfully, Final Fantasy XIII is faring a little bit better, but not to our satisfaction. The hotly anticipated RPG is only 13% complete, a tenfold improvement over its Versus brethren.Considering how slowly these projects are moving, we're unlikely to see anything playable at Tokyo Game Show later this year. Well, we can hope for a new trailer at the very least, no?[Image source: Famitsu]
Square Enix still thinks PS3 price is high
We don't think $500 is cheap, either. But if you look at it from the angle of "price reduced $100," then it seems marginally more significant. We were thrilled about the PS3 price cut, but some of Sony's biggest devs are speaking out against it. Not so much against it, but they think it's not enough to make a difference. First was Konami, now we're getting a wag of the finger from Square Enix's European and North American subsidiaries president, John Yamamoto.Yamamoto said "I think USD 500 for PS3 is still a bit expensive for most gamers. Most of them think that price is still high." In addition to that, he demanded a price cut for Europe as well. While we'd be all about that, the PS3 has only been launched there recently. Oh well, it might happen. Does this mean Final Fantasy XIII will go multiplatform? We doubt it. Don't you?
Square Enix: No PS3 games (Final Fantasy XIII) until after April 2008
According to German gaming site Gamefront, the Japanese publication Nihon Keizai Shimbun is reporting that Square Enix will not release any games for the PlayStation 3 until the start of the new fiscal year, April 1, 2008. In other words, keep waiting for Final Fantasy XIII. This is backed-up by an earlier statement from the company's president Yoichi Wada that FFXIII would not be released this fiscal year. Assuming the game hits Japan shortly thereafter, factor in translation, localization, and the hiring of bad voice actors, and we could be facing a North American and European launch in 2009 ... or later (cue spooky noises).
Square squashes FFXIII 360 rumors
One of the most persistent Xbox 360 rumors (right up there with Metal Gear Solid 4) has been officially debunked at the highest level. Of course, we're talking about Final Fantasy XIII. But, how high is the highest level? How about a Square Enix executive? Specifically, IGN reports Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto stated that the company has no current plans to make any more Final Fantasy titles on the Xbox 360. When asked about Final Fantasy landing on Wii or 360, Hashimoto stated, "For the Wii, we have FF Crystal Chronicles in production ... As for FF on the Xbox 360, it's currently a completely blank page."Being Xbox 360 fanboys, this is where we are contractually obligated to note that Hashimoto's statements don't necessarily rule out future games in the series or even a delayed port of Final Fantasy XIII itself. Hair splitting aside, it looks like any hope of the next installment of Final Fantasy landing on the Xbox 360 has been crushed.[Via Joystiq]
No Final Fantasy for Xbox 360 in the works [update]
Feel like you're not getting enough androgyny and sexual ambiguity from your Xbox 360 games? We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but Square Enix isn't going to instantly fill that void with a Final Fantasy game for the Xbox anytime soon. According to IGN, Square Enix has nothing in the works for the Xbox 360 ... period ... exclamation mark. Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto says that while they've got Crystal Chronicles slated for the Wii, the Xbox 360 is a "completely blank page."That pretty much nails the coffin shut on Final Fantasy XIII making its way to the Xbox 360 before the PS3 gets its act together with a price drop and some other solid titles. Sorry Xbox 360 fanboys, you can still keep hope alive with that other fence-sitting espionage title that companies swear is a PS3 exclusive, even though the rumors just won't die. As for Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Move it along.[Update: Square Enix now says it's still open to the possibility somewhere down the line. Maybe.]
Square confirms FFXIII isn't going to the 360 (nor is any other FF game)
Square Enix is just laying down the smack this week. After confirming yersterday that FFVII isn't being made, they've come out and stated that they are not working on a single Final Fantasy game for the Xbox 360. In an interview with the Japanese Business website Nikkei BP, Square Enix executive Hashimito dropped the bomb. When the site asked if the Wii or The Xbox 360 are going to get any Final Fantasy games, Hashimito responded, "For the Wii, we have FF Crystal Chronicles in production. As for FF on the Xbox 360, it's currently a completely blank page."Ouch -- well that pretty much debunks the ongoing 'Final Fantasy XIII OMGZ Xbox 360' rumors right there. While it seems unlikely that the Xbox 360 will never get another FF game, it appears that for the foreseeable future the PlayStation 3 will be getting all the big name Final Fantasy love. This is fantastic news for Sony and the PlayStation 3, since not only is there a 'slight' dearth of big name third-party exclusives, but also both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X both helped skyrocket the sales of the PlayStation systems that they were on. And it seems very likely that the same thing will happen with PlayStation 3 sales once FFXIII is released. Mmm ... the idea that FFXIII is being built exclusively around the PS3 and Blu-ray is pretty exciting. That just makes the wait until next year that much harder though!
No FFXIII until after March 2008, says Yoichi Wada
With so many games coming out later on this year (ostensibly), a lot of PS3 fans have almost forgotten about the two biggest titles in the wings: Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII. Their exclusivity used to be put in question almost daily, continually put down, then revived as a rumor again for no apparent reason. Ever since a ton of hard-hitting titles started appearing, those rumors have died down because it seems the PS3 has more going for it than these two games and everyone is starting to realize that. So, what's up with those two titles, anyway?It appears that neither are going to release before the end of this fiscal year (March 31, 2008). GameStop's website recently moved MGS4 from a 2007 release to a March 2008 release, but chances are it'll come out in April or May. Just because ... it'd be a good start to the next fiscal year, you know? FFXIII hasn't been moved on their site, but Square Enix president Yoichi Wada made a statement regarding the game at a financial briefing in Tokyo: "It will still take a bit more time. At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question." IGN claims a May 2008 release at the earliest. We second that. When do you guys expect the game to get the ol' release?
No Final Fantasy XIII this fiscal year, not before April 2008
Following a financial briefing in Tokyo today, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada gave clear indication of when to expect Final Fantasy XIII -- er, rather, of when not to expect the fair-haired rpg. "[The game] will still take a bit more time. At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question," said Wada. Square Enix's fiscal year ends March 31, 2008.Wada's forecast comes just a day after Konami indicated that Metal Gear Solid 4 would squeeze into stores before the end of the fiscal year.
New PSP game, Final Fantasy Dissidia, announced
So, we don't know about you, but we love the early stages in a game's life cycle. Take the newly-launched official site for Final Fantasy Dissidia, for example. Thanks to some digging by PSP Fanboy, we know it's a PSP game. Past that, the official site is all mystery. All we get is a logo (seen above) and the phrase "Fantasy is endless, Fantasy has no limited form." Oh, and we learn that the character design is being done by Tetsuya Nomura. Other than that, we're clueless. See, isn't this exhilarating? What could the game be? Is it part of the Final Fantasy XIII decade? Is it a sequel to Dirge of Cerberus? (God, we hope not.) A sequel to Mystic Quest? (Umm, no.) Sure, we'll learn more during the Square Enix party in a few days, but we're kind of enjoying the mystery at the moment.
Final Fantasy XIII series 'not exclusive to PS3 and mobile,' 360 ports still nonexistent
Square Enix director Motomu Toriyama hasn't told PSM Australia anything other than what we've already known: Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII is a collective of projects that has never been declared exclusive to one platform. Yet, when Toriyama suggests that Fabula Nova Crystallis "isn't just limited to three titles" and that "it's not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones," so many of us are willing to take a leap of faith, heralding these words as a death knell for Sony, and as a confirmation of FFXIII on Xbox 360. Before you join the feverish mob, remember to draw a distinction between the primary game, currently exclusive to PlayStation 3, and the general series, already totaling three titles (Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and Final Fantasy Agito XIII) and at least one loose logo, Haeresis ("Dissidia" is also possibly linked to FFXIII).Toriyama has merely reaffirmed that, like Final Fantasy VII, the FFXIII brand will be spun into an array of disparate shards, conveniently linked by a popular title. We may yet see a spin-off on 360 -- or even a port of the PS3 games -- but don't jump to that conclusion based on the PSM interview. Yes, we've still got Haeresis (and possibly Dissidia) without a home, but either DS or PSP, or dare we say Blu-ray, DVD, and UMD, are just as valid destinations as Xbox 360 -- don't count out PlayStation 2 or Wii either. Given all the fuss that Final Fantasy rouses, Square Enix would do best to deliver on all of 'em.The moral is: Final Fantasy XIII -- the game -- is still exclusive to PlayStation 3.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Final Fantasy XIII heading to Xbox 360?
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Sony_says_Final_Fantasy_XIII_could_hit_360'; The PS3 exclusivity rumor train is unstoppable these days. Just days ago it was revealed that both Devil May Cry 4 and Ace Combat 6 were going multiplatform, and now we hear, courtesy of GameSpot, that the one of the biggest exclusives of all may be spreading the console love as well. Yes, it appears that Final Fantasy XIII -- you know, "that RPG" -- could be jumping the fence in search of greener pastures. In an interview with Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, Georges Fornay, president of Sony Computer Entertainment France, hinted at the possibility. Fornay noted that development costs for games have skyrocketed, making it difficult for 3rd party developers to produce exclusive titles. Said Fornay, "As far as Final Fantasy XIII goes, I can tell you that the exclusivity is in discussion." Square-Enix has yet to comment on Fornay's statement.Final Fantasy creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, recently added fuel to this rumor, stating that the FFXIII's White Engine is capable of multiplatform development, and that he believed making FFXIII a multiplatform game would be a "wise" decision. Is the Xbox 360 about to pick up another of the PS3's heavy hitters? Only time will tell. If Final Fantasy XIII were to come out on Xbox, would it sway your decision to get a PS3?
Final Fantasy XIII exclusivity in discussion, says Sony France
SCEE France president Georges Fornay didn't choose his words carefully. Just days after Devil May Cry and Ace Combat, two long-time Sony exclusives, were announced for Xbox 360, on the eve of PlayStation 3's "official" European launch, Fornay told French newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, "Enfin, pour Final Fantasy XIII, je peux vous dire que l'exclusivité est en discussion." That's something like: As far as Final Fantasy XIII goes, I can tell you that the exclusivity is in discussion. Well Georges, it looks like you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight.But the repercussions of Fornay's vague remark go beyond losing pillow-talk privileges with Mr. Kutaragi. His words have ignited a polarized frenzy of paranoia and glee -- despite the obvious ambiguity of "l'exclusivité est en discussion." What does Fornay mean?
Final Fantasy XIII demo expected at E3
According to statements made in Japanese publication Dengeki, Square Enix is planning to feature a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII at E3 this year. It's also possible, due to E3's downsizing (and more private nature), that Square Enix will reserve the demo for a public platform like Tokyo Games Show. Simultaneously distributing the demo via PlayStation Store would likely generate the most buzz (and could potentially sell some PlayStation 3 units), but Square Enix has made no commitment to do so. However it's delivered, the demo gives us little insight into when the actual game will be complete. Tentative release schedules indicate a 2007 release.[Thanks, Xenokai]
EGM sits down with FFXIII developers
It's a fantasy of the final kind that just keeps on chuggin'. Shane Bettenhausen of EGM fame got to talk it up with Shinji Hashimoto, Yoshinori Kitase, Tetsuya Nomura and Toriyama about Square Enix and their Final Fantasy XIII project.While the interview will be appearing in this month's magazine, the whole unabridged version can be seen on 1UP. Mr. Kitase starts it up by conceding that they had originally thought about doing FFXIII on PS2 before deciding that both it and FFVersusXIII would ship on PlayStation 3. On the subject of narrative crossovers, Nomura says that each world is separate and will not allow for other characters meet each other.Of course he follows that up stating that there is the "possibility in the future" of that happening, but obviously they haven't gotten to that bridge yet. Check out the full interview to see what else they had to say (motion-sensing anyone?).
3 Final Fantasy XIII games; 2 just for PS3
Final Fantasy XII won't be out for the PS2 in the States until October, but we now have a glimpse of Final Fantasy XIII thanks to Square Enix's pre-E3 press event -- and this installment in the series won't be coming alone.Like the different titles in the Compilation of FFVII collection of games and movies, the initially announced installments in the FFXIII universe will span multiple platforms which, in this case, include both the PS3 and sufficiently advanced mobile handsets. Not much is known about the mobile-bound Final Fantasy Agito XIII, but the subtitle-less version of FFXIII will concern a gun-and-sword-toting heroine in a futuristic world, while Final Fantasy Versus XIII will focus on "a spiky-haired character," "extreme action elements," and a primary theme of "bonding" (whatever that means). Anybody ready to "resist the world"?The multiple titles might explain the earlier rumor reported in March that FFXIII was "practically close to being finished" (maybe only one of these games was nearing completion). Whatever the case may be, we're just happy that more than one not-so-Final-Fantasy will be hitting the next PlayStation in relatively rapid succession. RPG feasting: on the way.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Final Fantasy XIII PS3 exclusive at E3
According to 1UP, the May issue of EGM contains a rumor that Final Fantasy XIII will be showing up at next month's E3 for "a brief teaser video and confirmation from [Square Enix] that the RPG will be a PS3 exclusive." RPG fans, rejoice!What's a little shocking is that FFXIII would be unveiled before FFXII is even released outside Japan, but "rumblings" have apparently also been picked up that "Final Fantasy XIII is practically close to being finished" already. With all the delays to XII, it's certainly more than possible that a second team working on XIII's already got something to show by now.It wasn't exactly surprising that FFXIII would show up as a PS3 exclusive--despite certain misquotes to the contrary--but you know that a new Final Fantasy is just what the next PlayStation needs (judging by how previews of FFX elevated the PS2's platform profile). Hopefully this little tidbit isn't EGM's way of stretching its April Fools' coverage to another issue (and another month).[Thanks, Spatlase Disexia]
