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An appreciation of 2017's in-game shopkeepers
In-game shops are more than handy outlets to transform random metal scraps and tired old gear into new and useful items. Shops offer a reprieve from the action of whichever digital world you've entered, allowing you to take a moment, breathe and consider the situation from afar. Do you want to play as a gun-toting tank or a sneaky spy? Is your bow powerful enough for the battles ahead? Do you have enough health potions? Does your character look better in green or purple? Only the shop can provide the answers. Overseeing all of these calculations -- and guarding stores' impossibly large piles of loot -- are the shopkeepers. The past year has been incredible for video games, as we've discussed at length, and this infusion of creativity extends to the stingy store servants selling wares and wiles along our adventures. From Cuphead to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 2017 has offered up a buffet of adorable, wacky and nostalgia-ridden shopkeepers for us to enjoy -- so we might as well get to it.
Square Enix service lets you rent Final Fantasy games on your phone
Want to give Final Fantasy a try on your phone without paying a high price or buying specific hardware? It's time to book a flight to Tokyo. Square Enix has unveiled Dive In, a currently Japan-only streaming game service that lets you rent titles on your Android and iOS devices. Much like PlayStation Now, you pay depending on both the games in question and how long you want to play. If you plan to rush through Season of Mystery in three days, it'll cost you 150 yen ($1.41); if you're content with finishing Final Fantasy XIII over the course of a year, you'll pay 1,800 yen ($17). You can also play 30 minutes of any game for free if you're not sure that you're ready to commit. Dive In will be ready for Japanese fans on October 9th. There's no word on launches elsewhere, although it wouldn't be surprising to see some international expansion if the service catches on.
UK authority bans Xbox 360 game ad for using PS3 footage (video)
It's a well-known fact that the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII can't hold a candle to the one on PS3, and now the UK has formally banned an ad for allegedly pulling the ol' bait-and-switch on British TV screens. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority sat down with both copies of the game and noticed a variety of graphical discrepancies, notably that "video sequences appeared sharper and colours were more vivid" on PS3 than Xbox 360. That's all well and good, but the commercial itself is reportedly being banned on a technicality -- though game developer Square Enix admits the footage used was from PS3, it claims the UK ad consists entirely of pre-rendered cutscenes that look nigh-identical on either game machine. But don't take their word for it -- judge for yourself after the break.
Best Buy to slash prices for old Xbox 360 special edition bundles tomorrow? (Update: yes)
Let's face it: despite the new Xbox 360 being joyously quieter and more efficient, the previous model still manages to seduce some of us with its sexy curves. Speaking of which -- according to Joystiq's source, Best Buy's going to kick off August by lowering the prices for the Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII previous-gen Xbox 360 bundles. For just $299 -- $50 off the current price point (and $100 off the launch price) -- you still get a copy of the corresponding game title, a 250GB HDD, and two wireless controllers. So that's gaming sorted for the summer; now put that $50 towards some cooling aid and you're good to go. Update: and the new prices are live. Grab them while they're hot.
Xbox 360 retailing in a Final Fantasy XIII bundle for the rest of us
Japan's been Final Fantasy-ing for a while now, but it looks like an import FFXIII PS3 isn't your only shot at pointy-haired excellence. Outside of Japan, Microsoft has the exclusive "official" Final Fantasy XIII bundles, in the form of a $399 Xbox 360 that packs a 250GB HDD, two controllers, a standard edition of the game, and some exclusive avatar downloads. Separately available will be some limited edition faceplates (pictured after the break) created by designer Tetsuya Nomura, but if you want a full console paint job you're still going to have to turn Japanese and fork it over for a PS3 -- or level up on your Bob Ross technique and paint it yourself. The bundle should hit stores March 9th.
Limited edition Final Fantasy XIII PS3 gets unboxed
Sony and Square Enix have sure taken their time building up anticipation for this one, but the new limited edition Final Fantasy XIII PlayStation 3 is now finally available in Japan, and our pals at Joystiq were lucky enough to wrangle one for an unboxing. As you can see, this one definitely takes things further than the rather understated Final Fantasy VII limited edition PS3, with it boasting a stylish matte white finish and a slightly glossier rendition of the character Lightning in pink -- and, of course, a matching white controller. Hit up the link below for the full unboxing.
250GB PS3 Final Fantasy XIII bundle announced, ships December
Sony Japan just announced the very first 250GB PS3 bundle. For ¥41,600 (compared to ¥29,980 yen for the standard Japanese PS3), gamers in Japan will receive a limited edition Final Fantasy XIII rig with 250GB disk and Lightning emblazoned across the the body. The PS3 normally ships with a 120GB hard drive but the 250GB version has been rumored ever since the FCC leak. Available for purchase in Japan on 17 December.
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.]
Extended trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and XIII Versus on Japanese DVD
Remorselessly ripped from the special features of CLOUD, a Japanese DVD named after Final Fantasy VII's spiky-haired protagonist, these extended trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII Versus (waiting just behind the jump) are pretty spectacular. We're willing to look beyond the lack of pointy hats and crystals, as we're aching to play the system's first offering from RPG powerhouse Square Enix.Does it look like 13 will be your unlucky number? Don't worry, the next Final Fantasy franchise is just a decade away.
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!]
Fun with numbers: Final Fantasy Versus XIII is 1.3% complete, FFXIII 13%
Whoever writes the press packages for Sony is either Rainman-good at math or just a big pile of sarcasm. The Tokyo PlayStation Premiere press conference was recently held, and according to Sony's press materials, Final Fantasy XIII is now 13% complete, while Final Fantasy Versus XIII sits at a rather exact 1.3%. Hmm. XIII, 13, 1.3. That's an awful lot of the same number. We get the picture: stop bugging Square-Enix about releasing the games and just sit back and let them work. To help tide us over, two new images have been released, one from each game. They're obviously trailer grabs, but we'll take what we can get for now. Hit the jump for the other image.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
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?
Don't expect any Square Enix games until April 2008
A lot of people have been keeping their fingers crossed for an announcement by Sony and/or Square Enix about Final Fantasy XIII releasing this holiday season. We've said it before, we'll say it again: not happening. It's not just that -- don't expect to see any Square Enix game get a release before April 2008. That means everything, no exceptions, the end.Is this really that hard for people to swallow? Final Fantasy XII hasn't even been out a year and people expect the next one to be coming out already? How long did it take to make XII again? Exactly. Don't expect Versus any sooner and despite what you may have heard, The Last Remnant is not that far in production! Star Ocean IV was barely announced, Kingdom Hearts 3 isn't even past the drawing board, and Parasite Eve 3 (that's right, Nick's gonna say it) is still a secret ... and not the supposed phone game. Basically, it's official that nothing from Square Enix is coming until the next fiscal year, but we're not torn up. We're going to have a packed holiday season.
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]
Final Fantasy XIII interview makes us want it ASAP - as if we didn't before
Fed up of interviews? Then I have some bad news for you because a user over on the NeoGAF forums has put together a collection of quotes from interviews with Square Enix developers from the latest issue of LEVEL magazine. The excerpts include discussion by the interviewees, Motomu Toriyama, Tetsuya Nomura and Hajime Tabata, of Crisis Core, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Whilst generally an exciting collection of quotes from some of the top names at Square Enix it is hard not to be disappointed by Toriyama's statement that the games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will be kept largely separate. We had harboured hopes of cross-game cameos. Imagine two Final Fantasies where the main characters from each game meet up and help each other get through a problem before going on their separate ways again. Sadly this doesn't look likely, though the games will link with each other through a "vague crystal theme," as Nomura puts it. Same as all the previous FF games then?Nomura's thoughts on the tone and style of Final Fantasy Versus is a particularly interesting read. For those of you who suffer from fears that the series will be moving over to other consoles, then let me put them to rest. Both Nomura and Toriyama make it clear that they couldn't do the things they're doing without the power of the PlayStation 3. Make sure you check out all of the quotes over at the NeoGAF forums for more info.
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.
Two sexy screenshots of two Final Fantasy XIII titles
Nope! No traditional Final Fantasy XIII for you today. On this day, we've got two high-res screens that have popped up thanks to Square Enix Party 2007. One is from Versus, the other is from Agito, which we've chosen to feature to the right. The full-size is also available here if you'd like to see it better. Now, if the latter is supposed to be on phones, how the heck does it look this good? Unless "mobile" means... handheld. In which case, we're very excited to get our hands on it. There's not much else to say except we wish we were at this party! Oh, we'd also wish we knew anything about these games. That would probably help.
