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Square Enix lowers six-month financial forecast, cuts expected sales by $100M
It looks like Square Enix characters will have to hold that spiky hair with generic product, as the company lowered its earnings forecast today for the six months (first half of its fiscal year) ending September 30, 2010. The publisher reduced new sales expectations by 10.5 percent to ¥68 billion ($846 million), which is far below the ¥90.6 billion the company took in during the same period last year. Squeenix also lowered its net income expectations for the two quarters to ¥1.7 billion ($21 million), a reduction of just over 29 percent from the original forecast. The company said that the declining figures were due to the "challenging operating environment" in which new games experienced "relatively slow growth." Squeenix's operating income remains high, however, thanks to "profitable carryover sales of major titles released in March of the previous fiscal year" -- i.e., Final Fantasy 13 et al. Square Enix will release its actual second fiscal quarter results in the near future.
Final Fantasy XIII postmortem talks about lack of shared vision on dev team
The latest Game Developer Magazine has a full postmortem of Final Fantasy XIII, featuring Square Enix developers Motomu Toriyama and Akihiko Maeda revealing just what went right and wrong with the thirteenth iteration of the classic series. The main issue with the game, they say, was a lack of "shared vision" among the developers for what the title should be. Some developers wanted to create a game to answer Western concerns about JRPGs, while others wanted it to serve as a showpiece for a crossplatform engine, and still others wanted to simply emulate the feeling of that first trailer back in 2006. In the end, what made the vision concrete was the creation of the demo available with Advent Children -- that demo changed the team's talks "from theoretical discussions based solely on abstract concepts to concrete dialogue," and helped the team realize the kind of work they'd have to do on the title before release. The few clips of the postmortem on Gamasutra don't mention the linear aspects of the game that turned quite a few players off, but the devs say that the more realistic picture of the production brought about by that demo helped them target what to work on by "keeping in mind exactly how the asset would be used in the game." In other words, focusing on one path was supposed to help them make sure that path was worth playing. But of course it's up to players to decide how that worked out.
Square Enix producers have more Final Fantasy 13 stories in mind
Despite the eventual existence of Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, there's apparently still room for more "Fabula Nova Crystallis" games from Square Enix. Maybe. In an interview in the Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega guide, producer Yoshinori Kitase expressed an interest in continuing the Final Fantasy XIII story. "I'd like to at some point make a story where Lightning ends up happy," director Motomu Toriyama said. Whether or not this becomes a game depends on demand from fans. The team also revealed content that was planned as DLC but cut from Final Fantasy XIII: an area called "Seventh Ark" that would have offered "free battles." This was axed for quality reasons, as well as for differences in PSN and Xbox Live.
Bonus item event in Final Fantasy XIV's beta
Final Fantasy XIV's open beta is only going to last until the 19th, which is just a stone's throw away. This would be worse news if not for the fact that the collector's edition of the game will be launching three days after that, meaning that the game's fans will have other things to do shortly thereafter. (The game's detractors don't really need the game to run one way or the other.) But if you'd like to take part in one last hurrah before launch, Square-Enix is hosting a special event on the newly-added Karnak and Narshe servers. All characters created on the special servers before 1:00 p.m. PDT on the 16th will have both the Onion Helm and Asuran Armguards added to their inventory. The former is the bonus for pre-ordering the collector's edition of the game, while the latter is the reward for also owning a copy of Final Fantasy XIII. It's not quite the potpourri of good news revealed from the pre-launch event yesterday, but it promises to still be a nice chance for Final Fantasy XIV beta testers to go out with a bang.
Amazon offering PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIII for $XX
If you're one of those people who performs complex time vs. price equations before purchasing a new game, Amazon's making an awfully hard sell for the PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIII. You can now lock down the 45-odd-hour adventure for $19.99, a full 60 percent off its usual retail price. Final Fantasy XIII -- $19.99, down from $49.99
Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International confirmed for Xbox 360 in Japan
Square Enix has confirmed the forthcoming release of FFXIII on Xbox 360 in Japan, dubbed "Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International." The game will be released in December and features English voice acting with Japanese subtitles (other subtitle options are also available). Despite early reports of the release, no additional content will arrive with FFXIII -- it differs from the PlayStation 3 version in Japan in that it will feature content originally only in the US release. It will also add an easy mode and "Final Fantasy XIII - Episode 1" (a short story book). Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase told Famitsu (via Gamasutra) that the new version was spurred by the launch of the remodeled 360 earlier this year, which aimed to bolster the console's install base in Japan. "We feel that there are ... a lot of people in Japan who own nothing but 360s. Thanks to the new system and such, the situation's a lot different than it was in July 2008," he explained. FFXIII will be the first Xbox 360 title released under Square's "Ultimate Hits" budget line, dropping at ¥4,980 ($59.50) on December 16.
Watchdog group dubs Xbox 360 FFXIII ad 'misleading'
According to Telegraph.co.uk, the UK group Advertising Standards Authority has concluded that a recent advertisement for the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII is "misleading." It seems the commercial in question used footage from the PlayStation 3 version of the game. While it's acknowledged that the Xbox 360 version looks slightly inferior to the PS3 version, what makes the ASA's claim interesting is that the commercial is composed entirely of pre-rendered FMV footage. Using a side-by-side comparison of each version of the game, the ASA reached the conclusion that the PS3 version "appeared sharper and colours were more vivid" and thus the commercial "exaggerated the quality of the footage available on the XBOX 360, albeit marginally." For its part, Square-Enix admitted that the FMV was captured from a PlayStation console but added that there was "no substantive difference" between the footage on either console and that only those watching in HD would notice the "slight difference." The ASA has ordered that the commercial not be shown again.
Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 bundle discounted to $249.99 at Amazon
If you pounced on what was already a good deal for the Final Fantasy XIII bundle, then we apologize, because it's been discounted again. Amazon has knocked another $50 off the price tag, bringing the console down to a very appealing $249.99. For a 250GB HDD, two wireless controllers, a copy of Final Fantasy XIII and the console itself (plus the custom faceplate, which Amazon is still throwing in), that's a damn good price -- even if there is a sexier, slimmer console on the block now.
Learn your Roman numerals with Amazon's Final Fantasy sale
If you've always struggled keeping your XIIIs and IIIs straight, you might just need the assistance of a few handy flash cards. Hey, the covers of all the Final Fantasy games that Amazon just discounted across multiple platforms should suffice! Check out the full list of offers below, courtesy of Thrifty Nerd.
Square Enix reports increased fiscal Q1 sales, lists upcoming games
Square Enix's net sales were up 11% year-over-year in its fiscal Q1 (which ended June 10), from ¥29.4 billion ($341.5 million) to ¥32.5 billion ($378.2 million). It's a phenomenon that president Yoichi Wada attributes to the million-plus copies sold of Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 in Japan, and continued sales of Final Fantasy XIII and Just Cause 2 in the west. Operating income jumped 814% in the same period, from ¥594 million ($6.9 million) in Q1 2009 to ¥5.43 billion ($63.14 million). That can be attributed to the fact that Square Enix didn't buy any major publishing companies this year. The earnings presentation for the quarter (PDF) lists the company's current publishing plans for the near future, including the surefire Wii hit Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road Victory for Japan only, as well as the Parasite Eve sequel The 3rd Birthday with a "This Winter" date in Japan and a "TBD" date in North America and Europe. The slides also reveal that Square Enix will handle Japanese publishing duties for Call of Duty: Black Ops, like it did for Modern Warfare 2.
Final Fantasy 13, Just Cause 2, Supreme Commander 2 cheap on Amazon today
Last Thursday, Amazon discounted a random trio of Square Enix games for its Deal of the Day. Today, three more Squeenix games receive a temporary discount -- and this time, none of them are Nier. If you have yet to decide whether the time-release fun of Final Fantasy 13 is for you, the decision is slightly easier today: it's available for $29.99 on both Xbox 360 and PS3. It's joined by revolutionary mayhem simulator Just Cause 2, which is down to $36.99 on the same two platforms, and $26.99 on PC. Finally, Supreme Commander 2 is supremely cheap at $26.99 on Xbox or $19.99 on PC. Given Amazon's recent Deal of the Day history, if you were planning to buy any other recent Square Enix releases, perhaps you should sit on that purchase for a week, just in case.
Amazon's FFXIII 360 bundle to include UFC 2010 and Bioshock 2 on August 2
Amazon's upping the ante to try and move more units of its recently discounted Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 bundle. According to the retailer's Twitter account, the $300 package will come with free copies of UFC Undisputed 2010 and BioShock 2 when purchased this coming Monday.
Final Fantasy XIII Xbox bundle $50 off on Amazon
If you value function over form -- or, rather, Fantasy over form -- you may want to examine an alternative to purchasing the newer, slimmer Xbox 360. Amazon's current Deal of the Day is the Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 bundle, which has had its price reduced by one Grant, down to $300.
Final Fantasy XIII and Splinter Cell 360 Elite bundles $40 off at Amazon
Amazon has a pair of sweet deals for those in the market for an Xbox 360 console. Both the Final Fantasy XIII Elite bundle and Splinter Cell: Conviction Elite bundle are $40 off, down to a much more palatable $359.99. That's almost like getting the bundled game for free -- not to mention the value of a bigger, beefier 250gb hard drive and an extra controller. [Via Cheap College Gamers] Source - Splinter Cell bundle Source - Final Fantasy XIII bundle
Final Fantasy XIII fastest selling game in franchise, Square Enix claims
Great. We're pretty certain Square Enix is going to make another one of these videos now. With sales of "more than one million units in North America over the first five days," Square Enix has good reason for that smug look on its face. Taking into account European sales, Final Fantasy XIII has "recorded the largest first-week sales in franchise history." A number of factors undoubtedly contributed to the record-breaking success of the latest iteration of the JRPG series. Not only is it the first numbered Final Fantasy game on a current generation system, but it's also the first game in the franchise to appear on two platforms -- and two continents -- simultaneously. Finally, it's been nearly four years since the release of Final Fantasy XII on PS2. Fans were clearly hungry for a real Final Fantasy fix. Luckily for Square Enix, there's much, much more Final Fantasy in the works: Final Fantasy XIV is due this year and Final Fantasy Versus XIII should be ready by the time Square Enix is done counting all this money.
Metareview: Final Fantasy XIII
Sweet Shiva, the Final Fantasy XIII reviews are all over the place. What has been clear over the past couple years is that the Japanese RPG has been going through some seriously violent flux. The genre is trying to find a new path, and even as Japanese developers seem to search for a balance that'll please several markets, they're freaking out western reviewers and audiences, who have a certain expectation going into these games -- a fault of fans, as much as decades of ingrained convention by those developers. The new JRPGs aren't necessarily great games. They certainly break conventions of what a JRPG is, so how to review them? Along comes Final Fantasy XIII, another risk taker, but this time by the genre's big kahuna -- at least, it is in the west. We've weighed in with our review; let's see what other outlets think: Game Informer (93/100): "For years, gamers have had visions of this title as an industry-transforming epiphany, but no game could possibly live up to such astronomical expectations. That's no reason to lose faith; though reality doesn't match the myth, Final Fantasy XIII is a phenomenal RPG destined to be remembered as a technical milestone for the series." Eurogamer (80/100): "Palatable is very much the word for Final Fantasy XIII. The Final Fantasy series, with its lengthy cinematics, stubborn style and carefully prescribed limitations, can never hope to please everyone. So it's strange to see it try, and no surprise that the result is not a total success." VideoGamer (70/100): "You have to hand it to Square Enix for trying to move things forward - better that than yet another rehash of the tried and tested Final Fantasy formula ... But it does so along a path so narrow and straight that you long for the days of old. When Vanille is knocked out in battle, she sometimes says: 'What went wrong' It's a question we find ourselves wondering as well." Edge: (50/100): "FFXIII takes brave risks with the series' foundations, but they ultimately create trembling fractures throughout the entire edifice, that robust battle system unable to support the weight of an entire world. Final Fantasy games are always an investment. This time, the returns are questionable." %Gallery-41346%
Final Fantasy XIII ships 5 million copies
In a Japanese press release, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII has shipped 5 million copies worldwide. Surprisingly, 3 million of those copies were shipped outside of Japan. Of course, Square Enix isn't saying how many of those copies have been sold, so bear that in mind when marveling over these impressive numbers. These 5 million XIIIs, according to the release, bring the total number of shipped games in the Final Fantasy series up to 96 million. How many of those were ports or remakes of the first Final Fantasy, we wonder?
Square Enix to fill PlayStation Home with Final Fantasy XIII tchotchkes
Want to decorate your virtual home with a knife-wielding monster, or an elusive sentient cactus? Of course you do. And for you, Square Enix is offering a selection of Final Fantasy XIII items for PlayStation Home starting this Thursday. "Items to collect," the press release reads, "include a sofa, table, chair, shelves, planter set, Cactuar and Tonberry figures, and stuffed animals." You can see some of the goods with which you can festoon your nonexistent digs above. Square Enix didn't price any of them, but it ranges from 100 to 200 yen (around $1-2) each in Japan. It's a small price to pay for your very own Tonberry.
GDC10: PS3 FFXIII gives you an extra shot at the FFXIV beta
Big news for Final Fantasy XIV fans today, especially if you're biting your nails waiting to get into the beta. The official PlayStation Blog has announced that the initial production run of Final Fantasy XIII on the PS3 will come packaged with a special offer for an in-game item, and an extra shot at a potential beta spot for Final Fantasy XIV. While it doesn't guarantee a beta key, anything that increases your chances of playing the game sooner is a good thing. But act now, because once those launch copies are gone, so is the offer.
Review: Final Fantasy XIII
There is a moment in Final Fantasy XIII where everything just clicks. The intricacies of the completely overhauled combat system come into focus; the meandering, convoluted story begins to take shape; the characters stop being insufferably standoffish and begin to coalesce into an engaging menagerie of heroes; the character progression system begins to offer the player a variety of thought-provoking choices; and the game begins to live up to your (I'm assuming) lofty expectations, and Final Fantasy XIII becomes an experience which can go toe-to-toe with the best entries in the franchise. The game gets exceptional after this one moment -- but, regrettably, this moment came for me after suffering 15 hours and 30 minutes of pure, unadulterated tedium. %Gallery-41346%
