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Square Enix launches Hippos Lab for smartphone game development
Square Enix isn't exactly a stranger to the smartphone scene, but it looks like the company behind Final Fantasy (among countless other games) is now going to be moving quite a bit beyond ports of its existing games for other consoles. The company has just announced the launch of its new Hippos Lab game development studio, which will be primarily focused on creating "high quality original content" for smartphones. Details are unfortunately still pretty light beyond that, but the studio has apparently been up and running since March 7th, and it says it hopes to have its first game "ready soon." No word if they've scored the license for Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Donald Melanson03.24.2011
Final Fantasy III hits the App Store
As promised, Square Enix released its version of Final Fantasy III for the iPhone and iPod touch. The role-playing game follows the journey of four orphaned youths chosen by the crystal of light to restore balance to the world after the land is robbed of light. This version is a remake of the Japanese Final Fantasy III that debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2006. It has been optimized for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch and includes Retina Display support, iPhone-specific touch panel controls and new 3D visuals and story sequences for the iOS platform. Final Fantasy III is now available on the App Store for US$15.99. For fans of the series, the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are on sale on the App Store for $3.99 each until March 31.
Kelly Hodgkins03.24.2011
Official Minecraft app, Final Fantasy 3 coming to iPhone and iPad
Two pieces of good news for iOS gamers. First up, we've seen an unofficial Minecraft app appear (and disappear) on the App Store before, but it looks like an official client is coming. Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson says that an official iOS client for the popular sandbox game will be out later this year. It won't bring in all of the features of the full version (which you can play as a beta for free, or buy to experience the full thing), but especially because it's official, it should be more than adequate to take care of your Minecraft fix while out and about. Square Enix has also announced that Final Fantasy 3 will be arriving on iOS very soon. The company has already released the first two games in the series on Apple's platform, and now the third will be out as well. Note that this is the Japanese Final Fantasy 3 -- this is the one that wasn't released in the US until recently on the Nintendo DS. I'll be waiting for my favorite iteration of the series, which is actually Final Fantasy 6 (though it was released in the US as Final Fantasy 3); it features classic characters like Kefka and that amazing opera scene. But this one should be good, too, especially since most US gamers probably haven't played it yet.
Mike Schramm02.21.2011
Square and Ankama gear up for Wakfu closed beta
Lest you think Square-Enix is solely committed to sprawling, spikey-haired, single-player productions or much-maligned MMORPGs, we're here to tell you that the famed development firm is gearing up to unleash Wakfu on an unsuspecting gaming populace. The new tactical MMO will be opening the doors of its closed beta on January 31st, and Square is inviting you to check out the game's 14 classes, turn-based combat, and an evolving eco-system in which killing a monster may mean ridding the game world of it for good. While Square is handling publishing duties for Wakfu, the brains behind the game is a company called Ankama, better known to international MMO fans as the creators of Dofus. Aside from a propensity for wacky titles, Ankama is making a name for itself via the various multimedia projects surrounding the release of Wakfu including comic books, card games, and an animated cartoon.
Jef Reahard01.22.2011
TUAW's Daily App: Secret of Mana
Here we go. A few of the hack-and-slash RPGs we've covered in this space have been compared to Secret of Mana, but now Square Enix has gone ahead and released the actual thing on iOS. Secret of Mana borrows a little bit from Legend of Zelda in that you always see all of your enemies on screen, and hack away at them in real time rather than in a turn-based battle or a separate mode. Otherwise it's a JRPG all the way around, as you wander through towns and dungeons, level up and earn weapons of various powers, and explore a big story of an unexpected hero saving the world. This is a good one -- it's a little retro, considering it first came out back in 1993, but it's a great title. The only drawback? It's been released at US$8.99 on the iPhone, and while it's probably worth the price to some of you, most of the App Store market (especially this week, after so many big titles and so many sales already) will probably find it a little too rich for their wallet. If that's a little high, just wait -- Square Enix has done more than a few sales in its time, so we might see it a little cheaper sooner or later.
Mike Schramm12.23.2010
Community Detective Issue 10: Final Fantasy XIV
Welcome to the Eorzea edition of Massively's Community Detective. I've been spending a fair bit of time in Square-Enix's Final Fantasy XIV of late and have finally managed to collate some data on the game's community and customer service apparatus. Those of you looking for a ranty review of Square's much-maligned epic probably won't find what you're looking for here, although I'll occasionally offer a bit of side commentary on my in-game experiences to go along with the usual community questions and support tickets. Without further ado then, let's jump into the Age of Adventure.
Jef Reahard10.12.2010
Final Fantasy I and II on sale, ESPN app free, Real Racing on sale this weekend
Here's some good news about a few popular apps on the App Store: Square Enix has dropped the price on retro titles Final Fantasy I and II. The games were originally released at US$8.99, but to celebrate more widespread localization, the apps have dropped down to $3.99. Great games, nice price. ESPN's Scorecenter XL app for the iPad has gone completely free. The app provides news and scores from around the sporting world -- it was $4.99, but the network has apparently decided to go free for good. And Firemint is putting its Real Racing title on sale for the iPhone next week -- as of September 30, the app will be available for just $2.99. That's a rare occurrence for them. It's the first time this game has ever gone on sale, probably because the title has been so popular. It offers a quality racing experience, with full Game Center integration. These are all great deals on really popular apps. If you've been waiting to pick one of these up for cheaper than usual, now's your chance.
Mike Schramm09.29.2010
Final Fantasy XIV PC controller debuts in dazzling white
Been itching to wrap your mitts around the latest Final Fantasy chapter? Well, we trust you've already obtained the FF XIV-endorsed WiFi router from Planex, so why not complete the set with the official PC controller from Sunflex? Coming in a snowy white enclosure, it doesn't stray far from the Dual Shock recipe that most PC gamepad makers like to cook from, although it does offer curiously elongated hand grips. Are Final Fantasy players generally larger than the average gamer or is this just a more ergonomic design for those 20-hour grinding sessions in the world that Square Enix built?
Vlad Savov09.24.2010
The Daily Grind: Are open betas necessary?
Final Fantasy XIV is in open beta as we speak, and anyone with even a passing interest in MMORPGs is probably already aware of that fact. What you may not be aware of is that very little is actually going to get "tested" (much less re-implemented) during this month-long honeymoon. Many people have even begun referring to open beta periods as marketing betas, since they basically exist to generate awareness of the title and build as much hype as possible. While my own reaction to MMO betas mirrors the hard-working tester in the photo above, many of you are no doubt enjoying Square-Enix's latest. What's your take on open betas in general and FFXIV's in particular? Do you even bother submitting feedback and/or testing, or do you look at them as pre-release free trials?
Jef Reahard09.05.2010
Tanaka details FFXIV beta phases
French fansite JeuxOnline brings us word on the beta phases for Square Enix's highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG. During an interview with FFXIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka, a few details about the game's Linkshell and Servant systems made their way to the surface, as well as information about beta phases prior to the projected September 30 launch. "In fact, we will have several phases of beta testing. In the first phase, we have a version that will incorporate feedback from our alpha testers [that] will hopefully [be] available this week. At first, it will resemble the alpha test phase, in the sense that each test session [will] last four hours. Then, hopefully by early August, we will open the [third] beta test phase which will remain operational until the game launches," Tanaka said. He goes on to note that the third beta phase will be closed, and that while Square Enix may host another short beta phase just prior to release, it is not yet ready to guarantee that said beta will be an open one. Check out the original interview (in French), or view the English translation.
Jef Reahard07.07.2010
Ridiculous Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road Victory controller gives Steel Battalion fans new hope
If you're a lover of unnecessarily large and comically styled controllers, chances are you've been a bit depressed lately with all this Sony Move and Microsoft Natal talk, tech that could do away with fancy add-ons altogether. But Hori, at least, is continuing to follow the righteous path of giant peripherals with this bodacious add-on for Square Enix's Wii port of Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road Victory, an arcade game with a name long enough to be worthy of such a mighty gamepad. Sadly, this collectible card game really only requires three buttons: a big red one, a big blue one, and the sword, which is simply pushed downward to activate special attacks. It pales in comparison to the two control sticks, three pedals, and 40 buttons of Steel Battalion, but sometimes it's the visual impact that really counts.
Tim Stevens05.12.2010
Chaos Rings hits top grossing, going to the iPad
Square Enix's new original iPhone title, Chaos Rings, is a qualified hit; it's currently sitting right on top of the United States' top grossing apps list and at number 18 on the top paid apps list. The reviews are terrific as well, which means that Square Enix has pulled off a hit iPhone game at the surprising price of US$12.99. The company hasn't missed the message, either. It's bringing Chaos Rings to the iPad soon, and is also hard at work on more original titles for Apple's handheld systems. We don't know how the iPad version, Chaos Rings HD, will be priced, or if it will be included for those who have already purchased the game on the iPhone (that'd be great, wouldn't it?). Clearly, though, there is still a market for well-done, top level games (even at high price points). We don't know if Square Enix actually made money on this one (the craft on display certainly didn't come cheap), but App Store customers are certainly buying. At the same time, other big-name developers aren't so sure. Crytek (makers of Crysis for the PC) CEO Cevat Yerli claims that App Store pricing has been nothing but a burden for game developers, and he says that, even outside of Apple's ecosystem, game prices in general are being driven down by the App Store. "It's pushing out games at such a low price that it distorts the perception of what a game should be priced at," he said in a recent interview. "IPad and iPhone are both doing a real disservice to game prices by allowing games at such low price points – it is an issue the industry has to address." That's an interesting take. There are certainly a number of factors involved in lower game prices lately (not the least of which is digital distribution, which has grown immensely in the past few years). However, a game like Chaos Rings seems to prove that it's still all about the gameplay. If game developers can make a great game that players want to play, they can more or less name their price.
Mike Schramm04.23.2010
Final Fantasy XIV has a clan-do attitude
While we heard about Final Fantasy XIV's subraces -- called "clans" -- a week ago from Japanese fansites, today SquareEnix has released the details on their North American site. Each race has two clans, which totals 10 unique selections by the time all is said and done. Fans familiar with Final Fantasy XI's races will be pleasantly surprised by the variety offered here. The elfin Elezen are now divided into the Wildwood (forest archers) and Duskwight (grubby cave-dwellers) clans. If cutsie dolls are more to your liking, then the Lalafell are up for the job, split between the down-to-earth Plainsfolk or the darker Dunesfolk. The hulking Roegadyn are partial to extreme climates of bitter oceans and volcanic fury, which has resulted in the Sea Wolves and Hellsguard, respectively. Of course, every MMO must offer a traditional human race, which in FFXIV falls to the Hyur, who either identify as the educated Midlanders or the beefy Highlanders. Finally, the cat-like Miqo'te will choose to be either one of the Keepers of the Sun or the Seekers of the Moon. From running down this list, there's a definite light/dark dichotomy going on here, not just in skin tone but in the clans' basic philosophy. You can find information about the different versions of each of the five primary races by going to World --> Races --> Overview on the Final Fantasy XIV main menu.
Justin Olivetti04.06.2010First look at Final Fantasy on the iPhone
Now that Plants vs. Zombies is out on the App Store, the new hotness to wait for is going to be Square's Final Fantasy. Courtesy of the guys over at Touch Arcade (who I'm disappointed I didn't get to meet at Macworld), here's the first trailer and screenshots of the retro RPG running on the iPhone. The games are definitely updated (the original game ran on the NES, and clearly the graphics above look better than that), but as for exactly what the differences are, or how they'll be released (will we get both in the same purchase?), we'll have to wait and see. No date yet either -- all Square-Enix says right now is "soon." Still, if you're a Final Fantasy fan and the video above doesn't get your blood pumping, time to check your pulse. Can't wait to replay these old favorites on Apple's much newer handheld devices.
Mike Schramm02.15.2010
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.
Paul Miller02.12.2010
Crafting Final Fantasy XI's global community
A recent piece on Gamasutra discussed one of the more prominent and yet understated issues facing Final Fantasy XI -- the challenge of creating, bolstering, and supporting a global community. It's easy to forget at times that the game is sold and played in four different languages across three continents on the same set of servers, with a Japanese development team and customer service representatives across several countries. Robert Allen Peeler, the assistant community manager for the game, went into details about several of the issues, hurdles, and pitfalls the game has gone through over its near six-year multi-lingual run.Peeler discusses the challenges associated in communicating the wishes of the fans to developers, who speak only Japanese and don't necessarily have a clear grasp of what the rest of the world's players want out of the game. He also mentions the now-infamous Pandemonium Warden boss encounter and explains that the issue was largely focused in North America, but due to the communication issues it began to be seen worldwide before the developers could adequately address the issues.The piece also goes into some detail regarding the plans for how these same issues will be addressed when Final Fantasy XIV is released, which will most likely share the same multi-lingual support and servers. If you're interested in taking a look inside some of the problems of a global game -- or if you're a Final Fantasy XI player looking for more of an answer about why the developers don't respond to issues -- you should take a look at the article.
Eliot Lefebvre10.08.2009
The Crystal War continues in Final Fantasy XI
In addition to a new mini-expansion in the form of A Shantotto Ascension, the November update to Final Fantasy XI will also be continuing the missions of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, allowing players to live out the events of the Crystal War and help ensure the stability of present-day Vana'diel. While the overall scope of the conflict begins to shift to the world's northern hemisphere, setting the stage for events that led into the game's original missions, the individual nations each have their own issues to deal with and their own battles to fight. Square-Enix has released some of the details regarding these upcoming missions for the next update.San d'Oria's missions will focus around the proud kingdom's operations in Beaucedine Glacier and the unconvential strategies of the boy tactician Excenmille. Bastok will continue to deal with the aftershocks of the head of the Mythril Musketeers having made an attempt on the president's life, while Windurst has won a costly victory even as the beastman forces continue their march toward the nation's capital.One of Final Fantasy XI's greatest strengths has always been the emphasis and motivation placed upon its ongoing storyline, and these new missions promise to continue that tradition. The game may be entering its twilight years as it comes to its six-year US anniversary near the end of the month, but it still has quite a bit of life left in it.
Eliot Lefebvre10.07.2009
Square Enix President predicts Wii HD for 2011, doesn't see big impact for PS3 and Xbox motion controls
Image courtesy of GAME Watch Sure, they sound like the words of a man who hasn't begun development of any motion-controlled titles for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, but we're still intrigued by President of Square Enix Yoichi Wada's statement (he's the guy on the left) that the motion control additions to the PS3 and Xbox 360 aren't that big of deal. He cites the other "pillars" of console use (like video playback) that somehow make motion controls a minor player -- though we'd say the Wii's sales numbers would beg to differ. Speaking of the Wii, Yoichi thinks all three major consoles will start to look rather the same by 2011, when believes the Wii followup will hit the market -- in line with other rumors we've heard for the "Wii HD." Three "HD" consoles with similar input options and similar graphics output certainly sounds like a boon for developers, we just hope there are enough similarities in the control systems and enough "impact" in PS3 and Xbox motion control sales to make mega triple-platform motion-controlled blockbusters feasible. [Via Joystiq]
Paul Miller09.21.2009
Square Enix will differentiate its next effort from FFXI
Details are still not released about the next project from Square Enix, makers of Final Fantasy XI but rumors abound that it will debut at E3 in June 2009. So far, all that has been said is that the new game will be "different from Final Fantasy XI." Gee. Thanks. Helpful. This is not terribly different from what they said about six months ago now regarding the new game. And according to Hiromichi Tanaka, Senior VP of Software Development, the same team that worked on FFXI will be on this next project. Given the resounding and lasting success of the Final Fantasy franchise, it may be hard to give up the name recognition.
Alexis Kassan12.16.2008
Brains-on with NeuroSky and Square Enix's Judecca mind-control game
We already know that NeuroSky is bringing us the mind-reading Mindset for your gaming pleasures, but we got a first-hand look at the device here at TGS. At first glance, the headset may appear to be just another white set of over-the-ear headphones, but a little boom that gets all cuddly with your forehead measures how well you are concentrating on in-game objects. While this may sound like a bunch of hoopla, keep in mind that mega-developer Square Enix is already on board with "Judecca," a zombie thriller that forces you to concentrate your way into seeing your enemies. After holding up your hand, you then concentrate on a glyph that glows in direct relation to your ability to concentrate, opening up what's called your Devil's Eye. Once you're in a zen-like state, you can see Judecca's zombies and unleash some kill. You can also show your concentration skills enough to walk through walls, naturally. In our limited time trying the tech with Judecca, we were indeed able to induce some sort of concentrative state, even with the distractions of a giant Japanese gaming convention. As for how long we'd want to play something like this before switching to something involving, say, just pushing buttons and killing enemies, we're not so sure. NeuroSky promises the device in Spring 2009 for a price somewhere between $50 and $80. Hit the break for a couple shots of the device and a very tense gamer.
Joshua Fruhlinger10.09.2008