The FFXIII Premiere Party location (as shown in pic) has been finalized and will take place on September 8th. Stay tuned for more information!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
FFXIII Premiere Party to showcase new characters and release date?
We've known for a good bit of time that Square-Enix's plans for a release date for Final Fantasy XIII has fallen within the realm of Winter 2009 for Japan and Spring 2010 for North America and Europe. However we may just be getting an official date (at least the Japanese version anyway), as well as some new information of the new characters that were hinted at at the recent Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany.
The FFXIII Premiere Party location (as shown in pic) has been finalized and will take place on September 8th. Stay tuned for more information!
The FFXIII Premiere Party location (as shown in pic) has been finalized and will take place on September 8th. Stay tuned for more information!
Play Arts' Hope Estheim figure
Play Arts has revealed a new figurine for FFXIII character Hope Estheim, take a look:
SOURCES: Please put Play Arts into my coffin
SOURCES: Please put Play Arts into my coffin
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
SaGa 2 (FFL2) remake soundtrack preview
Square-Enix uploaded a new soundtrack preview for SaGa 2: Goddess of Destiny.
You can view the promotional trailer here, as well as listen to samples of tracks on the album.
SaGa 2: Goddess of Destiny is a remake of the original Gameboy game released as Final Fantasy Legend II here in the United States in 1991.
SOURCES: SQUARE ENIX MUSIC (Japan)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Symphonic Fantasies wraps up with Final Fantasy themed concert
Today, the official website for Symphonic Fantasies (a concert tour involving music from videogames) updated with a message from Arnie Roth. I know Arnie Roth specifically from the Distant Worlds concert tour he conducted throughout the US earlier this year. I was able to attend the performance in Minneapolis, and it was nothing short of breathtaking. (I also got to see Uematsu in person!) Now they are performing in Germany with Uematsu in attendance.
Confirmed pieces Roth lists:
Prelude (Final Fantasy series)
Opening - Bombing Mission (Final Fantasy VII)
Clash on the Big Bridge - (Final Fantasy V)
Roth also states that more pieces will be revealed September 1st.
SOURCES: Symphonic Fantasies
Confirmed pieces Roth lists:
Prelude (Final Fantasy series)
Opening - Bombing Mission (Final Fantasy VII)
Clash on the Big Bridge - (Final Fantasy V)
Roth also states that more pieces will be revealed September 1st.
Arnie Roth on Final Fantasy from Symphonic Fantasies on Vimeo.
SOURCES: Symphonic Fantasies
Wada: "Square-Enix stands to benefit from PS3 price drop in 2010."
Addressing the press in Tokyo this week, Yoichi Wada (president of Square-Enix), told the media that the company will benefit from the recent price point drop of the PlayStation 3 console in the next fiscal year. Several Square-Enix titles are being developed for the system, most notable of which: Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Here's a full report from Gamasutra:
SOURCES: Gamasutra, image from Kotaku
Square Enix To See 'Big Impact' From PS3 Price Cut Next Year
by Kris Graft
August 26, 2009
Square Enix head Yoichi Wada told reporters Wednesday that the PlayStation 3's recent price cut won't have a major impact on the company's current fiscal year, but expects "a big impact" next year.
Wada told media members in Tokyo the price cut and PS3 hardware redesign doesn't warrant an increase in sales and profit guidance for the current fiscal year ending March 2010.
"In terms of the impact (the PS3 cut) will have on this financial year's earnings, I don't think there will be a major difference. But I expect there to be a big impact from next year," he said in a Reuters report.
Square Enix's highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII is expected to launch on PS3 in Japan in calendar Q4 this year, and sometime in the next fiscal year (beginning in April) in the U.S. and Europe, where the game is also launching on Xbox 360.
Square Enix recently acquired U.K.-based publisher Eidos, which released the Rocksteady-developed Batman: Arkham Asylum this week, a game that is expected to be a strong seller, considering the brand recognition and strong reviews.
Earlier this year, Square Enix released Dragon Quest IX for Nintendo DS, a major hit for the firm that has sold 3.64 million units in Japan to date.
A week ago, Sony announced at the Cologne, Germany GamesCom convention that it would be dropping the price of the PS3 to $299 from $399, at the same time redesigning the hardware into a sleeker package.
SOURCES: Gamasutra, image from Kotaku
Kitase: "Development on Versus will be quicker than FFXIII"
Recently at the Gamescom conference at Cologne in Germany, FFXIII producer Yoshinori Kitase was asked by Gamekyo about the development of Final Fantasy Versus XIII since we haven't heard much about it in a good long while. Here's a translated answer:
Tommy Angelo
Gamekyo
-rough translation from French-
While media and information about Final Fantasy XIII abound on the web lately, we must admit that Versus XIII stands well back from the media spotlight for several months. Disturbing? Not really if we believe Yoshinori Kitase has affirmed during the 09 Gamescom that development for Final Fantasy Versus XIII will be "faster" than FF XIII.
While it is true that part of the team responsible for the action RPG that helped FF XIII lately for Kitase this will result in accelerating the development of first city. Thence to imagine a kind of FF Versus XIII for 2011 there is only one step. You cross it?
SOURCES: Gamekyo (Tommy Angelo)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Crystal Bearers fankit now available for download
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is another offshoot of the Crystal Chronicles saga, and an exclusive for the Nintendo Wii. Square-Enix updated the official North American site with a fankit, bestowing the downloader with several different screenshots, artworks (one pictured above) and renders. You can download it yourself here. (Click on the yellow banner on the lower right.)
FFIV The After Years' producer Takashi Tokita
A new interview was added to the official North American website for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, an episodic sequel to Final Fantasy IV. The producer, Tokita, talks about what had inspired him to make such a sequel remarking on how the several ports and remakes got an idea of a sequel into his head. Also playing a part in Live A Live (another SNES game with an episodic story), he felt that he would continue such a style with this WiiWare title.
You can listen to the full interview here. Click on Trailers section.
Dissidia: Final Fantasy released in North America
Today's the day! Dissidia: Final Fantasy has been released on North American shores for the PSP. I managed to get a copy today at GameStop with the shwag reversible cover and the game guide as well. (I have a habit of collecting game guides, not out of necessity, more of hobby.) If you manage to see me online here or there, see me under the "Shamdeo" friend card. Enjoy! :>
Monday, August 24, 2009
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Universal Tuning website up
The official Japanese website for Dissidia: Final Fantasy - Universal Tuning opened today. Not much is shown except for the new logo and the game's release date of November 1st, 2009. Universal Tuning is somewhat alike the International versions of previous Final Fantasy games. It will feature both English and Japanese voice acting and feature all of the changes and tweaks that were made to the characters and abilities in the North American release. It will most likely be a Japanese release only.
Official website (JPN):
Dissidia: Final Fantasy - UNIVERSAL TUNING
SOURCE: FF7ac Reunion
Four Warriors of Light - monster art
More here…
A bear? Shit yeah a bear, nobody fucks with a bear!
More importantly though, when is the western release for this going to be announced? Make my day, Square.
(Thanks by the way, GoNintendo!)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hi-quality FFXIII scans from V-Jump and info
We get a better picture of Lightning riding Odin/Sleipnir in Gestalt Mode and of the newly Yaag Rosch. Enjoy!
And from TSA at NeoGAF comes some new information gleaned from Kitase at Gamescom.
SOURCES: V-Jump, FF7ac Reunion, TSA (NeoGAF)
And from TSA at NeoGAF comes some new information gleaned from Kitase at Gamescom.
Eh, Kitase and Toriyma told us in our session they are considering DLC since everyone at E3 and now apparently GamesCom is asking / requesting DLC. They had no intention to do it since Japan has no demand for it according to them, but they are rethinking that decision. So the "NO" confirmed isn't exactly right.
The only NO I got confirmed was a NO to the Japanese language tracks in the NA / EU versions, even though the demo we was was in Japanese with English subtitles ... I'll let you guys enjoy their explanation ...
Also whoever said Yaag Rosch is Lightning's rival is wrong. Toriyama said he was Lightning's former superior in the military, and he's the defender of Cocoon who will stop anyone who goes against it. So since Lightning is now out to destroy Cocoon, his mission is to stop her.
Serah was the name of the new girl artwork. She looked a bit like Sephorina, but I got a no comment to my personal question of if they had any relation. Serah is the chic Snow keeps metioning - which I think is Pulse's Fal'Cie , but that's a guess.
Paradigm shifts ... in addition to switching the mode, you assign jobs to each character. Commando and Ravenger were two of the names I saw. It also looked like the weapons / outfits they had slightly changed (Vanille drew a bow instead of that club / horn thing).
Focus ability was described as a "vision" ability given to people with its power. Literally said it's like being given part of a sentence, and you have to complete it. It's how those given its power carry out the mission of the L'cie . In the demo, the "ice" area was actually frozen over by somebody turned to crystal due to their Focus ability. That area was inside Cocoon, too.
Toriyama likened it to the JOB system in past FFs, but it is only TEMPORARY (during the battle and for each Paradigm). Also, for those wondering about characters not used in the battle, you earn "points" to spend on characters, and you can spend them on any character to "level" them up.
One other nugget I remember is the benefit of getting a better rank in a battle. You can earn bonus TP that's needed to perform summons, and the star ranking will influence the game's AI - if you do poorly, the game gets easier. If you do great, it gets harder. Adaptive AI.
SOURCES: V-Jump, FF7ac Reunion, TSA (NeoGAF)
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