- For those who missed the Dear Friends tour
 Monday saw the announcement of the newest Final Fantasy concert tour, "Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY." The tour is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of the original Final Fantasy title. Full Article
- A young FFCC clambers to 250k; old man FFXI still pushing 500k
 The newest Japanese Software Chart reveals that the late August release of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates has reached 256,000 sales, putting it at number one. Similarly, Final Fantasy XI has finally reached 500,000 players worldwide. Unfortunately for FFXI, the five year crawl to 500,000 has been significantly dwarfed by FFCC's stampede up the charts. Hopefully, the long-term investment in FFXI has warranted enough profits to compete with resource reinvestment in various smaller projects.
- Game Trailers now schooling gamers on Final Fantasy history
 A little over a month ago, GameTrailers.com began its "Final Fantasy Retrospective", a survey of the Final Fantasy series, beginning with its humble origins some twenty years ago. Aside from being extremely well put-together and informative, it features references to some of our favorite embarrassing Square titles, from Alpha to 3-D Worldrunner. Now in its sixth installment featuring Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XI, it is a comprehensive look at one of Square Enix's flagship series and a definite must-watch for any fan or historian. Now that G4 has hit rock bottom, GameTrailers.com appears to be a source for thoughtful programming woefully unavailable elsewhere. Watch Now
- E3 2007 - Square Enix to bring online store stateside
 In addition to its E3 lineup announcement, Square Enix has revealed its scheme to open a North American online store. Square Enix, as a self-described "premiere [maker] of high end-collectibles" plans to stock a multitude of "popular and hard-to-find items" including Master Arms, Play Arts, and Mechanical Arts spanning various series, from Final Fantasy to Kingdom Hearts. Clearly, Square Enix has seen that someone, somewhere is making money selling its products. The immediate consequence will likely find many third-party vendors competing for profits with Square Enix itself. The Online Store
- E3 2007 - Square Enix announces lineup
 As the headline above might suggest, Square Enix has announced its 2007 E3 lineup and is ready to showcase some of its most anticipated and exciting titles. Which will be shown? Which will be shunned? Square Haven brings you the latest. Details
- Time to Get AXed: Anime Expo 2007
 By far one of the largest collections of animé and video game enthusiasts its side of the Mississippi, Anime Expo has long been a haven for fanatics to meet, discuss their favorite forms of media, and embarrass themselves with hideous cosplay. That's why this Haven was there to witness the madness and bring you the Square side of things. Read More
- Square commissions Final Fantasy XI comic
 Square-Enix has hired Scott Ramsoomair of VGCats to create a monthly FFXI comic. The comic, Adventure Log, will follow the adventures of a young Mithra from Windurst. Expect pee jokes and other hilarity in the months to come! Adventure Log
- MMO-OST: Final Fantasy XI gets soundtrack box
 Available for import at the price of $99, the newly announced Final Fantasy XI Soundtrack Premium Box Set will include seven discs and a piano score sheet. The limited edition item marks the fifth anniversary of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game in Japan, available for the PC, Playstation 2, and XBox 360 console. The CD collection composed and arranged by Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka, and Nobuo Uematsu goes on sale in Japan on March 28th for 10,476 yen. Details and order info
- Quarter financial results: Squeenix in the green
 The results are in for the first quarter of the current fiscal year and Square Enix has turned a profit of 888 million yen ($7.60 million USD) from 37.20 billion yen ($318.21 million USD) of sales. This constitutes a tripling of sales and no less than sixteen times the same quarter's profits last year. More specifically, titles such as Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria and Dragon Quest VIII selling in Japan and Europe contributed to the 363 million yen ($3.11 million USD) profit of the Square Enix game division, while the official Final Fantasy XII strategy guide also did its part by increasing the profits of the publishing division more than one hundred percent. A new Final Fantasy XI expansion (along with original title's XBox release) helped boost online sales sixty percent. The only loser was Square Enix's subsidiary Taito, whose acquisition you may recall to have been just under a year ago; it has since suffered an operating loss of 663 million yen ($5.67 million USD). No, there is nothing clever to say. Merely weep at the loss of money.
- FFXI succession a vicious rumor
 There have been some very interesting reports posted on several popular gaming websites recently that appear to detail what has been called a "Final Fantasy XI successor": a new MMORPG to inspire ridiculous Red Mage cosplay. Japanse Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) credited production to Hiromichi Tanaka, whose was responsible for the original FFXI, and declared it would release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and upcoming Windows Vista platforms. But Nikkei, it seems, is not the ultimate source for all things Final Fantasy. Square Enix issued a press release today stating, "the Company did not make such an announcement and has not made any decisions resembling those detailed in the media report." Instead, it is, "developing an online title for next-generation platforms [...] as a completely new MMORPG". Sorry, kids. Time to put the virtual gil away. Press Release
- Final Fantasy XI producer to create new PS3 MMO
In a recent interview, Final Fantasy XI producer Hiromichi Tanaka let slip his possibility of his working on a new MMORPG for the approaching Playstation 3 and Windows Vista. Though he offered no more pieces of information, Tanaka did mention that a PS3 version of Final Fantasy XI would take two or three years to construct, thereby making any such endeavor an inefficient use of resources and his team's time better spent developing a new title. gamesindustry.biz
- Square Enix profits fall and tumble
 Despite more optimistic initial numbers, Square Enix has since lowered its projections for the 2005/2006 fiscal year, with net sales at 125 billion yen ($1.06 billion USD) and net profit at 10 billion yen ($84.67 million USD), the latter figure a whopping 42.9% lower than previous estimations. Although high-profile titles such as Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy XII helped to bolster sales, profits were damaged by the lack of top-sellers during the period from April through September. And despite the relative success of Final Fantasy XI, Squeenix's other MMO ventures have not gone successfully; likely the cause of their discontinued Everquest II support. What course will the company take in light of these events? That is difficult to say, but with the inability to point a finger squarely at Hironobu Sakaguchi, a renewed business strategy may be necessary. Game Daily
- Front Mission 5 and new FFXI expansion announced
Remember those two trademarks, Scars of the War and Treasures of Aht Uhrgan? Well, they were pretty easy to guess to begin with, but now they've been confirmed as Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, and a new expansion pack for Final Fantasy XI. But who cares about FFXI and Front Mission in the face of the Revolution and Metal Gear Solid 4, anyway?
- All your Final Fantasy XI in one easy-to-swallow package
Square Enix will now be selling Final Fantasy XI in a combo packaged called Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'Diel Collection for the PC. This new package will include not only the original game but both expansions, Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia. This new release will ship at the price of $29.99 RPGFan
- Next-gen Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest may see publication on multiple platforms
 Japanese newspaper Mainichi received some more exclusive information snippets in the form of Wada commenting that the next-gen FF and DQ games may be released on two or more platforms. He didn't mention which two, however, although at this point it doesn't mean anything considering Nintendo is tightlipped about any announcements. Nevertheless, Wada argues that releasing its two primary franchises across platforms would allow the company to appeal to a wider audience, which is just common sense, really. Look to Final Fantasy XI for an example of how Square Enix may approach the problem (and consider the platform independent PlayOnline model while you do).
- Square Enix goes into trademark rage
 Within one week of one another, Square Enix has filed two United States patents for both "Treasures of Aht Urhgan" and "Scars of the War". While the first is rumored to be the next in the line of Final Fantasy XI expansions, with Chains of Promathia just recently coming to a close, we can only guess as to the other; most probable: "Compilation of Final Fantasy VIII." GamesAreFun
- E3: Youchi Wada Q/A
 A Q&A session between members of the press and Wada & Hashimoto unveiled some (fairly obvious) details concerning topics like Xbox 360, PlayOnline, Before Crisis, Advent Children and World of Mana. Full Article
- E3: Final Fantasy XI on Xbox 360 to look like shit
 Well, relatively speaking. Final Fantasy XI will look exactly the goddamn same, causing raging speculation as to whether Square Enix is just screwing around with MS for some extra $$$. Also revealed today was the fact that FFXI was originally under development for Xbox, but MS' stubborn vapidity prevented any kind of useful deal from being made. Looks like they puckered up this time around, though. GI.biz
- E3: Final Fantasy XI confirmed for Xbox
 WTF? Yes. Microsoft has managed to convince Square Enix into allowing FFXI onto its dying platform. It's currently unknown how exactly Square Enix and Microsoft intend to combine Xbox Live and PlayOnline to make cross-platform gameplay in Final Fantasy XI possible, but there must have been some big deal struck for either of the two to buckle with their priorities. What's more, the situation begs an answer to the question of whether FFXI on Xbox is even that much of a beneficial move, considering the game is over three years old now and probably won't be seeing another expansion pack in its lifetime. Oh, and reports are indicating that the Xbox360 will give the game a graphical boost of some kind, whatever that means. Forbes
- E3 2005: Squenix vaunts Polymorphism in full swing; still can't provide Final Fantasy XII release date; Kingdom Hearts II voice actors confirmed
"Square Enix, Inc. to Unveil Massive Lineup at The Electronic Entertainment Expo," states the press release furiously. But the list is unimpressive: there's nothing new save for the odd mobile phone title, and the release dates we're so fanboyishly begging for fail to appear as well. Nevertheless, here's the full list
- Disgruntled Chinese geeks suspect in Final Fantasy XI server woes
While the official Square Enix statement refrains from finger-pointing, some suggest that the attacks are conceived by Chinese hackers, disgruntled about distorted Japanese textbooks. 1UP
- PlayOnline investment returns as Square Enix profits hit the ceiling
Gamesindustry.biz reports a lot of numbers and sales figures which on the whole conclude that Square Enix' PlayOnline venture has paid off in no small amount -- profits have doubled over the past six months thanks to the introduction of Final Fantasy XI - which now commands a community of over 550,000 - as well as an increase in operating profits in the Square Enix Mobile division (Before Crisis naysayers be damned). And while other (offline) sales saw a slight decrease in performance, this has more to do with the lacklustre line-up than anything else, and should be wholly negated in the upcoming 6 months with Dragon Quest VIII, Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts II and possibly Final Fantasy XII to make what appears to be the company's strongest sales period in its history. gi.biz
- Tokyo Games Show line-up gives little away in the form of surprises
 Square Enix has released its list of titles to be shown at the Tokyo Games Show at the end of the month. But will we be faced with a shocker unveiling as we were with Final Fantasy VII Advent Children last year? Full Article
- Euro FFXI Pricing Confirmed: Dollar Reigns Supreme
 Square Enix Ltd. has recently announced a retail price of 50 Euro for this first self-published title. The seven disk set will include both the Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia expansions, as well as a month's worth of access to the game. Successive play will be priced at $12.95 a month; a move almost certain to quell complaints of European overpricing. gamesindustry.biz
- Square ensures that just because you leave Vana'diel, it doesn't mean that Vana'diel leaves you.
 Square unveiled further cellphone plans which included no further details on FFVII: Before Crisis, but they did announce plans to keep you in touch with your pals in Final Fantasy XI's world of Vana'diel, such as chatting and other features that are currently undergoing development. Quiter
- Mist Walker has new Vice President, also; Sakaguchi said fuck it 3 years ago
 Kensuke Tanaka (general producer of the anime Final Fantasy Unlimited, and also involved with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy XI) was revealed as Mist Walker's new Vice President. Sakaguchi announced that Mist Walker was founded over three years ago, and also said that they will soon be making a major announcement. Well, that was kinda underwhelming. Quiter
- Final Fantasy XI European launch date announced, but bad news for PS2 fanatics
 Square Enix confirmed today, after being asked to comment on its press release, that Final Fantasy XI will not be coming to Europe on the Playstation2. The title will however see a release at the hands of newly reformed Square Enix Ltd. for the PC this September, and as published by Ubisoft, will include the upcoming Chains of Promathia expansion that will be launched simultaneously in Japan and North America. European FFXI site
- Census of useless Final Fantasy XI data now available
Square Enix has published the Fourth Vanadiel Census, allowing users access to such impractical data as Job Level Distribution and whatnot. PlayOnline
- Yet another piece of Final Fantasy merchandise you didn't know you wanted
For addicts of Final Fantasy XI, Hori is bringing you an alarm clock that not only tells the real time and date, but also the time and date inside the world of Vana'diel. It will also offer four BGM tracks to set as the alarm. The clock will have a price of 4980 yen ($44.84) and will be available on June 24th in Japan. Hori
- It\'s that time of year again: An E3 approaches! What games do you show?!? Press L+R to run.
Square Enix has confirmed its the line-up for what it says will be its biggest E3 yet. What\'s up with that? Full Article
- Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia official homepages open
Square Enix has opened the official homepages for the upcoming Final Fantasy XI expansion, Chains of Promathia, which was announced yesterday. Not much is available besides basic information and stunning new screenshots of the new areas included in the expansion, the Tavnazian Archipelago and Goblin city Movalpolos. Chains of Promathia
- Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia officially announced
As we suspected earlier, the second expansion for Final Fantasy XI, Chains of Promathia, is being readied for release this Autumn. Apparently, gamers will not be required to have the previous expansion, Rise of the Zilart (included with the US release), though there will be connections between the two that enhance the experience. With at least 40 new areas that fill in current empty parts of the world map and new modes of transport, the expansion looks to be more environmental than gameplay-altering: Square Enix doesn\'t intend to add any new jobs, skills, or increase the level cap at this time.
- Final Fantasy XI in Europe this year?
Alongside its other Europe-related announcement, Square Enix also suggested that the UK would be receiving Final Fantasy XI in some form before the end of the year; mainland Europe was not mentioned.
- Final Fantasy XI out on PS2 today
 Final Fantasy XI was released today in North America for Playstation2 in the form of a bundle containing the 40GB Playstation2 HDD with the game preinstalled on it. The official Sony website is also up, containing the usual propaganda crap and a pretty sweet commercial that, while cheesy, does a pretty good job of explaining the MMORPG concept. Official FFXI PS2 site
- Final Fantasy XI addition this month as download rather than official expansion
The new area "Dynamis", which will shortly be added to Final Fantasy XI's game world of Vana'diel, is coming sooner than previously thought. Full Article
- Square Enix sheds light on new Final Fantasy XI expansion with cheesy teaser page
Avid Square Haven reader Stephen Wilson revealed today that Final Fantasy XI's upcoming expansion, The Chains of Promathia, now has its own page on the official FFXI website. The "veil" will apparently soon be "lifted" from "the Shrouded Land". We can't wait. Limbo
- New Final Fantasy XI expansion possible
Square Enix has recently registered two new trademarks seemingly related to Final Fantasy XI - "Promathia no Jubaku" in Japan and "Chains of Promathia" in the United States. The title has not been confirmed or officially announced for release by Square Enix. 1UP.com
- Final Fantasy XI packaging revealed
Sony has revealed the packaging of the PS2 version of Final Fantasy XI, which will finally see the light of North American day this coming March. The package includes the game itself as well as the 40-gig HDD hard drive and a 30-day trial of the online service. Final Fantasy XI will retail for an MSRP of $99.99. Media
- Over 500,000 geeks congregate to PlayOnline
Square Enix announced today that the userbase for its PlayOnline game service has surpassed 500,000 users, a mark attained thanks to brisk holiday sales for the PC version of Final Fantasy XI and the insistent demand of a make-believe cyber-place where geek boys and girls could meet under the protected veil of video game penetralia. 1UP.com
- Sony preparing Final Fantasy XI bundle
With Final Fantasy XI recently released on the PC (and doing quite successfully), Sony now has to make sure its end of the deal is good to go for the upcoming March 23rd NA release date. As such, it announced that it would be bundling FFXI with the required 40GB hard drive (pre-installing the game for your convenience) at the cosy price of $99. The other required peripheral, the broadband modem, will not be included in the deal. Gamefront
- PlayOnline not subject to term "sucking", proves Square Enix
 Back when Final Fantasy XI first launched in Japan, critics (and gamers) were skeptical as to whether or not it would actually be a success - especially after the launch of the network it ran on, PlayOnline, which crashed and burned under the underestimated traffic. Luckily, Square Enix appear to have things under control almost two years later, now that the title has been released in North America: 400,000 gamers are currently using the network, making it a pretty huge success. Who said Square didn't know what they were doing? Gamefront
- Final Fantasy XI for PC out today in NA
You know what they say - time to go out and buy that game! Also time to go out and buy a new harddrive and graphics card, because no way you're going to play it without 6gb of space and 128MB of pure polygon-pumping visual power! Buy it
- Final Fantasy XI, PS2 hard drive in March
Sony has announced that the PS2 version of Final Fantasy XI will be packaged and preinstalled with the PS2 HDD hard drive as well as various exciting PS2 demos. The package will be released in March and will retail for $99. Online service is of course extra - you can play Final Fantasy XI for $12 a month. Gamers.com
- Square Enix publishes TGS line-up
And of course you're depending on Square Haven to reprint it in full list glory. Naturally. Full Article
- Square Haven pulls shit out of ass, calls it "content"
 Preserving the grand SH traditions of extreme procrastination and blatant pilfering of unoriginal, second-hand insights from "primary sources" (since we were nowhere within 600 miles of LA) our untimely (only one month late) retrospective on the Square Enix games of E3 2003 is about as significant as Square's presence at the show and, naturally, is missing the only game anyone actually gave a whit about. Link
- ATI giving away Final Fantasy XI beta test kits
 ATI Technologies Inc. will be making available FINAL FANTASY? XI beta test kits to the first 1000 eligible applications for this promotion. ATI currently anticipates shipping the FINAL FANTASY? XI beta test kits in July 2003. You must be 18 years of age or older to particpate.
To register to participate in this beta test program, email finalfantasybeta@ati.com with the following information: First Name, Last Name, E-Mail Address, Age, Address, City, State \ Province, Country, Zip \ Postal Code, Number of hours spent per week playing PC games. ATI promotion
- Official Final Fantasy XI site opens
On the heels of its notification of the beta testers for Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix U.S.A. recently opened its Final Fantasy XI site with general information and screenshots on the MMORPG.
- Square staff meets for soberingly boring FFXI interview
"Today, some of the key team members on Square's staff -- including localization director Richard Honeywood, American producer Yasu Kurosawa, and top Japanese producer Hiromichi Tanaka, the producer of Chrono Cross -- took the time to answer a few questions regarding what American Final Fantasy fans can look forward to upon the arrival of this most unusual of Final Fantasies." Gamers.com Interview
- Sony: "Final Fantasy XI, PS2 hard drive in 2004"
SCEA president, Kaz Hirai, told the E3 press today that Final Fantasy XI will be released in North America in early 2004. What's more, the game will be published by SCEA rather than Square Enix and the PS2 Hard Drive will be released in time for XI's arrival. Both the PS2 and PC versions will include the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack. Games Are Fun
- Re-release of Final Fantasy XI with price cuts
 June 2003 will see Square Enix releasing a Nice Price version of Final Fantasy XI (without the expansion pack Rise of the Zilart) in Japan for $40. This edition will include the latest patch of the game so users don't have to go through the reported 5 hour download torture involved in the update process. Gamefront
- E3 Squenix titles get release dates
Two days after the release of their E3 line-up to the public, Square Enix have revealed when NA will actually be seeing these titles. Full Article
- E3 line-up for Square Enix announced
Any dreams of seeing something secret will have to be saved for whatever large event is coming after E3, because you're getting the obvious from Square this time around. Full Article
- Square Enix upcoming games translated; more info revealed
 As E3 draws near, companies have begun to reveal small details of the titles they will be unveiling at E3 in order to get the right press there. Accordingly, Square Enix has released information on its upcoming Nintendo titles, as well as confirmed registration of some others. Full Article
- Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Girade/Jiraat/Gerblah more successful than the game's initial launch
With the launch of the Final Fantasy XI add-on pack, Vision of Girade (?) last week in Japan, which shipped at 80k copies and sold 80% of that on the first day, Square Enix should be reasonably happy compared to the fairly poor initial sales of the title last year. Selling 80k of the expansion means that approximately 40% of the game's player purchased the add-on, making it anything but a failure.
- No hard drive needed for North American Final Fantasy XI?
North American Final Fantasy XI beta testers apparently won't require a PS2 hard drive to operate. Full Article
- Final Fantasy X-2 sells 2 million copies
So. Since March 13th FFX-2 has sold slightly over 2 million copies in Japan, making it uh, a multi-million seller. Square Enix expects the title to do even better when it hits the wild west presumably later this year, as non-Japan territories have been more successful for Squenix titles for a while now. Oh, and here's a video of Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Girade.
- Final Fantasy XI goes beta
Public testing for PlayOnline services in North America has begun at Square Enix USA's site, where users can sign up for either the PS2 or PC version of the network and get a chance to play Tetra Master, Final Fantasy XI and make use of PlayOnline stuff. Get on it, but don't forget - US/Canada only! Square Enix USA
- New FFXI screens show off Ramuh, Dragoons, Crystals, other shit
 This gallery of new Final Fantasy XI shots display a bunch of new stuff from what is presumably the Vision of Girat expansion, with funky new Ramuh designs, a dragoon who looks like Final Fantasy IV's Kain, and more. GameWatch
- Capcom, Konami, Nintendo, Square Enix, others set to rock house at E3, says Gamefront
 Someone released a tentative list of what to expect from our favourite gaming developers at E3 this May. Full Article
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18 Oct 2007 by 
