- Square Enix lineup for Jump Festa '08 announced
 Titles to be featured at this year's Jump Festa, the annual manga party in Tokyo, have been revealed. Full title list
- Final Fantasy XIII exclusivity confusion, Dragon Quest IX certainty
 Hirokazu Hamamura, overlord of Famitsu, spoke this week to a convocation of Tokyo journalists regarding his thoughts on token items such as Final Fantasy XIII, Dragon Quest IX, and a bright future for the Nintendo Wii. Bathe in the optimism
- Wada tells Sony to get its shit straight
 Reuters reports today on the critically bad state of Playstation 3 in Japan, and underlines it with an equally critical comment from Yoichi Wada, who you may recognise as Captain Polymorph. Says the -- otherwise fairly benign -- president, "[...] after some badgering from game companies, [Sony] shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine." Reading between the lines, perhaps we can infer from Wada's comments that he's not enthralled by PS3's dismal sales given that the company has practically banked its next-gen success on the platform with Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII -- and similarly, perhaps this is the reason we're not seeing any new announcements short of sudden commentary that the games' underlying White engine technology is now "cross-platform". Reuters
- 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
- Toriyama: Fabula Nova Crystallis cannot be stopped
 The director of Final Fantasy XIII, Motomu Toriyama, has revealed in an interview with Playstation Magazine that the Fabula Nova Crystallis series is "not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones." The statement gives credence to the possibility that a multi-platform MMO based on the thirteenth iteration of the Square series might be underway. The game director claims, "[T]here are many characters and legends that are branching off from the main story and universe. It's a huge project." Details
- Final Fantasy XIII information arises; first story details
 Recent interviews have unearthed some exciting new information regarding Final Fantasy XIII, still under rigorous development, including some interesting battle tidbits and the beginnings of what has the potential to become an epic story. Well, maybe if Yasumi Matsuno were involved. Read More
- Does Sony need Final Fantasy XIII?
 Final Fantasy XIII will not be hitting shelves until late this year in Japan, but judging by new TV ads featuring FMV footage of Square's smoking hot heroine "Lightning," the long wait hasn't stopped Sony from billing the title as perhaps the key gaming event of 2007. TV CM & screens
- Final Fantasy XIII level modeling video
 A brief video aired on Japanese television showcases the ability of the Playstation 3 to render entire cities in real time. This should give new meaning to the term "zoom out." Video
- Square Enix announces Jump Festa Lineup
 This year's Jump Festa will take place across the 16th and 17th of December. Click on for a full listing of titles to show. But beware: in doing so, one in a thousand readers may suffer cardiac arrest. Full List
- Infidelity! Recreancy! Square Enix expresses ambivalence toward PS3
 While Square Enix has already ruled out console monogamy, it remained evident that the PlayStation 3 would be the preeminent platform of choice for the most coveted of titles (read: Final Fantasy XIII). However, ambivalence is increasingly expressed toward the PS3 as a viable platform. The latest comment from Michihiro Sasaki, senior VP of Square Enix, only adds fuel to Square Enix's polymorphic fire: "We don't want PlayStation 3 to be the overwhelming loser, so we want to support them... But we don't want them to be the overwhelming winner either, so we can't support them too much." It makes perfect sense! 1UP
- And now for some completely awesome non-news.
 It has been announced that there will be no new footage of Final Fantasy XIII at the Tokyo Games Show. In fact, all we'll get to see is footage we already saw at the now defunct E3.This news brought to you by Square Enix.
- Famitsu extrapolates FFXIII details
 In a recent issue of Famitsu (scans here), the Japanese gaming magazine took a look at Final Fantasy XIII's battle system. Viewing the latest battle screens, a bar that reads "ATB Cost" and drains with each command floats next to character HP. In the upper right-hand corner, a gauge fills to allow for an "Overclock" status, where enemies are slowed to allow for turn-based bullet time. Finally, one can make out "Lightning" to the left of ATB Cost. Could this be our beauty's name? It seems like the natural progression after years of Clouds and Squalls. Har! Famitsu
- Fabula Nova Crystallis: FINAL FANTASY XIII unveiled at E3
Final Fantasy XIII has been revealed, but it's not like we thought it would be. It's a polymorphic franchise comparable to Compilation of Final Fantasy VII titled Fabula Nova Crystallis and comes in three parts: two for Playstation 3 and one for mobile phones. Each game will feature different characters, locations, and world settings, but share a similar universe and thematic elements. Final Fantasy XIII, in brief, is developed by the Final Fantasy X-2 team, directed by Motomu Toriyama and composed by Masashi Hamauzu. Featuring a female protagonist, the game will feature the "most advanced videogame population to date". Final Fantasy Versus XIII is directed by Tetsuya Nomura and developed by the Kingdom Hearts II team and may relate to KH2's XIII Organisation. Music by Yoko Shimomura. Finally, Final Fantasy Agito XIII is an online RPG for mobile phones from the team behind Before Crisis Final Fantasy VII. Phew. So what do you think?
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04 Dec 2007 by 
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