News / 2007 / February /
15 articles
- Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix on the horizon
The official Japanese homepage for the Kingdom Hearts II incremental upgrade, due out March 29, has been updated with additional screens and details. Kingdom Hearts Insider has provided a downloadable mp3 of the website's background theme penned by series composer Yoko Shimomura, while 1Up.com contends that Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix is headed stateside in Fall of 2007... perhaps alongside Metal Gear Solid Triology? Official word on whether the 3D remake of Chain of Memories is actually receiving an English-language release should be confirmed by March's Game Developers Conference. Final Mix wallpapers
- Square rakes in dough; may make bread
Square Enix recently released their most recent fiscal results, accompanied by some rather interesting shipping figures and a new profit projection to boot. Should you care? Don't answer that! Just click on! Read More
- Square moves to improve manners
It seems that after forcing itself to put up with the horrible acumen of the general gaming community, Square Enix has finally announced My Happy Manners Book for the Nintendo DS. In development by subsidiary Taito, this title will feature instruction on polite deportment, social conventions, and a cultivated appearance. All this and more in Japanese stores promptly on April 5 of this year. Hopefully, it won't be late--that would be pretty damn rude. The Magic Box
- A Night in Fantasia set to be Nirvana
Eminence, which has brought us several concerts featuring game music and a home to our very own Nephtis has recently announced an upcoming set of performances which strives to rival their previous engagements in both scope and sheer star power. Curious? Read on. More
- NOA considers Japan-only titles for Virtual Console
Wired correspondent Chris Kohler reports that Nintendo of America senior vice president George Harrison is considering bringing certain titles previously available only in Japan to the Wii virtual console. "We are aware that there are some very successful Japanese franchises that have a small following in the US," said the VP. "And that they could never be reached by putting these products out at retail. We're open to games released in Japan if we can get them translated properly." What do you think? Would you pay ten bucks for Mother or Seiken Densetsu 3 on Wii? Wired
- Police enforce Mario Sunshine
Deviant college students were found painting offensive pixel art today on the brick walkways of University of North Carolina's Halton Arena. The mural of reptilian Mario arch-nemesis Bowser rendered in pastel chalk was discovered by the police with the help of several upright student informants on the scene. Details
- Not-quite photo-realistic game images really creeping people out
Roboticist Masahiro Mori coined the term "Uncanny Valley" in 1970 to refer to the anxiety produced by looking at human marionettes that are entirely lifelike... only not quite. Now the term is being used to describe near photo-realistic videogames like French developer Quantic Dream's Playstation 3 thriller Heavy Rain, whose kinda almost lifelike visuals are reportedly really creeping the shit out of people. The term "uncanny" comes from Sigmund Freud's concept of the Unheimlichkeit, the sensation of seeing a dreamlike image in reality. Be sure to weigh QD's Uncanny Valley effect against Square Enix's equally Freudian Sexy Lightning effect when deciding your game purchases. BBC
- Patrick Stewart lends Britishness to Final Fantasy XII
*Update* As reported by kotaku, Patrick Stewart has been hired to record voice overs for the Final Fantasy XII advertisements to appear in Australia and the UK. The lauded Yorkshire-born Shakespearian actor is most widely known as bald and virile Starfleet officer Jean-Luc Picard, and paraplegic and virile Professor Xavier of the X-Men. David Dyett, European Marketing Director of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "As our first and only choice, we're thrilled that Patrick Stewart has provided the voiceover for the Final Fantasy XII television campaign in the UK and Australia." Watch the UK trailer
- Wada talks next-gen; vomits remakes
In a recent interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Yoichi Wada, acting president of Square Enix Co., discussed the company’s next-gen strategy, which appears to be geared more towards milking the past than creating the future. What could possibly be in store? Read More
- Final Fantasy Tactics: Zodiac Brave Minigame
Square Enix has updated their Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War official site with a custom minigame. Flip the cards and match the pictures on the back within 30 seconds and win a special prize: a zipped file including two custom desktop wallpapers and Windows icons. The wallpapers each display a noseless male and female pair of each job class, art by Akihiko Yoshida. The jobs have been given awkward translations like "Doragon Knight" and "Talker" but they are nonetheless visually stunning. The minigame can be highly addictive. Spoils
- ActRaiser first in Japan for Virtual Console
Square Enix has announced that it will be publishing its first Virtual Console title in Japan: ActRaiser, released in 1991 for the Super Nintendo. In March, a new generation of players will be able to look down on the world from the Sky Palace, between stages of hacking-and-slashing through Fillmore, Bloodpool, Kasandora, Aitos, Marahna, and Northwall. No word yet on an English-language release, but chances are likely that Enix's epic side-scroller/simulation title will be descending soon. Gamasutra
- UK cosplayers queue up for Final Fantasy XII
Square Enix held its official Final Fantasy XII Cosplay competition in Central London this weekend to celebrate the release of the epic RPG in the United Kingdom. Free t-shirts and posters were apologetically handed out at the event in an effort to compensate for the late European release, while producer Akitoshi Kawazu and co-director Hiroshi Minagawa were on-hand to sign paraphernalia. Final Fantasy XII is on sale now in Europe and Australia. Pics
- American Anime Award goes to computers/clones
The first annual American Anime Awards gala took place last night in New York City at the New York Comic Con. Over 43,000 fans cast their votes online, resulting in the award for Best Animated Feature going to Square's hour-long computer-generated FMV sequence Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The glorified cut-scene beat out anachronistically nominated Akira and Square-related Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. Alchemist did however manage to pick up an award for best DVD packaging. No joke. The event will be broadcast on the Anime Network on March 23rd. anime_anime.jp
- Tara Strong to voice Kluke in Blue Dragon
Tara Strong, who performed the role of Rikku in Final Fantasy X-2, is currently at work voicing the character of Kluke in Blue Dragon. "I love playing 'Kluke,'" the veteran voice actor says. "She's cute and strong and different." The game is produced by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and features Chrono Trigger character designer Akira Toriyama, as well as music by Nobuo Uematsu. Q&A
- The Pioneers: Hiroki Kikuta
A professional writer, illustrator, and game producer, Hiroki Kikuta is best known as the musical innovator behind Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, and Soukaigi. After several years of silence, the composer has returned recently, both with a self-published album entitled Lost Files and in Dawn of Mana, where his Seiken Densetsu themes have been remixed for the Playtastion 2 console. The Pioneers
03 Feb 2007 by 
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