News / 2007 / April /
16 articles
- Hitoshi Sakimoto and Motoi Sakuraba announce merger
Square Enix game composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Motoi Sakuraba have announced that effective today they will be consolidating their artistic assets and merging into a single unified organism called Motoshi Sakriboto. Details
- Square's behind the scenes video of Final Fantasy XII
The bonus disc of Final Fantasy XII collector's edition came replete with some candid interviews from the game's designers. Though Ivalice mastermind Yasumi Matsuno is nowhere to be found, other contributors to the epic RPG featured on-screen include scenario writer Daisuke Watanabe and translators Alexander O. Smith and Joseph Reeder, art directors Hideo Minaba and Isamu Kamikokuryou, along with CG director Eiji Fujii. Character designer Akihiko Yoshida also tells how he set out to design visuals that had never been seen before by blending medieval armor with mountain biking gear. Video interviews
- Sacre Bleu! First batch of Final Fantasy Tactics A2 scans
The first scans of the mysterious Ivalice Alliance title The Sealed Grimoire have been published in Japanese gaming magazines Shonen Jump and Famitsu. The visual style of the strategy RPG appears to be in the vain of DS titles Revenant Wings and Heroes of Mana. The protagonists of the new Ivalice adventure are Adele and Luso. Scans
- Eminent Square musicians headed to Australia
Eminence, as previously advised is holding its next two concerts in the Night in Fantasia series in Sydney and Melbourne. Joining the already superb list of guests consisting of Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda (Sydney only), Junichi Nakatsuru and Masaru Shiina will be Kow Otani (Shadow of the Colossus, Haibane Renmei) and Shiro Hamaguchi (orchestrator of many modern FF pieces including One-Winged Angel. (Both of the additional guests will be in Sydney only.) Will the Mitsuda be revising his performance of signature Celtic music on the bouzouki? Be in Sydney on the weekend of April 20 or Melbourne on April 27 to find out. Read on
- 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
- Hitoshi Sakimoto provides exclusive music to the A Night in Fantasia website
Eminence have unveiled a small yet fresh composition from composer Hitoshi Sakimoto on their website for their upcoming concert A Night in Fantasia. While not epic in nature, it does resemble the feel of Final Fantasy XII and does the job of providing background music well. Check it out
- Famitsu rates Revenant Wings
With Square Enix's line-up of Nintendo DS strategy titles appearing on shelves in Japan, Famitsu is appraising the game developer's efforts to carve out a niche on the country's most popular console. The verdict: a decisive 32. The direct sequel to Final Fantasy XII, titled Revenant Wings, has scored a respectable 32/40. So have the latest handheld Seiken Densetsu title, Heroes of Mana, and Hanjuku Heroes DS. It's 32's all around for Square Enix. More scores
- Square Enix Receives New North American CEO
As a part of its restructuring of the management chain, Square Enix has announced that European head John Yamamoto will be assuming the North American role from our very dear friend, sometimes polymorhpic madman, Yoichi Wada. Yamamoto, who was responsible for increasing the Square Enix PAL presence, will be retaining his current duties as European head, while former North American President Daishiro Okada will become chairman of the branch. Is this new hope for a revitalized North American Square Enix? The real question is: unlike Wada, does Yamamoto know how to smile? Next Generation
- 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 Anniversary Edition headed stateside
Square Enix is already at work on the English-language adaptations of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition for the Sony Playstation Portable. Screenshots released today reveal the 20th anniversary iterations of the 8-bit classics will pay homage to the game's heritage by including the full Japanese text version. The titles will sell for $29.99 apiece, and hit retail shelves on June 26 and July 24. English screens
- Taito's next stage
Taito, the developer of such fixtures of the classic gaming canon as Bubble Bobble and Space Invaders, is now part of Square Enix, and currently one of Japan's leading developers of arcade machines. In the past few years Taito has been developing their new arcade hardware named Type X based on PC architecture, in an effort to shorten development time and facilitate the creation of console games. Square Haven spoke with Takashi (Tak) Naito, senior general manager of Taito about the recent strategies of the company's arcade division. Details
- Famitsu awards veterans of the gaming industry
At this year's Famitsu Awards, Hironobu Sakaguchi was distinguished as the Most Valuable Person, Nintendo won big with Pocket Monster, Mario netted the honor of character of the year, and Square's long-time RPG mainstay Akitoshi Kawazu accepted the award for best game. All in all, last year's big winner (in Famitsu's judgment, anyway) is old school gaming. Images, details
- The Pioneers: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Hitoshi Sakimoto is currently one of the most prolific music composers in the game industry. He began his career working with Quest on the Ogre Battle series, and later joined many of the same core collaborators for Square games Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story. From Medieval strategy RPG's to sci-fi sidescrollers, the composer maintains a complex yet recognizable style across his diverse and influential titles. The Pioneers
- ローカライズ戦略: Alexander O. Smithとのインタビュー
自営の独立した会社Kajiya Productionsにて日本語のメディアを翻訳するローカライズのスペシャリストとして活躍するAlexander O. Smith。ゲーム翻訳以外においては、鳥山明の『Dr.スランプ』や小野不由美の『十二国記 月の影 影の海』、栗本薫の『グイン・サーガ』、天野喜孝の美術書を含む漫画の翻訳も手掛けている。彼の手掛けたスクエアーのタイトル、『ベイグラントストーリー』、『ファイナルファンタジーX』、『ファイナルファンタジーXII』を含め、ゲーム業界でのキャリアや英語圏に向けてローカライズされた最近のプロジェクトについてAlex氏にお話を伺う機会を得た。 Full Article
- Localization Tactics: A Conversation with Alexander O. Smith
Alexander O. Smith is a localization specialist who translates Japanese media through his independent company, Kajiya Productions. His projects for Square include Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. We touched base with Alex to learn more about his career in the game industry, and his most recent projects adapting Square Enix games for the English-language market. Square Haven Interview
- Sakaguchi: Final Fantasy XII sucks, Blue Dragon an extension of Chrono Trigger
Next month's EGM has an interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi, currently at Mistwalker, in which he's asked what he thinks of Final Fantasy XII. His answer? "I just played the beginning. You really can't expect much from the game when Yasumi Matsuno, a crucial member of the team, leaves in the middle of development." Also: "When creating Blue Dragon, Dragon Quest wasn't on my mind. I was actually thinking about Chrono Trigger and Blue Dragon is an extension of that game.". More at the link! Neogaf
01 Apr 2007 by 
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