Final Fantasy XII-branded PS2 on the way March 16 will not only see the release of Final Fantasy XII, but also a Sony-released bundle of the Playstation 2 ceremoniously branded with the Judge Master design. The package will not only include an actual system, but also a cell phone strap, vertical stand, and a copy of Final Fantasy XII itself. GameWatch
Dragon Quest VIII gets European release Hard work on the part of numerous European fanboys has apparently resulted in Square Enix confirming an April release of Dragon Quest VIII (based on the US version with all the doodads). And hopefully a little bit more.
Front Mission sales reach 3 million Square Enix has announced that the complete sales of its Front Mission series since its debut ten years ago have totalled three million with the release of Front Mission 5. With more than 200,000 copies sold since its December 29th release, this seventeenth installment has successfully secured the longevity of both Front Mission's position in gaming history and Yoichi Wada's pocketbook.
Final Fantasy XII controller announced Game peripheral maker Logicool has announced that a special edition Final Fantasy XII controller will release alongside the title on March 16th. This white cordless controller will come stamped with the Final Fantasy XII logo and include a convenient LCD cleaner. Shiny. GPara
Advent Children actually being released in North America eventually Square Enix has cemented the publication of a North American version of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children with a recent array of advertisements in gaming publications, including EGM. The advent (bahaha!) of this revelation is perhaps a shock to the gaming community, which undoubtedly believed that the movie would never see international release, considering the 30-month timeframe since its announcement and 19 month lag in initially proposed release. When, precisely the title will see a release has been a debatable topic. Some retailers claim a March, 2006 release, but Amazon.com is most likely the most accurate, citing January 1, 2010 to be the day when lucky Americans and Canadians alike will be able to obtain a legal copy of this most coveted gaming occasion.
Bottoms up to Final Fantasy XII potions Because gamers have money and get thirsty, Suntory has released details on its Final Fantasy XII Potion beverage line. Its 120mL bottles contain not only herbs and nutritional supplements to relax and energize, but a 191 yen ($1.66 USD) price tag that is sure to relax and lighten wallets when the drink releases in Japan on March 7th. Of course, Suntory will also offer a "Final Fantasy XII Premium Box" containing a 100 mL bottle, decorative cork, and a Final Fantasy XII art museum card. With six types of corks and twenty-seven cards, even grumpy middle-aged Japanese men will be compelled to collect them all! Pictures
Jessica Alba's boobs. Er, I mean, Advent Children dated for Europe! So says Eurogamer. The DVD & UMD will arrive on April 24th at 30 euros a pop and oh yeah, there are some confirmed voice actors: Mandy Moore will return to give Aeris chords as she did in Kingdom Hearts, some guy called Steve Burton is in for Cloud for the same reason, and they magicked Jessica Alba's tush out of B-rated movie land just for Barret. Well, probably Tifa. But Barret would be all kinds of funny! Eurogamer
Final Fantasy XII memory card bundle announced To round out the Final Fantasy XII experience, Japan's Hori has announced its newest line of Final Fantasy XII memory cards. A limited edition memory card bundle will include not only the card itself, graced with the FFXII logo, but also a case to hold two such cards and an additional six stickers, presumably for aesthetic variety. With a suggested retail price of 3,200 yen ($27.14 USD), expect to be saving your games with your Final Fantasy XII controller on your Final Fantasy XII memory card using your Final Fantasy XII Playstation 2 while you sip gently on Final Fantasy XII Potion when Final Fantasy XII releases on March 16. Picture
Princess Peach whoring out pictures in the UK "For a set charge of ?9.75 I will perform a pose of your choice and the photo is yours to keep! You may want me to mimic a classic Peach action or hold up a sign with your name on saying how much YOU rock! Or perhaps you require a picture for your website or blog? I have Nintendo-themed props such as huge chain chomps, bullet bills and bob-ombs! The possibilities are endless! You may even want to fool people into thinking I?m your girlfriend!"- Princess Peach Link
Valkyrie Profile titles patented in US; ports to follow? According to German GameFront, Square Enix has registered both Valkyrie Profile Lenneth and Valkyrie Profile Silmeria with the United States Patent Office. While this action is not necessarily a sure indicator, it certainly makes apparent Square Enix's interest to localize both titles for an English-speaking audience. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth has already released in Japan and Valkyrie Profile Silmeria currently holds a June 22nd Japanese release date. GameFront
Final Fantasy XII soundtrack set for release April 19 will see the Japanese release of the Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack, which features main composition by Hitoshi Sakimoto with various thematic inserts by Nobuo Uematsu. The limited edition package, priced at around ?3990, with imports running anywhere from $32.66 to $38.90 USD, will come packaged in a DVD case and include both the four-disc soundtrack and a twenty-eight page booklet. Picture
Square Enix teams up with Gakken to make games that are not fun Square Enix has announced today that they are to form a joint venture with Japanese company Gakushuukenkyuusha ("Gakken" for short, don't worry) in order to form "SG Lab", a new developer concerned with creating games that will focus on education and research. Opening May 1st, the studio will cater to clients looking for software to aid in the fields of medicine, health care, and public relations. Squeenix CEO Yoichi Wada expressed his hopes that SG Lab will become a leader in its field, which remarkably does not yet exist. GameWatch
Advent Children receives North American screening To celebrate the April 25th North American release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Square Enix is hosting a special screening at Los Angeles' Cinerama Dome on the evening of April 3rd. Tickets will be given out at noon of that same day to 800 lucky people who manage to find transportation to this historic marquee. "Key production staff and cast" are also noted to appear, so don't miss this chance to get "up close and personal" with animator number fifteen. Squre Enix
Squeenix registers more new trademarks According to German GameFront, Square Enix has registered several new trademarks with the United States Patent Office, including "Dragon Quest Heroes", "Dragon Quest Swords", "Rocket Slime", and "The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors". A Dragon Quest theme is quite apparent; the games themselves are not. Perhaps "Rocket Slime" is really Slime Morimori in disguise, and "The Masked Queen and the Towers of Mirrors" an English subtitle for Dragon Quest Yangus. Then again, perhaps not. GameFront
Nomura discusses Kingdom Hearts In a recent premier party, Kingdom Hearts II director Tetsuya Nomura commented on the fact that the changes made to accommodate Kingdom Hearts II for its United States release were minimal and thus not conducive of an International version. More interestingly, Nomura-san emphasized his plans for another Kingdom Hearts project, which he stressed would not be a direct sequel or foray into other media types, and noted that Square Enix has a "surprise ceremony" in store for E3. A line of Kingdom Hearts controllers, perhaps? Famitsu