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
強くあることを恐れない: Kari Wahlgrenとのインタビュー Kari Wahlgrenのファーストネームは「星のように輝く」という意味の英単語"Starry"と同じ韻を持っている。ホイジングトンで育ち、カンザス大学で演劇を専攻したKariの女優としての人生は、地方劇場の舞台女優、そしてミュージカルのメゾソプラノとしてスタートを切った。今作は、歴代のファイナルファンタジー中でも一番の興行収入を誇り、実に多くの支持者を得ている。『ファイナルファンタジーXII インターナショナルゾディアックジョブシステム』の売り上げは、発売から数週間にして、アメリカ国内だけでも2億本にも上った。今回のSquare HavenによるKariへのインタビューでは、主にスクエア・エニックス2作品への出演、さらに、その他多くのアニメーションやゲームへの出演についての話を聞いた。 インタビュー
Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon granted entry into America Full of colorful 3D graphics and classic Final Fantasy tunes, the mini-game compilation title Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon will be available to Nintendo DS owners in North America this April. The game's use of the DS stylus and touch screen is reportedly more diverse and amusing than anything Square Enix has conjured up for the portable thus far. What will the game be called when it arrives? Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. Details and TV ads
Entertainment for All Expo flung to the masses IDG, the company responsible for GamePro Magazine, will be hosting an E3 event for the common man. At least, so long as the common man is willing to foot the $100 entrance fee. The Entertainment for All Expo will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the locus of the old Electronic Entertainment Expo, thereby capturing all the hype and mania of the famed convention, without the strategic announcements and free tote bags. The first-ever not-quite-free-for-all E for All will take place October 18-20, 2007. The rundown
バルフレアという役の舞台作り:Gideon Emeryとのインタビュー バークシャー州ウィンザー生まれのギデオン・エメリーはヨハネスブルグのウィットウォーター大学で演劇を専攻、舞台、テレビ、ラジオと南アフリカで大活躍。演劇『Heel Against the Head』での演技でナショナル・ヴィタ・アワード・フォー・コメディー賞を受賞。今回は『ファイナルファンタジーXII インターナショナルゾディアックジョブシステム』の中で、空賊バルフレア・ブナンサの声を演じた彼にインタビューした。 インタビュー
Setting the Stage for Balthier: A Conversation with Gideon Emery Gideon Emery hails from Windsor, Berkshire and studied theatre at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He has acted extensively in South Africa, on stage, screen and radio, and received the National Vita Award for Comedy for his performance in the play Heel Against the Head. Today he is here to talk about his role in Final Fantasy XII as the sky pirate Balthier Bunansa. Square Haven Interview
Balthier Bunansa all over Ivalice After piloting the Strahl to a perfect famitsu score in Japan and record sales in North America, Final Fantasy XII's Balthier Bunansa is broadening his horizons. He helped land the Playstation 2 title Gamespot, IGN, and Edge Magazine's awards for best game of 2006. Now he is set to debut in European territories on February 23. But will this mark the end of Balthier's adventures? Hardly. His upcoming destinations are the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. The Ivalice Trilogy of Balthier
Squeenix wishes Final Fantasy a happy anniversary, demands more money As was promised some time ago, Square Enix has recently announced its intent to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of everyone's most favorite of RPG titles...by releasing them again! Confused? You should be! It seems that Dawn of Souls, now aged some three years, will be coming to the PSP in 2007--split into two separate titles, each with its own equally fulfilling retail price! Get ready to enjoy the same two games you've already enjoyed two different ways, now with a new aspect ratio! Yeah! Scans
Square Enix stabs into bleeding MMO genre; Concerto Gate announced Well, sort of. It appears that Square Enix has recently announced its production involvement in a new Japanese MMORPG to be released this coming April. Developed by ponsbic, very little is known about Concerto Gate save that it will feature more animé-style artwork along the vein of many equivalent Korean titles. More relevantly, it features no North American release to speak of, but this particular amount of cuteness may induce severe allergic reactions in many Americans. So really, it’s for our own good. Teaser
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
Pope ostracizes videogames In his most courageous stance since condemning birth control and same-sex marriage, Pope Benedict XVI has taken a bold stand against videogames. "Any trend to produce programs and products—including animated films and video games," said the Pope, "which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behavior or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion." The papal leader suggested children enjoy fine art, classical music, and sumptuous meats and wines instead. "How could one explain this 'entertainment' to the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse?" remarked the religious leader. "The Catholic Church cannot advocate any custom or convention that involves the exploitation and abuse of children." Dogma
Voices and Choices: A Conversation with Shawn Lee Shawn Lee is blessed with an abundance of musical gifts. During 2006 he was burning the midnight oil in recording studios all over London to furnish listeners with a dazzling array of sounds. Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra released Strings and Things in February on Ubiquity Records. His eagerly awaited album Soul Visa, previously available only in Japan, emerged in April, featuring the Witchita-born composer's very own vocal talents. Today he is here to talk about Bully Original Soundtrack, his videogame music debut. Square Haven Interview
Final Fantasy VI; grittier translation? When the highly-acclaimed Final Fantasy VI first saw an English translation, several edits were made to accommodate the alarmist-minded, including changing "Doom" to "Death", "Pub" into "Cafe", and "Holy" into "Pearl", among others. With the U.S. launch of Final Fantasy VI Advance only a week away, Siliconera has noted a recent screenshot which depicts the change of "Doomgaze" to "Deathgaze", implying that the script may have been corrected to more closely match its Japanese counterpart. This, in addition to new content, may yet yield a high-quality release of the title. Picture