March 28, 2008, Square Haven has ceased updates indefinitely. What you see below is an archived version.
News / 2007 /
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- Tanaka: "We were making Final Fantasy III for PS2 until Nintendo convinced us otherwise"
In an interview with Hiromichi Tanaka today on CVG, the producer reveals that Final Fantasy III (DS) was originally a PS2 project, but Nintendo convinced Square Enix to move it to DS instead. Other interesting tidbits: a Final Fantasy VII remake on DS is "a matter of timing", and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii) will take advantage of motion detection for spellcasting. C&VG
- Sony's goat sacrifice backfires
Sony has raised the ire of animal rights advocates for using the corpse of a freshly decapitated goat as a centerpiece for their closed-door God of War II launch party. Among those weighing in against the morbid Sony stunt is PETA activist Jack, who helped organize the non-profit's Zelda: Twilight Princess sweepstakes. Details
- New trademark Last Remnant baffles me and I want to know what it is
Square Enix has trademarked, apparently, the new IP Last Remnant in preparation of its undoubted unveiling at the upcoming Square Enix Party. But that stuff's irrelevant. What's relevant is whether Last Remnant is going to be the subtitle for Star Ocean 4 (to be announced at the party), Final Fantasy VII-2 (for which everyone except myself has a hard-on), Final Fantasy XII-2 (which I demand be made just so the story from FFXII gets done right), or something different? What do you guys think?
- The Pioneers: Masashi Hamauzu
Masashi Hamauzu is a classically trained musician and vocalist. Inheriting the talents of his father, an opera singer, the composer lent his voice to the chorus of "One Winged Angel" in Final Fantasy VII, and years later was selected to compose music for the game's long-awaited sequel. Here, ten music samples highlight the composer's career thus far, from his interning position at Square on up to his preparations for Final Fantasy XIII. The Pioneers
- Breakbeat Alternative: A Conversation with Riow Arai
Riow Arai, the Tokyo-born techno and hip hop musician, trained himself on the synthesizer. Beats and edits on his seven solo albums are mixed and mastered by Riow Arai--same goes for the soundtrack to Square's Front Mission Alternative. We caught up with Riow to talk about the development of his style and his distinctive contribution to videogame music. Square Haven Interview
- The Pioneers: Yoko Shimomura
Yoko Shimomura's parents wept with sadness when the young composer decided to take a job at Capcom following her college graduation. Today she is one of the most prominent composers of game music, and her songs from the Kingdom Hearts series have been performed by live orchestras in Japan, Australia, and the United States. Here, Square Haven takes a look at the musician's influential career thus far, supplemented by selections from her soundtracks. The Pioneers
- Last Remnant director reveals first details
Word is out on The Last Remnant. In the latest issue of GameInformer, director Hiroshi Takai explains the title will be the first Square RPG to make use of the Unreal Engine 3, and will debut simultaneoulsy in Japan and North America, likely on the Playstation 3 and XBox 360. The game stars two protagonists: a teenage knight named Rush Sykes and the mysterious, blood-soaked warrior dubbed "The Conqueror." First images
- Dissidia Final Fantasy unveiled for the PSP
Today Square Enix launched a teaser site for the next Final Fantasy title for the PSP, titled Dissidia Final Fantasy. Judging by the first scan from Shonen Jump, the game is a 3D action title involving characters from assorted Final Fantasy titles, including Chaos, Kuja, and Zidane. The logo is designed by Yoshitaka Amano, while characters will be handled by Tetsuya Nomura. More information awaits to be revealed at the Square Enix Party this weekend. First scan
- Final Fantasy IV receiving DS remake
The first scan of the Final Fantasy IV remake for Nintendo DS has appeared in the latest issue of Shonen Jump. Game development is being overseen by the team responsible for this year's popular port of Final Fantasy III, featuring similar soundtrack tweaks and 3D graphics. First scan
- Three Star Ocean titles emerge at Square Enix Party Conference
At Square Enix's pre-party conference held today in Tokyo the company announced three Star Ocean titles are in development. Other news includes a release date for Final Fantasy XII International and first deatils on an entry for the Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon series for the Wii. Details
- Square Haven to report on the Square Enix Party
Square Haven will be attending the 2007 Square Enix Party in Chiba, Japan this Saturday and Sunday, and reporting on coverage throughout the week. Readers can expect stills from upcoming Square Enix games, along with two low-profile Square-related interviews. Japan
- Initial impressions of the Square Enix Party
The first day of the Square Enix Party in Chiba, Japan witnessed thousands of visitors to the Makuhari Messe convention center. Square Haven reports on the Amano artwork on the show floor, the cosplay displays, and various pamphlets and gifts made available to guests of the special event. An overview of the show floor, including photos of the booths and gameplay impressions, will unfold over the coming week. Images
- Here comes Takeharu Ishimoto
People interested in game music should keep an eye out for Takeharu Ishimoto. The musician has been working with Square for years, mostly flying beneath the radar of mainstream recognititon as a synthesizer programmer. Ishimoto will be making his published soundtrack debut in a big way with Subarashi Kono Sekai, Dissidia Final Fantasy, and Crisis Core. Here's a chance to hear all his songs currently available. Music
- Square Enix Party: behind the swag
Behind the swag presented to visitors of yesterday's Square Enix Party in Chiba, Japan there was more swag to be had by standing in line and playing the games. Here is a brief selection from the veritable cornucopia of Square Enix souvenirs available at the event. Images
- Mapping out the Square Enix Party
Square Haven continues its report on the Square Enix Party with coverage from the show floor, including maps of the game booths, photos, and gameplay impressions. Demos of upcoming Square titles featured at the event included Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Grimoire, Dragon Quest Swords, and Subarashiki Kono Sekai, among others. Details
- チェインオブメモリーズ: Amanda Katsuradaインタビュー
Amanda Jun Katsuradaは聖剣伝説 LEGEND OF MANA、 ベーグラントストーリー, キングダムハーツなどの数々のゲームの制作に貢献したローカライゼーションのスペシャリストである。群馬県で生まれの Amandaは後にアメリカに渡り、Penn State 大学を卒業する。在学中にアテネで考古学を学んだ彼女の活躍は翻訳、ローカライゼーションだけにとどまらることを知らず、近年では日本のカーラリー雑誌でAmanda の記事を読むことが出来る。今回のインタビューでは、翻訳家や通訳としてのバックグラウンドについて、さらに、テレビゲーム業界での経験について話を聞いた。 インタビュー
- Chain of Memories: A Conversation with Amanda KatsuradaAmanda Jun Katsurada has contributed to the production of such Square games as Legend of Mana, Vagrant Story, and Kingdom Hearts as a localization specialist. Born in Gunma, Japan and graduating from Penn State University, she has studied archeology in Athens, and covered motor sports events for Japanese rally magazines. We caught up with Amanda to learn about her background in translation and interpretation, and to discuss her experiences in the videogame industry. Square Haven Interview
- Nintendo announces freakin' huge list of composers for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
What happens when you get 36 composers to arrange "several of their favourite songs" from a bunch of Nintendo games? You get Super Smash Bros. Brawl of course. Included in this large list are Yasunori Mitsuda & Yoko Shimomura among other respected individuals. Will the soundtrack that possibly boasts the largest number of composers/arrangers ever actually turn out good? Read on
- Critique of Games: Akito Inoue
Square Haven had the opportunity to speak with Akito Inoue, assistant professor at GLOCOM, The Center for Global Communications at the International University of Japan, about his game-related publications in Intelplace. Akito's research sheds light on the history of videogames and anticipates the future of interactive media. Details
- 「ビデオゲームをめぐる問いと思想」 井上明人井上明人氏(26歳)は慶應義塾大学大学院を修了後、国際大学GLOCOMにてゲーム研究の専門家として、助教を勤めている。今回、Square Havenは、東京にて、ゲーム研究者である井上明人氏にインタラクティブメディアの現状についてのご意見をお聞きする場を設けることに成功した。 Details
02 May 2007 by 
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