- Blue Dragon gets more content
 Microsoft bore the second of two recent content upgrades for Blue Dragon yesterday in the form of a downloadable pack on Xbox Live. The "Shuffle Dungeon" mod, available now for 400 Microsoft Points, features a mysterious dungeon that changes every time the player enters. In addition to more than 30 new items, powerful monsters, and 10 new "hard-to-beat" bosses, the package supports both "Ultra Hard" difficulty settings. Full Article
- A completist's frustration: the reckoning
 EDITORIAL - Folks, I have an issue, and it's become a serious problem. No, it's not an addiction to teenage pornography, as some of you might suspect; farbeit for me to incriminate myself. Nor do I stalk the dark alleys of Compton, nails digging deep into my skin, in search of that effervescent crack cocaine--my rehabilitation has placed me far above such petty desires. The truth is, I like to finish things. It’s true, I derive a special enjoyment from completing assignments, tubes of toothpaste, and one-ply rolls of toilet paper dangling precariously in public restroom stalls. Yet, when it comes to my favorite gaming hobby, my completist inclinations take a turn for the worse. Very recently, this combination led to unmitigated disaster and my clutching a shuddering body in the fetal position in the dead of night. What could have possibly gone wrong? Full Article
- Blue Dragon downloadable content promises "impossible" odds
 Content seeking to challenge fans of Mistwalker's premier RPG, Blue Dragon, is now available for download on Xbox Live. Those dissatisfied with the game's pre-packaged difficulty can acquire the "Ultra Hard Mod" free of charge. Upgrades include Hard mode, which grants the player access to a difficulty setting twice as challenging as Normal, and Impossible: an arrangement intended for characters level 50 and above. In addition, players can now begin a new file using data from near the end of the game, courtesy of the Game Plus feature.
- PSP sales not abysmal this week!
 Thanks in part (or solely) to the large popularity of the PSP title Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII (which sold approximately 480,000 units its first week), PSP system sales for the week ending on September 16 has increased more than six times that of the previous week. With 95,487 units sold, PSP has outsold DS (79,974) to take the number one spot on the Japanese Hardware Sales list for the week. Now that everyone who will ever want a PSP now owns one, expect the sales to bottom back out at just this side of nothing in a week or two. Rounding out the bottom of the list was the Gamecube with an impressive 97 units sold. Gamesindustry.biz
- Near Death Experience: an interview with Yoshitaka Hirota
 Yoshitaka Hirota began his career in music as a sound designer for Square. He worked as a synthesizer operater and sound arranger, contributing to such classic titles as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, and Parasite Eve. As a composer, he has undertaken the musical scores for Sacnoth's trilogy of Shadow Hearts games and the arrange album titled "near death experience." His newest album is a collaboration with vocalist Rekka Kitakiri called Kinema in the Hall. Today Square Haven talks with the composer on the subject of his career in game music. Square Haven Interview
- Piano Squall brings tempest of music
 Various have tried, many have failed. But one, Michael Gluck, has made success out of video game music performance and recently released his album GAME--Game and Animé Music Emotions--to the delight of connoisseurs and convention goers everywhere. Square Haven recently talked to Gluck, who frequently takes on the guise of "Piano Squall", to talk with him about his musical career and his most recent accomplishment. His Story and a Review
- Conceptual Design: A Conversation with Christian Lorenz Scheurer
 Christian Lorenz Scheurer is a concept artist and illustrator whose first published book is entitled Entropia: A Collection of Unusually Rare Stamps. In the realm of games, he has contributed during the conceptual stages of Final Fantasy IX and Lost Odyssey. Today Square Haven talks with the visual artist and filmmaker about a few of his experiences designing videogames and motion pictures. Full interview
- E3 2007 - Amano wants to work with Mistwalker
 Today Chris Kohler of Wired interviewed Mistwalker president and former Square executive producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, leading to some intriguing off-the-cuff remarks on the part of the Japanese game designer. When asked if Mistwalker would invite Yoshitaka Amano, illustrator of the Final Fantasy series, "back into the fold," Sakaguchi answered, in English, "Yeah, good idea. And, he wants. Yeah, sometime." Full Q&A
- E3 2007 - Sony unveils slimmer Playstation Portable; Nintendo counters with edible DS
 Sony today announced plans to market a redesigned Playstation Portable console. The handheld gaming device will use less battery power than its predecessor, thanks to the thinner LCD display. The fitter, happier, more productive PSP is currently in the pre-manufacturing phase of its development. Not to be outdone, Nintendo has announced it will be releasing an edible DS. Details
- ASH info unsealed
 Today Nintendo launched the official website of Mistwalker DS strategy game Archaic Sealed Heat. While no visuals beyond the logo appear on the page, the website offers a sample of the game's musical theme composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. The DS strategy title will be developed by Mistwalker and published by Nintendo in Winter of 2007. First scan
- Near Death Experience: 弘田 佳孝 インタビュー下
スーパーファミコンの時代にスクウェアのサウンド・エフェクト担当としてファイナルファンタジーVI、 ライブ・ア・ライブ、ファイナルファンタジー VIIそしてパラサイト・イヴ などを手がけたのが 弘田佳孝 のキャリアのはじめだった。現在、弘田氏はTwinTail Studioを運営。最近では、片霧烈火をメイン・シンガーとしたボーカル・コンセプト アルバム「キネマインザホール」を発表。Square Havenでは、ゲーム業界の先端で著しい貢献をし続ける音楽家、弘田氏とお話をする機会をつかんだ。 インタビュー
- Near Death Experience: 弘田 佳孝インタビュー上
スーパーファミコンの時代にスクウェアのサウンド・エフェクト担
当としてファイナルファンタジーVI、 ライブ・ア・ラ
イブ、ファイナルファンタジー VIIそしてパラサイト・イ
ヴ などを手がけたのが 弘田佳孝 のキャリアのはじめ
だった。現在、弘田氏はTwinTail Studioを運営。最近では、片霧烈
火をメイン・シンガーとしたボーカル・コンセプト アルバム
「キネマインザホール」を発表。Square Havenでは、ゲーム業界
の先端で著しい貢献をし続ける音楽家、弘田氏とお話をする機会をつか
んだ。 インタビュー
- Project Sylpheed blasts off
 The expanded trailer of Project Sylpheed has appeared on the net this week. In it, protagonist Katana Faraway struggles with protecting the earth against a rebellious uprising that counts his closest friend among its forces. The video features English-language voice acting, techno by Einhander's Kenichiro Fukui, and snippets from the XBox 360 title's 3D dogfights. The game is scheduled to be released on July 10 in North America. Trailer
- Swinging with Dragon Quest Swords
 A new trailer for Dragon Quest
Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors, originally
shown at the Square Enix Party, has been posted to the internet. The
video gives fans a closer look at the upcoming sword-wielding
role-playing game, including instructions on how to perform magic
spells and special attacks, story details, and Sugiyama tunes. Trailer
- Lost Odyssey, firm foundation
 Mistwalker's second outing for the XBox 360 is entitled Lost Odyssey, and follows the tribulations of a thousand year-old man cursed with perpetual youth. The mature role-playing entry has started out with a firm foundation, with producer Hironobu Sakaguchi having recruited several veterans of Squaresoft along with some renowned outside collaborators. By the year's end, players should have the chance to decide whether the finished title delivers on its promises. Details
- Blue Dragon speaks American
 The first in-game footage of Blue Dragon's North American localization has hit the web. GameTrailers.com has posted three brief video sequences depicting the turn-based battles and in-game voice acting found in the upcoming Mistwalker RPG. Listening to the dialog, you may recognize a voice or two, as the character actors are veterans of such Square titles as Final Fantasy X, Advent Children, and Brave Fencer Musashi. Cutscenes
- 「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
- 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
- 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
- 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
|
|
17 Nov 2007 by 
Top of Page |
Staff Contact |
Bug Report |
Support Square Haven |
Jobs @ Square Haven |
Haven Web Hosting