- Star Ocean 3 official US site opens
Square-Enix has finally shoved open the iron gates to its official US Star Ocean: Till the End of Time website, which includes a thorough overview of the game and its characters, as well as some very good-looking wallpaper. And there was much rejoicing... SO3 Official Website
- Final Fantasy I & II headed to Europe with new subtitle
Nintendo today confirmed that Final Fantasy I & II Advance will be coming to Game Boy Advance in Europe, as was hinted at previously by its presence at the Games Convention. For some reason it will bear the subtitle of "Dawn of Souls" in this region, however, confirming the relevance of the trademark that Square Enix registered several weeks ago. So much for a Valkyrie Profile sequel then.
- Kingdom Hearts pre-release party
Square Enix has sent out the first invitations to their Kingdom Hearts premier party, which will take place on August 26th and 27th in the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center. In addition to both Kingdom Hearts 2 and Chain of Memories being playable as demos, visitors will also be treated to a showing of a Kingdom Hearts video and other exclusive KH2 items. Pacifico Yokohama
- Cloud shows off mad phone-calling skillz in FOMA commercial
Japanese television is currently airing a commercial for the upcoming FOMA P900iV, which you may recognise as the phone that Cloud and Tifa use in the upcoming DVD/UMD movie Advent Children. No doubt Cloud's explicit sporting of the unit will increase its popularity among Japanese teens, though considering its high price one should wonder whether it'll make that much of a difference. commercial download
- Trademark teasing continues with "Dirge of Cerberus" registration
Following on the recent trademarking of a presumed Valkyrie Profile sequel title earlier this month, Squenix 12 days ago also registered "Dirge of Cerberus", which, much like the prior filing, doesn't indicate what medium it applies to and if it is indeed an actual title or just an extension.
- Front Mission Online beta applications begin
Yesterday Square Enix began accepting applications for the first phase of its beta testing for Front Mission Online, which will take place in no less than three phases. While the first is concerned with actual gameplay, the second and third phases will test of the game in terms of PS2 in conjuction with PC usage, with the clear implication of connectivity. So, all of you who reside in Japan and own broadband-connected PS2s can feel free to head to the FMO official site and sign up. 1Up
- More Advent Children scans unveiled; ugly thing detected
New Famitsu PS2 scans of Advent Children include scenes from Aeris' Church, a wallpaper-inducing photo of the Turks, and something describable only as possessing severe aesthetic deficiencies.
- Reading Into Sugiyama's Words
While in the middle of a concert the other day, Dragon Quest composer Kouichi Sugiyama said "Things are going to get busy since I'll have to begin converting the compositions into data for Dragon Quest VIII, which is going to be released during the year," while talking about the progress of the game's music production. While Square Enix has officially announced that the new addition to the Dragon Quest legacy will come out sometime during the winter of 2004-2005, I think we can all put our full faith in their composer's prediction of the release date. Gamespot
- Oh yeah, Sakaguchi is also making some games
Hironobu Sakaguchi, the guy who made Final Fantasy back in the day and recently announced his latest creation, a new game development company named Mist walker, has updated the status quo by bringing us news of Mist Walker's current projects, which include two unnamed RPGs for next generation consoles.
- Ichiro Otobe; New King in Town
After Jun Iwasaki's final words as president of Square Enix (North American Division), Ichiro Otobe has stepped in to take his place.
Otobe, who had moved from General Manager of Global Business, shared in the role of Chief Operating Officer along with Iwasaki. He won't be alone though, as Yoichi Wada, overall president of Square Enix, plans to take an active role in the North American front of the company. 1up.com
- New Dragon Quest VIII Characters Revealed
New scans from Jump Magazine detail five new characters in the newest installment of the Dragon Quest series. All of these appear to have relationships with existing characters, such as Luniello, a fortune-teller with an enigmatic link to the hero, Dragon Ball d?j? vu notwithstanding.
- Squenix lays down another patent to keep fanboys slavering for more
The 26th of July apparently saw Square Enix filing for another patent, this time for something called "Dawn of Souls", and presumably referring to a new videogame title, though considering the advent of expanded media production (also known as Polymorphism™), it's safer to not assume anything at this point.
- New Final Fantasy XII Music Samples
Square Enix has updated its official FFXII website with three musical snippets from the game's soundtrack, in anticipation of the title's spring 2005 Japanese release. Meanwhile, the rest of us wallow in self-pity, with no American release date in sight. FFXII Offical Website
- Like to draw Egg Monsters but have nothing to do with them? Well here's the contest for you
Square-Enix wants your Egg Monster designs. To enter, all you have to do is send a drawing of your Egg Monster and describe it's skills and other information by September 17th. Details on the prize are currently unknown. Square-Enix
- Final Fantasy I & II GBA Remake Conquers the Charts
With roughly 150,000 copies sold, the Gameboy Advance remake of Final Fantasy I & II has taken the top spot in the Japanese charts. With it's jump to the top, the former king, Nintendo's Paper Mario RPG, has dropped to second place, but still holds strong. gamesindustry.biz
- Euro FFXI Pricing Confirmed: Dollar Reigns Supreme
Square Enix Ltd. has recently announced a retail price of 50 Euro for this first self-published title. The seven disk set will include both the Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia expansions, as well as a month's worth of access to the game. Successive play will be priced at $12.95 a month; a move almost certain to quell complaints of European overpricing. gamesindustry.biz
- Before Crisis website launches
The website for Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII has opened, revealing some more basic details about the title, including more about what Square Enix seems to presume will revitalise mobile phone online gaming: multiplayer cooperation. You can choose from a generic Turk character, male or female, who has just joined the group, and then go off completing missions with up to 3 other human allies. Details regarding materia usage and spellcasting are still unknown, however, but for a cellphone title it's starting to look pretty neat. Before Crisis official website
- Square Enix explores possibility of theatrical release for Advent Children
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada recently revealed that, in addition to the Venice Film Festival, other outlets are being considered for the release of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, including digital downloads and theatrical releases. 1UP
- New Mana, Crystal Chronicles titles confirmed for Nintendo DS
The list of new titles to be brought to the Nintendo DS after its release includes a substantial contribution from Square Enix, with 4 titles listed as being under development for the system alongside previously announced Egg Monster Heroes. Besides a new iteration of Dragon Quest Monsters and Slime Morimori Dragon Quest, two titles I'm sure you're about as interested in as protracting athlete's foot, the system will be graced with the presence of a new Mana title, something we previously suspected as being under development, and a new Crystal Chronicles, which was more or less announced at E3 anyway. So ends this news article that may just as well have consisted solely of the title. Sigh.
- Japan to see Dragon Quest VIII in November?
Several Japanese retailers are reporting a release date of November 25th for Dragon Quest VIII. The game obviously promises to be the year's top seller in Japan, and while a release in North America seems likely, distribution of it in Europe appears to be out of the question with Square Enix Ltd. not even listing it for a 2005 arrival.
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