- The Pioneers: Hiroki Kikuta
 A professional writer, illustrator, and game producer, Hiroki Kikuta is best known as the musical innovator behind Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, and Soukaigi. After several years of silence, the composer has returned recently, both with a self-published album entitled Lost Files and in Dawn of Mana, where his Seiken Densetsu themes have been remixed for the Playtastion 2 console. The Pioneers
- American Anime Award goes to computers/clones
 The first annual American Anime Awards gala took place last night in New York City at the New York Comic Con. Over 43,000 fans cast their votes online, resulting in the award for Best Animated Feature going to Square's hour-long computer-generated FMV sequence Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The glorified cut-scene beat out anachronistically nominated Akira and Square-related Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. Alchemist did however manage to pick up an award for best DVD packaging. No joke. The event will be broadcast on the Anime Network on March 23rd. anime_anime.jp
- UK cosplayers queue up for Final Fantasy XII
 Square Enix held its official Final Fantasy XII Cosplay competition in Central London this weekend to celebrate the release of the epic RPG in the United Kingdom. Free t-shirts and posters were apologetically handed out at the event in an effort to compensate for the late European release, while producer Akitoshi Kawazu and co-director Hiroshi Minagawa were on-hand to sign paraphernalia. Final Fantasy XII is on sale now in Europe and Australia. Pics
- ActRaiser first in Japan for Virtual Console
 Square Enix has announced that it will be publishing its first Virtual Console title in Japan: ActRaiser, released in 1991 for the Super Nintendo. In March, a new generation of players will be able to look down on the world from the Sky Palace, between stages of hacking-and-slashing through Fillmore, Bloodpool, Kasandora, Aitos, Marahna, and Northwall. No word yet on an English-language release, but chances are likely that Enix's epic side-scroller/simulation title will be descending soon. Gamasutra
- Final Fantasy Tactics: Zodiac Brave Minigame
 Square Enix has updated their Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War official site with a custom minigame. Flip the cards and match the pictures on the back within 30 seconds and win a special prize: a zipped file including two custom desktop wallpapers and Windows icons. The wallpapers each display a noseless male and female pair of each job class, art by Akihiko Yoshida. The jobs have been given awkward translations like "Doragon Knight" and "Talker" but they are nonetheless visually stunning. The minigame can be highly addictive. Spoils
- Wada talks next-gen; vomits remakes
 In a recent interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Yoichi Wada, acting president of Square Enix Co., discussed the company’s next-gen strategy, which appears to be geared more towards milking the past than creating the future. What could possibly be in store? Read More
- Patrick Stewart lends Britishness to Final Fantasy XII
 *Update* As reported by kotaku, Patrick Stewart has been hired to record voice overs for the Final Fantasy XII advertisements to appear in Australia and the UK. The lauded Yorkshire-born Shakespearian actor is most widely known as bald and virile Starfleet officer Jean-Luc Picard, and paraplegic and virile Professor Xavier of the X-Men. David Dyett, European Marketing Director of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "As our first and only choice, we're thrilled that Patrick Stewart has provided the voiceover for the Final Fantasy XII television campaign in the UK and Australia." Watch the UK trailer
- A Night in Fantasia set to be Nirvana
 Eminence, which has brought us several concerts featuring game music and a home to our very own Nephtis has recently announced an upcoming set of performances which strives to rival their previous engagements in both scope and sheer star power. Curious? Read on. More
- Square moves to improve manners
 It seems that after forcing itself to put up with the horrible acumen of the general gaming community, Square Enix has finally announced My Happy Manners Book for the Nintendo DS. In development by subsidiary Taito, this title will feature instruction on polite deportment, social conventions, and a cultivated appearance. All this and more in Japanese stores promptly on April 5 of this year. Hopefully, it won't be late--that would be pretty damn rude. The Magic Box
- Square rakes in dough; may make bread
 Square Enix recently released their most recent fiscal results, accompanied by some rather interesting shipping figures and a new profit projection to boot. Should you care? Don't answer that! Just click on! Read More
- Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix on the horizon
 The official Japanese homepage for the Kingdom Hearts II incremental upgrade, due out March 29, has been updated with additional screens and details. Kingdom Hearts Insider has provided a downloadable mp3 of the website's background theme penned by series composer Yoko Shimomura, while 1Up.com contends that Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix is headed stateside in Fall of 2007... perhaps alongside Metal Gear Solid Triology? Official word on whether the 3D remake of Chain of Memories is actually receiving an English-language release should be confirmed by March's Game Developers Conference. Final Mix wallpapers
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 天使の怖れ:菊田 裕樹インタビュー上
 スタイルのある特有なメロディーと抽象的で激動性のあるコードを組み合わせ、菊田氏の音楽は光と闇の究極性を巧みに表現する。スクウェアでの最後のサウンドトラック「双界儀」は、ライブの楽器音と独特の合成音を使った彼にとって一番特徴的で革新的な作品である。しかし、菊田氏の貢献にもかかわらず「双界儀」のゲーム自体はがっかりする結果に終わり、彼はクリエイティブな自由を求めスクウェアをあとにした。 インタビュー
- 2. 天使の怖れ:菊田 裕樹インタビュー下
スタイルのある特有なメロディーと抽象的で激動性のあるコードを組み合わせ、菊田氏の音楽は光と闇の究極性を巧みに表現する。スクウェアでの最後のサウンドトラック「双界儀」は、ライブの楽器音と独特の合成音を使った彼にとって一番特徴的で革新的な作品である。しかし、菊田氏の貢献にもかかわらず「双界儀」のゲーム自体はがっかりする結果に終わり、彼はクリエイティブな自由を求めスクウェアをあとにした。 インタビュー
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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27 Feb 2007 by 
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