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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 26, 2005 2:08:06 GMT -5
Producer Talks Final Fantasy XI
Producer Hiromichi Tanaka shared his thoughts about the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI. The producer of the company's flagship MMORPG and head of Square Enix's third production team confirmed that the game will support a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720. While Tanaka mentioned that the capabilities of the hardware would allow for improved visuals, he explained the development team was currently working on various adjustments, and hence he did not know whether there would be any visual improvements. He however confirmed that the texture resolution wil be identical with the game's PC version.
He also explained that it would take some time to adjust the game data to a new CPU, as PCs running Final Fantasy XI are Intel-based, whereas Xbox 360 features a Power PC as its main processing unit. The fact that both versions make use of Direct X however, would make the process of porting the game over to the new hardware a comparatively easy task. Interestingly, Tanaka revealed that Square Enix was originally working on an Xbox version of Final Fantasy XI, but had to abandon its release due to the closed nature of Microsoft's Xbox Live service.
When the reporter asked him about the Xbox 360 version's release date and suggested a 2006-2007 release date, the producer only laughed and said it would be much earlier.
He also confirmed that development on Final Fantasy XI's third expansion pack began simultaneouly with Chains of Promathia's development. He however refused to give away any specifics regarding this new expansion.
Regarding a possible expansion of Final Fantasy XI and PlayOnline into Asian markets, the producer of the Japanese version of EverQuest II, Sage Sundi explained that discussions about a launch in China were underway, however due to the unique market environment (such as a law requiring servers to be set up within the People's Republic), it would be difficult to release Final Fantasy XI in China.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 26, 2005 2:09:01 GMT -5
Square Enix Talks Financials
Square Enix today held a press conference in Tokyo to present its financial results for fiscal year 2004/2005 to attending reporters and analysts. According to figures released today, the company posted a consolidated net profit of 14.93 billion yen ($138.76 million USD) on sales of 73.86 billion yen ($686.43 million US).
Square Enix reported sales of 11.05 million copies of (packaged) game software worldwide. 6.3 million were sold in Japan, 3.76 million in North America, 920,000 in the European PAL territories and 70,000 in the Asia Pacific region. The single biggest contribution to these numbers has come from Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi (Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King) for PlayStation 2. As of March 31st, the eighth installment of the Dragon Quest series has sold 3.61 million copies in Japan. Total sales of the Game Boy Advance title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories in Japan and North America have exceeded one million copies. Below you will find sales figures of other titles released during the previous fiscal year:
Radiata Stories, PlayStation 2, 290,000 copies (Japan)
Musashi: Samurai Legend, PlayStation 2, 80,000 copies (North America)
Torneko's Big Adventure 3 Advance, Game Boy Advance, 140,000 copies (Japan)
Final Fantasy I and II Advance, Game Boy Advance, 940,000 copies (worldwide)
Egg Monster Heroes, Nintendo DS, 90,000 copies (Japan)
The continued popularity of Final Fantasy XI in Japan, North America and Europe as well as the success of the PC-based MMORPG Cross Gate in China helped the online division to increase its sales by 55.2% and its operating profit by 112.4%. With the introduction of new PlayOnline titles such as Front Mission Online and Fantasy Earth: Ring of Dominion, the company aims to continue its expansion in this particular market. Square Enix president Youichi Wada explained that until now online games have been the domain of hardcore users. However, starting next year, the market for online games would become a major one, and current negative images would disappear.
Looking ahead, Wada took a cautious approach regarding the introduction of the next generation of hardware, as he mentioned the transition phase would be tough. He also echoed statements he made in Los Angeles last week, saying it was important to look at the new consoles as more than just harware platforms. Since online gaming had become so important, it would be essential to analyze the different models the three first party companies would propose for their respective systems, when it comes to determing which game should be released on which platform.
Square Enix expects to sell 13 million copies of packaged game software (8.5 million copies in Japan, 4.1 million in North America and 400,000 in Europe) during the 12 month period ending on March 31st 2006, in anticipation of the releases of major titles such as Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts 2. Sales are projected to reach 90 billion yen ($836.43 million US) and net profit 15.5 billion yen ($144.05 million US).
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 26, 2005 2:09:46 GMT -5
Dragon Quest VIII Revitalized For US Release
Already given a new subtitle for its Us Release, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King will also have a few more new features exclusive to this version of the game. Overworld loading is now a thing of the past, and the game's Equipment and User Interfaces will be given a slight overhaul, designed to make gameplay and item/equipment selection a bit simpler. Also new to DQVIII will be Voice Acting, which will be featured throughout the entire game.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King will be available in the Us this November for PS2.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 26, 2005 2:10:22 GMT -5
Crystal Chronicles Sequel On Nintendo Revolution
Square-Enix announced earlier today on the e3 Showfloor that a sequel to the Nintendo Gamecube title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is in the works. Not only that, but the next chapter of the Crystal Chronicles story will debut on Nintendo's Next Generation console, Revolution.
At the moment, no time table for a release has been announced for either the system or the game
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 29, 2005 2:27:17 GMT -5
Grandia III Pre-Order Promotion
Fans of the Grandia series are in for a treat courtesy of Square-Enix. The company has announced that those who preorder the newest volume of the series, Grandia III, will recieve a bonus CD for free. History of Grandia: Sound Adventure Box will be given to those who Pre-Order the game, and includes the Official Soundtrack of Grandia III and an additional OST of tracks from various volumes in the series.
Grandia III will release in Japan on August 4th for ¥7,980JPY ($74.21USD). A Release outside of Japan has yet to be announced.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 29, 2005 2:28:24 GMT -5
Dragon Quest VIII Heads For Europe
Although very little in terms of details or a set time table were announced, Square-Enix has confirmed that Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King will be released throughout Europe. A landmark release in more than one way, DQVIII will be the first Dragon Quest title to be released in Europe. The title will also be published by Square-Enix, which is a rarity for the company in the territory, as they normally hand publishing rights over to European companies.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King was the top selling game of 2004 when it released in Japan, and is set for its US Release in November. More details on the upcoming European Release should be announced soon.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on May 29, 2005 2:30:16 GMT -5
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children US Site Updated After disappearing for a couple of days, the Official US Site for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has reappeared, bigger and better than ever. Now featuring a countdown to release on it's main page, the page also features Site News, Storyline Info, Character Bios, Downloadable Content, Merchandise, and the Trailers from E3's 2004 & 2005. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be available in the US on September 13th and in Japan on September 14th. Link: na.square-enix.com/dvd/ff7ac/ |
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 8, 2005 6:13:41 GMT -5
Kingdom Hearts II: New Scans And The 13th Order
Dengeki Magazine in Japan has published several new scans of Kingdom Hearts II. This time around, the scans focus around the newly announced characters Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann of Pirates of the Caribbean. Beast and Belle of the newly confirmed Beauty and the Beat world also make an appearance.
Interesting to note here is the revelation that The Organization will now be known as The 13th Order, and as such, a new member by the name of Xaldin has been unveiled.
Kingdom Hearts II is currenty scheduled for release in Winter of 2005 in Japan. A solid release date has yet to be announced.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 8, 2005 6:14:31 GMT -5
Square Enix Party 2005 Line-Up Announced
Square Enix today released first details regarding its previously announced private event titled Square Enix Party 2005 today. Scheduled to take place at the Makuhari Messe Japan Convention Center in Chiba prefecture on July 30th and 31st, the event will feature playable demos and trailer movies of the company's 2005 line-up of games, the sale of character merchandise and game soundtracks, and a publishing corner.
With the obvious exception of the CG movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, all titles listed below will be playable. Please note that the release dates refer to the respective title's Japanese release:
Final Fantasy XII, PlayStation 2, 2005
Kingdom Hearts II, PlayStation 2, 2005
Code Age Commanders: Tsugu Mono Tsugareru Mono, PlayStation 2, 2005
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, PlayStation 2, 2005
Musashiden II Blademaster, PlayStation 2, July 7th 2005
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi 3: Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo, PlayStation 2, July 21st 2005
Grandia III, PlayStation 2, August 4th 2005
Final Fantasy XI, PlayStation 2/PC, available
EverQuest II, PC, June 16th 2005
Front Mission Online, PlayStation 2, available
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 8, 2005 6:15:46 GMT -5
Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus Official Site Goes Live The official site of the Gun Action RPG Final Fantasy VII: Dirge Of Cerberus has at last gone live. At the moment, the site features just a brief overview of the events from Final Fantasy VII that lead to Dirge of Cerberus, but is accompanied by a small video in the Story section giving us a glimpse of what is to come. The Background Music playing on the site is also very impressive. The character section of the site focuses only on Vincent Valentine and Cait Sith at the moment, and the only other sections of the site are the System/Staff Info and Downloads section, which offers three new wallpapers in various sizes. The  Section of the site is, of course, closed for the moment. Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is currently scheduled for release in Japan, but a concrete Release Date has yet to be confirmed. Release outside of Japan is also unconfirmed at this point. www.square-enix.co.jp/games/ps2/dcff7/ |
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 8, 2005 6:16:57 GMT -5
Square Enix Launches Hanjuku Hero Mobile
Square Enix today launched Hanjuku Eiyuu Mobile in Japan. Based on Takashi Tokita's light-hearted series of RPGs, this newest offering for i-mode compatible cellphones (505i, 506i, 700i, 900i and 901i series) will center around classic dungeon exploration. In the game, all things happening inside the dungeons, be it attacks, event scenes or treasure chests will be decided by the so-called Hanjuku Roulette.
Furthermore, Square Enix has upgraded the Hanjuku Mail service which allows users to translate their cellphone's pictographs into Hanjuku icons. New icons and a feature that lets users translate entered text bits into baby language have also been added.
The monthly subscription fee for the Hanjuku Eiyuu Mobile service is 300 yen ($2.79 US).
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 8, 2005 6:17:35 GMT -5
New Grandia III Details Announced
Square Enix has released some new details regarding its upcoming PlayStation 2 title Grandia III. While the fact that aircrafts and flying would play a central role in the GameArts-developed RPG was known for quite some time, the company today confirmed that players would actually be able to control one of those flying vehicles by themselves. Similar to Final Fantasy VI-IX, players can use the airship to freely move around on the world map. If they want to take a closer look at a town located beneath them, they can use the aircraft's telescope to get a closer look at what's going on on the ground.
Grandia III will be available in Japan on August 4th for 7,980 yen ($74.66 US).
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 12, 2005 6:37:31 GMT -5
Square Enix Producers Talk Final Fantasy, New MMORPG
In interviews with Japanese publications, producers Yoshinori Kitase and Hiromichi Tanaka confirmed that their respective production teams were working on a new Final Fantasy game for PlayStation 3 and a new MMORPG respectively.
Confirming rumors which have circulated in Japan for months, Kitase, the head of Square Enix's first production team, stated he was working on a new Final Fantasy installment for Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 3. While the director of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII and VIII and producer of Final Fantasy X, X-2, the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII and the Kingdom Hearts series declined to clarify whether his new project was Final Fantasy XIII, he mentioned the Final Fantasy VII technical demo shown at E3 had been supervised by himself and created by Motomu Toriyama's team. For reference, Toriyama has recently been serving as Final Fantasy X's event director and Final Fantasy X-2's main director.
Regarding the technical demo, Kitase confirmed that it had been put together within a matter of six weeks. While he initially wasn't optimistic about the possibility of creating the demo in such a short period of time, the team succeeded after calling upon Kouji Sugimoto (Threads of Fate director, Final Fantasy X character main programmer, Final Fantasy X-2 real-time programmer, Hanjuku Eiyuu Tai 3D main programmer). Kitase acknowledged that with more time, they would have been able to produce a higher quality demo making use of the PlayStation 3's specs.
As far as further additions to the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII are concerned, the producer would only say that possibility exists.
Kitase's colleauge and head of the company's third production team Hiromichi Tanaka meanwhile confirmed that his team was working on a new MMORPG. Tanaka, who currently serves as producer of Final Fantasy XI explained that the Xbox 360 technical demo was in fact a product of various experiments his team had been conducting to see what visual quality could be achieved using next generation hardware. In an interview last month, it was revealed that the third production team had been working on a third Final Fantasy XI expansion pack ever since development commenced on the second expansion, Chains of Promathia.
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Post by ~*+*TSuKiHiMe_ReXiaPHoN*+*~ on Jun 12, 2005 6:38:31 GMT -5
Square Enix Producer Joins Aquaplus
Square Enix veteran Yuusuke Hirata has apparently left the company he had worked for since 1985 and joined Aquaplus as new head of its strategy division. Hirata had served as head of Square Enix's fifth production team since the Osaka-based studio's foundation in 1995. In this position he acted as producer of Parasite Eve 2 and many of the company's sports games, most notably the All Star Pro Wrestling series.
Aquaplus is best known for bringing Leaf's popular dating simulation To Heart 2 to PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast.
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Section of the site is, of course, closed for the moment.