"Square Enix, not one to sit one their hands, decided to try and give the Final Fantasy VII Compilation another shot of adrenaline, hoping not to appear to be beating it like a dead horse. They developed Crisis Core, and instead of try to mix it up with something totally new again, the developer designed the game fairly similar to the successful Kingdom Hearts series. Furthermore, they also strictly developed Crisis Core for the Playstation Portable, in an attempt to tap an otherwise quiet mar..."

"In a rather lengthy interview, Square Enix producers who crafted Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII had an interesting discussion now that they're able to just sit back and watch how fans react to a classic RPG's prequel on the Sony PlayStation Portable. What really caught our attention is the possibility of having another Final Fantasy VII title, which could easily be the remake we've all been clamoring for.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII executive producer Yoshinori Kitase and Producer Hidek..."

"If you'd known the DS was going to be as popular as it is, would you have chosen to make Crisis Core for it instead?

The DS was already out at the time we came up with the concept of Crisis Core. It really wasn't an option to begin with and it wasn't something we regretted later because whereas, yes, there are a lot of DSs out there - but does that mean that our products sell in relation to that? That our sales grow with how many DSs or PSPs there are out there?

It's not really the case..."

"Industry Sales
Mar-07 Mar-08 CHG
Total Video Games $1.1B $1.7B 57%
Video Games Hardware $377.9M $551.3M 46%
Video Games Software $579.1M $945.6M 63%
Video Game Accessories $139.5M $220M 58%

HW Sales

Hardware Mar-08
PlayStation 2 216K
PlayStation 3 257K
PlayStation Portable 297K
Xbox 360 262K
Nintendo DS 698K
Wii 721K

SW Sales
Top-Selling VG Software - March 2008

Platform Title Publisher Release Date March Units
WII SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-08 2..."

"Square Enix has confirmed that announcements regarding European launch details for both the westernised version of Final Fantasy IV for DS and Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII are imminent.

“Regarding both your questions, we should have some announcements being made public very soon”"

"Square Enix's attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Final Fantasy VII with their Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of games hasn't been going too well so far, especially in North America. The Vincent Valentine vehicle Dirge of Cerberus for the PlayStation 2 was mediocre at best, and the mobile game Before Crisis featuring the Turks still hasn't made it to North American shores. Basically we have a slipshod shooter and Advent Children, a well-crafted yet ultimately shallow CGI movie..."

"The way their personal stories weave in and out of each other--and set the stage for the events in Final Fantasy VII--makes Crisis Core not just the finest role-playing experience available on the PSP, but also one of the best Japanese RPGs in years."

""

"Uncut and utterly biased, our top FFVII heroes and villains...

8. Cid Highwind
Every Final Fantasy game has a Cid, and every Cid is different. In Final Fantasy VIII, he's a mild-mannered educator. In Final Fantasy V, he's an aging, retired genius. Then there's Cid Highwind, the greatest of all Cids, the missing link between Chuck Yeager, Werner von Braun, and John Constantine. He grouses, chain-smokes, swears up a storm, wipes battlefields clear with one swing of his lance, and wants noth..."

"t's our favorite rumor, primarily because Final Fantasy VII is one of our favorite games of all time. But after our hopes were dashed for the umpteenth time late last year when Square-Enix never got around to announcing a FFVII remake for the PS3, we basically stopped hoping. We thought all the evidence was pointing in that direction, but it just never happened.

However, 1Up is bringing this rumor back once again, and again, we're feeling that old familiar thrill of excited anticipation. I..."

"1UP: Does Crisis Core mark the finale for the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series?

HT: No, it does not. The Compilation's finale will take some other form."

"For all you San Francisco Bay Area Final Fantasy fans out there, Square Enix will be holding a Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII launch party at the Sony Metreon Centre. The event will take place next Tuesday, March 25 from 6:00PM - 9:00PM and will celebrate the history of Final Fantasy VII as well as the launch of Crisis Core. The first 100 people in line will get a commemorative T-shirt as well as be eligible for some raffle prizes. Shinra company ID cards will also be made at the event that ..."

""

"Gaming Age: Crisis Core stands out as not only a fantastic Final Fantasy title, but one of the best games on the PSP to date. That's saying something in light in the pretty stellar year the system saw in '07, so hopefully you system owners out there will take my word for it and pick this one up. Great action in small bursts, and a fairly level headed storyline that won't leave you scratching your head. Even if your memory of Final Fantasy VII isn't as fond as others, Crisis Core still manages..."

"Official Release:
Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that a limited special edition version of the game will be available with the forthcoming UK release of CRISIS CORE® -FINAL FANTASY® VII- exclusively on the PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) system in Q2 2008.

The special edition version, with hard-backed artwork book and high-quality slipcase will be available exclusively with selected onlin..."

""

""

""

"Character profiles and teaser videos of our favorite Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 characters are good, but an English website is even better. In fact, Square Enix included some new stuff on the site that's worth checking out, at least till the game arrives on March 25, 2008.

For example, famous flower girl Aerith Gainsborough gets her own profile this time around, joining Zack and company on the character page. Of particular note is the battle between Sephiroth and Genesis, where the latte..."

"
"

"This month's edition of Official Playstation Magazine has a small follow-up to the interview they had last issue with the director of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core; Hajime Tabata. Quite a lot of the questions actually revolved around the Final Fantasy VII franchise though, rather than Crisis Core itself.

It is worth noting that when asked again about the possibility of a Final Fantasy VII remake, he said:

"The possiblity for a remake may become greater if, for instance, the schedules o..."

"Crisis Core Pre-orders Can Net You Geeky Goodies. If you're willing to drop the cash on a copy of the PSP entry in the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", you could walk away with some attractive plastic. This Shin-Ra Electric Power Company UMD case is yours for the stuffing, should you pre-order Crisis Core from Amazon, GameCrazy, GameStop or EBGames. Surely limited in the tens of thousands, so act early."

The official Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Complete Guide is now available on Play-Asia and Amazon.jp.

Although the guide itself isn't much use to people who can't read Japanese, the artwork alone is worth taking a look at.

""

"Square Enix also promises that the PAL version of the game will feature "additional gameplay challenges not included in the original Japanese version." Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII will come to all PAL territories in spring 2008."

"Specifically, Japanese gaming giant Square Enix has this week confirmed that Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII will be released exclusively across all PAL territories this coming spring on Sony’s slick and sexy handheld.

Set to arrive as the fourth entrant in the hugely popular Final Fantasy VII series - and also a direct prequel to the original PlayStation classic - Crisis Core will likely provide all the trademark excitement, grandeur, and exhilaration of the Final Fantasy franchise while ..."

"The game that sold hundreds of thousands of PSP systems in Japan and is poised to do the same when it hits U.S. soil in late March has been officially, if somewhat vaguely, dated for Europe! Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has been officially granted a Spring 2008 release by Square Enix, which means anywhere between March 21st and June 21st, giving them a nice little three-month window to cram all of those extra languages into that tiny little UMD. Here's hoping it's closer to the beginning of..."

"Square Enix's epic Final Fantasy VII prequel is coming to the US at last! Square Enix confirmed today that the PSP exclusive will arrive on March 25th. The game follows the adventures of Zack and his life as part of SOLDIER. Along the way, he'll meet familiar faces, like Cloud, Sephiroth and more. Crisis Core has been rated T by the ESRB for Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes and Violence."

To mark the release of the Cloud Art-book in Japan, Dengeki Online have released a new website, which contains not just some extracts of the magazine itself, but also confirms the existence of the long awaited trailers from TGS that have been shown behind closed doors (note that none of the trailers show any of the new characters, they are simply the uncut version of previous trailers).

"We now have the EGM Scans from this months issue. There isn't much new but a short summary of each TGS trailer which we've read before.


Pieces from the scan:

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core: This long-awaited PSP prequel might actually redeem the hitherto underwhelming "Compilation of FFVII".

Final Fantasy XIII: We spied a third potential party member - a scantily clad brunette with pigtails.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Here, the vibe isn't sci-fi/fantasy, but rather a slick mashup ...

"

""

"Cheesemeister

01. [PS2] Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor (Bandai-Namco) - 204,000 / NEW
02. [PSP] Gundam Battle Chronicle (Bandai-Namco) - 86,000 / NEW
03. [NDS] Archaic Sealed Heat (Nintendo) - 50,000 / NEW
04. [WII] Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor (Bandai-Namco) - 40,000 / NEW
05. [PS2] Jikkyou Powerful Major League 2 (Konami) - 35,000 / NEW
06. [NDS] Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (Pokémon) - 34,000 / 475,000
07. [PSP] Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square-Enix)..."

"It is now October 10th in Japan, meaning that the Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Original Soundtrack has now been officially released. Thanks to poster #124 of the Crisis Core 2ch thread, we have some photographs of the CDs and jewel case."

"It's the Xbox 360 title that has become the fastest-selling game ever in the US and already made developer Bungie a cool $300 million. It's everywhere, and it even has its own drink. It's Halo 3, of course, and even the Japanese, it seems, can't resist.

The game was released on September 27 in the region and burst straight into the Japanese charts at number one, according to figures released by Media Create for the week of September 24 to 30. Halo 3 sold 58,672 units in its first week on ..."

"Square-Enix has recently released the cover image for the Crisis Core Ultimania as well as announced a release date of October 18th, 2007.

The cover features a fully CGed image of Cloud, Angeal, and Zack grasping the Buster Sword. The Ultimania is to be 592 pages long and featuring a wide variety of content, such as images, interviews, and character explanations.

Thank you to forum member Sephiria for the update."

"Courtesy of Jonnyram at NeoGAF:
Media Create Sales 9/24 - 9/30: Halo on top! #1
01./--. [360] Halo 3 - 59,000 / NEW
02./03. [DS] Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki - 55,000 / 440,000
03./01. [PSP] Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII - 54,000 / 649,000
04./--. [DS] Tamagotchi Petit Petit Omisecchi Minasankyu! - 54,000 / NEW
05./04. [DS] Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami - 46,000 / 389,000
06./--. [PS2] Bleach Blade Battlers 2nd - 31,000 / NEW
07./--. [DS] English Test 2 - 28,000 / NEW
08./--. ..."

"Story: Crisis Core focuses on Zack Fair, who's part of a military organization called SOLDIER, trying to earn a First Class ranking. He's joined by the world famous Cloud Strife, the main character in the original Final Fantasy VII title, the blond character being an average Shinra Guard. The Shinra Electric Power Company rules all of the world's continents by force and with the aid of their technological superiority. Shinra uses Mako energy to fuel all of its gear, power plants and buildings..."

"If this year's Square Enix party was any indication, Japanese gamers are clamoring for a remake of Final Fantasy VII as much as anyone else, but unfortunately that hasn't come to fruition just yet. In the meantime, the company has seen fit to release a series of games that have more to do with the events before and after Final Fantasy VII than during it. Crisis Core is the newest part of the "compliation," and tells the story of Zack before he felt the cold steel of Sephiroth's blade.

In c..."

""

"Square's big budget fan service film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, is heading to Blu-ray and it's going to provide much more than an HD transfer. A new trailer showcased at TGS shows a few new scenes that expand upon the film's storyline. One scene took place in the alleys of Midgar as children afflicted with Geostigma appear to be melting goo. Another sequence shows Sephiroth stabbing Cloud through the chest, skewering him and swinging him like a piece of dead meat. Not only will the ..."

"From our oh-so-short play session with the game, the long wait for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was most definitely worth it.

While I'm sure my words are riveting you right out of your seat, there's no way they're as cool as the actual cinematic looked on the PSP in my hands. After the opening train sequence was over it was time to actually take control of our main character.

Gone are the days of pre-rendered backdrops and loading times in between fights. As Zack moved around the tra..."

Well it was bound to happen, we've got yet more screenshots for TWO final fantasy games this time: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and Final Fantasy: Dissidia.

Please Go To the Source to View The Rest Of The Screens.

"

Japan first Day Sales:

Crisis Core FF7 (PSP) : approx 350000"

"With the Tokyo Game Show approaching, Square Enix have flooded the fans with yet more remake rumours.

A new "secret video" from the FFVII prequel "Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core" has sparked fan's interests, showing a message saying "To be continued in Final Fantasy VII". Could this simply mean that fans should seek out the PSone game to continue the FFVII story? Or is it yet another hint at a possible remake?

But this "secret video" is not the only thing that has got fans talking. Squ..."

"

translations:

Mission Control: The train is headed toward Midgar Sector 8.
Mission Control: SOLDIERs have been dispatched and are directed to capture it while still on the plate.
Mission Control: 3, 2, 1, Mark!
Mission Control: Mission start
Angeal: The train is occupied by Wutai forces.
Angeal: Eliminate them and recapture the train.
Zack: Roger!
Angeal: Take it seriously!

Angeal: Zack!
Angeal: Zack, concentrate.
Angeal: These are not Shinra troops on this train. Underst..."

"Crisis Core was given a rating of 8.75 by a currently unknown gaming magazine. Current 'scans' (actually digital photos) are a bit too small for proper translations but better quality scans should surface soon enough. Along with the review the 'scans' show scenes of the Nibelheim escape and Bahamut Retsu.



From the article:
- Crisis Core is "being strong, as well as having a New Game + option".
- Each reviewer's scores were: " 9, 9, 8 and 9 ".
- There is New Game + with stronger leve..."

""

"BATTLE SYSTEM INFORMATION:



O - Action
X - Cancel
△- Defend
□ - Dodge
R-L - Cycle Commands


And on the map -

O - Action
X - Cancel
△- Menu (???)
□ - Map display
R-L - Camera


note: Familiar Materia and monster enemies will appear in Crisis Core.




CHARACTER PROFILES:

Tseng -
A member belonging to the Shinr..."

""

""

"From the interview:

The Potion Concept is "Sephiroth Flavor"
Supposedly it’s more delicious than the last one.
"We ordered a fresh citrus flavor. Soon after we announced a second edition we wanted a completely different flavor, and I was really surprised by the result." (Nomura)

"The greatest secret of the DMW will be revealed in the last battle"
(Nomura)
"We'll know the true meaning of the DMW's existence".

"We feel that the DMW as a system that is connected to deep emotion..."

"Fantastic new Crisis Core scans are up (though in low quality) that'll make the fanboys and girls both squeal and shudder. Images of Genesis and Hollander. Shirtless Zack & swimsuit Shisune, possibly at Costa Del Sol.

You'll also get a frightening in-game look at the Nibelheim Incident: complete with images of Jenova, Sephiroth, and First Class Zack, Cloud in his MP uniform, and Tifa in her western outfit that you may remember from the original Final Fantasy VII. As well as the photograph ..."

"Get out your hairgel! To mark ten years of Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix is rolling out a special exhibition for all to gape at.

Take note Tokyo readers, the FINAL FANTSY VII 10th ANNIVERSARY Gallery will run from August 31 to September 2nd at Aoyama's Spiral Garden.

It will feature illustrations and original images from Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.

..."

""

"The Complete Dismantling and Ultimania Omega commemorates the 10th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII, thoroughly detailing the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation from every angle, as well as including updated information regarding the Compilation.
Differing from previous Final Fantasy VII books, this book will be a memorial to the ten years of Final Fantasy VII.

It will be sold in Japan on September 13th."

"Older Zack:

Zack, after he has changed his hairstyle during the story. (It's the same hairstyle he had in the original FFVII and AC).

Has there been a change in his mental-state after his long-awaited promotion to 1st Class SOLDIER?

His position as a SOLDIER is to give directions to young SOLDIERs and ShinRa troops.


Aerith:

A descendant of the Ancients.

Growing her precious flowers in Midgar, she first meets Zack in the slum's church.

As in the original FFVII, Aerith is ...

"

"Sony and Square Enix are celebrating 10 years of Final Fantasy VII with a special edition FFVII Sony PSP console and game bundle, which we have to say, looks quite damn snazzy.

The FFVII Sony PSP bundle features a lovely custom FFVII silver PSP, which currently can be pre-ordered in Japan for 25,889 Yen (approx £108), with a shipping date of Sept 13th, but no European date has been announced.

The FFVII package features the new slim silver PSP with Final Fantasy logo and graphics on the..."

"The V-Jump magazine presents new images of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and announces that Materias will make their return in this game. It will be possible to obtain Materias in various ways and to combine them in order to create new ones or to modify the effects of certain objects - similar to the original FFVII system of using Materia.

quote

Scan translations:

New scans revealing Phoenix as a summon, info on creating Materia, and scenes with Hojo.

Translated information from Adv...

"

It's not everyday that Square-Enix releases special Final Fantasy products, and whilst potions have been released in the past, this time square are releasing an even more special Potion packet for Final Fantasy fans everywhere. Releasing as part of the FFVII 10th anniversary and made once more by Suntory in Japan, 77,777 bottles of these potions are set to be released to unsuspecting consumers for a whooping 3,980Yen (US$32).

The release date is also none other than co-inciding with the re...

Today, IGN.com has revealed high-quality screenshots from the soon-to-be-released Square Enix game, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

The screenshots include:

A rather impressive FMV close-up of Zack - the main character's - face.

An in-game cutscene image, featuring Sephiroth and Genesis, and ...

An high-quality image showing the game's Battle System.

"Square-Enix has decided to sell a special limited edition of the new model PSP (PSP-2000) as a commodity variation for the software Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII for the PSP, which goes on sale September 13, 2007.

This limited edition package is to be named "CRISIS CORE - FINAL FANTASY VII - FFVII 10th Anniversary Limited" and to be bundled with the game comes a special, limited edition of the new model PSP with Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII, which goes on early sale September 13, 2007..."

"Some photographs of a Crisis Core article from next week's Jump magazine have surfaced thanks to poster #624 of the Crisis Core 2ch thread. This is a rather brief article, focusing on Zack and Aerith. It includes three new screenshots, as well as CG renders of Aerith and adult Zack.

There is information on a "Stroll through the Slums event", where Zack and Aerith go on a walk, which is supposedly a "top secret hidden event", and the article states that the past between the two of them will..."

"The theme song for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is entitled "Why" and will be sung by Japanese pop star, Ayaka.

The single "Why", the theme song for Crisis Core, is set to be released this September.

It will be coupled with Ayaka's B-side song "Clap & Love", and there will be two versions of the single released. The regular edition will be released on 5 September at 1,100 yen, the first pressing of which will include a Crisis Core sticker.

The second, released on 12 September and..."

"Square Enix has revealed some new images of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, for PSP. featuring Yuffie, the Turks, Zacks, Angeal, and the mysterious Genesis clones.

Some of the screenshots have been translated into English."

"In EDGE's Final Fantasy special this month, they have interviewed Tetsuya Nomura. It looks alot like the interview with him that we posted earlier, but at least this time we can understand it! He pretty much covers the same points, and pretty much secures the much discussed Playstation 3 exclusivity of Final Fantasy XIII, or thats how I read it anyway. He speaks a lot about how they're doing so many things they haven't be able to do before thanks to the Playstation 3, and the fact that it was..."

"Scan translations:

A member of crisis-core.net has kindly translated the scans ...

There's an unexpected amount of work in form of "Missions" to be done in the strategical search for Genesis. It seems that there are also Missions where you can get special treasure!

Screenshot: A SOLDIER: 2nd CLASS saying, "You should take great care when accepting, and go on a mission for average skill."
Caption: Missions are the daily duties of Shinra's SOLDIERs. There are a lot of Missions, rangin..."

"Early images from next week's issue of the Japanese magazine Shonen Jump have turned up, showing some new screenshots from Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. Among the images are shots of Shisune (the "Shuriken" Turk from FFVII: Before Crisis), the CG image of Zack used on the title screen of the Square Enix Party demo, and a screenshot of a side mission featuring Yuffie in her Before Crisis outfit."

"Sephiroth:
His name is known across the world, a hero who is called the strongest SOLDIER First Class. Possessing near super-human strength, he always manages his duties perfectly. He is closed-off to strangers, and does not show his true feelings, but it seems that Angeal, Genesis, and Zack are allowed a glimpse at his real intentions.


Genesis:
A SOLDIER: 1st Class of the Shinra Company. He devotes himself to literature and enjoys reading from the epic Loveless. He has a friendship wi..."

"Tabata: Up until now it wasn't possible to really depict Sephiroth as a more human character. In order to help Angeal he will have to take actions to deceive Shinra to ensure that Shinra commands fall through, and this leads into an unintentional give and take with Zack. Thus Sephiroth's true self will be a big highlight.

The voice acting has been improved again. While the seiyuu have been bringing Aerith, Zack, and Sephiroth to life from the outset, they've had to spend time under a lot ..."

"About Crisis Core:

Hajime Tabata: "There's a reason why this game is released last [note: what about the 20 years of FFVII?]. This is one of Square Enix's most important moments, when we're about to tell the story that leads up to maybe the most beloved RPG of them all. So we've taken our time and prepared us well."

Q: "How much do you listen to the opinions of the fans?"

A: "All I can say is that you encounter characters from the original game in Crisis Core. But you have to have in..."

Famitsu.com has updated it's site with a new Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core article and various screenshots that were featured in recent editions of their magazine. Fortunately for English speaking fans, the article itself does not have any new information regarding the game, but includes brand new High-Res screenshots instead.

Attendants of the Square Enix 2007 Festival received a special promo cd, which was soon after ripped by a GameFAQs poster NeoStrikeDamon. It includes tracks from Final Fantasy: Dissidia and Crisis Core. I wonder why one of them is titled "Secret". Maybe it's from another game they have yet to reveal?

Click here to download the zip file.