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Default Prime writer Kyree Leary has recently been thinking about bosses in video games. Specifically, how many of them cause him to not finish the game. From Final Fantasy to Shank, Kyree goes on a rant about his problem with some of their bosses.
"Ask yourself, if you will; what is a game?
I suppose you could see the question from any number of angles, any number of interpretations. You could view it mechanically – a typical game involves an actor, maybe several, multiple mechanics, parameters. You could take each individual aspect of a game and put a magnifying glass to it. Or you could take it at its most literal definition; something to be played."
"GamingUnion: "Although the original suffers from mixed feelings amongst Final Fantasy fans, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is something that's very real and is coming out just next week, believe it or not. Since this is the case, we thought it’d be best to throw out yet another Final Fantasy themed cast list and focus on who we’d want should a live action Final Fantasy XIII film be made.""
So who directed Final Fantasy X? Motomu Toriyama, Takayoshi Nakazato and Toshiro Tsuchida were the three directors on Final Fantasy X. Final Fantasy X was a great game and many FF fans loved it, same goes for Final Fantasy VII and so on. FF XII was a biggest letdown in the series..
In the last several years, there's been an evolution in RPG games that has seen some of the oldest concepts of the genre forgotten and treated as bad words. But is this necessarily a good thing? PushStartSelect looks at what's happened to RPGs and why a return to old-school dynamics may be best for the genre.
It's Tuesday, so that means another Top 10 from Gaming Irresponsibly. This week list is the Top 10 Current Franchises in Need of a Reboot. These 10 franchises all need a serious change.
With fall releases in full swing the crew at Goozernation looks back to their ever growing backlog which includes games such as Red Dead Redemption, Fallout New Vegas, Goldeneye 007, Enslaved, Borderlands, Bulletstorm, LA Noire, and Metal Gear Solid 4. The bigger question here is how can a gamer find anytime to play this stuff and how did these games end up in the backlog?
Game Podunk editor MarshallHenderson reports that with Square-Enix taking the tiny step of registering Final Fantasy XIII-3, fans can be hopeful for a possible sequel to Final Fantasy XIII-2. Read on for more details.
"When a game has tons of characters in it, like Final Fantasy does, there are your stand outs; and then there are your standaways. Some characters are truly annoying, so annoying that you have to look away from their dialog boxes. Really, you shouldn't have to listen to someone nag or cry when you can't skip cut scenes."
"When it comes to media, the two most important things to me are story and character. Whether it be movie, book or game, I want to be drawn in by it. It's for this reason that I prefer the action/adventure and, to a greater degree, RPG genres in games. Unfortunately, these genres (especially RPGs) are afflicted with a terrible and awesome thing: Cutscenes."
Recent images have emerged from Final Fantasy XIII-2, including the what looks like the new protagonist and the return of the Final Fantasy XIII battle system.
"Of the Final Fantasy series’ very long history, perhaps the most controversial release it has ever seen to date is also its most recent “numbered” single player game – Final Fantasy XIII.
The epic story of a small group of heroes fighting against destiny saw a relatively lukewarm critical response (83 on metacritic) and a substantial backlash from many of the Final Fantasy faithful fans.
Was it that bad compared to the greats in the series?"
Microsoft today revealed that seven new games will be joining the Platinum Collection lineup, the equivalent to Platinum Hits from North America, in Japan.
"So, while the criticisms that the Japanese market struggles with fostering creativity (a complaint that can be equally levelled at the Western market, mind you, and has been levelled at the Hollywood for years now) are reasonably justified, it's ridiculous to claim the industry itself is going anywhere. With Nintendo dominating the hardware sales, and the likes of Capcom and Square Enix and Namco Bandai making wise investments in social and casual gaming, the businesses themselves are placed ..."
"All gamers probably know of the recent natural disaster and unfolding tragedy currently going on in Japan. On March 11, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit the northeast region of the country, not only causing damaging shaking to cities across Japan, but devastating coastal villages and cities with tsunamis, and even causing a nuclear power plant to become a danger to the countryside it resides in. Although the media of Japan and the West have conflicting reports on just how bad the damage to the..."
"'m actually asking myself just what I should be doing. I'm too filled with trepidation to move anywhere in particular, as walking in the dark in an unfamiliar place, particularly a big one, is usually prone to being either: A - Incredibly easy to get lost in, or B - Filled with nameless horrors with more fangs than the entirety of Dracula's family. So, for me, sitting on my little bit of rusty machinery is keeping me quite content for the moment. It doesn't feel particularly safe, but, for th..."
2010 was a year of great games, and not so great games. These aren't the worst games of 2010, but the ones that let us down the most. Check out the top ten most disappointing games of 2010.
"The beginning of a game is important in deciding whether a game will end up being played for an unhealthy amount of time or back in the store with a pre-owned sticker on it. A good opening will hook you with mystery but also unveil a lot about the story early on but it has to do it in a interesting way (explosions). So lets look at games that I feel had great openings and then lets look at some of the games that failed in crafting an interesting opening. Please note that I will discuss how th..."
GameZone lists the most disappointing Xbox 360 games since its launch. Did your least favourites make the list? Check out the full list and why these certain Xbox 360 games made the list at GameZone.com
"Tell me this isn't familiar: you decide to return to that great RPG you never finished. Maybe it's weeks later, maybe months. You boot up your mid-story save only to realize you've forgotten where you were, what you were doing and how to do it (or anything). Congratulations: your barrier for entry is now a giant, fiery chasm of doom."
It seems that internet supersleuth superannuation has caught wind of news yet again: Square Enix may indeed be working on Final Fantasy XIII-2. Of course, given their recent misfortune, one has to wonder if this is a last ditch effort to salvage their situation or portents of worse things to come.
listrocker.com bring us 12 real life video game chicks.
12. Pikachu
11. Eva
10. Cammy
9. Chun Li
8. Tifa
7. Samus
6. Felicia
5. Lei Fang
4. Jade
3. Jill Valentine
2. Lara Croft
1. Rikku
Amazon is discounting several big-named role-playing games, mostly originating from Japan, in their latest “17 Days of Deals in Video Games” deal.
"Elementary my dear readers, I go into games with Low Expectations! Yeah, it doesn't sound like the best course of action, but many times I end up pleasantly surprised and end up really enjoying the games, probably more than if I had played them expecting greatness. I'm going to key you into a few of these games I expected very little from and how they ended up being some great titles and how one of them even made its way into my favorites."
IGN ponder one of the greatest mysteries that face gamers today: Why don't we finish more video games? No matter how much money seems to be spent on a game, the price never guarentees completion. Why is that? IGN attempt to delve into the minds of gamers world wide in order to answer this question. Personally, I think it's down to the fact that games get awefully pretencious after you've poured oh-so-many hours into them. But, what do you think?
Shiva Nix from Final Fantasy XIII is probably the hardest character to cosplay in the franchise. Nonetheless, it looks like a pair of enterprising friends have indeed succeeded in portraying the twin summons. TK-Nation's Cassandra Khaw shares some choice pictures.
"Last week’s Electronic Theatre Sunday Special was the run down of Top Ten Videogame Heroes; featuring the protagonist you loved like Sam Fisher, Sonic the Hedgehog and Link. So to prove that the games industry isn’t just a man’s game, this week we focus on the Top Ten Videogame Heroines. Ten of the females that got you hot under the collar, and not in the Dead or Alive Paradise way, but stayed on track with the heroic mission which faced them have been chosen for this week’s feature article."
"2) Fanboyism
4 years ago I was in a conversation with two game design students who were telling me how lame my Xbox 360 is. They were telling me how much Halo sucks, and the graphics aren’t that good (really, that’s all you’ve got?). They said the PS3 will cure cancer, act as a slurpee machine, and acts as a ticket into heaven. Also, it would be home to the next iteration of Final Fantasy that would cure the remaining cancer the PS3 couldn’t as well as AIDS. Of course these people didn’t own..."
"Final Fantasy and myself haven't been getting along for years now. Since Final Fantasy X2, I just can't seem to see Final Fantasy in the same light I saw it in when I first played Final Fantasy VI on the Super Nintendo at the tender age of six, and continued on with the series as I grew up and started supporting Sony instead of Nintendo. Don't get me wrong, Final Fantasy X2 and XII had good intentions, but the storylines just weren't engrossing enough, and neither were the characters. But at ..."
"Linearity. A phrase that, a few years back, wasn't even considered as something to describe a videogame. Can you imagine a reviewer of Crash Bandicoot back in 1996 saying that the game was too linear? No? Me either. Looking back, yes, the game was in fact basically running up or down one straight path, but did that make it any less fun? Again, the answer is no. So why, in modern society, is a linear game considered to be the devil's own evil at work?"
"For those who're wondering, this screenshot is taken from the final few seconds of the Tokyo Game Show trailer, now viewable on the website. Yes, Tifa will be a playable character. This is pretty much SquEnix's worst-kept secret, and they apparently like it that way.
It looks like they'll be adding a lot more over time, so FF buffs might want to keep their bookmarks handy and check back regularly!"
"Tonberry
Since its first appearance in Final Fantasy V, this green hued, chef knive and lantern wielding robed figure has been seen in every main Final Fantasy title. For those who have slain many enemies, the Tonberry's Karma or Everybody's Grudge attack can be very painful since the damage is based on how many enemies you have killed. These attacks are not the only ones in a Tonberry's arsenal, as some are able to cast Holy and Pearl. In Final Fantasy XII, there is no actual Tonberry but o..."
Wowsers! What a great deal! Final Fanstasy XIII for just $19.99. Final Fantasy XIII is still considered a great game despite some criticism. It's only for the PS3 version.
"After repeatedly promising that Final Fantasy XIII would be a PS3 exclusive in the Far East, it has been revealed that the game will be coming to the Xbox 360 in December, angering most of the Japanese population."
Square Enix has revealed the extra content that will come with Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International, which will be released for the Xbox 360 in Japan.
"Final Fantasy is a series that started off as Square's original swansong, into an innovator in the RPG genre, and now into Square's cash cow with at least twenty two million spin off games for the DS, PSP and Wii. Of course, nothing in the series has managed to top the success of Final Fantasy VII, nor have any been as good as Final Fantasy VI (in my opinion, at least). It's quite unfortunate that Final Fantasy XIII doesn't do the series justice, either. In fact, it was pretty weak. It wasn't..."
"Whether it be for cute clothes or new games, shopping is in my blood. There are some that take it further than I, those we sometimes call shopaholics. They spend hours of their days trolling malls and online storefronts, customizing their lives with cool, cute, and sometimes useless stuff. I am sure that these gals would love role-playing games for a few obvious reasons"
"In the ASA adjudication, it was stated: “A viewer objected that the ad was misleading because the game footage in the ad was from the PS3 version of the game, which was of better quality to that of the Xbox 360.”
The complaint was upheld after the ASA made the following ruling: “We tested the two games, on screens with an identical set-up, and ran them alongside one another. We noted that there was a discernible difference in the picture quality of the two; the PS3 image in video sequences..."
"This week's deals are kind of overwhelming thanks to GameStop's Power Saver sales and Toys R Us running a buy one get one 50% off sale. There is a lot to choose from to spend your gaming dollar on but the good news is is that you'll be able to stretch it pretty far."
With too much emphasis on character backstories and visual gluttony, the true star of Final Fantasy XIII, the incredible battle mechanic, unfortunately takes a back seat. A review of Final Fantasy XIII focusing on the relationship between the game, when it was made, and the original Playstation 3.
"Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has recently made the statement that, “The Call of Duty franchise is a force of nature. I think it is the closest thing this generation has to a Star Wars. I think it’s unique and bigger than any musical act or any movie franchise in that capacity.” While we appreciate Mr. Kotick’s enthusiasm for his product, we don’t believe there’s been a game that has come close to the cultural impact that Star Wars had when it was released in 1977. However, we humbly submit fiv..."
"Both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy truly define the Japanese role-playing genre; lengthy stories, involving fantasy plots and turn-based combat are just a few things each series is known for, and over the past two decades, each has helped define JRPGs the world over. However, the big question is, how do they stack up side by side?"
2010 has been an excellent year so far for Playstation 3 gamers. Here are the top ten titles released for Sony’s high-definition in the first-half of they year.
"For a game series which has become a watchword for ‘epic fantasy RPG’ to have become mindnumbingly boring is a real disappointment. On paper, the idea of all of the l’Cie as terrorists or freedom fighters, the whole moral ambiguity of the game, sounds like compelling plot … but it really isn’t. It’s like labouring through a badly written history text book."
"Critical Gamer writes: Final Fantasy XIII essentially told a simple story. I know this now because I had someone explain it to me. Reasonable accusations about my intelligence aside, the logical conclusion is that the developer failed to tell the story effectively. That is somewhat surprising considering just how many cutscenes there are in which the plot could have been conveyed in a comprehensible manner."
"So do RPGs, along with every other genre need storylines? I say yes. Without them, we’d be left scartching our heads on what we’re fighting for without feeling any emotional attachments to anything. If Red Dead Redemption’s single-player campaign didn’t involve a characteristic lead like John Marston, and players caring about his family, then would we even bother with the game’s lengthy campaign mode? It honestly would have become a free roaming game where you can either shoot other cowboys ..."
Complete game walkthrough guide with over 70 videos for Final Fantasy XIII. The bosses are all tackled and achievements and trophies dealt with within the guide. All stone missions are covered too both in the main guide and as a stand alone guide for easy reference.
"Depending on how you look at it, the Chinese either got a good deal or a bad deal when it comes to the launch of Final Fantasy XIII. The game finally launched in Hong Kong this month, but the wait was worth it. The launch was packed with some pretty hot cosplayers dressed as the stars of the game of course."
"Red Dead Redemption wannabe owners should keep an eye out on their local Toys R Us this Tuesday as they will have a $25 Gift Card available with purchase of the game. However, the deal is time limited and you have to be a Rewards R Us member. K-Mart and Amazon also are offering Gift Cards for this game."
Final Fantasy XIII's extremely-linear game design has left many gamers divided in their opinions of it. While many argue and debate over the structure of the game, BioWare takes it a step further by saying the game isn't an RPG at all.
"A thrifty gamer is a happy gamer so we've scoured the Sunday ads to find the best video game deals for this week from local stores for the Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC for the week of May 9, 2010."
In an attempt to help those gamers out there who are struggling to find just the right game to purchase we have come up with this Top 5 RPGs list for the RPGs that were released within the last four months, which includes titles such as Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver as well as others.
Also included are a few honorable mentions, with links to reviews, that some RPG fans may find interesting and might want to check out and a list of many of the RPGs released.
"This week in the news section Ronnie and Andreas talk about Bungie and Activision 10 year deal, Steam coming to Mac May 12th, leaked black Wii and loads more! And in the what they have been playing section Craig joins them to discuss Split/Second, Modnation Racers PSP and Final Fantasy 13."
"First of all, Sonic the Hedgehog period, they've taken a big dive, and they straight up...I can't remember, I read the article awhile back, they straight up said 'Yeah, we know we're making bad games, but we figure, in time, the games will start getting better, but for now, we're cool with putting out a crappy game, and people will buy it'"
"1. I founded NORA (No Obligation, Rules, or Authority) which started off small by hunting wild animals and turned into the rebel group fighting the Sanctum.
2. I almost tried out for the Bodhum baseball team, the Mud Frogs, and that was the same day I met Serah.
3. My Crystarium crystal is heart shaped. Not very manly if you ask me….
4. Unlike the other founders of NORA, I'm a cat person. They all prefer the smell of wet dogs in the morning. Ugh...
5. Regardless of Lightning’s di..."
GameStop is offering $10 coupons for select video game purchases. Notable games include Battlefield Bad Company 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Mass Effect 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction and more.
"So when I finally got smacked upside the head and realized that indeed this is a Final Fantasy game, but not so much the traditional Final Fantasy, I decided it was time to beat it. When all was said and done though, I wasn't left wanting more as I have in the past. No, I was left thinking, "Seriously?""
"Balancing a compelling storyline with non-linear gameplay has always been the biggest challenge developers face when creating an open world game. Sometimes a compromise is made, such as side missions that don't interfere with the main plot (Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed 2). But, more often than not the story is simplified, sacrificed on the altar of player freedom."
While some gamers long for - well - long games, many simply want something that would take no more than say 6- 10 hrs max, and along comes one that you'd best plan on having a holiday, if you plan on finishing it within a 7 day period (with adequate breaks of course.)
Many Japanese RPG's are like this, but Final Fantasy XIII was supposed to bridge those gaps, but did it?
Come check out OXCGN's US correspondents review on the game, you may agree, you may not, but you do need to check it...
The NPD Group has released their hardware and software numbers for the month of March 2010, representing sales for the United States for the five week period of February 28 to April 3.
Headlines:
Good software showing for the PS3 with four titles in top 10, but could not take much advantage with hardware shortages
Strong launches from God of War III, Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver Version, Final Fantasy XIII, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Hardware:
NDS: 700.8k (140.16k per week)
WII:...
"Final Fantasy is one of the most famous franchises in gaming history and for good reason. The gameplay has evolved over the years and pleased gamers on everything from the original NES to the WonderSwan and still entrances gamers on the PS3 and 360. But there's another appeal factor about this series."
2010 is shaping up to be one of the most jam-packed years in the gaming industry with many excellent games already released in the first-quarter alone. Here are ten can't miss games so far this year.
"Final Fantasy is a series that is constantly undergoing evolution. With each game’s world being completely independent of each other, Final Fantasy XIII has the opportunity to re-invent itself like a phoenix from its ashes. Far away from the tales of knights and wizards, we now come to visit the futuristic utopian world of Cocoon. So what awaits us in this latest installment, and does Square-Enix really deliver upon four long years of hype?"
Amazon has revealed the top 10 best-selling games on their website for the month of March as well as individual charts for the three consoles and more.
"Since Final Fantasy XIII’s announcement all the way back in 2006, the hype train for the game was truly going full speed ahead for the full four years since its original announcement, however, the journey was not without its stops, and the choice to port the game to the Xbox 360 was one that Square came under fire for, with fanboys boycotting the game and even all other Square Enix products, however, the train rolled on, until the game finally arrived on my doorstep in march."
"Luke K. Wing continues his series of guides for Final Fantasy XIII. This time, he offers strategies for taking down some of the game’s most monumental bosses, including Barthandelus, Orphan, and Orphan Child."
"House gracing a bustling town centre, it's no use getting an early night around here if a blockbuster game warrants so much attention that not one single human being on the face of the planet can wait for the sun to rise in order to grab such visual delights."
"GameZone has a guide to all your Final Fantasy XIII questions about upgrading weapons, leveling up, and where the best places are to grind.
This is the first of many guides on how to better your experiences with Square-Enix’s latest RPG, so make sure to return to view our upcoming boss fight guide for FFXIII later this week."
"Quarter 1 ends now as Quarter 2 looms over the horizon and it’s safe to say that this has been the best Quarter 1 in recent memory. Never before have so many great games been packed into the very beginning of the year. Usually we have to wait till Quarter 4 before we get the big-budget titles. March, like January and February before it was stuffed full of wonderful games for gamers of all."
"The Final Fantasy series has seen a large number of installments, and in the process it has racked up a large sum of followers. The time has come for the franchise’s first appearance on the next-gen consoles, but will it manage to please the fans as well as newcomers? We’re about to find out."
"Early in the tale of Final Fantasy XIII, players will encounter a raven-haired woman from Oerba Village, donning clothing resembling a traditional Indian Sari adorned with tribal accessories, and bearing the mark of a l'Cie on her right shoulder. Oerba Yun Fang wields a spear, and her Eidolon is Bahamut, a creature that can take flight when in Gestalt Mode. In this latest digital art tutorial, fans of the game will be able to create their own impressions of this vivacious heroine."
This past March was packed with many new blockbuster releases as well as lesser known but equally as great titles. So which games stood out the most for the month?
Famitsu/Enterbrain has revealed the video game hardware sales totals as well as the top five best-selling titles in Japan for the 2009 fiscal year (March 2009 - March 2010).
Today Yahtzee lets Square Enix's latest romp have it. Given parodies like this, he's certainly got a lot to work with. Hit the source for the review.
"I like a good story. Something with characters I can relate to, genuine people with their own hopes, dreams and fear.
Something with a plot that twists and turns, surprising at every turn but always making sense. Something personal, as if it was constructed only for me and my unique journey through the game.
Something I will never see.
It's a simple fact: the perfect narrative does not exist.
I can't be anymore blunt than that. Try as I might, I have yet to find a game that can conn..."
After scoring the 360 version of Final Fantasy 13 a 7/10, All Age Gaming's Khye Davey takes a look at the Playstation 3 version of the game. Was the PS3 version done better, especially since the Final Fantasy series traditional home is on Playstation consoles? Read on to find out.
"The Final Fantasy Noob diary continues with thoughts on the third night of playing Final Fantasy XIII. I’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before except a very brief experience with III on the DS before giving my DS Lite to my daughter."
"Welcome to the second night diary of my first experiences with Final Fantasy XIII. If you remember from Part 1, I’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before except a very brief experience with III on the DS before giving my DS Lite to my daughter."
"Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most popular releases of this month, and probably of the year. Being one of the most in-depth RPG franchises around, it is hard to know every little thing about weapons, upgrades, item locations, etc. Unfortunately it is also hard to justify the $20 price tag of a printed strategy guide. That’s where the fans come in. For almost any video game, especially RPGs, fans are around to make free guides."
"Square Enix has today revealed the first downloadable content (DLC) package for the phenomenally successful Final Fantasy XIII. While a debate has been raging since the game’s Japanese launch last year as to whether Square Enix would capitalise on the opportunity to add new content to what is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games on the current-generation of games consoles, that question has today been answered."
"Truth be told. I’m 35 years old, an avid gamer and really haven’t played a Final Fantasy game before. Shocking, I know. Now I did try the DS version of Final Fantasy III out for a while but didn’t get very far in the game mainly because I gave my daughter my DS at about the same time as an act of fatherly sacrifice. But the favorites like VII? Yeah, I never touched them."
"Square Enix Europe has announced that Final Fantasy XIII has officially become the fastest selling title in the Final Fantasy franchise history in the UK, and also the fastest selling UK game of 2010 so far, according to GFK Chart-track. The news comes on the heels of the announcement last week that the sell-in shipment of the game has exceeded the five million unit milestone worldwide."
A celebration of video games, giveaways, Billy Mitchell's hot sauce, and 100 episodes of Distributed Failure. The podcast has been going strong for over 2 years and this is the epic 100th episode with plenty of special guests and awesome prizes!
Always good to see FNC news.
In a recent interview with Motomu Toriyama, he revealed some small information about the upcoming games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis Series, FINAL FANTASY Versus XIII and FINAL FANTASY Agito XIII.
He stated that Versus and Agito wont be Sequels to the recently released title FINAL FANTASY XIII. They will be their own stories, but will follow a Common Mythos. Players of FFXIII will already be aware of the Fal'Cie and L'Cie. These are set to appear in the upc...
Final Fantasy 13 has been a long time coming and is the first true Final Fantasy game built for the current generation of consoles. The Final Fantasy series has been a mainstay on Sony consoles, until now. Finally, Xbox gamers get a taste of the series on the 360. Was the Xbox 360 version worth the effort? Find out after the jump.
"While the game remains available solely on PlayStation 3 in Japan, the UK release of Final Fantasy XIII has been much more widely publicised for the Xbox 360. Along with a number of bundle options including both the software and a console to play it on, television adverts and sponsored magazine coverage has often managed to conveniently forget that the game is also available on Sony’s PlayStation 3 – the system for which the game had originally been announced as an exclusive title worldwide. ..."
Final Fantasy XIII is Square Enix's excuse to show off the White Engine. However, pretty graphics do not a good game make. Can the rest of the game hold up under the weight of its own pleasing aesthetics?
"Final Fantasy XIII has perhaps one of the worst introductions a Japanese RPG has ever had. Square Enix thought it would be a good idea to not tell the player what is happening, and as a result, the first ten hours of the game feels like a conversation that the player has stumbled in on halfway through. All the characters know what's going on, and talk as if the player should know, leading to a very alienating narrative that ensures the player never truly connects with it. When you finally do ..."
"While precise figures for either format have not been revealed, Square Enix has announced that the PlayStation 3 format is leading the UK, split with fifty-four percent in favour of Sony’s console and forty-six percent of consumers picking-up the title on Microsoft’s Xbox 360. While many gamers may argue that this result could easily have been predicted, industry professionals would argue that sales have gone against their forecasts. Electronic Theatre contacted a number of supermarket and hi..."
"Unsurprising as the announcement may be, it has been revealed today that Square Enix’s highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII has taken the top spot in the UK’s multi-format sales chart for the week ending March 13th, 2010. Having launched in both the North American and European territories on Tuesday, 9th March 2010, on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 simultaneously, Final Fantasy XIII has lived up to it’s expectations commercially."
"Final Fantasy is one of those few series that has managed to stand the test of time with games that were never dependent upon each other. Each game possessed the same elements, but always managed to throw in a great story, interesting cast of characters, and satisfying JRPG gameplay. Final Fantasy XIII continues that trend, offering not only a compelling story, but some fast-paced gameplay and a truly grand presentation that is unmatched by previous installments. Though the typical fan base m..."
According to Square Enix, the recently released Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 role-playing game, Final Fantasy XIII, is the fastest selling game in the series so far.
There's no doubt Uncharted 2 has some of the most engaging and realistic characters in any game, but it isn't only gamers and reviewers that have praised the game's characters. Developers loved them too.
At this year's GDC, Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama noted that he was impressed with the interaction between Uncharted 2's characters and would like future Final Fantasy titles to have similar character interactions.
"After getting the go ahead to do bonus Cosplay galleries each weekend, we wanted to make sure we made each one count. So this week we're focusing on Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII. Yes, we already have compiled a great collection of talented "Cosplayers". Easily recognizable, Lightning has a style all her own."
At a recent Final Fantasy XIII launch event in London Oxford Circus, in which the producer Yoshinori Kitase and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo were present, a competition was held where one lucky gamer had the chance to win the Xbox 360 Final Fantasy XIII bundle. How did fans react to this prize? They booed.
Square has developed a reputation over the years for dramatically changing how the battle mechanic works with each new iteration of the Final Fantasy series. The Kartel highlights how battling has evolved over the years, and pick out the ones that worked best.
Icrontic's devious CB Droege brings us this week's interesting new releases in gaming, and his mighty eye points to Rise of Prussia, Max and the Magic Marker, Scrap Metal, and Final Fantasy XIII.
"This week's now shipping will bring a fantasy game like no other that finally see's its debut in North America and Europe, the chinese mafia and a good amount of downloads to keep you busy for awhile."
"The UK launch event for Final Fantasy XIII, planned for later today, features a number of special guests. Attending fans will have the chance to meet both Yoshinori Kitase, the producer of the game, and Isamu Kamikokuryo, the game’s art director. DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane will feature as MC and to emphasise the hysteria associated with such high-profile game the first fifty people to attend the signing dressed in Final Fantasy costumes will be given a free Final Fantasy XIII Original Soun..."
"With more than a dozen Final Fantasy games out there now, it seems a little bit weird that we haven't been treated to even that many distinct characters. Alright, maybe that's a bit harsh, but it sure seems like we've been sticking pretty close to the same half dozen guys and gals, with a few minor differences in hairstyle. Maybe that's just the way people are. I'm sure you've encountered, or have been one of these types in your own nihilist-villain-and-summoned-dragon-free life. Either some..."
"In Final Fantasy XIII, Snow Villiers gains the power of the Shiva Motorcycle as his Eidolon. After becoming a l'Cie, Snow gains the power to summon the Shiva Sister Eidolons, Nix and Styria, who can combine into a motorcycle form for Snow to ride, and is equipped with a large gun to fire. The first transforming Play Arts -Kai- figure set is a faithful adaptation of that Shiva motorcycle from Final Fantasy XIII, and it conceals a number of stunning surprises. The Play Arts -Kai- Shiva motorcyc..."
I had the pleasure of recording a podcast with three Final Fantasy enthusiasts. I did not talk and they spoke on everything within the series. See the description. download through iTunes, though Zune, or download the mp3 directly
A Final Fantasy XIII walkthrough video guide for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions that will show you how to get through Square Enix's latest Final Fantasy epic from beginning to ending. While the language is in Japanese, the battle strategies shown are still useful, not to mention the cutscenes equally beautiful.
"This one is going to get messy. Final Fantasy XIII is going to divide gamers like few other titles this year. It's a game with some really great attributes – it looks amazing for a start, but it's clearly been designed with extreme accessibility in mind, and that has resulted in a great loss of control for the player. Some will be able to forgive it this, others won't."
Gametrailers recently reviewed Final Fantasy XIII, but is the game a failed experiment, or does it represent a bold new direction for Japanese RPGs?
RPG Site have reviewed the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII and, despite some disappointments, they were mostly impressed, giving the game an overall score of 85%
They praised the "interesting" and "challenging" battle system, "beautiful" graphics and "incredibly well done" vocals.
But they were disappointed with the "lack of a fleshed out world," the "weakly developed" enemies, the fact there were no "proper" sidequests besides repetitive hunts, and the "lack of a proper main villain."
...
""Final Fantasy XIII is a game that impresses easily – merely looking at this game will have eyes popping and jaws dropping. However, get beyond that and there is a very linear game with many prototypical J-RPG elements in place. While there is some latitude for how battles are fought, for the most part, the game holds the player’s hand and escorts them through this fantastical land that is part fantasy and part sci-fi.""
"Aside from your profile options, not much else is yet available on the Square Enix Members official website, apart from what appears to be set to become the publisher’s equivalent of Nintendo’s “Stars” community feature. Gamers are given the option to register their games, which will than appear on their profile homepage."
"Just to show we love games, and are true gamers, here’s one of the teams recent acquisitions being unboxed for you, and his opinion on the quality and pricing of it.
We’ve done it before with several Collectors editions, which you’ll find links for at the end of this small item, and we’ll continue to do it, no matter what the platform.
If we like it, we’ll play, review and publish any game we see fit to. So those Sony fans who believe that a Xbox Site should stay an Xbox site – our sugg..."
"To everyone’s surprise March 2010 is a month full of epic video game releases, because in the past the first quarter of the year is pretty slow in the industry. This is the result of many things the most important being the fact that money is tight after the jam-packed Holiday gaming season. 2010 is a year for change as there are plenty of high-quality games coming out in the first four months of the year, for that reason we decided to list out the top 5 video game releases of March 2010 – th..."
"Square Enix's Play Arts -Kai- figures are an improved version of their popular Play Arts action figure series. Featuring a larger scale, greater attention to detail, more articulation points and additional parts, the Play Arts -Kai- series are their finest action figures yet. Based on the forthcoming Final Fantasy XIII, the highly-anticipated Role-Playing Game (RPG) coming to the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 next week, series two features figures of Fang, Hope, and Sazh, based on detailed s..."
"Sony has one week to get their stuff straight. While it's very likely that the recent issue with the Playstation Network and older PS3s (PS3 fats) will be resolved well before next week. It begs one important question. Will this affect Final Fantasy XIII sales?"
"Though many could easily stand-up and proclaim that the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII would likely perform incredibly well within the UK, thanks largely to the vast amount of consumer support for the system over-and-above that which Sony’s PlayStation 3 console currently benefits from. However, few would’ve predicted that which MyVoucherCodes.co.uk have suggested, that Final Fantasy XIII will see sales on the Xbox 360 format double that of the PlayStation 3 equivalent."
"Final Fantasy XIII hasn’t even released in the west yet, and there still isn’t a lot of word about Final Fantasy XIV (Online). But the developing giant is already making plans for Final Fantasy XV (yes, 15!), as revealed by XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase.
When asked about the future of the series in the latest issue of Xbox World 360, Kitase admitted: “We’ve got a few ideas for Final Fantasy XV lined up, but there is no singular aim for where we want the series to go. Final Fantasy can go ..."
"Let me start off by saying that I am a long time fan of the Final Fantasy Series. However, I am one that thinks that the series peaked with FFVI and has yet to be able to craft an experience on par with it (Though I would say FFXI is my favorite, it’s an MMO and I don’t usually count it in the cannon of FF). It seems that Final Fantasy XIII could have what it takes to get the series back on track after a couple of disappointments, most notably FFX-2 and FFXII. I will say though, that the batt..."
"According to producer Yoshinori Kitase, though, that's absolutely what the FFXIII team was aiming for. As far as Kitase is concerned, FFXIII isn't even really a role-playing game. "We didn't really intend to work within with the RPG template," he says. "We wanted to create a new game, even a new genre. The way we look at it, there's isn't a certain format that we have to keep to and build a game around. Rather, it goes the other way around. We create a game and, depending on what works or doe..."
If you were curious about whether or not you should pre-order the guide with FFXIII, then check out this 28-page preview of the strategy guide. The guide and game are both set to release on March 9.
"Fans attending the UK launch event on 9th March will be treated to a very rare opportunity to meet both Yoshinori Kitase, the producer of the game, and Isamu Kamikokuryo, the game’s art director, who will be available to sign games and answer questions. High-profile DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane will also be entertaining fans as the MC for the event."
"After the latest batch of Final Fantasy XIII screens, you can come to a clear choice of which version is going to be the best option for you -- if graphics make the difference. While the graphics of both versions are solid, the PS3 appears to be the cleaner of the two. Yes, the title was developed with the PS3 in mind and the Xbox 360 version uses a different graphics engine, so they wouldn't be identical either way. These are the newest released screens by Square Enix for each version."
"The number 13 is almost universally considered unlucky, but for Square Enix and its flagship franchise, Final Fantasy XIII is bound to be another million-plus seller on March 9. That’s day one for the U.S. version of the game. Gaming Target was given the afternoon to play test it in English at Square Enix’s Los Angeles offices, so we can tell you first hand why you don’t want to avoid this superstition-free title and why it’ll be next month’s most popular video game."
"It's only fair, right?
While my list of ten things I loved about the import version of Final Fantasy XIII was quite easy to make, this counterpoint was a bit more difficult. I didn't want to nitpick, but I did want to have an even ten to match up. To tell the truth, I could have gone on for a lot more than ten entries on the "loved" list, while this one was more of a stretch.
I want to be clear: I hope this list of negatives adds no weight to some of the unnecessarily negative and cynic..."
"Matt Swider recently sat down with the legendary Final Fantasy XIII development team at the Square Enix offices in Los Angeles. Through a translator, he talked to Director Motomu Toriyama, Producer Yoshinori Kitase, and Battle Director Yuiji Abe. The interview sheds light on character development, details what to expect from the multi-disc Xbox 360 version, and even delves into a little FFXIII strategy on how to defeat the Behemoth King."
"Producer Yoshinori Kitase told CVG sister mag Xbox World 360: "We try not to listen to the critics too much. Most of the criticisms have come because the first half of the game is very linear.
"But we've got a story to tell, and it's important the player can engage with the characters and the world they inhabit before letting them loose..."
The game's director Motomu Toriyama added: "We think many reviewers are looking at Final Fantasy XIII from a western point of view. When you look a..."
"After a grave mistake was made several days, Square Enix has now released an official statement about the doctored Final Fantasy XIII screens. As you can see in our previous story, Square Enix has been investigating what happened with the release of the screens, as they weren't meant to be released."
Square Enix has released a statement responding to the numerous criticisms that they doctored the new screens from the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII.
A great episode of The Bender this week. Intern Elissa joins us again (and again, speaks on Final Fantasy). James gives us a taste of his Mass Effect 2 review, as does Richard with Bioshock 2. Mike hates on IGN. All this and so much more, enjoy!
Listen live/stream/download with - iTunes - Zune - or direct mp3 download
With Final Fantasy XIII's release just a few weeks away, a massive bunch of new videos, interviews and screenshots have been released.
Go to the source to view all of them.
"Square Enix Ltd. has today confirmed a European rollout for the Final Fantasy XIII hardware bundles revealed at Microsoft’s X10 event last night. Further to this however, Europe will receive a second bundle – the Special Edition and the Elite Bundle – both of which are available to pre-order now, and will be available to buy in-store from 9th March, 2010."
When it was released in Japan as a Playstation 3 exclusive in December of 2009, Final Fantasy XIII got a special system bundle. Don’t expect to see the game bundled with the Playstation 3 in the west, however.
"Here, in no specific order, are 10 things you need to know coming out of X10 today:
• The Halo Reach multiplayer beta will kick off on May 3. You will be able to access the beta via the Halo 3: ODST game disc.
• Dead Rising 2 will release in North America on Aug. 31, Japan on Sept. 2 and Europe on Sept. 3.
• Dead Rising: CASE ZERO an exclusive download only on Xbox LIVE, will launch prior to the full game and provide a playable prologue that bridges the story between the two titles.
• Ala..."
Final Fantasy producer, Yoshinori Kitase, and designer, Motomu Toriyama, spoke in London on the highly anticipated FFXIII. One question came up about the possible release of FFXIII in stereoscopic 3D, which lead to the answer.. "we are interested in it."
Resident Evil 5 has already taken advantage of new 3D technologies with its PC version. If done right, something as graphically pleasing as FFXIII would be really nice in 3D. Though, it would most likely be re-released as a special 3D e...
"Final Fantasy XIII may not be out in North America and Europe yet, but the development team is in full "victory lap" mode in Japan. At least, that's how it seemed when noted industry figure Jem Alexander interviewed producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama for the European PlayStation Blog. Asked about the state of the Japanese game industry, the two (no individual attribution was given to the speakers) said that FFXIII was going to fix it."
According to a flyer placed on a Microsoft’s retailer training website, ExpertZone, the Xbox 360 is getting a Final Fantasy XIII Special Edition Bundle.
"Speaking with Sony on the official European PlayStation blog, the game's producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama have said:
quote"If you consider that during Final Fantasy XIII's development, at peak time the team consisted of over 300 people. It was a huge team, plus it took a several long years to get the game finished. So, if Mr Wada meant that we would never make another Final Fantasy title with the similar number of people, taking as long as FFXIII did, we would agree.
...
It looks like FFXIII might not actually be getting any dlc, at least not in Europe. A new scan of the EU box art reveals that it is missing the "game-content download" description box. Either one of the regions is getting screwed over by either having to pay for extra content or not getting any extra content at all or someone's getting fired. Of course there's always the third option: photoshopped.
"Square Enix Holdings Co. this week said Final Fantasy XIII for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 holds 10 hours of cutscenes in the final product.
The title is said to hold 50 to 60 hours of gameplay, including the cutscenes."
An avid Final Fantasy fan has uploaded some profile pages from the official Final Fantasy XIII's Scenario Ultimania, revealing a batch of new Nomura character artwork and information.
Go to the source for the full gallery.
With all the negativity floating around the Final Fantasy XIII communities, it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that so many people are wary about the newest entry in the series. So, for a moment, lets forget the negatives and focus on the positives. Here are 10 things Destructoid loved about Final Fantasy XIII.
Go to the source for the full article.
According to the figures, FFXIII seems to have been selling about as well as FFX-2 for the first four weeks. Upon hitting week five, sales figures started to declined drastically. What does this say about the long-awaited FFXIII?
"Gamestop captured the back of Final Fantasy XIII’s Xbox 360 box, which has bullet points about the game’s features.
Let’s see… it supports one player, saves take up 4MB, and apparently has “game-content download.” Interesting! That sounds like confirmation that Final Fantasy XIII will have some kind of downloadable content. I hope we get something better than Cloud costumes for Lightning and emergency potion packs."
Watch Tobin and Yuzo from NooBTooB preview all the games slated to come out between now and April.
Keep in mind they don't cover every game. Just those they deem will be either good or interesting.
Binge Gamer's newest writer Elissa Arms seems to be starting off things with a bang. An amusing piece regarding the much hyped (within the JRPG community) Final Fantasy XIII. I'd say take what she says in this article with a grain of salt, but for the most part, she means what she says.
"Is there any reason for me to continue playing the game after I’ve finished the story? This is a little different from replay value in that I’m not referring to starting the game over, but rather whether or not you will want to continue to improve your characters and completing optional content once the final boss has beaten. The answer: yes, you will."
If you were wondering why Final Fantasy XIII has been in development for so long, wonder no more! Square Enix's Yoshinora Kitase revealed to Dutch OPM that putting Final Fantasy XIII on PS2, then having to start from scratch again on PS3, cost the team about a year and a half.
Kitase also discussed the DLC rumors, facts on the 360 and PS3 versions, and how happy he is that FFXIII is finally finished.
Go to the source for the full interview and scans.
"After waiting for an official confirmation on how many discs Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360 will be, retailers have revealed how many the game will entail."
"Square Enix's Play Arts -Kai- figures are an improved version of their popular Play Arts action figure series. With a greater attention to detail and a much larger scale, more articulation points and additional parts, these are their finest action figure yet. Based on Final Fantasy XIII, the highly-anticipated Role-Playing Game (RPG) set to launch on Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 across Europe this March, the first series of figures include Lightning, Snow Villiers, and Oerba Dia Vanille fea..."
Georgia Van Cuylenburg (better known as Georgia Van C) might not be well known in the States just yet, but expect to see more of her in future.
The bubbly Aussie comedian-cum-writer-cum-actress-cum-producer, perhaps best known for her children's TV show My Magical World, was cast as Final Fantasy XIII's Vanille. In a recent interview with Siliconera, Georgia revealed that she was so eager to play Vanille when she first heard about the role: "She is such a fun character and some of her lines...
"The game’s linearity was just because depicting towns and so on like we did before was impossible to do on an “HD” console – it was too much work.
Nomura had hardly anything to do with it; he just did character design and commercials, not even the intro or movies.
The game was designed with DLC in mind but we don’t actually have any planned.
It was easy to port to the Xbox. Porting to the PS3 is harder. The PS3 has more processing power but you have to do it properly.
Jumping was ..."
"The Limited Collector’s Edition features the simple logo on a white background that most previous European releases in the Final Fantasy series had displayed on their retail packaging, and that fans had been crying out for since the unveiling of the artwork on the standard edition at the beginning of December last year."
After a long drought, an abundance of Japanese role-playing games will be heading to the Playstation 3 in full force this year. So which upcoming JRPGs will be worth picking up?
"Everyone likes to game on their system of choice. It’s the unspoken right that every gamer has been privy to since the first console hit the market and was subsequently followed by its competitor. This kicked off what was known as the console wars and ever since, there have been new veterans joining the ranks every single day. While console exclusives are all well and good being, for the most part, system sellers. It is usually the cross platform titles that stand out the most as people will ..."
Amazon has discounted some of the biggest upcoming games for the Playstation 3. Notable titles include Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Heavy Rain, MAG and more.
"Larry Sparks, Vice President Brands PAL Region of Square Enix comments, “FINAL FANTASY XIII is one of the most anticipated entertainment releases of all time and we’re pleased to announce this LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION for fans across PAL territories, the contents of which have been individually selected by the FINAL FANTASY XIII development team.”"
"Every so often I hear people talk about how they miss the days when Japan ran the game industry. I don't think they so much miss the days when Japanese developers were on top of the world as much as they miss the days when Japanese developers/publishers actually worked in large to promote creativity rather than just follow trends. Those days have faded. While many great games still come out of Japan, thanks mostly to their always shrinking console market and a lack of knowledge on how to revi..."
In a surprising move, Final Fantasy XIII's composer, Masashi Hamauzu, has announced his departure from Square Enix. Further departures from the remaining team will also occur in coming months. There is currently no news on where Hamauzu is headed after Square.
It will be interesting to see who will compose the music for upcoming Final Fantasy games.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"A few hours ago a very interesting e-mail popped into the PlanetXbox360 news inbox; it's from Microsoft's PR company and it's touting the amazing lineup for 2010, available on the Xbox 360 video game system. Scroll down to see which games the console maker has decided are worth bragging about, and what remains unannounced going into E3 2010 this June. It looks to be one heck of a year to be a hardcore video gamer, agree or disagree? Will the line-up be better on the Xbox 360 or the Playstatio..."
The Final Fantasy XIII figurines are being sold in Japan, but if retailers thought that the public might ignore the dozens of promotional posters on the windows, Akihabara's Kotobukiya store thought up a plan that might attract people's attention: Have a bunch of cosplayers pose like said figurines at the front of the store. No idea on whether it helped sales or not, but apaprently they were a real hit with photographers.
"It was a matter of time before media outside of Japan where going to get hold of a full copy of Final Fantasy XIII. Official Playstation Magazine UK has been the first publication outside of Japan to review the game, with it only missing one mark, totalling the score to an impressive 9/10."
"Dengeki has released the results of a readers poll in which people voted for what they thought was the best game of 2009. A list of the top 20 has been published on their website and Final Fantasy XIII has managed to secure second place. Although there has been a backlash of Japanese fans who have complaints ranging from Final Fantasy XIII's linearity to there being no levels, it still seems to have won people over."
It seems to be an increasing trend for Japanese celebrities to get involved with video games.
If you haven't heard of Mari Yaguchi before, here's a quick run-down: She is a former Morning Musume pop singer, she believes she looks like Final Fantasy XIII's Vanille, she was recently hired by Nintendo to promote World of Goo, and she is Yakuza 4's "massage babe".
But it looks like that's not enough to tide Mari over. In her Famitsu column, she admitted that wants to be involved with more v...
"We’re barely two weeks into 2010 and there’s already enough must-have games to choke one of Avatar’s six-legged horses. January alone is home to seven big-name releases, with February, March and April continuing the trend. Hell, we even know what’s coming in the summer and in some cases (like Halo Reach) we’re even certain of the fall’s heaviest hitters.
Collected here is every game that matters (so far) in 2010. Obviously some games will slip and others will be announced in June at E3, bu..."
"It's an indisputable fact that the two most important entertainment properties in the world are Final Fantasy and The Jersey Shore. The former is a long-running Japanese role-playing game series published by Square-Enix. The latter is an upstart reality show about a group of lovable ragamuffins who live in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. After just a few episodes, those crazy Jersey Shore kids have become America's sweethearts.
On the surface, it seems like the two have nothing in common. Th..."
A gorgeous new Final Fantasy XIII trailer has been released, featuring more of the (surprisingly good) English voice acting and the English theme song, "My Hands", sung by popular singer Leona Lewis...
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"Apparently, the FFXIII design team created a number of areas that ended up not going into the final product. How much? Enough to create an additional game, according to Kamikokuryou.
Kamikokuryou shared a few locations with the magazine. Apparently, the design team created a full area surrounding Lightning's home. This area resembled a park. There was also a secret base for resistance group Nora inside a shop somewhere. Nautiuls Park, an amusement facility, at one point also included a zoo."
"In a message posted on the official UK Final Fantasy XIII website, Motomu Toriyama has stated that the International version of the upcoming Square Enix title is “finally complete.”"
Final Fantasy XIII has recieved a handful of disappointingly negative reviews in the past few weeks, but many fans have shrugged them off as an attempt by little-known sites to gain hits through controversy.
But now some well-known sites are getting on the bandwagon, it looks like Final Fantasy XIII might not live up to many fans' expectations after all. With the game having been in development for so long, it would be a shame if it ended up disappointing long time fans of the series.
Go...
A "casual, borderline-retarded journalist" (yes, the review's disclaimer actually said that!) from a popular Hong Kong gaming magazine has given Final Fantasy XIII a mere 4/10, calling it the "biggest swindle in gaming history" and the "biggest joke of 2009."
The review itself seems biased, but still, a 4/10? Ouch!
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Walmart.com significantly expanded the list of soon-to-be-released games that are eligible for the free $10 gift cards with purchase. At this moment the list of games that are available includes Star Trek Online God of War 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Mass Effect 2, MAG and many more. There are more than dozen games in total that are eligible.
Final Fantasy XIII hasn't been recieving the best reviews lately, but don't start worrying just yet. David Szyszko of SK has reviewed the Japanese version of Final Fantasy XIII and he was impressed, giving the game an overall score of 9/10, and saying that the game has an "excellent battle system, absorbing visual experience, unique style and excellent fine-tuning of all the details."
Read the full translated review here.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Since it's release, Final Fantasy XIII has recieved a fair bit of flak for it's linearity, departures from tradition and failure to live up to the hype. But criticalgamer.co.uk's Ian D believes that the negativity surrounding the game has been overexaggerated, especially considering much of it seems to come from people who haven't yet played the game.
Go to the source for the full article, including Ian's two cents on the game.
The Western release of Final Fantasy XIII is just around the corner, so here is Gametrailers' import preview to get you up to speed with what you need to know before you play the game...
"The last decade was an absolutely amazing one, at least where videogames were concerned. The new technologies of the past two console generations have enabled the medium to soar to incredible new heights, introducing entirely new types of experiences and – perhaps more notably – delivering the sexy better than ever before. The decade from 2000 to 2009 brought us increasingly realistic (or at least convincingly idealized) heroines and heroes that not only looked hot when rendered in 3D, but al..."
In a recent interview with Edge, Square Enix's president, Yoichi Wada, discussed the future of Square Enix and Eidos, whether he believes distinctly Japanese series (such as Final Fantasy) have a future in the Western market, his own personal tastes in gaming, why he believes the Final Fantasy series needs to "move on", and why he feels that there's an "expectation of Square Enix to offer something new" and because of that the Final Fantasy teams should start "creating something completely di...
It looks like we might see some Western-developed Final Fantasy games in future. In a recent interview with Edge, Square Enix's president Yoichi Wada revealed that he is open to the idea of a Final Fantasy game being created in the West, provided it is overseen by their Japanese developers.
If this Western developed Final Fantasy does come into fruition, Wada said that he hoped it would fare similarly to Batman: Arkham Asylum, a Western game that "caters very much to the Japanese taste".
...
Nowgamer.com's fluent Japanese-speaking Ryan Winterhalter recently reviewed Final Fantasy XIII. Despite giving the game a 7.9/10 he admitted that it didn't live up to the hype, and said: "while individual aspects work well and give motivation to keep playing, other aspects fall flat."
He praised the "entertaining" characters, but was disappointed with the scenarios they were placed in and the villains who failed to "invoke any of the strong emotions that previous antagonists in the Final ...
2010 is looking to be yet another awesome year for us gamers. Hype, developer potential, nostalgia, series’ past sales and successes, all counted towards VGB's unbiased Top 100 list of this years biggest games. See anything you like?
Microsoft finally emailed the codes for the Chocobo avatar accessory late last night and if you missed out on the extremely simple registration you'll have one more shot at obtaining one. However, it's going to cost you. People have already been putting up the codes for purchase on eBay with some sellers asking as much as $100.
RPGLand gave Final Fantasy XIII a 7/10, and now popular French website Gamekult.com has done the same. They adored the combat system, the graphics and the second half of the game, but were disappointed with the generic plot, linearity and disappointing first 20 hours of the game.
Forgive the online translation below.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Following on from the Top 10 new IP's of 2010 article, All Age Gaming brings you the Top 10 Sequels that are coming in 2010. Does this list compete with the New IP's list? Read on to find out.
"No one can argue with the fact that FF XIII is one of the most anticipated games this generation. But since the game was released in Japan, criticisms have had started to pop up on the internet regarding some aspects of the game. FF XIII new design ideas in reinventing the JRPGs genre are the same points that will bother the most devoted fans of the series. We take a look at both of the good side and the bad side of those points:"
After so many years of waiting, Final Fantasy XIII is finally here. But has it been worth the wait?
RPGland.com have written the first (real) English review for the game and, while they enjoyed it, they admit that FFXIII may disappoint many fans.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
""Lost Planet 2 by Capcom Entertainment
This sequel puts players into a whole new environment while offering up excellent graphics and plenty of giant bug squashing.""
"Gabe Newell, Valve
"I decided I needed a hobby, so I started teaching myself how to be a machinist. I've got a CNC mill, surface grinder, heat treat furnace, and lots of other devices designed to launch various body parts across my garage at high velocity while on fire. Once you start going down this path, it makes putting together a Christmas list pretty easy as there's a near infinite amount of stuff that you can convince yourself you need. For example a year ago I'd never heard of Harvey ..."
"With the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII making it’s retail debut in Japan last week, enthusiasm for the title is unsurprisingly at an all time high. Though the Japanese release was limited to a single format, the forthcoming European and North American launch will see both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 graced with Square Enix’s latest title in the bloodline of the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy series, and to that end the publisher has decided to appease English speaking fans with a b..."
"The best way to describe it is a mix of the traditional FF battle system with the feel and visual formation of Chrono Trigger. The characters place themselves automatically along the combat screen; their positions can affect the timing and strategy of your attacks.
The battles look fantastic. Visually, everything is incredibly detailed -- the menus show different images depending on which character you are modifying, and even the save states look different depending when you save. They rea..."
""The fall of the JRPG in large part is due to a lack of evolution, a lack of progression," Zeschuk said. "They kept delivering the same thing over and over. They make the dressing better, they look prettier, but it's still the same experience.
"My favorite thing, it's funny when you still see it, but the joke of some of the dialogue systems where it asks, 'do you wanna do this or this,' and you say no. 'Do you wanna do this or this?' No. 'Do you wanna do this or this?' No. Lemme think -- y..."
Japan is really going all out when it comes to advertising Final Fantasy XIII.
In a recent Japanese TV special, a group of comedians and TV presenters (who also happen to be huge Final Fantasy fans) got to see how FFXIII's CGI was developed and also got some playtime with the game. Cue their hilarious over-the-top reactions. Gotta love the Japanese enthusiasm!
If the English subtitles aren't showing up, click on the CC button (next to the FullScreen button).
Electronic Theatre delivers an analysis of an imported version of Final Fantasy XIII, stating that the game is compelling despite the obvious difficulties arising with the language barrier.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
The Final Fantasy XIII videos and demo have shown the characters walking along some very linear paths, leading many fans to worry that the game will be too linear. Well, Kotaku have gotten their hands on a (supposed) map showing the area you'll be exploring during the first five to six hours of Final Fantasy XIII and have pointed out that it doesn't look very explorative. Apparently the world opens up much later in the game though.
Go to the source for the map.
Obviously, there will be sp...
It might be a coincidence that one of my highest rated stories on this site also revolves around Final Fantasy panty shots, but I don't know whether to be amused or a little freaked out by this.
It is only a mere day after Final Fantasy XIII's release and already Japanese sites have been flooded with upskirt images of the various FFXIII females.
Oh Japan...
This is the journey of one man in Japan, who waited in line for 10 hours for Final Fantasy XIII. Starting 30 mins before the store closed the night before launch and ending 10 hours later when the store opened at 7am the next day, he met many different people, saw many strange sights, and even got a glimpse at the guys at 1Up and Famitsu. It looks like everyone was there!
Is it just me, or does Final Fantasy XIII's screenshots keep getting prettier and prettier? Here's the latest batch released by Square Enix. Go to the source for the full gallery.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"Final Fantasy XIII, one of the most highly anticipated releases on the current-generation of videogames consoles, has now officially launched in Japan. Retail sales across Japan generally begun at 12am GMT today, December 17th 2009, and demand is expected to be unsurprisingly high. With stock shipped to retailers nationwide days before the event, including limited edition PlayStation 3 console bundles, and an extraordinary amount of press coverage and associated merchandise lining the shelves..."
Today, Final Fantasy XIII's trophy list was revealed.
The list includes 6 Bronze, 3 Silver, 2 Gold, 1 Secret Platinum, and 16 other secret trophies.
Go to the source for the full trophy list. Minor spoilers ahoy!
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"The requirement of the Final Fantasy XIII Avatar Item Promotion has now been met, and all registered participants will soon be receiving an e-mail with their unique redemption code included – suggested for arriving prior to the end of the month. However, it’s not too late if you haven’t yet registered – even though you no longer have to participate to earn your reward!"
You know the surprise Square Enix were hinting at yesterday? Well, Square Enix have confirmed that it's not a playable demo. But it will be something "cool."
Akitoshi Kawazu, Square Enix developer, has said that he wants the Final Fantasy franchise to last forever.
In a recent interview, Kawazu was asked if gamers will ever see a final Final Fantasy. He said:
"Sonia Im, Senior PR Manager for Square Enix America, has posted a very interesting update on her Twitter account tonight. Attached with the image above, Sonia wrote: “The memo inside hinted at something cool most of you can participate in a few days from now :)”.
I’m going to guess it’s a demo. I think the memo is basically saying: “Final Fantasy XIII is releasing in Japan soon and it may be hard to survive until March 9, but a demo will be releasing soon and hopefully it’ll tide you over..."
Square Enix have announced via their newsletter that Europe will be receiving a limited collector's edition of Final Fantasy XIII. Though they're keeping mum on its contents, they promise that the extras "will be worth the wait."
Nothing's been said about a North American collector's edition but given the game's status, Square Enix are likely to cash in on it.
The PS3 will be receiving a special Final Fantasy XIII hardware bundle (at least in Japan) when the game is released. Here's some pictures of what the white and pink PS3 and its boxing look like.
"Christmas will have come and gone in January, but doesn’t mean you can stop spending money! The Spawn Kill cast minus a couple of us — that’s Molotov Cupcake, Tigresa, K-Tuck, The Herp, and Snarkasaur — discusses the cornucopia of games being released Q1 of 2010 and various subjects that coincide with the games coming out as well as our subsequently drained bank accounts. Also on the agenda as usual is what we’ve been playing as well as a couple short news snippets."
Heres a fresh new batch of Final Fantasy XIII screenshots, however they may leave some of you questioning the game. Myself am wondering why the monsters look so intensely detailed yet the ground their standing on is as flat as a pancake. Seriously Square you couldn't at least add some blades of grass?
Anyway enjoy the screenshots! More at the source.
"Before Tetsuya Nomura led the look of Final Fantasy, Yoshitaka Amano was the main character designer. Amano did not draft Lightning, Snow, or the other heroes in Final Fantasy XIII, but what if he did?
This is what they would look like."
"It seems that few days pass without the phenomenally successful Final Fantasy franchise making headlines in the videogames specialist press these days, and today is no exception. Following the revelation that a remake of Final Fantasy VII has been given the go-ahead, although is likely still quite some time away from entering development, Square Enix have today revealed the all-important details of that Xbox 360 conversion of the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII."
The guys at Famitsu magazine apparently got their hands on Final Fantasy XIII and they were impressed, giving it an almost perfect score of 39/40.
Go to the source for the full review.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"By this time of the year, we have little to look forward to, as we patiently await new announcements from the Electronic Entertainment Expo. This year, however, that's not the case. We have several games due in the next few months, including sequels to various hit franchises and a number of original titles. There are so many, in fact, that we struggled putting together a list of ten games we cannot wait to play. We even managed to cut Alan Wake, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Gran Turismo 5 and Super ..."
Final Fantasy XIII will arguably be one of Japan's biggest next-gen games and Akihabara retailers are gearing up for it's release with massive advertisements, cardboard cut-outs, posters and merchandise for the game.
That's one way to grab customers' attention!
"Final Fantasy games are not short. So while big titles from other developers might be clocking in at somewhere between 7 and 9 hours, don't expect a brief Final Fantasy XIII experience. Expect a long haul.
In a recent interview, FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama noted, "For XIII, the size of the entire game is considerable. Just running through the main story takes experienced players over 50 hours. For the first time, I think it's possible to play through in full in about 60 hours or so."
..."
"Square Enix Ltd. has today revealed the European box art for the highly anticipated for Final Fantasy XIII. This latest project in the multi-platinum Final Fantasy series promises to be a compelling Role-Playing Game (RPG) release when it arrives on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 9th March 2010."
Another promotion in Japan for Square Enix upcoming RPG title 'Final Fantasy XIII'. Square Enix will be selling FFXII soft drinks in Japan called 'Elixirs' and a whacky commercial is running on TV in Japan to promote these drinks as we speak.
It just wouldn't be Final Fantasy XIII without Cid!
Japan's Shonen Jump magazine has recently revealed Final Fantasy XIII's pretty, pouty-lipped Cid Raines.
He is an officer of the Sanctum and wields a weapon similar to Lightning's, though he isn't entirely against the l'Cie and seems to have his own agenda. He also commands a fleet of airships and has an enormous one of his own.
Cid's subordinate, Rygdea (pictured in the screens under Cid), is the Captain of one of Cid's ships and appa...
"When a major Final Fantasy game comes out Square Enix prepares toys and soft drinks. We’re used to those. They have one more tie-in product for Final Fantasy XIII – perfume.
A month after the game comes out in Japan, fans can purchase a bottle of Lightning eau de toilet. The aroma is described as a sweet peach smell followed by rose and then a feminine musk. Lovely.
You can get 50mLs of Lightning for a suggested retail price of 7,140 yen ($83)."
The Japanese Final Fantasy XIII box art has apparently been released, revealing that the game has no optional or mandatory install, and only uses up 500kb of hard drive space for a save game.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
The final Final Fantasy XIII trailer was released earlier today, and already it has been translated into English. Enjoy...
Note: The man who introduces himself at 2:09 is Cid.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Remember the Twitter promotion for Final Fantasy XIII Microsoft was running recently? Well, the tweet quota has been met and the exclusive downloadable item is an adorable baby Chocobo accessory for your avatar.
If you missed out on the Twitter registration you can still receive the Chocobo by simply registering your Xbox LIVE account without having to do anything else. The download codes will be sent out via email next month.
The last trailer before Final Fantasy XIII's release in Japan has been uploaded, showing glimpses of beautiful new locations, a handful of new characters and finishing with a CG sequence that even Michael Bay would be proud of.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Final Fantasy XIII's Japanese release is just around the corner, so Square Enix have updated their official site with a "countdown" for the final trailer before the game's launch. The countdown will end on Wednesday.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
The latest issue of Shonen Jump magazine has revealed a bunch of new gameplay screens and information..
Pulse's 'official' name is Grand Pulse, and fans can now get a glimpse at the size of some of the monsters that will be roaming through Pulse's massive locations.
Hunts will also make a return, as will Cactuars. (And now we can tell the difference between the boy Cactuars and girl Cactuars. Aww!)
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
A batch of brand new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots have been released, featuring the new chocobos, Hope's summon Alexander, the strange looking levelling-up system, and some of the pretty locations you will visit.
Go to the source for the full gallery.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
In an effort to promote Square Enix's magnum opus, Microsoft is giving gamers an incentive to help them out. Their promotion consists of registering through their site and tweeting about the game. Once the quota for registered tweets is met, gamers who did so will receive a special code in December for an exclusive downloadable item via XBL.
Check out the source to register and start tweeting!
Today it was announced that singer Leona Lewis' new single "My Hands" would be the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII and already there is massive fan backlash over the inclusion of the song.
While previous FF theme songs were written specifically for their respective games, My Hands wasn't, and many fans believe that it simply doesn't fit with the theme or style of the game, thus it doesn't have the 'uniqueness' that previous themes had.
Go to the source for the full article.
Seems like Sugawara Sayuri isn't good enough for us English speaking countries and so Square Enix have decided to change it in time for the March 9th release to something... well, let's just say it's something...
The countdown has just finished revealing that Final Fantasy XIII will be released simultaneously in North America and Europe [PS3/360] on March 9th, a little sooner than most people anticipated following the vague 'Spring 2010' date.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Square Enix's big boss Yoichi Wada isn't worried about Final Fantasy XIII's sales. Speaking at a recent financial briefing, Wada announced that the game will naturally be a good seller, as previous FF games also sold well.
"Several publishers skipped out on the holidays of 2009 and have took to the skies to help make 2010 the year that every gamer dreams of. That’s right, 2010 is turning out to be a year that will steal hundreds upon hundreds of hours from gamers. So it’s time to invest our concentration on the role-playing games of 2010. The RPG genre on the Xbox 360 has surpassed what the original Xbox served up, so expectations continue to rise. Will 2010 turn out to be better than 2009? We can only cross our..."
Next week's Shonen Jump magazine has revealed a batch of brand new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots, including the fist glimpse of Hope's summon Alexander (it's been a while since we last saw him!) and the new and improved Chocobos.
The magazine also revealed that Final Fantasy XIII will come with beta access to Final Fantasy XIV. Unfortunately, this is a Japan-only dealie.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
There are a lot of new screenshots available for Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, corresponding with the Famitsu coverage from a few weeks ago, now in direct feed form. The screens are of Oerba Yun Fang and her summon Bahamut, and Sazh's summon Brunhilde, of which there are plenty of documentation already available for.
Final Fantasy XIII releases in Japan on December 17th. The rest of the screenshots are available at the source.
The theme song for Final Fantasy XIII has been ripped from the radio within moments of it being played yesterday. 'Kimi ga Iru Kara' performed by J-pop artist Sugawara Sayuri is set to be released as a single on December 2nd in Japan. Whilst you wait and listen, enjoy another batch of new screenshots.
[ Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"Leveling up is so 1990s - and with Final Fantasy XIII striving to be as modern as RPGs come, Lightning and co are to ditch the old leveling mechanic in favor of a new system, revealed in Japanese magazines earlier this week. Here's our detailed explanation about just what this means for Square's upcoming blockbuster."
Square Enix have updated the official Final Fantasy XIII website with four brand new music clips, including the updated Chocobo theme. Ah, how I've missed that tune!
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"Lest we forget the title is still a long-way off for North America and Europe as well, and Square Enix is also famous for tweaking their games pre-western-release. At this rate however it only seems like a few elements that could be adjusted, but otherwise series fans should relax their concerns about Final Fantasy XIII and instead enjoy the run-up to its release."
Square Enix have released eight new English Final Fantasy XIII screenshots, one of which has a rather interesting subtitle.
"You want to keep breathing? Shut Up And Come Quiet" sure brings back memories of Final Fantasy VII and it's strange translations!
We most likely won't have to worry about too many odd translations. The Tokyo Game Show trailer had decent enough English.
Famitsu.com have released a batch of gorgeous new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots featuring the new characters, the battle system and some of the beautiful locations in the game.
While we saw many of these scenes in the Tokyo Game Show trailer, it's nice to see the detail that has gone into everything. It looks like FFXIII is shaping up to be an amazing experience!
Go to the source for the full gallery.
In the latest Famitsu, Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura and Motomu Toriyama discussed Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Final Fantasy Agito XIII and a little bit of Parasite Eve: Third Birthday. Most of it wasn't overly new information, though it was mentioned that FFXIII will be install-free on the PS3.
Go to the source for the full article
The latest issue of Famitsu magazine has a massive Final Fantasy XIII feature, giving us more information on the recently revealed character Oerba Yun Fang and summons Bahamut and Brunhilde.
Go to the source for every scan.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Revealed during the Tokyo Game Show trailer Oerba Yun Fang is a l'Cie working with Sanctum who fights with spears and Bahamut by her side.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"Final Fantasy XIII’s launch date is slowly creaking into sight, meaning Square Enix is gradually releasing more and more details about the game. But what will actually happen? We’ve pored over the latest trailers to try and work it out.
Now, based on what we've seen so far and using our extensive Final Fantasy knowledge, here are 9 absolutely completely plausible plot predictions for FFXIII."
Fans following the game have known that the English version of the 2009 Tokyo Game Show trailer would be released some time today and here it is. Let the moaning commence!
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
For the last few days, the official Final Fantasy XIII site has been counting down the days until Square Enix released a brand new trailer to the public. Well the countdown has ended, and the trailer is finally here!
It's a whopping 7 minutes long and features a bunch of brand sparkin' new gameplay footage, cutscenes, and characters! This trailer certainly doesn't disappoint.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
"For everything we loved about the playable demos of Final Fantasy XIII at this year's Tokyo Game Show, there was bound to be a few things that didn't jive with us. Nothing's perfect, as they say.
Square Enix's next big thing is shaping up to be great, but we had a few gripes after our demo sessions this week. I will say now that I don't think that any of these below listed items are deal breakers. Even though we've only seen three demos of the game since it's announcement, I think it's sa..."
Today at the Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix walked us through the brand new Final Fantasy XIII demo. Here we get a further glimpse at gameplay, the summoning system, and a boss battle...
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
A Final Fantasy XIII box-art featuring Lightning riding Odin's horse was spotted at the Tokyo Game Show today, leaving many sites speculating whether or not this is the official box art.
It might just be a stand-in until the actual box-art is made, or it might be the real-deal. But for the moment I'll stick this in the "Rumor" category.
Tokyo Game Show attendees who get their hands on Final Fantasy 13 will have to keep their eyes open for a hidden menu option. Apparently, this menu option is a big aspect of the game.
Today at the Tokyo Game Show, the limited edition Final Fantasy XIII themed Playstation 3 was revealed. I imagine these will sell like hot-cakes in Japan.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
A Japanese Youtube user was lucky enough to get a 7 minute long audio of the Final Fantasy XIII orchestral music that was revealed at the FFXIII Premiere Party.
Here it is, some of the music that we will hear during the game in all it's calming beauty...
And if you haven't yet heard it, here is the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
It looks like Final Fantasy XIII's Serah is a popular girl. She has been the main feature of quite a few magazine scans, including the latest issue of V-Jump. Here we get a glimpse of the romance between Snow and Serah... before she is unfortunately turned into a crystal.
There hasn't been a big Final Fantasy love story since FFX, FFIX and FFVIII. Will Snow/Serah be able to compete with Tidus/Yuna, Zidane/Garnet and Squall/Rinoa?
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Last week a new Final Fantasy XIII character was revealed in the form of Lightning's sister and "the cutest character in the game", Serah.
In the latest issue of Jump magazine, it has been revealed that her full name is Sarah Farron and, despite not being a playable character, she will play an important role in the game.
Serah is a tough, headstrong girl who is determined to solve her own problems without getting other people involved. She is also engaged to Snow, much to Lightning's an...
The latest issue of Chinese Famitsu was recently released nd contained an 11-page Final Fantasy XIII feature inside. The scans mostly re-iterate what was revealed at the FFXIII Premiere Party, but there are a few newer images to see. Go to the source for all the scans.
Here is the control scheme for Final Fantasy 13.
• Directional Pad
Field: Not used
Battle: Toggle through targets, commands
• Left Stick
Field: Move character
Battle: Not used
• L1 Button
Field: Field items
Battle: Paradigm Shift (”Optima Change”)
• Select Button
Field: Navigational Map
Battle: Not used
• Start Button
Field: Pause Menu
Battle: Pause
• Circle Button*
Field: To select things, make decisions, etc (The equivalent of the “X” button)
Battle: Input comm...
"Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Famitsu publisher Enterbrain, said today in a speech with the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan that he expects the PS3 to sell around 500,000 units over the year end sales period. He expects the surge to come both due to the popularity of Final Fantasy XIII, which is due out on December 17, and due to the system's lower price."
Last week we saw Sony release a commercial in Hong Kong, featuring pop star Theresa dressed as Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning. Now they have released another ad, this time showing Theresa creepily watching a guy playing a PSP, a bunch of bikini models lying around, and some softcore porny type music.
Very strange.
Go to the source for the video.
A new Final Fantasy XIII character was recently revealed in the form of Lightning's younger sister, Serah. But some people have noticed that she bears a striking resemblance to Kurumi Imari, a character in the strange high-school hentai game Bible Black, and some even claim that Imari's appearance was inspiration for the character. While there are some similarities in both their hair and clothing, I'd personally chalk it up to being a coincidence.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
In this crazy batch of new Final Fantasy XIII footage, we get a further look at Snow's new lover interest Serah, an airship(?) battle against rival Yaag, and a montage of new battle gameplay.
Famitsu also released a bunch of new screens showing the 'Optima Change' ability in battle, and some better quality shots of Sahz's son Dodge (Dahj).
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
A Youtube user was lucky enough to go to the Final Fantasy XIII Premier Party and get some play time with the new playable demo. Here is some footage of said play time, including a new boss battle, Snow summoning Shiva, and Lighting summoning Odin and using his signature attack Zantesuken.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
"As a summer promo, Sony shot a series of PlayStation shorts in Hong Kong. Theresa, a local pop star, was recruited as a host and in this clip she’s dressed up like Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII.
If you want to fast forward, the Lightning bit is at the 2:00 mark."
"Did you illegally download a cracked version of Arkham Asylum for the PC? Hope you enjoy playing with a Batman who has conveniently forgotten some of his moveset, rendering the game unbeatable.
In an amusing little thread on the Eidos forums, one pirate came to innocently report a bug, claiming that instead of gliding when the appropriate input was given, the Dark Knight would instead just spread his wings and fall to his death in poison gas.
Quoth an Eidos admin in response:
quote"Th...
Today we got our first glimpse at Final Fantasy XIII's mysterious new character Serah. Now Famitsu have revealed the first images of Sahz's son, Dodge. Isn't he adorable?
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
During their Gamescom Conference Square Enix gave reporters a sneak peak at a new character, later revealed to be Serah, who has been mentioned in earlier trailers. Serah was featured prominently in the new trailer shown today at the FFXIII Premiere Party, snippets of which have found their way into the news, giving fans a quick glimpse at Lighting's sister and Snow's love interest.
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum]
Also revealed at the Premiere Event today was the title song to the game, a vocal arrangement by singer Sayuri Sugawara entitled "Because You're There".
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Even though the release date was leaked a day early, Square Enix still had more up their sleeves including, a new trailer and demo for attendants to see and play, both of which will be made public at the Tokyo Game Show later this month. Below is a run down of the information revealed at the event;
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"After waiting patiently for so long, it seems like Square Enix jumped the gun on their announcement earlier today. With a planned private event scheduled for tomorrow, the big surprise of the part has been leaked early."
A new Resonance of Fate gameplay trailer has been released, and it is looking impressive, with Cinemablend claiming it "Shows Us Everything Final Fantasy XIII Should Be". Go to the source for the full article and video.
[Discuss in the Resonance of Fate forum]
Tired of waiting 3-4 or more years for each Final Fantasy game to be released? Well, wait no more. Square Enix's Yoshi Kitase and Motomu Toriyama recently told vg247.com that, now that they have the engine built for it the basics are covered, they are aiming to shorten development time for future Final Fantasy games.
Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most anticipated titles for the PlayStation 3 not only in Japan but all around the world. It was said that Final Fantasy XIII was to take the PS3's hardware to the limit and showcase how PS3's games should really be displayed, that's until Square Enix shockingly announced a Xbox 360 version earlier last year.
Since the developers made this announcement, they've constantly said that the PS3 version would not be affected by the 360 version, but we all know th...
"VideoGamer.com: Most of the Final Fantasy games were single format. XIII is multi-format. Did that in any way change the direction the game has taken, or affected design decisions?
Kitase: Going to multiple platforms didn't necessarily affect... we didn't have to compromise anything. There's a single engine [Crystal Tools] we're working on that can adapt to both platforms. It covers a lot of the design and visual elements so we don't have to create separate graphics for Xbox 360 and PS3 ve..."
"The Four Light Warriors: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)*
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (PSP)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)*
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)*
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (PSP)*
Front Mission Evolved (PS3 / Xbox 360)*
Dragon Quest IX (DS)
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (WiiWare)
Final Fantasy XIV (PS3 / PC)
Final Fantasy XI: Vandiel Collection 2 (PS2 / Xbox 360 / PC)
Lord of Vermillion II (Arcade)
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road II ..."
""We are exploring the option of downloadable content, perhaps adding new areas, items or enemies, but these would not be expansions to the story, only the gameplay. The entire story of FF13 will be on the disc,” according to Kitase.
This would mark a major u-turn after the publisher stated there would be no DLC for the game at all a while back."
The Director and Producer of Final Fantasy XIII give us a glimpse at the demo that many of us haven't had a chance to play. He reveals some new story details, how the gameplay works, the upcoming reveal of "the cutest character in FFXIII" Serah, fan expectations and game performance...
A batch of new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots have been released, showing new images of the boobful villain Jihl Nabaat, the token androgynous rival Yaag Rosch, and Lightning riding Odin's Gastalt form. Aren't they all so pretty and shiny! :D
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
Here are some new screenshots of Lightning's summon, Odin, in Final Fantasy 13, which is a lightning-based summon, ofcourse. There are also some new shots of Lieutenant Colonels Jihl Nabaat and Yaag Rosch.
According to Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase, Square Enix is trying to have Final Fantasy 13 playable at the Tokyo Game Show before releasing in Japan this winter. This is what Kitase had to say:
“Well, because we’re aiming for a winter release date, we’d like to have users play the game before then. Timing-wise, since there’s only TGS, we’d definitely like to shoot for that.”
"FFXIII producer Yoshinori Kitase has told VG247 that Sony’s just-announced PS3 price cut fits in well with his game’s release schedule.
“We’re taking it as really good news, actually, because we’re planning to release Final Fantasy XIII this winter in Japan and next spring for both European and North American territories,” the developer said at GamesCom in Germany last week.
“Now that the hardware is becoming even more accessible for players, it’s really good timing for us.”"
With Final Fantasy XIII overshadowing Versus XIII in the news over the past few months, it might be reassuring to hear that Versus manages to benefit from the focus being put into FFXIII. Yoshinori Kitase of Square Enix says that the time being put into the development of FF Versus XIII has become "comparatively faster" thanks to the development progress on the the main title.
"Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama said during our Q&A session today that, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game will be identical in content, Xbox 360 owners will at some point have to get up off the couch. He said to expect "about" three discs' worth of content, when all is said and done.
Toriyama says that we should expect about 40 to 50 hours worth of gameplay for the main quest, so a minute or two dedicated to ejecting, swapping and reloading probably won'..."
"Reaffirming that which we already knew, Square Enix has once again confirmed that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases of the high-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII will launch simultaneously on both formats early next year. No exact date has yet been given, though with the Xbox 360 conversion reportedly more than seventy percent complete – which, Square Enix had previously stated only entered development in May of this year – if Square Enix are truly laying their cards on the table, the sign..."
"Square Enix is undecided about releasing a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII in the States, but if it does, it won't be available on disc form. Square Enix's Yoshinori Kitase commented, "we are thinking of providing it in a downloadable format," reiterating earlier sentiments. However, don't expect to play a localized version of the PS3 demo. Instead, "if we were to provide the demo overseas, it would be a completely new version." The game has progressed quite a bit since the release of the..."
New V-Jump scans have revealed some new information on the glasses-wearing woman that appeared in the Final Fantasy XIII E3 trailer.
According to the scans, her name is Jihl Nabaat and she is a Lieutenant Colonel and a "cruel-hearted" villain.
After names like Yaag, Hope, Snow and Lightning, it's nice to see a character with a refreshingly normal name.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
New V-Jump scans have revealed some new information on the silver-haired character that appeared in the Final Fantasy XIII E3 trailer. If you thought Hope, Lightning and Snow had terrible names, say hello to Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch.
According to the scans, Yaag wants peace for Cocoon's people and isn't a big fan of Lightning and Co. But he won't be a villain per se. Rather, he will play the role of the protagonists' rival. (Similar to the Turks in Final Fantasy VII, Seifer in Final F...
"“We don’t look much at Western RPGs,” said Kitase. “But, for instance, we really look at Call Of Duty and other Western FPSs in terms of how to immerse the player in the moment of the action and how to portray the right movements for the supporting characters in battles – those sorts of games do this really well, and it’s something we considered with FFXIII.”"
Square Enix today announced their lineup for GamesCon taking place from August 19th through to August 23rd. This is the first time Square Enix and Eidos will be showcasing their diverse range of games together.
But what's missing? Well, Dragon Quest IX for one...
Despite five characters already confirmed to be central party members in Final Fantasy XIII's plot, there are still a few more in the dark. This info came directly from the game's lead writer and designer Motomu Toriyama in a interview with Japanese gaming magazine Jump. This means a minimum of at least two more members, which if my math is correct makes seven.
Revealed late last week, Dengeki now have the latest on Hope Estheim, showing him in battle alongside Vanille.
[ Discussion on the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"ResumePlay dives into every orifice concerning one of SquareEnix’s more anticipated titles, and digs up all the information from every source possible. This is it, everything you need to know about Final Fantasy XIII thus far."
New Weekly Shonen Jump scans have revealed some new information on the young male character that appeared in the Final Fantasy XIII E3 trailer. Say hello to Hope Estheim.
According to Famitsu, they will also be revealing a new character next week, but it isn't known whether Hope is this character.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
It has been a while since any big Final Fantasy XIII news has been revealed but, according to reports in Japan, a brand new character will be revealed next week, as well as son new battle system information...
Still think the Playstation 3 doesn't have many decent Japanese RPGs? Scrawlfx have put together a list of the upcoming JRPGs, including a summary of each game, the suspected release dates and a "hype meter" to show how hyped each game is. Go to the source for the full list.
Insterested in any of the games on the list? Then check them out in the RPG forums.
Apparently, Square Enix has come under some heavy fire regarding summons in Japan. While the reveal of the Shiva Twins concept was unique and amazing, they didn't quite get the same reactions from some of their Japanese fans regarding the Odin reveal. Motomu Toriyama, the director behind FFXIII, issued a short statement regarding what we can expect in the future.
"Some images have recently surfaced on the internet demonstrating the in-production action-figures currently in development for Final Fantasy XIII’s assorted cast of colourful characters. While Electronic Theatre has endeavoured to establish when and where these images where originally published, our labours have unfortunately thus far been fruitless. However, we have managed to obtain confirmation that these images are genuine, and that these action-figures are intended for international retail."
"Given the news that the Xbox 360 version is most certainly the underdog in development, today’s screenshots are reportedly taken from the Xbox 360 release, and though some have made their way into the public circuit previously, Electronic Theatre expects this to be a case of allowing for personal comparison. To which end, Electronic Theatre can see no great difference between the previously released PS3 images and those of the Xbox 360 version made available today."
Ever since it was announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be multiplatform, some PS3 owners were worried that the 360's limitations might compromise the quality of the PS3 version, or vice-versa.
Not so, says Square Enix.
FFXIII's producer Yoshinori Kitase revealed, "...There won’t be a chance that we’ll compromise anything because, oh it didn’t fit in the 360 discs so we’ll have to take it out of the PS3 version, or vice versa."
"Though the title will arrive simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PS3 in the US and across Europe, it seems that the development of the Xbox 360 version didn’t actually begin until a short time before this year’s E3 (which took place in Los Angeles earlier this month)."
"Two games have recently been released that bear several striking similarities. Both of these games are open-world sandbox titles featuring superpowered antiheroes who begin to realize a host of awesome abilities with which to distribute justice and/or malice as they see fit. While they share a lot of features, the two games are certainly distinguishable, taking the superhero model in different directions.
However, that doesn't mean we're not going to compare and fight about them anyway, ju..."
There's been some more information released regarding the game, although some of it is speculation from the Famitsu team. First off, they're guessing that the party size might be capped at three due to the inclusion of actions such as "Delta Strike" and "Tri Disaster." The other piece of speculation includes actions that are available during battle.
However, their report isn't limited to simply speculation. While most people might have figured this out, the Shiva twins aren't going to be t...
Whilst a brand new trailer was shown as E3, IGN have uploaded an extended trailer that will be included with North American copies of Advent Children: Complete instead of the Japanese demo.
Although most of the footage is from the demo, there is new footage of Shiva in Gestalt (aka. motorbike) mode as well as a brand new cutscene at the end.
[ Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Whilst the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV may have taken away from some of attention given to Final Fantasy XIII, Sony still unvielded a brand new trailer consisting of numerous new clips of gameplay, including Eidolons and 3 brand new characters.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Sony dropped a bomb today at E3 2009, and that's the news that Final Fantasy 14 is coming, and it's coming to PS3 exclusively. The footage, though a bit grainy, showed the game already has a combat system in place, as well as voice overs and CGI.
With Final Fantasy XIII expected in Spring 2010, a new trailer was shown at the Sony Press Conference showing a whole lot more of the story, unlike anything before, as well as gameplay elements. Stay tuned, as we're sure to have the trailer available for viewing on GameGrep shortly.
Also read the first few lines from the new trailer below....
"At approximately 6:28pm GMT this evening, Microsoft kick-started this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with their invitation-only Press Conference, highlighting the forthcoming year of Xbox 360 events. Electronic Theatre now brings you the full rundown of the event, with an insightful analysis of how each revelation will affect you, and the way you play games."
Microsoft unveiled the first footage of Final Fantasy XIII running on on 360 during their press conference earlier. Featuring English Dialogue and commands this is also the first time we've seen an Eidolon being summoned - Odin!
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
At the Microsoft Press Conference, it was reaffirmed that Final Fantasy XIII will be releasing on the XBOX360 come Spring 2010 (most likely along side the PS3 version)... we finally have a steady date for the game.
Square Enix has announced their E3 2009 lineup, touting its new direction as a global entertainment company, which is as follows:
The 2009 Electronics...
Square Enix definitely seem to have some Final Fantasy XIII related planned for E3 this year and whilst all that is going on it seems that the focus is now turning to Versus and Agito XIII as FFXIII nears release.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy Versus XIII Forum ]
"What is Square Enix expecting? Sales, lots and lots of sales. (That being said, these estimates on Square Enix's part do seem rather conservative for both titles being released — however, Yoichi Wada did state that these projections do include DQIX and FFXIII. Eidos also factors in as well, so these numbers are kinda low, no?)"
Some of you may notice the building as the same used to promote the latest entries in the Grand Theft Auto Series, but Square Enix have now managed to get their hands on it, erecting an enormous poster to promote Final Fantasy XIII's presence at this years E3.
The advert also goes to confirm that the game will be released in North America no sooner than 2010.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"Electronic Theatre has today received confirmation of the finer details of the forthcoming European release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. Arriving in stores on 27th July, 2009, European Final Fantasy fans will not be receiving the same generously packaged demo of the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIII."
"In a meeting with Japanese press to discuss their financial forecast, Square Enix Holdings were quizzed about both Dragon Quest IX and Final Fantasy XIII. Both are obviously huge titles from an investors standpoint, and the answers given weren't exactly endearing.
When asked specifically about whether Final Fantasy XIII will be released within this fiscal year, the following reply was given:
"God knows. ... Is the truth (laughs). I'll try!"
So, although the Final Fantasy XIII demo is..."
Japanese singer, model and TV personality Shoko Nakagawa's life is like some sort of bizarre game-related fairy tale. She recently bought an Xbox 360, then changed her mind and wanted to buy a PS3. She finally got her wish when hipster musician Meg Rock and transgender model Ayana Tsubaki bought her a "Cloud Black" PS3 bundle (which comes with FFVII: Advent Children Complete and the Final Fantasy XIII demo), because Shoko is such a huge fan of Final Fantasy VII. When asked who she wants to ma...
"This week was a rather quiet week on all gaming fronts; however as E3 looms closer and closer rumours are starting to spread like wildfire. There wasn’t anything massively leaked or rumoured this week. The PSP Go! is the biggest Sony rumour at the moment, the rumoured “UMD-less” device, these rumours aren’t exactly this weeks news but they are really important to us gamers."
Final Fantasy XIII producer, Yoshinori Kitase, has recently revealed that he does not consider the game to be a JRPG (Japanese RPG), because "there's a trend these days to strictly categorize games as western RPGs or Japanese RPGs, but Final Fantasy is something that we don't try to categorize as either/or."
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
"Square Enix hopes to release the European version of Final Fantasy XIII “sooner than a year later than the Japanese release”, producer Yoshinori Kitase has said.
Given that Final Fantasy XIII looks like it will be released this Christmas in Japan, Europeans are faced with the prospect of having to wait till Christmas 2010 before getting their hands on the stunning-looking JRPG."
At a recent London press event, Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase told videogamer.com that the West will not recieve the demo on a Blu-Ray disc, as Japan did.
But Kitase did say that there is a possibility the demo will be up for download in the West instead.
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
"The wait is finally over (kind of) for some lucky and smart Australians who have managed to import the Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children Complete Blu Ray Edition, which came bundled with the sought after demo of Final Fantasy 13. I was lucky enough to borrow a copy off one of these people, and I got to sink my teeth into the first High Definition Final Fantasy.
The second the opening sequence began, I felt shocked and amazed at just how beautiful the CGI looks on a 1080p HD screen. Everyth..."
"It wouldn’t take the most discerning journalist to decree that a large proportion of the sales of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete would be a direct result of the inclusion of a demo version of Final Fantasy XIII. Though the series’ often overwhelming fanbase would undoubtedly have made every effort to help Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete become a success, how many of those disheartened by the original motion-picture have been seduced into purchasing another copy for th..."
"Final Fantasy. Man, this franchise is so damn enormous, that even its demos manage to move dozens of thousands additional hardware units in a week. A demo! A few days ago, you may recall that we reported the PlayStation 3 sold about 16.5k systems in Japan for the week ending April 12th. That number was high enough to make the PS3 the best selling home console in Japan, beating out even the Nintendo Wii, which sold a paltry 13k systems."
The Final Fantasy XIII demo has only been out a few days, but already it is being translated by fans eager to know the story. Snow's story arch is one of the first to be done, showing just exactly what he and the rest of Nora are saying via English subtitles. Not exactly a lot of new details, but interesting anyway. The videos are in two parts at the source.
This week's The Bender brings the final word on all the fanboy talk, we talk a little MotionPlus, Fallout, Oblivion..and... just get the show and listen. Click here for iTunes. Click here for direct mp3 download.
"1UP's Live Stream: Final Fantasy 13 demo
Time: Friday, April 17, 2009, 3:00 p.m. PT
Location: Watch the embedded video player here in this story.
Questions: Ask your question in the thread on the FF13 Board.
We received the Final Fantasy 13 demo in the office today, and we're streaming a session today at 3 p.m., PST. Jeremy, Garnett, and Justin will tackle the demo, and answer your questions from the boards.
What are your thoughts on the changes in Final Fantasy 13? Do you like Squar..."
Gametrailers have gotten their hands on some high quality Final Fantasy XIII demo footage. The videos give us a glimpse at how the battle system works, some of the plot, and a handful of new playable and non-playable characters...
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
The Final Fantasy XIII demo has been released along side Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, and a Japanese has taken the initiative and completed a break down of the size of the demo and the movie....and the break down is:
File Size Capacity: 45.9GB
File Size Used: 29.8GB (Advent Children + Demo)
Demo Size: 5.09GB
A whooping 5GB for just the demo...that's half an hour of gameplay and takes up 5GB of space, and a further breakdown is that the videos in the game actually use u...
Whilst hundreds of gamers are playing the Demo of Final Fantasy XIII around the world, we have nothing more than screenshots and videos to help us bide the time till the game is finally released... in 2010...
Well if these screenshots have anything to say, it's that the game will be worth the wait...
Incase you missed the live footage last night, a lot of Internet folk were nice enough to record the whole thing and pop it on Youtube. Enjoy!
*Needless to say - SPOILERS*
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
It looks like some people have already gotten their hands on the Final Fantasy XIII playable demo.
justin.tv have uploaded their own demo footage, which shows how the battle system works, some of the plot, and some new non-playable characters.
Go to the source for the video.
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
If a hour-long playable demo isn't enough to tide you over until Final Fantasy XIII's release, then here is some good news for you. A new FFXIII trailer was recently shown at Square Enix's private screening of their upcoming Blu-Ray movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Chidlren Complete. Rumor has it, the new FFXIII trailer will be on the Advent Children Complete disc, with the demo.
There is no info on whether the West will get the trailer with their copy of Advent Children Complete. But no do...
This month will be a one to remember for jRPG fans, at least in Japan anyways, as the Final Fantasy XIII demo finally hits. And for the rest of us? Well I suppose that's what gaming magazines are for...
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Final Fantasy: Advent Children Complete is now on the verge of releasing in Japan and the ads are up and advertising the new PS3 bundle to be shipped with it. Featuring a Cloud Black PS3, a copy of the Blu-ray movie and a FFXIII demo its certain to find a audience.
Computerandvideogames.com have previewed the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII, focusing specifically on the game's battle system. But instead of moving forward, Square Enix have taken a step back and given gamers a more traditional gameplay style. Will this be the key to winning over new fans, or will it just alienate newer gamers who are into more action-packed battle systems?
With the demo just around the corner, here's yet another batch of Final Fantasy XIII screenshots, featuring the welcome return of the results screen.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
With the demo rearing its head shortly, Famitsu have released a new batch of Final Fantasy XIII screenshots centering around Team Nora, consisting of Snow Villiers, Gadot, Marqui and Lebreau.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
It was recently reported that the delay of Dragon Quest IX may have some impact on the Japanese release of Final Fantasy XIII, but the developers have now told us this isn't the case, with the game 'still on track for 2009'.
On the demo side of things, the devs have once again confirmed that it will last for around 1 hour, although it will be of an older build of the game, missing some battle features as well as a new character, yet to be revealed!
Also revealed are the names of the res...
"According to Japanese news site IT Media, Wada added, "There is a possibility that Dragon Quest IX delay could effect Final Fantasy XIII." Wada, however, did not explain how it could affect the-long-in-development and eagerly awaited FFXIII."
"
Master Chief and Arbiter aren't be too safe walking around that world map. See what happens when they come across a....random battle.
Just an FYI. Master Chief is Knight class, while the Arbiter is a Mage"
By now I'm sure we're all aware of Resident Evil 5's racism issue, but racial stereotyping is an issue that seems to go beyond beyond just one game.
Darion White, from Edge Online, takes a look at the way black characters are portrayed in video games, both the positive portrayals and the negative ones.
The article mostly focuses on newer titles, such as Resident Evil 5, Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4, while also taking a look at the games of a decade ago, including Final Fantasy...
Previously we've only gotten a couple of glimpses of the battle system courtesy of various magazines, and thanks to the latest trailer of Final Fantasy XIII, we've gotten a bit more insight into the battle system, and ars technica's members have taken it upon themselves to expose the battle system as much as they can.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
"Yusuke Naora, one of the developers who worked on the Japanese company's latest RPG, The Last Remnant, goes on to defend especially the teenage main characters...
The format of the RPG lends itself well to having a teenage protagonist. Usually youre playing for many hours, taking a character on a journey from a relatively weak state to one of power and maturity, a gameplay journey that mirrors that of a teenager moving into adulthood. Thats certainly one of the reasons it works well hav..."
"In a recent blog update, Yaguchi writes that she discovered during the Famitsu interview that there have been comments that she totally looks like a character in Final Fantasy XIII.
And Yaguchan's reaction?
quote"Cu-cu-cu-cute...
Th-th-th-thin..
(-.-;)
Even during my heyday, I wasn't that slender...
But, if I looked like that, I'd be really happy...
Everyone, be sure you make your opinion known (^w^)
"Because of legal complications were not able to go into full details here, but you should know that Blend Games will no longer cover Square Enix game trailers. Not because we dont want to, but because they wont let us. All we can say is that our recent coverage of Final Fantasy XIII was not something that Square Enix wanted. It wasnt anything we said, they simply didnt want us showing you their trailer. At all."
Most fans would have already witnessed the brand new trailer Square has provided as with. However naturally the voice acting was in Japanese, which gives it a bit of a language barrier. Luckily the European version of the site has been kind enough to give the video English subtitles. Sit back and enjoy
That new Final Fantasy XIII trailer promised yesterday is here. Nothing held back with this one, either, we get it all, including some sweet battle gameplay footage. Check it out at the official site!
The Official Japanese Final Fantasy XIII website was updated today featuring new HQ screenshots and artwork of Sazh Katzroy.
A countdown clock has also been added to the site, the time coinciding with both the North American and European websites under the title 'Trailer Open' confirming that we are in fact going to get a new trailer at the end of the countdown.
It should be noted that IF this is indeed a new trailer, previously shown in Square's Closed Mega Theatre, then it WILL inclu...
...And in 6 days, 21 hours time we'll find out what it is!
Countdown clocks seem to be all the rage these days, but it's not often that Square Enix decide to open themselves up to the public, especially Europe.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
"Still hate the wait though
By now almost everyone has heard the terrible news about the delay of Final Fantasy XIII in North American and European regions. Of course the blame squarely lies with Microsoft, the tyrannical multinational corporation intent on destroying the entire gaming industry
yadda yadda
What utter fanboy rubbish.
The flamboyant theatrics of recent articles centred on the supposed FFXIII delay and Microsofts apparent role have rubbed off on me and frankly, Im cr..."
"Square Enix started off the week over in Japan with the announcement of a final release date for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete. The Blu-ray version of the FFVII CG afterstory will hit Japan on April 16, priced at 4,900 yen (about $54).
PS3 owners throughout the world are likely keeping an eye on this product due to the planned inclusion of a Final Fantasy XIII demo. The demo will be available in two versions of the Advent Children package."
Following up on Thursday's article, we have two more translated scans of the original article in V Jump's Special Game Investigation Report.
They go into detail on new character Sazh's battle mechanics, as well as Lightning and some other bits of info.
"The news emerged as Square Enix, the game's developers, reported their latest set of financial results and delivered projections for the coming year.
Square Enix President Yoichi Wada told Reuters that while the game was on track for a 2009 PS3-exclusive launch in Japan, with international launches for the Xbox 360 and PS3 coming "in the business year from April 2010 or later.""
Those who've been following Final Fantasy XIII like mad likely remember yesterday's story introducing new character Sazh Katzroy. Well, some new pictures have arrived on the scene as well as a translation of the original scan which reveal more about him, and the demo release in Japan. Check 'em out!
Big thanks to our forum members for uncovering this.
"So its 2009 and we are already getting excited and hyped over the many anticipated games of 2009 such as Killzone 2, Resident Evil 5, Halo Wars and more
but what about 2010 and 2011? What about the announcements that we are craving to satisfy our deepest desires and give us that one game we really want?
At OXCGN we have listed our top 15 games that we hope are announced this year on all platforms.
15. Black 2
Criterion are renowned for their racing games, and when they stepped awa..."
A brand new Final Fantasy XIII character has been revealed in the latest issue of V-Jump magazine. Meet Sazh Katzroy and his adorable Baby Chocobo!
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
A list of upcoming games to look forward to in 2009. Blend Games writer' Nathan Ochiltree lists games like Final Fantasy XIII, Punch-Out Wii and Star Ocean: Second Evolution as some of the prospective highlights for 2009.
With Final Fantasy XIII being released this year in Japan, Square seem to be stepping up their game, today releasing a fully interactive flash website for Final Fantasy XIII.
The site includes numerous new screenshots as well high resolution artwork of the 3 named characters: Lightning; Snow Villiers; Oerba Dia Vanille.
Also included on the site are 2 new pieces of music, one of which is supposedly the new battle theme, the song that can make or break a Final Fantasy title;
Piano Pie...
PS3hyper.com have summarized the latest Famitsu scans, revealing a little more info on Final Fantasy XIII's battle-system and the pig-tailed character Oerba Dia Vanille.
Go to the source for the full article.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
"How many times have you been playing a video game and thought, "Geez, that character looks like so-and-so..." Well if you're like me, that happens a lot. I thought it would be a fun diversion to create a blog that highlights some of my favorite video game characters and their real-life doppelgangers. Some are obscure...some not so much. feel free to add to the list in the comments if I didn't include a pair you know. One rule though: if a video game character was modeled after a real person (..."
While regular Final Fantasy fans are going to (yet again) miss out on the newest Final Fantasy XIII trailer (it was shown in the closed mega-theater), the kind people at finalfantasy-xiii.net have given us a detailed description of the trailer and the newest FFXIII characters. Go to the source for the full trailer run-down.
And to the right is an artist's interpretation of what the new characters look like. -------->
More fan interpretations of the new characters can be found here.
Dis...
It seems that now we've gotten the first gameplay images of Final Fantasy XIII there's no going back. Famitsu have released their coverage of Final Fantasy XIII, which, as always, is a bit more in-depth than anything we've already seen.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Early this week Shonen Jump featured a small spread featuring brand new gameplay images for Final Fantasy XIII. V-Jump have taken their coverage a step further showing yet more new gameplay images as well as revealing the name of the red-haired girl to be Oerba Dia Vanille, contrary to speculation that she would be called Vanilla.
"
"
Another Jump Festa another Square Enix closed Mega Theatre. Despite not publicly releasing the new Final Fantasy XIII trailer which is being shown some details are leaking through regardless. Apparently a new male character has appeared with a shota (I have no idea what that means) attitude, Snow is supposed to get his chance at gameplay while defending the Vanilla/pigtail girl and Shiva shows up to freeze everyone and run them over in bike form. More details will supposedly surface later.
The artbook Re:Final Fantasy XIII has now been scanned and uploaded for your viewing pleasure. Goodness knows what some of them show, but it sure looks pretty!
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
They've been 2 years in the coming and in the run up to Jump Festa Square Enix have finally revealed brand new GAMEPLAY images of Final Fantasy XIII.
The scan also reveals the name of 'Pigtails' revealing it to be Vanilla _____ - At the moment her last name is still hard to decipher.
[ Discussion in the FFXIII Forum ]
"Square Enix developer Hiroshi Takai has given a big endorsement to Microsoft's console, stating that it's "a lot easier" to work with than the PS3.
"It's been the team's first time working with Xbox 360 and the Unreal Engine," he said. "In both cases the experience has been a positive one. In fact, as we've only just finished work on Last Remnant I don't even know what my next project is going to be at Square Enix. However, I'm very much hoping it'll be for Xbox 360 as it's been a lot easi..."
As promised the new trailers for both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. These are the trailers that were shown during the Square Enix Party (DKS3713) are so show a fair amount of new footage, albeit still no gameplay/field test footage.
Now if you don't mind, I'm off to watch the trailers!
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Remember how CLOUD Volume II was leaked a day early yesterday?
Well it looks like Square Enix aren't having much luck, with their other artbook Re: Final Fantasy XIII, being leaked a day early too.
... But's not just an artbook. Its little surprise should be hitting the web anytime now;
Due for release tommorow, it seems that scans of CLOUD have already leaked the internet containing Final Fantasy XIII Compilation, and we've got them all for you below.
[ Discuss In the Forums ]
"Square-Enix has announced their 2009 line-up of titles. Some of these have not been nailed down for a North American or European release as of yet, but given their track record it is only a matter of time.
The Line-Up:
Dragon Quest IX: Hoshizora no Mamoribito (DS)
Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road II (Arcade)
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
Kingdom Hearts Coded (Mobile)
Kingdom Hearts Mobile (Mobie)
Lost Winds (Wii)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle..."
While I think Square Enix are getting kind of greedy to be forcing people to buy a book to learn info about their titles I'm sure most fans won't matter. On Amazon Japan a second Cloud book is up, to be released on December 12th, already announced to be packed with screenshots, art and info on all the games and products mentioned below. Let's hope its actually something substantial this time, rather than the tiny fragments we usually get.
Snow may not be that interesting, but in this case it's certainly interesting, since these are pictures of the blonde (male) character from Final Fantasy XIII named Snow. Previously known to many as Mr 33mm take a look at the breathtaking screenshots of Snow courtesy of Famitsu Magazine.
[ Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum ]
Who would have thought it ? It seems that even though the game is taking forever, the anticipation for it is just as huge as it was 2 years ago. Beating games such as Resident Evil 5, Diablo 3 and Duke Nukem Forever, Final Fantasy XIII came away as "the game that looks like it will most live up to the hype".
It seems the US will play host to yet another large company that is set to open its Development Studios doors. Square Enix has listed opportunities in various careers sections asking for applicants to start work in their new US Studio.
SLip over to the site to find out more.
Although personally I'm a little worried that they didn't pick Canada, as it offers the biggest incentives to game developers at the moment with huge tax cuts and incentives. ?!
Famitsu is certainly our top source for new Final Fantasy XIII related news, and this month seems no different with Enterbrain announcing that the next issue will focus heavily on FFXIII.
If your an RPG gamer then you most certainly know who Bahamut is, and if you don't... where have you been living? One of the popular Summons from the Final Fantasy Series, it seems that he may very well be getting a game of his own. With "Blood of Bahamut" a trademarked name by Square-Enix a website for the game has gone live, and we have to wait 5 days to uncover the truth as to what the game will be about, and most importantly what platforms:- Consoles or Handheld.
Within the past several years, Square Enix has been on the ball with remakes of their classic Final Fantasy games. And rumors of a remake for the huge and popular Final Fantasy 7 have been been buzzing around the net.
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada explains how there has been a remake boom lately, "The price of games is high, and consumers tend to be wary of buying games they are unfamiliar with".
That's an interesting reason for the increase of remake talk, but SE fans hope they do...
The news we've all been waiting for - Nomura has promised fans that we will get to see a gameplay video of FFXIII by the end of this year and with only two months to go till the end of the year, you can expect it soon.
Famitsu has available new screenshots from Square Enix's upcoming RPG, Final Fantasy XIII that were first available in this week's issue of Weekly Famitsu. Not much is depicted other than the currently introduced characters.
The official site for FFXIII can be found here.
We've already seen alot of these screens from the latest Japanese Famitsu scans, but the Chinese Famitsu have put together a nice batch of the newest Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII and Agito screenshots and they are *gasp* fantastic quality, showing amazing detail in the character designs, locations and enemies.
(View More Scans Here)
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII / Versus XIII / Agito forums
"The holiday season is fast approaching, and we all know what that means Youll be playing the end-of-the-year blockbuster games up until your thumbs turn red. Afterward it will be time to look for a new addition to your ever growing collection of games, and we already have you covered for some titles you will most likely want to play when the new year rolls around."
We got a little sneak peak yestarday and here comes the full feature.
Famitsu/Degenki have managed to grab some brand new and exclusive Final Fantasy XIII images, that haven't seen in any trailers, showing new sequences and enemies. The magazine also confirms that Snow's full name is "Snow Villiers".
The Versus XIII images are taken from the brand new Tokyo Game Show trailer and have been confirmed as in-game. Agito is now flaunting it's new look too with some new gameplay screenshots....
Well would you look at that - A much needed Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII and Agito XIII update.
On the FFXIII side of things we get a little insight into the new trailer shown at DKS3713 and the Tokyo Game Show, showing some new locations, a new airship and even one of the new characters !
[Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Neoseeker's own Shuyin's Girl has translated the latest edition of Weekly Shonen Jump, which reveals the official name of Final Fantasy XIII's blonde character who the fans have dubbed "Mr 33cm" (due to the size of his feet).
You would never have guessed his real name, not in a million years.
His official name is ... Snow!
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
It has been fair to say that TGS hasn't been on all that great in terms of content. Hell even E3 which was average for the most part, has seemed to top this much hyped videogame show. Many hopes were pinned on the Final Fantasy XIII Live Premiere Event which occurred today on October 12th, but word is coming in this too was a disappointment. The event featured some trailers without voices, and then some music to be present in the game, along with an interview with Masashi Hamauzu on how to co...
Sony have just put up their PlayStation HALL Limited Live event page and, surprisingly, one of the 45 minute sessions will feature Final Fantasy XIII. What exactly will be shown? No idea, but I'm are guessing new real-time footage of the game, judging my the natural of the event.
Yes, new trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII were shown at TGS this year and yes, they were shown in Squares now infamous Closed Mega Theatre, but that doesn't mean we can't have some trailer impressions.
New this time for XIII is the introduction of a new, long blonde haired, female along with what appears to be an epic battle for a crystal. Versus XIII didn't have quite as much, but it did confirm a link between two previously unveiled characters - they both appear to ...
Nomura promised names and he has delivered. Finally fans can stop using nicknames to describe the character's of Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII
Versus Protagonist ( Nacht/Storm ) = Noctis; Latin for Night.
Versus Female Protagonist = Stella
XIII Red-haired Female ( Nomchan ) = Sarah/Senon
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
""If I think about hardware the news is already out so looking at software, on the Square Enix booth I'm interested in seeing how much of Final Fantasy XIII is finished and presented," he said. The level to which the game is presented will give a clue as to when it might be ready and that will have a direct impact on sales of the PlayStation 3 console.
"I'll also be looking to see if Dragon Quest IX is playable," said Hamamura. The latest installment in the long-running and hugely popular D..."
Whilst a few in-game model images made it the web a few weeks ago it's seems that more images are now surfacing with this new batch of screenshots showing an extremely bare-bones version of the character known to most as Nom-chan.
[Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
The Tokyo Game Show is fast approaching and rumors and whispers are passing thick and fast about all things Final Fantasy. Including the much anticipated RPG Final Fantasy XIII coming to both the PS3 and 360. According to some anonymous tipsters it appears that Final Fantasy XIII may well come to Japan on the 360 despite previous claims. The rumors being that Microsoft have paid off Square to produce a Japanese port, or that the game will have Japanese subtitles and can be imported from other...
Whilst we haven't had any new information on Final Fantasy XIII for awhile, and don't expect any until the Tokyo Game Show in a few weeks time, it appears that Yoichi Wada made an appearance on TV Tokyo today detailing the recent goings-on at Square Enix. And what better game to showcase than Final Fantasy XIII ?
Below are 3 in-game renders of a character from Final Fantasy XIII and that eye could even give Heavy Rain a run for its money !
[Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Throughout the development of Final Fantasy XIII fans have had to salvage what little information they can for Japanese translations and media events and so it's always nice to when an English interview is carried out.
Credit goes to Shuyins Girl for the scans !
[Discussion in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum
Square Enix has created their website for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, and has uploaded their show lineup:
[NDS] Snoopy DS: Let's Go Meet Snoopy and His Friends [Playable, Video]
[NDS] Cid and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS+ [Playable, Video]
[NDS] Valkyrie Profile: Toga wo Seou Mono [Playable, Video]
[NDS] Pingu's WakuWaku Carnival [Playable, Video]
[360] The Last Remnant
[NDS] Chrono Trigger [Video]
[PSP] Dissidia Final Fantasy [Playable, Video]
[NDS] Cho...
According to a interview translated by FinalFantasy-XIII.net with Square Enix designer Tetsuya Nomura, Final Fantasy XIII Agito, which is coming out for the PSP and mobile phones, won't hit shelves in Japan until FFXIII and Versus are finished.
With news coming in that the Final Fantasy XIII demo could possibly be 90+ minutes long, it should come as no surprise that Square Enix may be planning to sell the demo separately, as at this time the only planned release for the demo is alongside Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete.
[Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Last week some leaked Famitsu scans emerged, showing the newest Final Fantasy XIII screenshots that were revealed at the recent Square Enix Party.
Now, Forever Fantasy have got their hands on some higher quality versions of those scans. The detail in the character models and locations is amazing. Click on the thumbnails to check it out!
And yes, these are all in-game screenshots.
Click here for more screens
According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the Final Fantasy XIII demo (that will be bundled with the upcoming Advent Children: Complete Blu-Ray DVD) will last even longer than the Advent Children movie itself, and will be based upon the opening section of the game.
That means the demo will be a grand spankin' 2+ hours long!
Discuss in the FFXIII forum
During the Square Enix Party new trailers for both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII were shown, both with in-game footage. Today scans of the latest Famitsu PS3 were leaked and translations, as well as impressions from the event, have revealed that all the images are in fact real-time !
[Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII Forum]
Just when we thought we knew all there was to know about the Final Fantasy XIII compilation, Weekly Shonen Jump have JUST published scans that appear to show gameplay footage of all 3 games !
Square Enix have released a truck-load of screenshots from all their newest games: Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Parasite Eve 3: The 3rd Birthday, Final Fantasy: Dissidia, Final Fantasy XIII: Dissidia, the various new Kingdom Hearts games, and so on.
Most of them have already been seen in low-quality magazine scans, but some (namely the wedding shots from Parasite Eve) are 100% brand spankin' new.
It sure is strange seeing tomboy Aya in a wedding dress!
(go to the s...
Square-Enix's/FFXIII's Director, Motomu Toriyama has said in a recent report that his team are currently not in the developing of the Xbox 360 port version of the game at the moment becuase the development kits needed are yet to arrive.
In addition to this he has said that his team are "fully concentrating on the PS3 version".
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
At a recent Microsoft game exhibition in Taipei, Square Enix announced that the XBox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII will also be released in Asia, (not only North America and Europe as previously revealed). This leaves Square Enix's home country Japan as one of the few countries that will not recieve the 360 version of the game.
Soul Calibur IV recently sold well in Japan on both the PS3 and 360, clearly showing that Japanese 360 owners are eager to buy popular titles for their consol...
Where these screenshots come from... well I have no idea, however it could very well be from the recent event that took place in Japan. One thing is certain, and that is that we have four new images which can be found attached below.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
Brand new trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII were shown at this years Square Enix Party, but fans were also treated to a behind-the-scenes documentary presented by Tetsuya Nomura, that not only shed some new light on the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII demo, but also showed gameplay footage of both FFXIII and Versus XIII.
What better place for Square Enix to show off Final Fantasy XIII, then at their own party? Along with a new trailer, guests were treated with a glimpse at the concept art for Final Fantasy XIII, including sketches of various landscapes as well as the character models of the summons Shiva, Ifrit and Carbuncle.
[Discussion in the forums]
Cosplayers and Final Fantasy fans rejoice! Square Enix is currently working with clothing designers "ROEN" to create some outfits for the characters of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
These outfits will also be sold in "ROEN" clothing stores after the game's release.
[Discuss in the forum]
Gemaga has been liveblogging Square Enix's DKΣ3713 Private Party that is currently underway right now, with a bunch of megatons and other news to report (via GAF and other blogs):
"Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has told GamesIndustry.biz that the RPG specialist is neutral when it comes to dealing with publishing and platform partners.
"We always consider the territory and hardware for titles, and I just want to make sure that we're neutral about dealing with companies," said Wada speaking in an exclusive interview published today.
"In Japan we know that the Xbox 360 isn't really that strong yet, but for me I feel very calm about dealing with any company, and w..."
Popular Gaming Magazine PSM 3 have unleashed another round of rumors on the Internet concerning the PS3. Among there list is that both Sims 3 and Left 4 Dead will be coming to the PS3, IO Interactive is working on a new Hitman game, the 360's exclusive DLC for GTAIV will be coming to the PS3 6 months down the track and many more. Some of these mirror rumors from other sites so perhaps a couple of them are true.
Recently several sites have taken a quote from a Kotaku interview with Square Enix and taken it into their heads that Final Fantasy XIII was going to be released on the PC. However Square earlier today announced that they have no plans of releasing the game on PC. It could happen but at this moment it appears this was merely a some people getting a little too excited.
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
"Everybody thought that Square Enix emptied their surprise pack for the year when they announced Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 consoles during the E3 media
summit. Apparently, the company still had other surprises, but wanted to wait a bit more to reveal them. The time has come: Final Fantasy XIII has been officially announced for PC systems. Yes, we're talking about the same game that was, until last week, a PlayStation 3 exclusive!
An even more interesting thing is the fact that, unlik..."
"Yesterday our own PS3 expert released a little story that some of you may have read. A story of intrigue,but today is a new day. Today you will hear the other side of this story. You will hear about What Final Fantasy 13 Will and Wont do for the Xbox 360. So sit back Grab a beer or your respective drink, and get ready to read Minimum Wage Gamers (MWGAMER.com) What Final Fantasy 13 Will and Wont do for the Xbox 360."
Well we thought it would never happen, yet it did, and the moment it happened, the gaming industry errupted, and the first thought on people's mind was - OMG This is going to kill Sony and the Playstation 3.
MWGamer take a deep breath and explain to us why that wont be the case... in short here are the headlines:
#Final Fantasy XIII Wont be released on the X360 in Japan
#Final Fantasy XI was on the X360
#Final Fantasy VII - Will History Strike Twice? (No)
#Blu-ray
#Spin-Off's and DLC
Many Final Fantasy fans were distraught to hear that Final Fantasy XIII was going multiplatform. But for one GameFAQs member, the very idea may have pushed him over the edge. It is unknown if the post was a prank however he has since not logged on after posting a deranged suicide note on GameFAQs leading many to believe he may have actually taken his life.
This week Gaming Verdict's Richie Harkness takes a humorous spin through the 360's lineup as well as giving some of the announcements of the week due mention. With crosswords and FFXIII on show, there's a wider mix than ever...
A week ago, Sony's president of worldwide studios, Shuhei Yoshida, announced that Sony would focus on first-party titles because they are "more important".
A week ago, that statement didn't seem much more than an off-handed comment from a Sony exec, but little did we know it was a glimpse at things to come ... After Square Enix's shock announcement at E3 that one of the PS3's biggest-hitters Final Fantasy XIII would now be going to XBox 360, it became apparent that exclusivity isn't at the ...
I'm sure you all know about it by now, Microsoft announced at their E3 Press Conference that Final Fantasy 13 will be coming out for the 360. GamesRadar decided to lurk around the PS3 and Xbox 360 forums and they found some funny stuff! Sony fans are pissed off and 360 fans couldn't be more happy. Check the quote to see an example of how PS3 fanboys are really reacting, as well as 360 fanboys.
In addition, here's a video a guy made about the FF 13 situation, it's very.. uhhh... weird:
...
After Microsoft revealed that FF13 will be coming out for the 360 at their E3 Press Conference in the U.S.A. and Europe, Square Enix's stock rose the most it has since May 22nd! The stock rose 5.2 percent and it closed out at 3,250 yen at the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
It was a big shock today when Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIII will be on both PS3 and 360. But if any Sony fans were annoyed at one of the PS3's biggest exclusives going multiplat, don't fret! Let the Final Fantasy XIII trailer calm you down with it's utter gorgeousness ...
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
With the recent announcement that Final Fantasy XIII will be coming to the XBOX360, it seems Square Enix are being bombarded with questions (and the obvious hate mail from Sony PS3 fan{boy's}).
To resolve this situation what are Square Enix doing? They're holding a press conference.
Points to note from the Conference:
To close out Microsoft's E3 conference, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada came out again, interrupting Don Mattrick, after giving his presentation on Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean 4 and Last Remnant. What did he come out for?
Final Fantasy XIII will be released on the Xbox 360. Accompanied with a trailer.
No release date was given.
Tetsuya Nomura, one of the main character designers and directors at Square Enix has recently dished out some juicy Final Fantasy info on a variety of games. Apparent Advent Children complete the Blu ray update of the CGI film feature is a lot more than just a coat of paint and that a release date has already been decided for the Japanese release, though we will have wait for DK Σ3713 in August to find out when we'll get it. He also says a big announcement will accompany the release date.
...
If you haven't been keeping up with the Final Fantasy XIII news or would like a recap on things you may have forgotten, finalfantasyxiii.net have released a podcast that explores what we know about FFXIIII, including story, characters, summons and gameplay ...
discuss in the FFXIII forum
"Melodrama evokes a universe where a cosmic struggle between good and evil is being waged, a struggle that nevertheless remains hidden behind everyday appearances. Only at moments of heightened emotional intensity does evidence of this other world break through into our own. Melodrama tries to make this otherworldly struggle that structures our own existence visible through elaborate staging effects, a heightened delivery, and a reliance on gestural as opposed to verbal language.
That sound..."
It's no secret that Square Enix are working on a truck load of games at the moment... maybe more than they should be at one time. So fans were very happy to hear that Final Fantasy Versus XIII had been put on hold so that both teams could focus on FFXIII.
Well it looks like that was just a rumor and FFvsXIII hasn't been put on hold ...
Whilst Final Fantasy Versus XIII may be the " fan favourite ", it seems its finally taken a back seat to the development of Final Fantasy XIII, which is now of top priority to Square Enix. In this writers opinion, it's about time !
This information was released in a new interview within the latest edition of Famitsu. A translation of the major area's cover in the interview is below :
Square Enix decided to do something different for their party this year. DK Σ 3713 isn't just a random combination of letters, numbers and symbols. It's actually the initials of all the major games that will be attending The Square Enix Party 2008 ! And those games are :
PS3 :
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Final Fantasy Versus XIII
PSP :
- Dissidia Final Fantasy
- Kingdom Hearts : Birth by Sleep
DS :
- Kingdom Hearts :358/2 Days
- Sigma Harmonics
Next Gen. Mobile Phones :
- Final...
There was an on-going rumour about a possible demo of Final Fantasy XIII at E3 2008 (this year's), but Square has already announced there will be nothing of the sorts. Final Fantasy news are made of this most of the time: rumours.
Final Fantasy XIII has a TBA date of released, but we can guess it can be in the early 2009.
It's already been rumoured that FFXIII: Agito has been cancelled, and with FFXIII.net finally up, they've started their monthly pod casts.
All Final Fantasy fan's should know that FFXIII.net and it's sister sites usually manage to collate the information regarding FF very quickly, and is a reliable source. Listen to the first podcast in the series today.
"The allure just isn't there anymore for the Final Fantasy titles and we have to ask why. Loyal fans try to create hype, but the games are just not combining new and old expectations. Maybe it's because every game, we have to warm up to new characters and worlds. Square sets itself up for hit and miss titles with no character regularity. The only motif running through the series I can identify is a blond guy and clueless protagonists. Most of the recent Final Fantasy games (dare I say Square ..."
"According to a reliable source at SCEJ, Square-Enix has something big planned for The Last Remnant's release. Or rather, they have two "something bigs" planned. First up: they will be including a 22-minute playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII with the PS3 version of The Last Remnant. This demo lets us play through a section of FFXIII that doesn't occur until a good 20 hours into the game, which leads us to believe the developers are progressing nicely. Heck, they might even be ahead of schedul..."
Thats right, GamePro User's have all chosen Metal Gear Solid 4 as there most anticipated game for the Playstation 3 at the moment with a staggering 57.7% of the vote. Quite incredible that. In second place though follows Gran Turismo 5, third and fourth see the sequels of Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 whilst staggering in for fifth spot is LittleBigPlanet.
In addition to that I assume this is only for Playstation 3 exclusive games as many of you are probably pondering.. Where is GTA:IV! I t...
With Final Fantasy XIII getting closer to the completion of it's development day by day an interesting article has surfaced the Internet, talking about how Square Enix is betting on the PS3.
Currently the PS3 in the RPG genre is pretty weak and does not have many exclusive or RPG games in it's library, but the Playstation 3 has a huge wave of RPG's coming it's way. Here is a list of what to expect on the PS3 in the near future:
1. Kingdom Hearts III
2. Final Fantasy XIII
3. Final Fant...
The game was announced during the final E3 2006, and is one of the Playstation 3's biggest third party exlusive titles. Still with an unknown release date (speculated to be 2009), Final Fantasy XIII is certainly looking better and better with every new piece of information, and fortunately, we've just been given two more scans.
Here are just some of the points made in the article:
The rumor of a remake of Final Fantasy 7 has been running wild ever since the release of Square Enix's tech-demo a few years ago and this rumor has been put down and recovered numerous times over the past years.
This time however, we get probably the most definitive answer yet, until the game is either officially announced or officially canned.
This makes the most sense, the possibility of a FF7 remake is completely dependent on Square-Enix's schedule. Mostly the completion of FF13 and...
The popular Japanese magazine, Famitsu, sure loves it's Final Fantasy XIII. They love it so much that they have dedicated 37 pages to the game in their last issue. And by the looks of these images, FFXIII doesn't look like it will disappoint ... at least, in the graphics department. Especially considering some of the screenshots are (apparently) in-game.
For more scans, please visit the source.
The game developers conference will be here in a couple of weeks. Last year HOME and LittleBigPlanet were first showed off to the public. But what games will be at GDC this year. Surfer girl is known for her rumors and known for most of them being right. She says that at GDC 08' we will see Gears Of War 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Alan Wake and Motorstorm 2. Lets hope she is right.
It was earlier revealed that "Square promise FFXIII For 2008", however as it turns out, this was in fact a mistranslation of what was actually said.
The actual quote went something along the lines of Motomu promising a public demo this year, and what form the demo will take is not mentioned. In fact chances are the demo will only be playable in Square-Enix booths during various gaming conventions this year.
"Here comes Square-Enix announcing a 2008 release date for FF13. No date, just the year, which is plenty enough for us eager FF fans. But how much truth is really behind this, because I don't want to have my heart broken or tears run down my face. According to Joystiq Mr. Testuya Nomura, character designer for FFXIII says that "the long wait for the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection will be over soon enough. Not only does he swear by the game's 2008 release date, he teases at a playable demo f..."
Final Fantasy fans have been on their toes lately, hoping for any scrap of new information regarding Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Well this week's Shonen Jump magazine has granted their wishes, revealing both new summons from FFXIII (including old favorites Ifrit, Siren and Carbuncle) and new characters from Versus.
The annual Top Ten Vaporware Games of 2007 went up recently, and looking from the list, most of the winning games are PS3 titles--more specifically, PS3 titles that are yet to be released. Well, the rules for this list don't exactly follow the ones of the usual ones. The major one being that the games don't need to have a 2007 release date on it. However, for it to make the list it needs to have attained a certain level of "hype."
And it's no surprise that the No.1 on this list is the much...
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).
Square-Enix have just today released there current Jump Festa line-up including brand new trailers for Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, plus all the new Kingdom Hearts games.
But once again, to the disappointment of fans, these trailers will only be shown in a closed Mega-Threatre - Its TGS all over again !
But at least we get Final Fantasy IV as a playable demo though ^^
As Final Fantasy fans would know, Square Enix have been pretty stingy when it comes to releasing their new trailers to the general public. The most recent Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII trailers at TGS were only revealed to a closed theatre, so fans have had to settle with listening to descriptions of the trailers written by the few people who were lucky enough to be allowed in the theatre.
Well, it looks like the fan's prayers have finally been answered. With Square Enix launching the...
In an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, they talked about what Final Fantasy and how it will utilize the PS3. He said thanks to the blu-ray and a hard drive in every PS3, The evolution of Final Fantasy XII to XIII will be as big as the evolution of Final Fantasy VI to VII. He also said that Final Fantasy will be the first game to use the full Specifications of the PS3. Final question was if the game will be exclusive to the PS3 and he responded with "Of course"
EGM have dedicated a page of this month's issue to the fairly large array of Final Fantasy games that have recently (and not-so-recently) been announced, yet haven't had much information divulged since then. The magazine tried their best to piece together what little info has been released.
It's a shame that one-and-a-half years have passed since Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII were announced, and yet fans still don't know much about the game's details, let alone the chara...
In the recent Famitsu issue here are the top 20 games most wanted from Japan's biggest games magazine. It's a really interesting list as what dominates the list in being No.1 is Dragon Quest IX for the Nintendo DS and then followed by Final Fantasy XIII which was at No.1. Third place comes the highly anticipated Resident Evil 5. A list containing top notch games. Too bad only one game from 360 makes it.
"Final Fantasy XIII
Other products by Square Enix
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3 | ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
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Pre-Order Price Guarantee! Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and release date, you'll receive the lowest price. See Details
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"During my foray to the Square Enix Closed Mega Theater presentation, I saw the Final Fantasy XIII trailer and at the end the words "For PS3 Only" flashed on to the screen. At first I thought maybe the wording was due to translation but it also seemed like it could have been a definitive. PS3 ONLY! The same phrase was also present at the end of the Final Fantasy XIII Versus trailer. So there you are, according to the trailers Final Fantasy XIII is a confirmed PS3 ONLY title."
Here's 5 seconds of the new Final Fantasy XIII trailer. Hopefully we wont have to wait too long for the full version.
Three Screenshots have managed to find their way out of the Tokyo Game Show 2007, and the three screenshots are for one of the most awaited games for the PS3: Final Fantasy XIII. Take a look at them below.
You must be thinking... "What does the title mean". Well that's pretty simple, what I mean to say is, will Final Fantasy XIII be the game that rejuvinates the RPG genre and hits it big for the PS3 platform? Final Fantasy VII was the first game on the original Playstation platform, and it (very quickly) became one of the fastest (and most) selling titles on the Playstation's.
Can Square-Enix recreate that with Final Fantasy XIII? With such improved visuals, more disc space for the SE to use...
Albeit, in Japanese, the official site for Square-Enix's Tokyo Game Show has gone live today, and although there isn't much information present on the site, you can be certain that information relating to the Fabula Nova Crystallis (FFXIII) will be added to the site very soon.
We've all been waiting a long time for news regarding the game, and the hopes that we may even get a Release Date for the much awaited Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, however the game was missing from E3 (as said by Square that it would be) and so very little new information has come recently.
However, in today's PlayStation Premier press conference in Tokyo, Square have revealed information regarding to the status of both the games, and currently they are only 13% and 1...
Square Enix's Motomu Toriyama got an interview with IGN. The most interesting parts were as follows. Is Final Fantasy going to get a fitness game? He says there's no actual plans on this, but they're interested in the Balance Board for future RPG titles. Another thing is that Toriyama was asked if they're interested in using mics and Wi-Fi in the future for the DS' titles. He says that they're quite interested in this and will be looking into it in the future. They're not sure about the mic f...
In two different chats, Spencer, from Siliconera, asked Jeff Bell, Corporate Vice President of Global Marketing, and Peter Moore the head of Microsofts interactive entertainment if they could have just one third party that's Japanese on their Xbox 360, what would they choose. Bell quickly responded and said Final Fantasy. Moore said Mario and then after being told it's Nintendo's and probably not going to happen, he then switched to Final Fantasy. Moore said he'd go to Japan to make Final Fa...
"The latest edition of Game Informer magazine finally hit the stands. It contains quiet a lot of juicy new information. They have an exclusive first look at an upcoming game called "Prototype" which is due out on the PS3/360 next year. Details will be published soon.
According Game Informer magazine, a $399 40gig PS3 system is on the way, but it will have no backwards compatibility. They actually expected to hear the announcement at E3 on it. So they may have just heard different rumblings ..."
The Smaller version of E3 came and went, and what we realised was that there were some big name games missing from the event.
In particular there were 7 games that were missing from E3:
- GTA IV
- Spore
- God of War 3
- Rainbow Six
- Prince of Persia 4
- Peter Jackson's Halo
- Final Fantasy XIII
Square-Enix' final line-up for E3 2007 ! But guess what ... ??
No Final Fantasy XIII ! Or any other Final Fantasy game that's in the Nova Crystallis compilation either ...
The rumour has finally been proven true today, when Square announced there Line-up for E3 2007, with the absence of Final Fantasy XIII etc.
Theres still some nice games of course, but you can't help but feel that the main attraction has been taken away from us - yet again ...
"A video game & anime pianist, going by the stage name "Piano Squall," has recently released his debut album. It's entitled "GAME" (Game & Anime Music Emotions) and it features music from various Final Fantasy games, Chrono Chross, Chrono Trigger, InuYasha, Cowboy Bebop, Super Mario World, Evangelion, Naruto, Tetris, Fullmetal Alchemist.
Final Fantasy themes
Nintendo themes
Since 2003, he has given concerts in sixteen different states to benefit organizations such as The National ..."
"When talking about the upcoming E3 2007 on the very popular 1UP Yours Podcast, Editor Garnett Lee and EGM Previews Editor Bryan Intihar said the unfortunate following at 1:35:25 (June 29th Podcast).
"Disappointment's always a big question, what do you think's going to be disappointing us Bryan? I mean come on, I know you have all kinds of stuff on that." -Garnett
"Well the obviously big disappointment is that, there will be no Final Fantasy XIII what so ever." -Bryan
"Right." -Garnet..."
"On the heels of news that the PS3 wont see a Square-Enix release until 2008, Tetsuya Nomura, game and character designer who played a large role on games such as the Kingdom Hearts series as well as a number of other successful Square-Enix titles and now working on the Final Fantasy XIII line, has expressed his fondness of the PS3s capabilities. In a recent interview with Dengeki Playstation Magazine, Nomura stated (as translated by qj.net) It's not just about how pretty the graphics are b..."
"Widely popular video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly takes one step back and gives readers the big picture of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII so far in their August issue. No new information and it's unclear where their quotes are from, but nonetheless EGM does some speculating of it's own in these new scans featuring all 3 Fabula Nova Crystallis titles."
"Square Enix have come out and made a statement on Final Fantasy XIII. Shinji Hashimoto spoke to Japanese gaming magazine Nikkei BP and said that they were developing FF Crystal Chronicles for the Wii, but as for FF on the Xbox 360, its currently a completely blank page.
Given the console situation in Square Enixs main market of Japan, this wasnt totally unexpected, but it should put a stop to the usual rumour-mongering. Its worth noting that he didnt totally rule it out for some poi..."
"The latest issue of EGM has a section on the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation celebrating Final Fantasy's 20th Anniversary. They have sections for both FFXIII and Versus and a summary of what we know so far. Although nothing new is included in the scans, it's a good read for someone who hasn't been following the compilation so far.
There hasn't been any release dates announced but EGM's predictions are a Summer 2008 release for FFXIII in Japan and a 2009 release for Versus. Thanks to Kyl..."
"-- How is the development of Versus XIII going?
Nomura: Everyone is very excited over this so I think we can make something good out of this. Part of our team has been together since the FF7 days but since we've spent such a long time working on KH, a lot of spirit is going into the development of a long-awaited FF for us.
-- What kind of FF will it turn out to be like?
Nomura: The action elements will be high in the game but instead of defeating the enemies from an audience's view, I wa..."
According to Kotaku.com, Japanese rag Nihon Keizai Shimbun is reporting that Square Enix will not be releasing anything for the PS3 this financial year.
"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..."
FF-13.com has pieced together information about the world of Final Fantasy XIII from various magazine scans and interviews, and has put it all together in one article.
The new article gives us a comprehensive view on exactly how the FFXIII world looks and works, including new information concerning 'Cocoon', 'Pulse', 'Prisoners', and 'The Organization' and more.
A member of ff-13.com named "Lant" has come across new scans for the cell-phone game Final Fantasy Agito XIII. The scans include details on the characters and weapons. Lant has kindly translated them into English.
A new screenshot of Lightning performing a possible ice or gravity attack, in Final Fantasy XIII, has also surfaced in the magazine. We have previously seen this scene in the Tokyo Game show 2006 trailer, however this particular angle/shot is brand new. Does this mean there's the...
"Looking for more Final Fantasy following the Xbox 360 port of Final Fantasy XI? Then you're going to have to look to a different next generation system. A Square Enix executive has disclosed to Japan's Nikkei BP that the company currently has no plans for Final Fantasy games on the 360.
Noting that the PS3 is getting Final Fantasy XIII, the website asked Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto if the Wii or Xbox 360 will also be getting games in the series. "For the Wii, we have FF Crystal Chronicl..."
"FABULA NOVA CRYSTALLIS:
Toriyama:"The development of the three games was started at the same time and we gathered to try and find a common platform to stand on and try to build from. But since then, we've been working completely independently of each other. Each game is evolving in its own direction and take place in separate worlds with their own main characters. There exists basically no cooperation between the different teams. I wouldn't even want to claim that we communicate with each ..."
I'm sure you all expected superb graphics and performance from this game. Well, it seems like we won't be disappointed. Take a look at some developmental video material, showcasing the level of detail of this game. It will only get better from here on.
"In an interview with the Australian Official PlayStation Magazine, game director Motomu Toriyama gave some pretty interesting details about Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII games. Lightning has been confirmed as the main character in FFXIII, but not much was given about her past or her personality. Toriyama was as hush-hush about Lighting as Lightning is about herself in the game. He also mentioned that they will be deliberately introducing the rest of the characters in a certain order.
Th..."
Now, didn't this just came out of the blue? Five new scans from the Australian PlayStation Magazine April issue that feature an English interview with Motomu Toriyama have surfaced. Toriyama mostly talks about Square Enix's main project at the moment, Final Fantasy XIII, but in one of the questions he gave the following answer:
"In fact, the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII project isn't just limited to three titles - there are many different aspects. In terms of the formats we're...
"Gamefront.de has posted the latest Famitsu's Most Wanted charts for the dates between the 23rd to 29th of March. The list is dominated by Square Enix with Final Fantasy XIII as the most wanted title, and five other to-be-released titles chosen by Famitsu's readers.
Other Square-Enix titles that were picked by the readers are Dragon Quest IX at number 2, Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors at number 10, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings at number 16, Final Fantas..."
"Hirokazu Hamamura, The president of Enterbrain, which is the publisher of popular Japanese magazine Famitsu, gave a lecture about the current status of the console market.
He stated that unlike the Wii, the PlayStation 3 has many exclusive games that belong to famous franchises, all previously released for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. The bad thing is that most of these games don't even have a release date and that raises doubts among the fans. Once they are released, however, Hirokazu..."
Two new scans from English magazine Playstation Monthly have been uploaded. They feature an article about Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII's graphics, saying that "...You'll be playing a game on a home console visually superior to a Hollywood movie". Worth checking out.
"In the story an exile from the floating kingdom of Cocoon, who has been banished to the lower world, finds herself caught up in a plot to take the sky domain down."
"It's getting late and you don't want to read, I understand. I'll shut up, just check out the high resolution pictures for yourself - there's plenty of new pictures to make it worth your while. The full one page EGM article is in the gallery below, plus write ups from two other magazines' May issues. Don't expect many FFXIII details though, most of it is just glorifying the console with technical possibilities we're all already aware of, but Shiva sure does make a good spokeswoman for the Play..."
![Box shot of Final Fantasy XIII [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUGxheXN0YXRpb25fMy9Sb2xlLVBsYXlpbmcvRmFudGFzeQ==/final_fantasy_xiii_frontcover_small_kJe0jbRjTu3lrz4.jpg)