Final Fantasy XIII is on its way to Japan.
(Credit: Square Enix)Square Enix announced at a press event Tuesday in Japan that Final Fantasy XIII, the next installment in the venerable franchise, will be coming to Japanese stores on December 17, according to the company's site and a Reuters report. It will be offered exclusively on the PlayStation 3 for about $95.
Final Fantasy XIII will also be used to help Sony sell consoles. At the event, Square Enix said its game will come bundled with the PlayStation 3 Slim in Japan. It wouldn't divulge any more details on when it will be made available or at what price it will be offered.
Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most highly anticipated games in the industry. Its story is set in the city of Cocoon. Another world called Pulse is the "wilderness" in the game. The main character, Lightning, is destined to destroy the world. His mission is to fight against that destiny and save the world while fighting off the enemy, called Fal'Cie. Unfortunately, Square Enix wouldn't reveal too much more information about the storyline.
Regardless, Final Fantasy XIII follows a long line of games in the series that has captivated players. At its Tuesday event, the company said the franchise has sold more than 85 million units worldwide since the first installment was released in 1987.
Square Enix didn't pinpoint a U.S. release date. The company said in previous releases, it took about a "half a year to a year" for it to bring the game to U.S. store shelves. It's still hoping to make it available in spring 2010. Unlike the Japanese version, which only be made available on the PS3, Final Fantasy XIII will be offered to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners. No price has been announced.
So it looks like more waiting for those living outside Japan. But if you can't take the wait, check out Square Enix's Final Fantasy page. It's really well done.
Check out Don's Facebook profile, Twitter stream, and FriendFeed.
The box of doom?
(Credit: CNET)As I've mentioned before, I believe Sony is in for a rude awakening with its PlayStation 3. The company's expectation that video game consumers will flock to the PS3 because of its technical prowess was disastrously incorrect, and the notion that Sony can sell hardware that is too expensive and difficult to develop for is something it has yet to address.
And while some Sony fanatics have called me biased, I assure you, I'm not alone in my assertion that very little can save Sony and the PlayStation 3.
Yoichi Wada, president of game publisher Square Enix, told reporters Friday that Sony must change its strategy if it wants to see the release of the PlayStation 4. According to Wada, "Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine. (The future of the PS3) would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up."
The verdict is in: one of the most important video game developers in the business is saying the PS3 is in trouble. Isn't that enough for Sony to overhaul its entire strategy?
... Read More
It's late and I'm tired, but I wanted to let everyone know that the new official Square Enix store is officially opened for business.
Offering everything from Dragon Quest to Final Fantasy, the store will satisfy even the most hardcore Square gamer in all of us.
- prev
- 1
- next
