It's about bloody time news now, with Square Enix announcing the official release date for Final Fantasy XII in PAL territories. Arriving on February 23rd (that's 2007), role-playing fans in Europe are the last to receive a game rife with political intrigue, androgynous street urchins and bunny-eared vixens. We think that might actually be the description on the back of the box.
There's no mention of a fancy collector's edition, but rumor has it that the game itself is well worth the asking price. Particularly impatient gamers would do well to pick up Okami in the meantime -- it's finally out in Europe on February 9th.
Having the inside scoop, Gamasutra reports that Peter Molyneux, Killer 7's Goichi Suda, and a team of Final Fantasy XII developers led by Taku Murata are joining the GDC 2007 lineup. Molyneux, well known for his mastery of hype-building (and subsequent apologies), will by lecturing on Fable 2, musing aloud about the brilliant innovations that might or might not make the final cut -- Molyneux promises to reveal "a totally unexpected feature" (we've heard that before).
Teasing aside, Molyneux is one of the most forward-thinking developers in the industry today. He might not always deliver, but he's earned his street cred for being a risk-taker. Molyneux's colorful presence is a key addition to GDC.
Also making appearances during the conference will be Goichi Suda, who will illustrate the experience of working on a small development team (in this case, Grasshopper), along with Taku Murata and other core members of the FFXII team, who will reflect on the lessons learned during the game's development.
Sam & Max Episode 1 : Culture Shock (PC) I never thought I'd actually be grateful to LucasArts for assassinating their sequel to Sam & Max: Freelance Police. Now residing in the capable hands of Telltale Games, the series is setting the standard for episodic content and adventure gaming. Complete failure to laugh at Culture Shock's absolutely brilliant writing, memorable characters and off-the-wall puzzles indicates one of two things: either you're a robot, or you've recently discovered a dead kitten in your lap. (See also: My reviews of Culture Shock and Situation: Comedy.)
Bully (PS2) Bully is my current favorite and has renewed my faith in Rockstar as a forward-moving publisher. The familiar game mechanics don't feel stale in this decidedly more innocent universe. Bully relies more on mischief than shock value, a relief, as are the smaller scale and lower difficulty level (really, the missions are simply less frustrating than some of the tedious tasks that abound in the GTA series). Bully isn't deserving of 'Game of the Year' honors, but Rockstar Vancouver's effort is one of the most refreshing and outright fun titles of 2006. [See also: "Dissecting Rockstar's formula"]
Easily mistaken for a vicious brand of shampoo and very often catapulted into turmoil by wars and magical beasts, the fictional kingdom of Ivalice has been the setting for a handful of Square Enix titles, almost all of them well-received by critics and fans alike. Just recently, Final Fantasy XII followed the adventures of some IvaliceansIvalicians free-spirited (and pointy-eared, in one case) residents of Ivalice. It follows then that Square Enix has announced an "Ivalice Alliance," a set of stories all taking place on the same stage.
Though you're already familiar with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (slated for the DS), you may not have heard of the other two games revealed in the latest issue of Japan's Shonen Jump. The pages first mention Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War, a PSP remake of the original PSOne Tactics game. Some new cutscenes and a slight graphical upgrade are likely to be included, though we certainly wouldn't mind a better localization as well -- that's assuming the game makes it stateside. Secondly, there's (deep breath) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Black Book. According to the translation note on Jeux France, it hasn't yet been specified whether it'll wind up on the DS or, as the horrific machine translation puts it, the "Game Servant Boy Advance." The latter choice, of course, will result in the game working on both platforms. Snap to it, servant boy!
Another magazine, Gamelabo, reportedly mentions that Square Enix also has two more unannounced Xbox 360 games in the pipeline.
Square Enix's closed-door TGS trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core has finally surfaced. For the bulk of this five-minute demonstration, a handful of manicured men (and one woman) ham it up in a whirlwind of staged emotional drama. Are we supposed to want to play a soap opera? (Don't answer that.)
There are some brief moments of relief, glimpses into the game's active battle system, which suggest commonalities with Final Fantasy XII. There's no denying that Crisis Core appears extraordinarily capable; a bittersweet detail. That is, efforts like Crisis Core really highlight the lack of solid support for PSP. Alas, Square Enix's prequel has been a long time coming -- and, for those of us outside of Japan, the wait isn't getting any shorter.
Excited about the unrelenting Final Fantasy tide washing over you once again this month? In North America, we'll be treated to the twelfth installment of one of console gaming's most venerable franchises on the 30th of this month and -- like with any Final Fantasy game -- there are some necessities. First, we'll see cosplayers dressed as their favorite androgynous characters , and then the music will permeate our brains.
The fine folks at AOL Radio (full disclosure: AOL is our corporate overlord) let us know that they're spinning the "Selections from Final Fantasy XII" CD -- available for pre-order on Amazon -- on their recently relaunched Final Fantasy Radio channel. Not many game soundtracks get released outside of Japan, so ToFu Records should be commended.
PC users can follow this link to have a listen. Mac users need to download a program (.dmg file) and use their AIM or AOL screen name to enjoy (see pic above).
New York City's Times Square was overwhelmed by Final Fantasy fans as Square-Enix premiered the English language version of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII, which will be playable at this week's DigitalLife conference, which starts tomorrow. The trailer, shown to great excitement amongst fans, featured great visuals (as expected) and some truly impressive voice acting. For those of you that have HDTVs, you'll be glad to know that the US version has been enhanced with new anamorphic widescreen (16:9) functionality.
Check out a shaky-cam version of the trailer, and some pics from the event after the break.
1UP reports that Final Fantasy XII is being illegally distributed via bit torrent, with multiple bit torrent user comments confirming that the torrents house playable English versions of Square Enix's RPG. In response to the alleged leak, the site has issued the following PSA:
"Forgetting that pirating is a criminal activity, 'Final Fantasy XII' is supposed to be an absolutely incredible RPG -- we strongly encourage gamers to wait a few more weeks for the real game to properly reward Square Enix for their labored work."
We can't think of a better way to put it. Keep it real right, y'all!
Japan's all, "Been there, done that." And North America's carefully eyeing Halloween -- planning an excuse for some cosplay en route to score the latest Final Fantasy. But what about Europe? Well, Europe waits until "next year."
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XII's European release will miss the holidays, landing in PAL territories in early 2007. Not much of a surprise (given the industry's typical pecking order), but a huge disappointment.
And quite unbelievably, one of them happens to be a Final Fantasy game. Confirmed by IGN and triumphantly splashed across the pages of Famitsu Shonen Jump, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings will bring the world of Ivalice to the DS. In case you've spent the last year traipsing about a disturbing parallel universe devoid of oxymoronic names, you'd note that the PS2 version is due for a release this Halloween. Judging by the more youthful appearance of the protagonists -- that's Vaan and sandwich soundalike, Penelo -- it would appear that Revenant Wings is a prequel of sorts. It makes sense, since they all die at the end of the PS2 adventure anyway.
No word yet on what the gameplay entails, but given the Ivalice setting, a direct continuation of Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced wouldn't be out of place at all. If it's a more original experience you're after, the second DS game to be announced by Square Enix may do some naughty and unmentionable things to your fancy. It's a Wonderful World looks to be the end result of Kingdom Hearts and Jet Set Radio colliding violently on the freeway. Incidentally, that's exactly what happens at the end of Kingdom Hearts II.
That brings us to the final game shown on the scanned page, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. The PS2 screenshot reveals a new card-based battle system, possibly indicating some connection to Chain of Memories on the GBA. Square Enix will no doubt clarify once the Tokyo Game Show begins later this month, but until then, feel free to scrutinize every last bit of the full scan.
[Note: This post contains fake spoilers! Thanks, Phantom42!]
Gameworld Network has pieced together an outline of 10 upcoming PlayStation 2 titles, tagging the list "10 Reasons Not to Sell Your PS2 Just Yet." With the exceptions of Dawn of Mana and God of War 2, all of these titles will hit US retailers by early November -- and seven are exclusive to PS2. Starting with Rule of Rose's release next week, there's practically a must-play title dropping for PS2 every week through November 7:
Rule of Rose (September 12)
Okami (September 19)
God Hand (October 10)
Bully (October 17)
Final Fantasy XII (October 31)
Rogue Galaxy (October)
Guitar Hero II (November 7)
Can anyone show us a console/handheld with a stronger fall lineup? Nope, we didn't think so ... Sony might have lost points because of apair of disappointing PS3 announcements, but that's not gonna affect PS2's continued dominance leading up to the holiday season.
Though you might be inclined to give Square Enix president, Yoichi Wada, an incredulous stare as he discusses the merits of innovation before the release of Final FantasyThirteen, a recent interview with Nikkei Business Online points to his fairly levelheaded approach to the topic. "If we don't see some [next-generation] titles that differ from traditional games, the industry is in trouble. Nintendo's DS lineup gives you an idea of the potential..." However, Mr. Wada goes on to say that immmediately tossing out all previous conventions and concepts isn't necessarily the best solution.
"We must change. But if we change all at once, the system will collapse, and since our profits are built on that system, it's a difficult question. So you have to introduce change from a completely unrelated direction within a separate budget framework. This is something all the companies are worrying about right now. Fortunately, we're financially prepared to handle change." It raises the interesting point that change may be easy to trumpet but difficult to usher in, requiring gradual steps and some assistance from current franchises. The earlier point regarding the DS' success is an interesting one, since Nintendo's many franchises and characters were arguably instrumental in introducing a different way of playing games.
The ability of unique hardware to funnel innovation in certain ways also intrigues Square, which is why "Square Enix will collaborate with Taito, a company that produces physical hardware. In our talks with Taito, ideas for an actual physical product have come up. In any case, we will be releasing some 'thing.' It's interesting in that it's not the sort of thing you expect from Square Enix." With that in mind, we now can't wait to play some sort of Final Fantasy game on a Square Enix thing at an undisclosed time in the future.
For those dreaming of the gorgeous gun ballet glimpsed in Final Fantasy XIII, it may come as a rude awakening when we loudly exclaim, "Hang on, we haven't even gotten number 12 yet!" Thankfully, Square Enix has answered our call by officially announcing the North American release date for their next inevitably epic RPG. Final Fantasy XII will be in stores this Halloween, 31 October 2006. If ever there was a good reason for Sephiroth and Rikku cosplayers to head out into public and purchase the game in full fantasy garb, this is it.
Not to be left behind on the platform as the Collector's Edition trend train heads off, the game will be arriving in two distinct versions. The vanilla package will retail for $49.99, whereas the Collector's Edition, laced with interviews, series featurettes, trailers, art galleries and ancient evils, will be available at Gamestop and EB Games exclusively for $59.99. Depending on how fond you are of the non-final franchise, that's either a trick or a treat.
Are you in Chicago tonight for the big PLAY! concert tomorrow, but weren't willing to shell out $125 for the VIP meet-and-greet at the event? Well, you might be in luck (even if you're not attending), as a few famous folks from the concert will be on hand to sign autographs in Chicago proper for free tonight.
From 7 to 9 PM (presumably Central time) at the Tower Records store on 2301 N. Clark St., Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, bilingual songstress Angela Aki (who wrote and sang the theme song for FFXII), and Principal Conductor and Music Director of PLAY! Arnie Roth will be signing autographs to promote the world-tour premiere of 'PLAY! A Video Game Symphony' and the CD for More Friends - Music from FINAL FANTASY.
While this blogger is sadly occupied with prior engagements tonight, gamers in the area are more than welcome to mob that Tower Records and cause the store's employees much consternation and bewilderment. If you don't have any imported CDs to sign, however, don't fret: the store's web site claims to have "some awesome Japanese imports available for you to purchase and have autographed at the event." Not only that, Angela Aki will be performing live as well. Score! Anybody wanna tell us how this evening turns out when it's all sung and done?
Having the inside scoop, Gamasutra reports that 
Though you might be inclined to give Square Enix president, Yoichi Wada, an incredulous stare as he discusses the merits of innovation before the release of Final Fantasy Thirteen, a recent 
