finalfantasyxiii posts (Subscribe to this feed)
Square Enix commits to simultaneous worldwide releases
by Jason Dobson 
{ Mar 11th 2008 at 4:30PM }
The timing of the comment, made to Japan's Nihon Keizan Shimbun daily, is particularly interesting following reaffirmation of the company's plans for Western expansion. However, it remains unclear when the RPG powerhouse plans to put Wada's plan into effect, or if his ambition even includes the company's two most hotly anticipated releases in Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX. Still, assuming that he'll be able to make good on his claim, role-playing enthusiasts will have to find something else to complain about other than Japan getting to play everything first.
Square Enix: Final Fantasy XIII release date rumors 'erroneous'
by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 31st 2008 at 2:45PM }
While we had corrected and reclassified our post as a mistranslation before the release of this statement, we felt it important to highlight Square Enix's official response to the misinformation, despite again acknowledging our error. Is an "our bad" enough of an apology? If not, feel free to take a few shots at us in the comments section. (Hint: This is the one time you won't be banned for it!)
Rumor: FFXIII director predicts demo in 2008 [update]
by Griffin McElroy { Jan 27th 2008 at 3:15PM }
Fear not, for the long wait for the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection will be over soon enough. According to FinalFantasyVersusXIII.net's translation (there appear to be conflicting versions), game director Motomu Toriyama teases that a playable demo for FFXIII would be arriving in 2008 to show off the game's revamped battle system. So don your steepled hat and cuddle tight your cactuar plushie -- your chance to sit down with the unluckiest chapter in Square Enix's seminal RPG franchise may have just gotten a teensy bit closer.
[Update: We originally posted an incorrect interpretation of the original translated comments. The post has been corrected and Joystiq apologizes for the error.]
[Update 2: Square Enix has released an official response – and we eat more crow.]
Extended trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and XIII Versus on Japanese DVD
by Griffin McElroy { Dec 15th 2007 at 1:00PM }
Remorselessly ripped from the special features of CLOUD, a Japanese DVD named after Final Fantasy VII's spiky-haired protagonist, these extended trailers for Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII Versus (waiting just behind the jump) are pretty spectacular. We're willing to look beyond the lack of pointy hats and crystals, as we're aching to play the system's first offering from RPG powerhouse Square Enix.
Does it look like 13 will be your unlucky number? Don't worry, the next Final Fantasy franchise is just a decade away.
No FFXIII/Versus demos until 2008, new videos soon
by Nick Doerr { Jul 22nd 2007 at 2:00PM }
Whether or not Square Enix was being facetious when they announced their games were only 13% and 1.3% complete, it's true they've admitted the games are currently a mess, so we're fine without a demo. Whatever it takes to put the game together properly, you know? In any case, Square Enix have announced that new videos of both games will be shown in a matter of months (we assume Tokyo Game Show). You can count on us to bring them here as soon as they're made available.
[Thanks, Justin!]
Fun with numbers: Final Fantasy Versus XIII is 1.3% complete, FFXIII 13%
by John Bardinelli { Jul 18th 2007 at 10:58AM }
Hmm. XIII, 13, 1.3. That's an awful lot of the same number. We get the picture: stop bugging Square-Enix about releasing the games and just sit back and let them work. To help tide us over, two new images have been released, one from each game. They're obviously trailer grabs, but we'll take what we can get for now. Hit the jump for the other image.
[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Square Enix still thinks PS3 price is high
by Nick Doerr { Jul 10th 2007 at 11:15PM }
Yamamoto said "I think USD 500 for PS3 is still a bit expensive for most gamers. Most of them think that price is still high." In addition to that, he demanded a price cut for Europe as well. While we'd be all about that, the PS3 has only been launched there recently. Oh well, it might happen. Does this mean Final Fantasy XIII will go multiplatform? We doubt it. Don't you?
Don't expect any Square Enix games until April 2008
by Nick Doerr { Jun 26th 2007 at 6:00AM }
Is this really that hard for people to swallow? Final Fantasy XII hasn't even been out a year and people expect the next one to be coming out already? How long did it take to make XII again? Exactly. Don't expect Versus any sooner and despite what you may have heard, The Last Remnant is not that far in production! Star Ocean IV was barely announced, Kingdom Hearts 3 isn't even past the drawing board, and Parasite Eve 3 (that's right, Nick's gonna say it) is still a secret ... and not the supposed phone game. Basically, it's official that nothing from Square Enix is coming until the next fiscal year, but we're not torn up. We're going to have a packed holiday season.
Square Enix: No PS3 games (Final Fantasy XIII) until after April 2008
by John Bardinelli { Jun 25th 2007 at 5:25PM }
Square squashes FFXIII 360 rumors
by Richard Mitchell { Jun 6th 2007 at 5:30PM }
One of the most persistent Xbox 360 rumors (right up there with Metal Gear Solid 4) has been officially debunked at the highest level. Of course, we're talking about Final Fantasy XIII. But, how high is the highest level? How about a Square Enix executive? Specifically, IGN reports Square Enix's Shinji Hashimoto stated that the company has no current plans to make any more Final Fantasy titles on the Xbox 360. When asked about Final Fantasy landing on Wii or 360, Hashimoto stated, "For the Wii, we have FF Crystal Chronicles in production ... As for FF on the Xbox 360, it's currently a completely blank page."Being Xbox 360 fanboys, this is where we are contractually obligated to note that Hashimoto's statements don't necessarily rule out future games in the series or even a delayed port of Final Fantasy XIII itself. Hair splitting aside, it looks like any hope of the next installment of Final Fantasy landing on the Xbox 360 has been crushed.
[Via Joystiq]
FFXIII interviews extracted from LEVEL magazine
by John Bardinelli { Jun 3rd 2007 at 7:00AM }
The biggest nugget of info comes from Toriyama who says the games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will be kept separate. The teams are working independently of each other and don't share so much as a water cooler, meaning no cameos, cross-overs, or other links between the titles. Bummer. The only thing binding them is a "vague crystal theme", which also connects them to every role playing game created since the beginning of time.
Also touched on: next-gen Final Fantasy games on consoles other than the PS3. The developers seem smitten with the horsepower under the PlayStation's hood and insist they couldn't re-create the experience on other systems. Guess that rules out an EVO: Phase One port.
[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Final Fantasy XIII interview makes us want it ASAP - as if we didn't before
by Jem Alexander { May 31st 2007 at 10:45AM }
Fed up of interviews? Then I have some bad news for you because a user over on the NeoGAF forums has put together a collection of quotes from interviews with Square Enix developers from the latest issue of LEVEL magazine. The excerpts include discussion by the interviewees, Motomu Toriyama, Tetsuya Nomura and Hajime Tabata, of Crisis Core, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
Whilst generally an exciting collection of quotes from some of the top names at Square Enix it is hard not to be disappointed by Toriyama's statement that the games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will be kept largely separate. We had harboured hopes of cross-game cameos. Imagine two Final Fantasies where the main characters from each game meet up and help each other get through a problem before going on their separate ways again. Sadly this doesn't look likely, though the games will link with each other through a "vague crystal theme," as Nomura puts it. Same as all the previous FF games then?
Nomura's thoughts on the tone and style of Final Fantasy Versus is a particularly interesting read. For those of you who suffer from fears that the series will be moving over to other consoles, then let me put them to rest. Both Nomura and Toriyama make it clear that they couldn't do the things they're doing without the power of the PlayStation 3. Make sure you check out all of the quotes over at the NeoGAF forums for more info.
No FFXIII until after March 2008, says Yoichi Wada
by Nick Doerr { May 23rd 2007 at 3:00PM }
It appears that neither are going to release before the end of this fiscal year (March 31, 2008). GameStop's website recently moved MGS4 from a 2007 release to a March 2008 release, but chances are it'll come out in April or May. Just because ... it'd be a good start to the next fiscal year, you know?
FFXIII hasn't been moved on their site, but Square Enix president Yoichi Wada made a statement regarding the game at a financial briefing in Tokyo: "It will still take a bit more time. At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question." IGN claims a May 2008 release at the earliest. We second that. When do you guys expect the game to get the ol' release?
No Final Fantasy XIII this fiscal year, not before April 2008
by James Ransom-Wiley { May 23rd 2007 at 12:58PM }
Wada's forecast comes just a day after Konami indicated that Metal Gear Solid 4 would squeeze into stores before the end of the fiscal year.
Two sexy screenshots of two Final Fantasy XIII titles
by Nick Doerr { May 3rd 2007 at 5:00PM }
Nope! No traditional Final Fantasy XIII for you today. On this day, we've got two high-res screens that have popped up thanks to Square Enix Party 2007. One is from Versus, the other is from Agito, which we've chosen to feature to the right. The full-size is also available here if you'd like to see it better. Now, if the latter is supposed to be on phones, how the heck does it look this good? Unless "mobile" means... handheld. In which case, we're very excited to get our hands on it. There's not much else to say except we wish we were at this party! Oh, we'd also wish we knew anything about these games. That would probably help.
