Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Square Enix seeks answers after rejection by Tecmo, gets nonehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/square-enix-seeks-answers-after-rejection-by-tecmo-gets-none/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/square-enix-seeks-answers-after-rejection-by-tecmo-gets-none/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/square-enix-seeks-answers-after-rejection-by-tecmo-gets-none/#commentsFiled under:

Imagine Square Enix's proposed takeover of Tecmo as a high school "romance." In it, Square is the suave campus hunk who professes his burning desire for Tecmo, the hottie who could have any guy (or girl) she wanted. But Tecmo not only shoots down the advance, she decides to "go out" with the scrawny, less attractive Koei instead.

She won't say why or even return Square's calls.

Square turns around and says, "Under such circumstances, the Company is unable to make appropriate modifications to major terms of the Proposal including the TOB price, and determines that it is extremely difficult to continue the discussions with Tecmo based on the Proposal. The Company, therefore, has decided to withdraw from the Proposal."

Blank stares.

"What I'm trying to say is I'm withdrawing my proposal to take you over," Square tells Tecmo, working his idea of emo for all its worth. Tecmo just smiles and says, "Hee! You're funny! Bye-eee!"

The End?

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]]>koeisquare-enixtakeovertecmoRandy Nelson2008-09-05T16:20:00+00:00Tecmo rejects Square Enix merger offer, opts for Koei insteadhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/tecmo-rejects-square-enix-merger-offer-opts-for-koei-instead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/tecmo-rejects-square-enix-merger-offer-opts-for-koei-instead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/tecmo-rejects-square-enix-merger-offer-opts-for-koei-instead/#commentsFiled under: ,

Square Enix's proposal to buy an Itagaki-less Tecmo has been rejected. According to Reuters, the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive publisher instead said that it would merge with Koei, making it entirely within the realm of possibility that we'll soon be playing Dynasty Warriors Xtreme Kingdom Beach Games.

Tecmo said Koei would offer "a greater chance of boosting corporate value" (our analysis: Koei wouldn't overshadow Tecmo like Square Enix would). The Final Fantasy publisher, which initially offered $206 million for a merger "on friendly terms," said it would try to (infinite un)discover more details on the Koei merger in order to figure out Tecmo's rationale and then decide what to do next. This isn't the last (remnant) we've heard of it.

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]]>koeimergersquare-enixtecmoRoss Miller2008-09-04T09:30:00+00:00Square Enix hires two new Western execshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/square-enix-hires-two-new-western-execs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/square-enix-hires-two-new-western-execs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/square-enix-hires-two-new-western-execs/#commentsFiled under: ,


Square Enix announced today that two new execs have been hired for the American branch of the Japanese publisher. The two men will sit around for three to five years between Final Fantasy editions twiddling their ... oh, wait, what? They'll be "focusing on expanding Square Enix's presence in the North American" market?! Well, isn't that just a game changer.

Ron Scott, formerly a bigwig at Activision, will take the role of senior vice president of sales and marketing. David Hoffman will become director of business development, focusing on expanding North American development partnerships. Now we wait and see what the two execs pull off for the hardcore JRPG publisher outside of its native land.

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]]>square-enixAlexander Sliwinski2008-09-04T02:00:00+00:00Rumor: Square Enix may sell stand-alone Final Fantasy XIII demohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/rumor-square-enix-may-sell-stand-alone-final-fantasy-xiii-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/rumor-square-enix-may-sell-stand-alone-final-fantasy-xiii-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/rumor-square-enix-may-sell-stand-alone-final-fantasy-xiii-demo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Speaking in an interview with Japanese magazine Dengeki PS3, Square's Tetsuya Nomura allegedly revealed that the company may offer the demo version of Final Fantasy XIII - set for inclusion with the (for now Asia-only) Blu-ray release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: Complete - for sale separately at retail.

This as-of-yet-unconfirmed news comes from FinalFantasyXIII.net, which, in addition to its translating of the article, reckons that the idea of charging for the 90-minute-plus demo is fairly unprecedented. You know, we could have sworn we saw Gran Turismo 5: Prologue for $39.99 at Target just the other day ...

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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]]>demofinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xiiisquare-enixtetsuya-nomuraRandy Nelson2008-09-02T17:30:00+00:00Super Mario RPG, Clu Clu Land press A to attack Virtual Consolehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Well, this is certainly a great surprise for Labor Day. We're pretty sure one of these Virtual Console games needs no introduction or description. It just needs your money.
  • Clu Clu Land (NES(R), 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Obviously the greatest game about a sea urchin ever conceived. Obviously.
  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): A little-known collaboration between small developer Square Enix (at the time an even tinier Squaresoft) and struggling console maker Nintendo. The game is virtually unknown in all parts of the world.

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]]>clu-clu-landmariomario-rpgnintendosquare-enixsquaresoftsuper-mario-rpgvirtual-consolevirtualconsolemondayRoss Miller2008-09-01T10:00:00+00:00Square Enix proposes Tecmo buyouthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/square-enix-proposes-tecmo-buyout/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/square-enix-proposes-tecmo-buyout/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/square-enix-proposes-tecmo-buyout/#commentsFiled under:


It seems Dead Fantasy might just becomes a living reality after all. Square Enix has announced its intention to purchase a majority stake in Tecmo, the Japanese company which recently bid farewell to both its president and most recognizable rockstar developer. As detailed in a press release issued this morning (via IGN), the house that built Final Fantasy (and vice versa) is offering Tecmo shareholders a 30% premium over the company's closing price on August 28th. If successful, the deal would see Tecmo fall under Square Enix Holdings, while retaining its brand and corporate structure.

Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix, expressed hope that both developers would benefit from the deal, with the RPG maker gaining some inspiration from Tecmo's expertise in the action genre. Presumably, the folks at Tecmo would gain some pointers on in-game cameras in return.

We'll let you know what happens as soon as the suits are done talking.

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]]>BreakingNewsBuyoutFinal-FantasyNinja-GaidenSquare-EnixTeam-NinjaTecmoLudwig Kietzmann2008-08-29T11:30:00+00:00Sony's Reeves talking up FFXIII exclusivity in Japanhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/sonys-ceo-still-talking-up-ffxiii-exclusivity-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/sonys-ceo-still-talking-up-ffxiii-exclusivity-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/sonys-ceo-still-talking-up-ffxiii-exclusivity-in-japan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When we spoke with SCEA president Jack Tretton during E3 about Final Fantasy XIII going multiplatform in the US, he was quite frank about the impact the game's PS3 exclusivity in Japan would (or wouldn't) have for the company. "Seeing as there isn't that big of a [PS3] installed base in Japan, I don't know how big of a coup that is for us," he admitted.

Across the Atlantic, Sony Europe boss David Reeves seemingly gets his Japanese PS3 sales figures broken down by individual components. Speaking with VG247 during last week's Leipzig Games Convention, Reeves said, "I think that just as we got a massive blip up with GTA IV - which was not exclusive - we'll get exactly the same blip up with Final Fantasy," adding that, "I know [FFXIII] will look great on PS3 and - it's up to Microsoft to clarify this - it's still exclusive in Japan."

While we're still betting on higher sales of the PS3 version over the 360 release domestically, it really seems as if Reeves is living in the mid- to late-1990s, when Japan was still SCEI's most important territory. Times have changed, Sir.

[Update: Corrected a Sony exec mix-up. They're all the same to us, you know.]

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]]>david-reevesfinal-fantasy-xiiijack-trettonjapansquare-enixRandy Nelson2008-08-26T21:00:00+00:0018+ hour boss battles nixed from Final Fantasy XIhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/18-hour-boss-battles-nixed-from-final-fantasy-xi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/18-hour-boss-battles-nixed-from-final-fantasy-xi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/18-hour-boss-battles-nixed-from-final-fantasy-xi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We've heard of 18-hour bras, but 18-hour boss battles? Ridiculous! A couple weeks back, we reported on a Final Fantasy XII guild that attempted to take down one of the game's new big bads, the Pandemonium Warden, only to succumb to fatigue, hunger, sleep deprivation, and general near-deathness at the 18-hour mark. Square Enix now says it has heard the fan outcry against the idea of such longevity-rich enemies and is fixing things.

"In response to these events, we have determined that further alterations are required to prevent such battles from exceeding a certain predetermined length of time," reads the latest community update from PlayOnline. What will these "alterations" consist of? "Included in the version update scheduled for early September will be modifications to the degree of difficulty of Pandemonium Warden (and associated pets), Absolute Virtue (and associated pets), and Jailer of Love. The aim of these changes is to create battles where a decisive outcome may be reached within a shorter period of time."

Square's statement also reaffirmed the company's continued "commitment to a healthy and wholesome game environment." You know, one where players aren't passing out while playing.

[Via Massively]

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]]>final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xipatchsquare-enixRandy Nelson2008-08-26T03:01:00+00:00Taito responds to 'unauthorized' Space Invaders 9/11 exhibithttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/taito-responds-to-unauthorized-space-invaders-9-11-exhibit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/taito-responds-to-unauthorized-space-invaders-9-11-exhibit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/taito-responds-to-unauthorized-space-invaders-9-11-exhibit/#commentsFiled under: ,

space invaders
Taito has released a very official-sounding statement, charging Mr. Stanley and the exhibitors of the controversial Space Invaders art installation, featuring a simulated attack on the World Trade Center, with unauthorized use of its intellectual property:

"Taito Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd., today stated unequivocally that the 'Invaders!' installation by Douglas Edric Stanley and displayed at the Games Convention held in Leipzig, Germany was produced entirely without Taito's knowledge and that the use of the world-famous Space Invaders content was wholly unauthorized. The 'Space Invaders: Die Jubiläumsshow!' ('Space Invaders: the Anniversary Show') exhibition of the Computer Game Museum Berlin hosting the installation was likewise planned and presented without Taito's knowledge and authorization.

"Taito is seriously considering all available options -- including legal actions against the infringer and, if necessary, the Games Convention exhibitor involved -- in order to end this unauthorized and impermissible misuse of the Space Invaders content and to protect Taito's intellectual properties."

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]]>9-11artbreakingnewsleipzig-08space-invaderssquare-enixtaioJames Ransom-Wiley2008-08-22T16:54:00+00:00X08: Infinite Undiscovery discovered on two discshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-infinite-undiscovery-discovered-on-two-discs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-infinite-undiscovery-discovered-on-two-discs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-infinite-undiscovery-discovered-on-two-discs/#commentsFiled under: ,


Terrible news for immobile couch potatoes: According to a Square Enix representative, Infinite Undiscovery will ship on two discs when it releases exclusively on the Xbox 360 in September. The real-time role-playing title from tri-Ace marks the first game to be published by Square Enix on an Xbox platform since 2006's space shooter, Project Sylpheed.

Shipping on September 2 in North America, September 5 in Europe and September 11 in Japan, Infinite Undiscovery promises an epic 20-25 hour adventure for the Xbox 360. And that's just while you're busy changing discs.

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]]>Format-WarsInfinite-UndiscoverySquare-EnixTri-AceX08Xav de Matos2008-08-21T17:29:00+00:00PSP's Parasite Eve '3rd Birthday' a third-person shooterhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/psps-parasite-eve-3rd-birthday-a-third-person-shooter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/psps-parasite-eve-3rd-birthday-a-third-person-shooter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/psps-parasite-eve-3rd-birthday-a-third-person-shooter/#commentsFiled under: ,


In development for PSP and mobile phones, Square Enix's third Parasite Eve game has largely been - like many of the company's titles are wont to be - a mystery. A new Famitsu interview with director Hajime Tabata (who's also heading up Fantasy Agito XIII for PSP) reveals that the game is a third-person shooter. Square Enix ... third-person shooter ... Dirge of Cerberus ... yikes!

Thankfully, Tabata says that while the game may share a genre with the reviled FFVII spin-off, it's different in that it's a "true" third-person shooter. Dirge was ... not-so-true, evidently. The game may also boast Wi-Fi play, something that Tabata says his team is "investigating." Hey, the game's lead, Aya Brea, is an investigator of sorts ... maybe she can help with that?

(Fun fact: If the above image were to be used as the game's US box art, it would receive an automatic "M" rating from the ESRB ... because Aya is pointing her gun directly at the "viewer." Fun!)

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]]>parasite-eveparasite-eve-the-third-birthdaysquare-enixRandy Nelson2008-08-20T18:45:00+00:00Final Fantasy XIII demo to feature multiple playable charactershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-to-feature-multiple-playable-characters/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-to-feature-multiple-playable-characters/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-to-feature-multiple-playable-characters/#commentsFiled under: ,

IGN reports that the latest issue of Famitsu PS3 is chock-a-block with details on the forthcoming Final Fantasy XIII demo, due to be packaged with the Blu-ray Disc release of Final Fantasy: Advent Children Complete. The info comes straight from the game's director, Motomu Toriyama, who divulges more than its expected length - which, as we previously reported, could break the two-hour mark. (Presumably just to prove that more than an hour of the game is actually finished.)

According to Toriyama, the demo will be "Like the FFVII demo that was included with PlayStation's Tobal Nol.1," allowing players to experience the game's opening sequence and prologue.

He also says that the primary goal of the demo is to get players acquainted with the new party system, which will allow them to experience the game's story from multiple characters' perspectives. Players will control more than one character in the demo - Toriyama points out to Famitsu that, in fact, there's no one "central" character in FFXIII - and, in "classic" FF form, will be controlling them directly, one after another, in purely turn-based combat.

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]]>advent-children-completedemofinal-fantasy-xiiisquare-enixRandy Nelson2008-08-19T20:00:00+00:00Chrono Trigger turns back DS clock on November 25http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/chrono-trigger-turns-back-ds-clock-on-november-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/chrono-trigger-turns-back-ds-clock-on-november-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/chrono-trigger-turns-back-ds-clock-on-november-25/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Thanksgiving this year will include both turkey and time travel, a magical cocktail made possible by Square Enix. The company said that it'll ship its DS throwback to SNES favorite Chrono Trigger in North America on November 25, just two days before families sit down for the annual feast.

Giving players plenty to keep them busy while fighting off the adverse effects of tryptophan, Chrono Trigger's DS debut promises new dungeons, touchable controls and an arena mode. Additionally, as the RPG keeps with the original's pixelated sense of style, Square Enix has all but ensured that Thanksgiving 2008 will play out much the same way as it did some thirteen years prior, as we ignore seldom seen family members in favor of the more interesting trio of Crono, Lucca and Frog.

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]]>chrono-triggerchronotriggerportremakesnessquare-enixsquareenixthanksgivingJason Dobson2008-08-18T16:45:00+00:00Famitsu corrects its Last Remnant PS3 release datehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/famitsu-corrects-its-last-remnant-ps3-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/famitsu-corrects-its-last-remnant-ps3-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/famitsu-corrects-its-last-remnant-ps3-release-date/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Famitsu has posted a correction on its website (via IGN) about an incorrect The Last Remnant release date that appeared in the latest Famitsu PS3 publication. The issue, dedicated to Square Enix's recent DKΣ3713 event, incorrectly listed the PlayStation 3 version of the game as coming November 20, the same day as the Xbox 360 release. The PS3 version's actual release date is, as they say, TBA for both Japan and the rest of the world. As far as we know, the Xbox 360 version is still poised to make that November 20 "worldwide" release.

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]]>DK3713famitsulast-remnantsquare-enixthe-last-remnantRoss Miller2008-08-18T14:45:00+00:00Final Fantasy XIII demo could be two hours longhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-could-be-two-hours-long/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-could-be-two-hours-long/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/final-fantasy-xiii-demo-could-be-two-hours-long/#commentsFiled under: , ,


A recent issue of Famitsu revealed a startling fact about the upcoming demo for Final Fantasy XIII -- the playable preview will apparently last longer than the film that it is packaged with, Final Fantasy: Advent Children Complete. For those of you keeping score at home -- the original Advent had a runtime of 101 minutes. Assuming this length will only increase with the director's cut of the film means Square-Enix's eagerly anticipated demo could last longer than two hours.

To put that in perspective, here are a few things that the demo (which the same Famitsu article revealed will cover the very beginning of XIII) will likely last longer than: an expeditious playthrough of Portal, the Anglo-Zanzibar War, an international soccer match (barring any lengthy penalties), and the celebrity status of Lou Bega. (Who? Exactly.)

[Via PS3F]

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]]>advent-childrenadvent-children-completedemoffxiiifinal-fantasy-xiiisquare-enixGriffin McElroy2008-08-16T14:30:00+00:00New Final Fantasy XI boss could take 24 hours to killhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/new-final-fantasy-xi-boss-could-take-24-hours-to-kill/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/new-final-fantasy-xi-boss-could-take-24-hours-to-kill/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/new-final-fantasy-xi-boss-could-take-24-hours-to-kill/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Hey, have you given up? We don't mean just depressed. We're talking to those of you who are ready take the precious gift that each day of life is, attempt to put it back in its clamshell packaging and return it for store credit. Then you might just be ready to take on the Pandemonium Warden, a newly added Final Fantasy XI boss that guild Beyond the Limitation plugged away at for 18 hours before finally giving up the fight. They estimate that with 5 or 6 more hours of work they could have finished the job.

"People were passing out and getting physically ill," guild leaders said. "We decided to end it before we risked turning into a horrible new story about how video games ruin people's lives."

So, to recap: There's a boss in Final Fantasy XI that's so tough that people who play Final Fantasy XI enough to be in a guild don't think it's worth their time. Moreover, he was so difficult it was enough to force them to start making responsible choices with their lives. Mother Brain, you can consider yourself trumped.

[Thanks, Anthony]

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]]>Final-Fantasyfinal-fantasy-xisquare-enixJustin McElroy2008-08-14T11:15:00+00:00Japanese Advent Children directors cut includes FFXIII demo, will come in new PS3 bundlehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/japanese-blu-ray-advent-children-includes-ffxiii-demo-will-come/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/japanese-blu-ray-advent-children-includes-ffxiii-demo-will-come/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/japanese-blu-ray-advent-children-includes-ffxiii-demo-will-come/#commentsFiled under: ,


Are you itching to get your hands on the much anticipated (and highly controversial) Final Fantasy XIII, yet you're not hip enough to get invited to Square Enix's exclusive soirees? If you live in Japan, your first chance to overcome your wicked triskaidekaphobia will come in the form of a FFXIII demo, packaged with the Blu-ray directors cut of the CGI feature film, Final Fantasy: Advent Children. You know, the Buscemi-less CGI Final Fantasy movie.

Square Enix revealed both film (titled Advent Children Complete) and demo at their DKΣ3713 event, with a Japanese release date of March 2009. The demo will also include video previews of Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Versus XIII (which they took care to mention is still a PS3 exclusive). Squeenix also announced a new PS3 SKU that will include the Blu-ray directors cut. What they didn't announce, however, was the American release date of the film -- and whether the demo and bundle will even make it to American shores.

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]]>advent-childrenblu-raybundledemodirectors-cutfinal-fantasy-agito-xiiifinal-fantasy-versus-xiiifinal-fantasy-xiiiPS3square-enixGriffin McElroy2008-08-02T18:00:00+00:00Parasite Eve follow-up moves onto PSPhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/parasite-eve-follow-up-moves-onto-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/parasite-eve-follow-up-moves-onto-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/parasite-eve-follow-up-moves-onto-psp/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been eight long years since we've last seen our favorite Mitochondria-battling cop, Aya Brea, in Square's survival horror/RPG hybrid series Parasite Eve. Well, that's not exactly true, we did catch a glimpse of her contemplating eating a bullet sandwich following the announcement that the long awaited next installment in the series would be released exclusively on mobile phones. Luckily, it seems Aya and RPG fans alike have dodged said bullet -- during their DKΣ3713 Private Party event, Square Enix announced that this new chapter in the series will now be making its way to the PSP. It's unclear whether a mobile version of the title is still in development.

Not much is known about the game, titled The 3rd Birthday. A trailer at Squeenix's exclusive shindig didn't have any gameplay or details about the game, though it did show Aya in a wedding dress, aiming a pistol at a shadowy figure standing in the doorway of what we assume is her wedding chapel. A gunfight on your wedding day? Isn't it ironic... don't you think?

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]]>3rd-birthdayaya-breamobile-phoneparasite-evepspsquare-enixthe-3rd-birthdayGriffin McElroy2008-08-02T16:30:00+00:00Square Enix establishes casual gaming brand in Japanhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/square-enix-establishes-casual-gaming-brand-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/square-enix-establishes-casual-gaming-brand-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/square-enix-establishes-casual-gaming-brand-in-japan/#commentsFiled under: ,


While it may seem bizarre to think that Square Enix, developer of some of the deepest narratives to ever grace our video game libraries, would decide to travel the road less Peggled, the RPG juggernaut recently launched a new casual gaming brand named "Pure Dreams" in Japan. This joins their "DS Style" line of casual games, which offers players traveling tips as well as advice on choosing wine at a restaurant. We usually just ask the waiter, but they really love their DS Lites in Japan.

The first two blockbusters sliding down the Pure Dreams chute are both based off of popular licenses in Japan -- Snoopy DS: Let's Go Meet Snoopy and His Friends! lets the player create their own member of the Peanuts gallery and play minigames with their hydrocephalitic neighbors, and Pingu's Wonderful Carnival is also a minigame collection, based off of the popular Swiss stop-motion series. We absolutely cannot wait to see Peppermint Patty's limit break.

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]]>casualds-styleJapanpingus-wonderful-carnivalpure-dreamssnoopy-dssquare-enixGriffin McElroy2008-08-02T11:35:00+00:00Square Enix pres Yoichi Wada preaches platform neutralityhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/square-enix-pres-yoichi-wada-preaches-platform-neutrality/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/square-enix-pres-yoichi-wada-preaches-platform-neutrality/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/square-enix-pres-yoichi-wada-preaches-platform-neutrality/#commentsFiled under: ,


Really, anyone old enough to remember Square's 1997 PlayStation debut with Final Fantasy VII - a franchise that had only existed on Nintendo platforms - shouldn't have been that shocked to see Square president Yoichi Wada sneak back onto the stage during Microsoft's E3 press conference to announce "one more thing": Final Fantasy XIII would be multi-platform.

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Wada said, "We always consider the territory and hardware for titles, and I just want to make sure that we're neutral about dealing with companies." Though he conceded that "in Japan ... the Xbox 360 isn't really that strong yet" he acknowledged that in "North America Microsoft is doing very well with its hardware." Sounds about right to us.

Throw in escalating development costs, and you've got a no-brainer. Wada sums it up: "We're now in the age of the multi-platform ... in order to offer our product to the vast majority of gamers we need to deal with multiple companies and platforms." Multiplatform third-party games are increasingly the norm; however, with certain "now-gen" Square Enix titles remaining selectively exclusive (think Infinite Undiscovery), we're not quite ready to call it for Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

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]]>Final-Fantasy-XIIISquareSquare-EnixYoichi-WadaChristopher Grant2008-07-29T12:46:00+00:00