Above, a supposed first ever FFXII screen. Now whether or not this is real is up to you at this point. I for one am scepticle, but you just never know. Hopefully some more will pop up later.
(December 19, 2001)Do you have your copy? If not yet, EB has it waiting for you... maybe...
What else can I say? FFX is out! Get it before you have to wait for it's full release. Check your local electronics store, or EB. Mine only had 8 (all of which are most definitely gone by now. 2 of them being mine ;)). So... get moving. Or have a Merry Christmas waiting...
(November 24, 2001)The Demo is OUT!
It all started when I was just going to check out some CDs at 'Best Buy'. I went to the PS2 section and saw the Winter 2001 Jampack. Now it was my understanding it wasn't to be released until tommorow or monday at the least, but what did I care? A playable FFX was at my reach. So I grabbed a copy. Now onto my review:
I liked it. It had no story development what so ever (the demos were quite short and started in the middle of something), so I didn't understand what was going on half the time. There was no menu, either. That sorta pushed my button (no pun intended). I got items and I never got to use any of them. Except for of course healing times during battle. But that was ok. It also shows that Blitzball CG movie on the first demo, then continues on withyou fighting these squid-type things with Auron. The voice acting is neat too. I can already see it will cause most of the problems amongst critics, but not too much I hope.
The second demo allowed more exploration. Not much, but more than the first demo none the less. And you get to use all of the characters. There was a summon, but only one. I forgot it's name. The battle system is turn-based of course. It wasn't as complicated as I predicted. Quite simple and easy as a matter of fact. The new overdrive moves are entertaining, especially Tidus'. For the one he has, you have to press buttons in an order displayed, in a given amount of time. And the 'summons' are called "Aeons". Has a nice ring to it. The money is Gil. And you gain lvl's with AP. And if I'm not mistaken, you start on lvl 0 rather than lvl 1 like most other RPGs.
Anyway, I can't really judge how the whole game will be after these two quickly put together demos, but I am more eager to get it now than ever, thats for sure. What are you waiting for, go pick up this thing. It's only $8.
(November 23, 2001)Final Fantasy X to see limited release 'AFTER' Christmas
"Earlier, the GIA reported that the U.S. version of Final Fantasy X would have a soft "stealth" launch in December, before the official January release. This is indeed the case. Unfortunately, our original source was erroneous in claiming us that the title would release before the holiday season. Since our original story, multiple sources have confirmed that Square hopes to have Final Fantasy X in U.S. stores just one day after Christmas, on December 26th, 2001. The "official" launch will proceed as planned one week later, on January 2nd, 2002."
(November 20, 2001)Final Fantasy X to see limited release before Christmas Stealth release will put 500,000 copies on store shelves in time for the holidays
I know I havent updated in awhile, but this news is worth it:
"With Final Fantasy X currently scheduled for a US release in January, Square stands to lose out on the holiday shopping season; something they can ill afford after a financially dismal year and a relatively small release schedule. To avoid this scenario, Square is planning to quietly ship about 500,000 copies of Final Fantasy X by the second or third week of December. The launch is planned to be totally unannounced, with no advertisements of any kind until the official release early next year, so those hoping to play Final Fantasy X over their break would be well advised to keep an eye on their local video game retailer of choice as Christmas draws near."
Happy hunting and keep your eyes open ;) Send me an e-mail if you happen to run by FFX at a retail store, will ya? nasferatu1@hotmail.com
Also:
Playable demo of FFX to be included in PlayStation 2 Winter Jampack
"With Square's near-empty release schedule, the company can't deliver its big name demos in the usual way, by bundling them with a more low-profile release. Thankfully, this doesn't mean American gamers won't get the chance to try out Final Fantasy X before its January 2002 release.
The Winter edition of Sony's Jampack, the company's biannual collection of trailers and demos, will contain a playable trial version of the upcoming RPG blockbuster. There's no word on exactly what form the demo will take, but it most likely is a translated version of the short, two-part demo that was on display at E3 2001.
In addition the Final Fantasy X demo, the disc will also contain non-interactive trailers for Jax and Daxter, Okage: Shadow King, Dynasty Warriors 3, Tony Hawk 3, and Splashdown, as well as demos of Kinetica, Extermination, Drakan: The Ancients' Gate, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and SSX Tricky. The Jampack will retail for a mere $7.99 and should be in stores by next week."
FFXI gets a new official name (Final Fantasy XI: Online), and a logo. Not to mention there being a special promo poster found at TGS from this weekend.
(October 3, 2001)New FF game series is abrewin'
"Final Fantasy: Unlimited television series to launch separate game franchise.
Following in the footsteps of such twice-removed projects as Great Expectations: The Novelization of the Movie, the Final Fantasy-inspired anime series, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, is in turn inspiring a new series of Squaresoft RPGs. According to Final Fantasy series producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, the games are very early in development, and might not even carry the Final Fantasy name. The target console has not yet been chosen. The games will be directed by Akitoshi Kawazu, SaGa series director and initial concept director for the anime series. No further details are available at this time."
(September 19, 2001)No more Square Movies You don't hear me complaining
"Due to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within's disappointing performance in both the American and Japanese markets, Square announced today that they're leaving the film business. Though cost-saving measures such as reusing the character of Aki in different genres were rumored, it now seems that these are not to be. As a result of the losses, Square will also likely not post profits this financial quarter."
(September 19, 2001)Possible chance of Square and Nintendo patching things up?
The Gia recently reported certain facts, that may lead to the possiblity of Square making a deal with Nintendo for development on the GCN (Nintendo GameCube) More on the article at The Gia.
Maybe some good news for all Square and/or Nintendo fans alike. I urge any fans to read this article. It no doubt sheds light on the matter, if anything for us fans, even if it is speculation and rumors.
Other News: PlayOnline Details
"PlayOnline isn't scheduled to begin full operations until next spring, but he first copies of Square's ambitious online network have already shipped to beta testers in Japan. Intrepid fansite Quiter-W has gotten a hold of one of the beta kits, and posted the first impressions and media.
The software comes with a hefty 200-page manual explaining the ins and outs of the soon-to-be entertainment network. Unfortunately, the intended killer-app, Final Fantasy XI, won't be enter beta until next year, so testers will have to make due with the Network's other offerings, such as online manga, magazines, and realtime chat.
Quiter-W also has posted the first screens of PlayOnline's user interface, which can be customized in a number of ways. Players can download unique wallpaper and choose from a variety of songs for background music. Interestingly, the system also lets users pick a character portrait from Square's back catalog to use as a personal avatar. (Ashley Riot is pictured below.)
For now, the only game playable on the network is Final Fantasy IX's card game, Tetra Master, also included with the beta kit. The game can be played against the CPU or against others online, and has a full ranking mode to track stats. Players can also participate in auctions to buy rare cards, but how this is handled is still unknown. New cards featuring the characters from Final Fantasy IX, which were not in the game itself, have been added to the Tetra Master set. Currently, only the FF IX characters have been added, but other games in the series may be integrated at a later date.
For more screens from the PlayOnline beta, head over to Quiter-W."
(September 15, 2001)Square still taking little ol' WonderSwan under it's wing
Remakes & More Why report about this you ask? You'll see...
"Square is hard at work on a total of six remakes for the WonderSwan Color. The first three can be found on the official WSC website filling out the system's meager release list: Romancing SaGa, Front Mission, and the previously announced Final Fantasy III remake.
IGN Pocket reports on the other three. The Super Famicom version of Hanjuku Eiyuu (Half-Cooked Hero) is also on deck for a makeover, as is the original Makaitoushi SaGa, released here as Final Fantasy Legend for the Game Boy. Last is the rumored Dice de Chocobo, an adaptation of the bizarre PlayStation board game included in Japan's Chocobo Collection.
More information will follow if and when it materializes, but the reader is not advised to hold his or her breath. Only two of the six games have even received release periods -- Romancing SaGa is tentatively set for a December release, Final Fantasy III for a vague "2002" -- and with the WonderSwan Color marooned in Japan, not one of them stands a chance of being released in the States."
"Square EA released details on the US version of Final Fantasy X, including a welcome surprise for impatient fans: rather than the previously rumored February date, the game now has an official release date of January 2002.
Other information includes a confirmation of the rumors that James Arnold Taylor, known for his work on the television series Futurama, will be voicing Tidus. The only other voice talent announced was Hedy Buress, who will play the part of Yuna. Burress' previous roles have included parts in the series Boston Common, Gideon's Crossing, and the TV-movie If These Walls Could Talk."
(September 8, 2001)More Final Fantasy Animated Series Info...
"TV Tokyo has revealed more details on its forthcoming Final Fantasy animated series. To be titled Final Fantasy: Unlimited, the series will begin October 2nd in Japan and air from 6:30 to 7:00.
Like the recent Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within movie, FF: Unlimited will be set on Earth, not in any of the game worlds. It's not yet known whether this will be Earth's past, present, or future, just that the story revolves around a gateway to another world appearing in the ocean near Japan.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited's hero and heroine will be named Wind and Lisa, respectively. The pair is pursuing something called "The Cloud" which - in typical RPG fashion - destroyed Wind's hometown.
It's still not yet known whether Final Fantasy: Unlimited will use computer or cel animation. However, GDH, the studio producing the series, is known for its relatively heavy use of computer graphics, so it's likely that at least some CG effects will be incorporated even if the bulk of the series is cel-animated."
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