Square Enix has released another interesting morsel to the eager gaming public on the subject of the next installment in the Final Fantasy series.  In FFXII, players will be able to join different clans, which will allow them to take on quests, gather information, and shop in clan-exclusive stores.

Final Fantasy XII will be released on March 16, 2006 in Japan.  Further release dates have not yet been announced.

[Source: RPG Fan] ...

It looks like Tetsuya Nomura is wrapping up a monster sequel in Kingdom Hearts II, and we've got a monster update to prove it.  According to Japanese publication Dengeki, a near finalized version of the game, which was presented to a Square Enix higher-up recently, garnered the response: "There's four games' worth in there."

The Tron-based world will be the last surprise area, Nomura stated, and will be titled "World of Space Paranoids."  And, in a move that's sure to please eager fanboys: yes, it will have light cycle battles.

Next on his list of surprise revelations, Nomura stated that Atlantis, the world from Disney's classic The Little Mermaid, won't be quite normal.  Instead of being a stage to explore and fight through, Atlantis will play like a timing-based musical, with particular scenes playing due to gamer's performance.

The Steamboat Willy state, titled "Timeless River," will likely incorporate some important plot developments, and will play just as any other normal stage.  Pride Land, the Lion King world, has Sora completely transformed into an animal because, unlike many Disney films, there are no ...

Japanese gamers who pre-order the upcoming Compilation of FFVII title, Dirge of Cerberus, will receive an unexpected set of goodies.  A bonus DVD will ship with the game including a number of trailers: DoC's own trailer, FFFVII: Crisis Core, Before Crisis, and Advent Children.  But the icing on the cake is the inclusion of the tech demo of Final Fantasy VII with Playstation 3 graphics which was showcased at this year's Electronics Entertianment Expo.

Square Enix has yet to state whether or not this bonus DVD will be available to gamers outside of Japan.

[Source: RPGamer] ...

Square Enix President Yoichi Wada revealed in an interview recently that the fates of Dragon Quest IX and Final Fantasy XIII have not yet been decided.  Square Enix will make a decision by E3 2006, meaning that the two games may be released for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, or will be exclusive to one system.  This means it's extremely unlikely that one system will receive Dragon Quest while the other gets ahold of Final Fantasy.

Considering how strong a boost Square Enix RPGs would give the Xbox 360 in Japan, you can bet that Microsoft will pursue any chance of getting their hands on these titles, and Sony certainly isn't likely to relinquish the Playstation exclusivity of the main Final Fantasy titles without a fight.  Whatever the end result may be, Squre Enix's decision may be one of the biggest factors in the next-gen console war.

[Source: IGN] ...

The guys over at 1UP.com recently got their hands on a copy of the demo of Final Fantasy XII that's packaged with Dragon Quest VIII and have compiled a wealth of information; gameplay impressions, details about the demo, changes made to the series, new media, and more are inside.  Check out 1UP's FFXII blowout here.

[Source: 1UP.com] ...

Though the release date of November 29th, which was rumored to be when Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children would finally see its official release in North America, was never confirmed by Square Enix, it's finally been put to rest.  The company announced a new release date of January 10th, 2006, in order to make possible a limited theatrical release.  This doesn't neccessarily mean there will be a theatrical release, but it is, at the very least, a possibility.

[Source: Anime News Network] ...

On top of all the new stages already known to be included in Square Enix and Disney's collaborative effort Kingdom Hearts II, a new, and probably unexpected, realm is being added to the game.  Its name?  You guessed it--Tron!  Made famous in the classic 1980 sci-fi flick, Tron will fight side-by-side with Sora and co., who will have unique world-specific looks just as they did in the original game.  Will Sora get to race light cycles while in Tron's computer world?  Only time will tell.

Kingdom Hearts II is expected to go on sale in Japan on November 22nd, with a US release still slated for sometime in 2006.

[Souce: IGN] ...

Popular J-Pop star Gackt, who was previously the basis of a character in the videogame Bujingai, will be lending his talent and his persona to Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus.  The singer will perform the game's title track, Redemption, as well as another song entitled Longing.  Unlike the motion-capturing normally used with real stars and videogames, however, Gackt will actually be filmed; the footage will be encorporated into the traditional highly-detailed CG scenes Square Enix is known for.  Gackt's in-game costume was crafted by character designer Tetsuya Nomura; the singer will also be donning his costume for his concert tour  "Gackt Live Tour 2005 Diablos - Aien no Shi."

Square Enix's press conference, which included the information about Gackt, also touched on the idea behind the Compilation of FFVII: Polymorphic content.  The theory is to create the sequel/sequels fans want by bringing the series to multiple areas of entertainment--consoles, handhelds, cellphones, and films.

With Dirge of Cerberus, producer Yoshinori ...

Square Enix's port of Final Fantasy III to the Nintendo DS, one of the few entries in the series previously unreleased outside of Japan, will take advantage of the DS's unique abilities.  The game will be in what has come to be called "pseudo-3D;" the camera can't be rotated in battle or in the field, but it will be possible to zoom in and out.  Also, in buildings, the camera will be rotatable.

FFIII's characters will also receive more attention than in the original to make their personalities a more important part of the game.  The ever-popular job system will also be evenly balanced.

Hiromichi Tanaka, the game's executive producer, made it clear that it is his wish the make the game playable solely with the use of the DS's stylus.  The game will also take advantage of the DS's Wi-Fi capabilities, though only outside the main quest.  Wireless co-op, anyone?  We can only hope.

EoFF will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

[Source: Joystiq] ...

Kingdom Hearts II is slated for a December 2005 release in Japan, but it won't be shipping just as a standalone game.  A "Kingdom Hearts Deluxe Limited Edition Package" will be released on December 22nd, 2005, and will contain the previous released Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories in addition to Kingdom Hearts II.  The special packaging will feature illustrations by creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura.

The Deluxe Limited Edition Pack will sell for 16,180 yen, or about $140 US.  It is unknown at this time whether or not this package will see a release outside of Japan.
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An all-new Final Fantasy concert will soon debut in Japan--Voices: Music from Final Fantasy.  As the name implies, Voices will feature songs with lyrics.  This means that singers including FFIX's Emiko Shiratori (Melodies of Life), FFX's RIKKI (Suteki Da Ne) and Izumi Masuda will be present at the event.

Like Dear Friends, Voices will be conducted by Arnie Roth.  The concert will be held in the Pacifico Yokohama on February 18th, 2006.  Ticket will go on sale November 25th for 6,000 yen, or about $50 US.  It is unknown at this time whether or not the concert will see a North American tour like Dear Friends. ...

The soon-to-be-released version of FFIV for the Gameboy Advance, featuring enhanced graphics and extra content, will be for sale bundled with the new Gameboy Micro and as a standalone cartridge.  The Gameboy Micro bundle will come with the limited-edition custom faceplate designed by series veteran Yoshitaka Amano and will cost 4800 yen, or about $42 US.

FFIV Advance will be on sale in Japan on December 15th.  There is not yet any word on a release of this bundle outside of Japan, but such an announcement will likely be made in the next few weeks.

[Source: RPGFan] ...

That's right--Advent Children will finally be seeing the light of day in North America.  The film will be shown on Friday, October 21st and twice Saturday, October 22nd at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, Canada.  Sadly, all three showing of the film are already completely sold out.

A North American DVD and UMD release of the popular film, which  has already sold over 700,000 units in Japan, has not yet to be announced, although a yet-to-be-confirmed date of November 29th, 2005 is floating around the internet.

[Source: RPGamer] ...

On the Xbox 360, that is.  When Microsoft's new console launches in Japan on December 10th, consumers who buy the Limited Edition of the console, which retails for approximately 40,000 yen, will receive a free Beta disc for Final Fantasy XI.  All they'll need are PlayOnline and Xbox Live Silver memberships, which, luckily, are both also free.  The offer will only last as long as supplies of the FFXI beta disk hold out, so those who arrive at stores first may be the only ones lucky enough to snag a chance to experience FFXI online on the Xbox before the general public.

[Source: IGN]

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