Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the Final Fantasy series, has expressed a desire to develop a direct sequel to Final Fantasy VII in an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, and many other employees at Square share the same desire and also wish to make this game.

In the interview, Kitase later states that because the game has such a large fanbase, they don't want the game to be of mediocre quality. Because of this, no concrete plans or official decisions about the game have been made.

The interview will be published in an upcoming edition of Famitsu, according to the Japanese gaming website Quiter, however, no more information is expected to be released about the title.

[Sources:] Quiter, Gameforms. ...

Yuna prepares herself for another journey in the land of Spira, but this time, the journey is for herself...

More information is available on this new title every day, and Eyes on Final Fantasy has compiled several confirmed facts about the game:

- Rikku has given Yuna her new clothing for the sake of disguising herself. Because Yuna is now famous all around Spira, it would be wise if she dressed herself in a way no one knew her. Yuna is not expected to undergo some sort of drastic personality change because of her new clothing.

- Yuna uses two machina pistols as her weapon of choice in Final Fantasy X-2, because she cannot summon Aeons anymore.

- The game will be less linear than its predecessor. Yuna can visit many different areas throughout Spira at the beginning of the game.

- Confirmed playable characters are Yuna, Rikku, and an unknown female character. Newer reports on the game now reveal her name to be "Pain" or "Pine", according to one transliteration.

- A class change system of some sort may be added to the game. The class changes will affect what the characters appear as ...

Square has confirmed the existance and development of the latest Final Fantasy titles.

- Final Fantasy XII is in development stages, unaffected by the release of Final Fantasy X-2 and other projects from Square. It is expected to be released next year in Japan for the Playstation 2 console.

- Final Fantasy XIII is in planning stages, but no other information has been released about this title.

Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XIII have not recieved official confirmations of releases outside of Japan, but these games are expected to be released stateside.

[Source:] Gameforms. ...

Square has created an official website for its new Playstation 2 title, Final Fantasy X-2.

The website offers information about the new title, and also some new content: screenshots, artwork, and plot details are found in some of the accessible features on the site, however, the site's interface and content is entirely in Japanese. An English website is currently not available.

Also, according to Gameforms, Nobuo Uematsu is not present on the credits, and has been completely replaced by Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi as composers. These two composers are known for their work on The Bouncer and Racing Lagoon.

Click here to view the Final Fantasy X-2 official website. ...

Square has revealed more information about the connectivity between the Gamecube and the Gameboy Advance in its new Nintendo title, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle. The Gameboy Advance will be used to display player statistics, such as HP and MP, as the information will not be shown on the main screen. It will also serve as a controller, but it remains unknown as to whether it will be the only way to control the game.

More information is also available on Final Fantasy X-2. In this new game, the battle system will be completely revamped, as will the experience system. There will be no sphere grid, overkill, or overdrives in the new game. To compensate for this, a number of new features are being added, the first known of these is "Active Mode"--the purpose of the feature still remains unknown.

New screenshots of these games and more are available at the sources listed below.

[Sources:] The Magicbox, Gameforms. ...

- Final Fantasy I and II remakes for the PSOne are to be released October 31, 2002. There has been no announcement of a release outside of Japan.

- Final Fantasy XI for the PC is to be released in Japan on November 7, 2002. There has been no announcement of a set release date, but the game will be released outside of Japan.

- Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the Gameboy Advance has been pushed back to February 14, 2002. There has been no announcement of a release outside of Japan.

- Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle for the Gamecube has no set release date.

- Final Fantasy X-2 for the Playstation 2 will be released in March 2003. Reportedly, Square is "aiming to ship 2.5 million Final Fantasy X-2 in Japan". There has been no announcement of a release date outside of Japan, but it is almost certain that there will be a localized release. Screenshots are available at the sources listed below.

- Unlimited SaGa for the Playstation 2 is to be released on December 19, 2002. There has been no announcement of a release date outside of Japan.

- Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, for the Playstation 2, will be released on December 26, 2002; ...

Following in the footsteps of Tidus, Yuna takes the role of main character in this first-ever direct sequel to another Final Fantasy game.

Square is taking steps to make sure that Final Fantasy X-2 is a complete and unique gaming experience, and not too similar to its predecessor. Field commands such as jumping and running are now accessible, and while its meaning remains unknown, some battles take place in "Action Mode". New locations and places will also be available to visit which were not present in the first game.

Not much about the game has been revealed in terms of storyline. What is known has been taken from the bonus disc which was released with Final Fantasy X: International in Japan. Spira has experienced many technological advances since the defeat of Sin--many new machina and vehicles are expected to be revealed throughout the course of the game.

Final Fantasy X-2 appears to be the finalized name of the game, and not a tentative title. Previous reports of a "Yuna version" and "Rikku version" are slightly correct, as it is believed that the two versions will be present within the same game.

Click ...

To follow up on an earlier story, it appears that speculation has arisen concerning in exactly what format Final Fantasy XI will be released in outside of Japan. Due to the various complications that have arisen during the Playstation 2 game release, such as the unavailability of PS2 hard drives and network adapters, gamers are finding relief in the upcoming PC version. This version, much more cost efficient, is expected to increase the popularity of the game by a respectable amount.

Despite previous confirmations of a US release, it is still suspected that only the PC version of the game will be released to avoid further costs and problems on the PlayOnline network. While the move would save money, the high specifications of the game require a top-notch computer and graphics card. Because of this, Square has lined up deals with computer manufactuer Dell and graphics card maker Nvidia in a move to promote the PC version of the game.

Square has also announced yet another online game for the PlayOnline server. The game is slated for ...

Final Fantasy XI for Windows will begin shipping in Japan on November 7, 2002 with a price range of 7,000 - 8,000 yen, or about 56 to 65 dollars.

Square hopes to bring 200,000 new users to the PlayOnline server with the release of the PC version of Final Fantasy XI. Currently, the user base is estimated at about 120,000 - 130,000 users, with up to 50,000 players on the servers at any given time.

In a similar announcement, president of Square Yoichi Wada stated that releasing the game in non-domestic territories is important to the game's success, debunking rumors that the game may not be released outside of Japan.

[Sources:] The MagicBox , RPGamer. ...