Square has finally released some details and artwork of the third playable character in Final Fantasy X-2, as well as some more information about its battle system and the new features which will appear in the game.

Paine, the new character seen travelling with Yuna and Rikku, has been shrouded in mystery for months. She knows the language of the Al Bhed, but she is not an Al Bhed herself. Her mysterious background and her absence from the original game leaves many questions to be asked, but all that is known about her is that she uses a sword as her weapon and that she is a long-time member of the same sphere hunting group Yuna is from.

Final Fantasy X-2 will make use of an Active Time Battle system, like most Final Fantasy games have before. New additions to the system will allow players to use combo attacks on an enemy, or attack one enemy all at once. Characters will also be able to transform into new outfits in the midst of battle using special "dress up" spheres, gaining new abilities and powers before they revert back to their regular costumes at the end of battle.

Currently, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine are ...

New details have been revealed concerning the Law System used in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Laws established at the beginning of the battle will dictate what can and cannot be done, for example, a law which disallows using a specific ability in battle, or a law which bans only lightning magic. Breaking the laws of a battle brings forth the wrath of judges--something every player probably wants to avoid.

Laws can be suspended temporarily in battle by using Anti-Law Cards, and new laws can be established in battle by using Law Cards. Not many characters can make these cards, making them rare and valuable.

Sacred beasts will also be available for specific characters to summon during battle. Depending on what clan a character is from, he or she may be able to summon a sacred beast--however, obtaining a beast requires a crystal and several other tasks.

A number of new characters have been revealed, and their relevance to the story explained. Also, Time Mage, Bishop, Mediator, Paladin, Juggler, and Fencer have been added to the list of confirmed ...

In a press conference held in Tokyo, Square and Enix discussed business strategies for the current fiscal year--and some long term plans, as well. Square Enix aims to become the leading developer of software in the world. The chairman of the newly-formed company, Yasuhiro Fukushima, also mentioned plans to increase the sales of their video games, expand the broadband network business, and reduce the overall development costs of their games, making their games more efficient and less costly. Some other issues dicussed during the press conference are listed as follows:

- Final Fantasy XI for Windows has been released in Japan. There are currently 50,000 registered users for the Windows version alone; 110,000 copies of the game have been sold. Square Enix expects the PlayOnline network to grow within the next few years.

- Final Fantasy X-3 may be a possibility sometime in the future, however, there are currently no considerations to make the game. An announcement on such a game will most likely be made after recieving feedback on Final Fantasy X-2.

- Disney and Square Enix are undergoing negotiations for ...

- Final Fantasy X-2 will make use of the "Active Link System" during gameplay. Because the game will be far less linear than its predecessor, this new system will ensure that the storyline flows smoothly despite whatever choices the player may make, for example, which locations the player will visit first. Also, the system will open up new locations based on the locations already visited, making each Final Fantasy X-2 game somewhat different from another, as opposed to the original Final Fantasy X.

- Many new characters have been revealed for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, giving the game a large cast of unique characters. Some characters have unique job classes, while others bring new jobs to the party's roster; Assassin, Bard, Archer, and White Monk (White Mage, possibly, or a new class?) have been added to the list of confirmed jobs.

- Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II have been confirmed for a North American release. They will be released on one disc for the Playstation somewhere around Spring 2003. The games will feature numerous graphical updates as well as added ...

"In the ever-changing world of entertainment software, the most important issue facing companies today is how quickly they can grow as the marketplace and opportunities for business expand and diversify. Enix and Square's response to this issue is the merger announced today... together, we will aim to become producer of the highest-quality digital contents in the world."

With this announcement, Square and Enix have unveiled their plans for a complete merger, which will take place on April 1, 2003. The new company will be known as Square Enix.

Because Enix is buying Square, the company will theoretically be disbanded and Enix will "absorb" it--however, with all of Square's current projects, it is unlikely we'll see any sort of delay or change of plans in previously announced titles.

Currently, it is known that Enix shareholders will get a new shares in the company on a one-to-one scale, while Square stockholders will get new shares in the company on a scale of .81 shares for every share they currently own in Square. Also, Yoichi Wada, the current president of Square, will also ...

- Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II have been confirmed for a North American release; it is unknown whether the games will be sold seperately or as a package, similar to Final Fantasy Chronicles and Final Fantasy Anthology. Square plans to release the two games near the end of Spring 2003. This will be the first time Final Fantasy I has been publicly available in nearly 12 years; Final Fantasy II has ever been released in North America.

- Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle will be released sometine in Spring 2003, after the end of this fiscal year. There has been no confirmation of a North American release.

[Source:] RPGamer. ...

Final Fantasy XI hasn't been released outside of Japan, but Square is already talking about an expansion set. Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Garade will include a number of new features not found in the original game.

New areas, monsters, abilities, and job classes are among the confirmed updates included on the disc. Screenshots show a number of new areas not found in the original game, such as the Rikyua Desert and Yutanga Oomori Woods. Also shown are battle scenes in which Ifrit and Carbuncle are being summoned. Dragoons, Ninjas, and Samurais are found in the screenshots as well, previously inaccessible job classes.

PlayOnline currently has 180,000 registered members for the Playstation 2 version of Final Fantasy XI. Projections aim for about 200,000 registered members total for the Playstation 2 version of the game, and another 200,000 registered members for the soon-to-be-released PC version of the game, bringing a total 400,000 registered members before the game is released in North America.

Final Fantasy XI is due for a stateside ...

More information has been released on Game Developer Studio's and Square's new title, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

Many new job classes will be available, as opposed to its predecessor. Sources report that up to 40 different job classes are available this time around, as well as over 300 missions for the player to take up.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance will be released on February 13, 2002 in Japan for the Gameboy Advance. Square has not confirmed a North American release for this game.

[Source:] Gameforms. ...

Two new screenshots revealing new details about Final Fantasy X-2 have been translated and are now available.

- Since the end of Final Fantasy X, groups of people known as "sphere hunters" have arisen throughout Spira. Yuna, Rikku, Pine, Brother, and some other new characters are members of a group of sphere hunters known as the "Seagull Gang", or something to that effect.

- Other characters, as seen in this screenshot, are part of another, perhaps rival, sphere hunting group. From the left, is Sano, an intelligent, gun-wielding fellow; in the center, is Le Branc, the leader of the group; on the right, is Uno, a fat and rather incompetent person.

- A new airship, Celsius, is available from the very beginning of the game. Yuna and company can visit any place in Spira from the start of the game; the story progresses whenever a sphere is found and shown to Brother. Afterwards, the sphere's content is shown and Yuna and company travel to where the sphere was recorded. The game appears to continue in this non-linear fashion for a large portion of the game, if not the entire game itself.

- Rikku shows off her new attire.