The Motor City is revving up with excitement as the next stop on the worldwide PLAY!  A Video Game Symphony tour, and a couple of famous guests will be in attendance when it touches down in Detroit.

Yoko Shimomura, best known for her work in the Kingdom Hearts series, and Hitoshi Sakamoto, the main composer in Square-Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy XII, are going to make appearances at the July 12 performance.  Shimomura's work will be featured in a suite during each performance around the world, while Detroit alone will be treated to an exclusive suite written by Sakatmoto.

The one-time performance will be held at Max Fisher Hall and tickets can be purchased here.

[Source - PLAY!] ...

A Japanese gaming magazine features a host of scans from the newly announced Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, Fabula Nova Crystallis.  The following scans show off different parts of the game, including several shots of the sleek new battle system and other images from a futuristic city.  The first 10 scans are from Final Fantasy XIII itself, but scan 11 features Final Fantasy Agito XIII.

Scan 1
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[Sources: GamersReports] ...

The Compilation of FFVII has just gained another member, as Square Enix announced a new cellphone game entitled Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode Final Fantasy VII.

Lost Episode starts off three years after the fall of Meteor at the closing of Final Fantasy VII's original storyline.  Cellphone gamers will, like in Dirge of Cerberus, don the cloak of Vincent Valentine and fight for the world against the Deepground Soldiers.  Lost Episode's Battlefield mode will allow gamers to explore a large world.  The action shooter mode, however, will feature more predictable combat against the Deepground forces.  Popular Final Fantasy VII mainstays like Limit Breaks and Materia will be available to Vincent in his new portable adventure.

The last feature of the game is Deepground Elite Mode, or DGE, which will pit gamers--playing as Deepground soldiers--against one another in fierce battles.

Lost Episode will be available sometime this summer.

[Source: Square Enix] ...

As we've previously reported, Square Enix is hard at work on two new entries into the Crystal Chronicles series, one for the Nintendo DS, and the other for the Nintendo Wii (formerly known as the Revolution).

The Nintendo DS title has now been dubbed Ring of Fate, while the Wii incarnation bares the name Crystal Bearers.  Both games will follow the gameplay style of the original Crystal Chronicles (a mix of action and RPG elements), but take advantage of their respective platforms in unique ways.  The DS title will have Wi-Fi multiplayer, while the Wii version will support Nintendo's revolutionary new controller.

According to Square Enix, "both titles are being developed with a commitment to utilize Wii and Nintendo DS technology to their fullest as part of the next generation's Final Fantasy."

More news from E³ as it breaks--be sure to check back frequently for all the latest exciting information on the next generation of Final Fantasy.

[Source: Square Enix] ...

Though the Electronics Entertainment Expo doesn't officially start until tomorrow, the biggest names in gaming held their annual pre-E³ conferences today.  Among them was, of course, Square Enix.

Square Enix announced months ago that Final Fantasy XIII would be arriving on the Playstation 3, but no more was known about the game--until now.  At their pre-E³ conference, Square Enix revealed a trio of games all bearing the Final Fantasy XIII name: the first, Final Fantasy XIII, is the main entry in the new "series," titled Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy XIII.  The second is Versus Final Fantasy XIII, taking influence for the Latin meaning of versus, "to change direction."  The last of the new bunch is Final Fantasy Agito XIII, a mobile game, which will serve as a prequel to the game proper.

Final Fantasy XIII will be directed by Motomu Toriyama, and is set in a futuristic world that's sure to delight sci-fi fans.  The game was originally being developed for the PS2, but after the team stopped to work on last year's Final Fantasy VII tech demo they moved the title onto the new hardware.  FFXIII is using Square Enix's new "White Engine," designed specifically for their next-gen titles.  The game will purportedly feature the most advanced civilization in a Final Fantasy title to date, and focuses "those who resist the world."  Okay, so it's not all original.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII, directed by Testuya Nomura of Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts fame, looks to take after the latter series, and will feature "extreme action."  Versus will be a direct sequel to FFXIII--sound like Dirge of Cerberus to anyone else?

Here ...

Kingdom Hearts II has broken the one million mark in sales in North America in the past four weeks.  According to Square Enix, that's just one-third the time it took the original game to sell a million, proving that fans countrywide were anxious to get their hands on the title.

So far, the Kingdom Hearts series has sold approximately 8.5 million units.  Those numbers are sure to increase later this month, as Kingdom Hearts II is debuting in Europe on May 25th.

[Source: RPGFan] ...

Square Enix has announced that another entry into the Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles series is being developed for the Nintendo Wii (previously known as the Revolution).  The game will likely feature some sort of wireless connectivity with the already in-development Nintendo DS Crystal Chronicles title.

Square Enix president Yoichi Wada had this to say on the subject: "We would like to strongly support Nintendo's next-generation networking plans.  [The Wii] may embody a new platform beyond a portable or console, which makes possible a new structure in the network gaming system, changing the ways communities are built and supported. This is the kind of direction we've envisioned, and we will challenge ourselves to provide immersive interactive content in response to what Nintendo offers."

Though Square Enix has not yet said if Crystal Chronicles will make an appearance at this year's E3, it's certainly a distinct possibility.

[Source: Galbadia X] ...

Yoshitaka Amano, most famous for his character artwork in the early Final Fantasy entries, has been busy working on a few projects in recent days, including... Final Fantasy XIII?

According to French publication Japan Vibes, you'd better believe it.  He declined any further details beyond the passing mention, but it's worth nothing that Square-Enix had nothing to say concerning any kind of development to this point.  There had been previous rumblings that FFXIII would be unveiled at E3, which is right around the corner, although S-E's page detailing its official lineup has pretty much dismissed that notion.  Either way, it's comforting to know Amano is at the helm.

[Sources - RPGamer]

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Today Square Enix announced a partial list of titles to be shown off at this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo.

Playstation 2:

• Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
• Final Fantasy XII
• Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
• Dawn of Mana

Portable:

• Final Fantasy V & VI Advance (GBA)
• Children of Mana (DS)
• Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (DS)
• Final Fantasy III (DS)
• Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP)
• Before Crisis: FFVII (Cellphone)
• Final Fantasy I (Cellphone)

According to Square Enix, this is only a "partial" list of what they'll be showing off at E3.  Eyes on Final Fantasy will keep you up to date as Square announces new information about their upcoming titles.

[Source: Square Enix] ...

Aniplex, the publisher for the Final Fantasy XII original soundtrack, announced a few new details concerning the compilation's imminent release.

An astounding 100 songs will be avaiable in the four-disc set, most notably Angelina Aki's "Kiss Me Good-bye" and Tarou Hakase's "Kibou".  Obviously enough, the first limited edition will be shipped in a special box and features a 28-page booklet within.

In related news, Aki will be performing her FFXII single at the Chicagoland PLAY! concert.  Composed by Nobuo Uematsu himself, Aki was offered her chance at the game's theme song following her successful debut CD, "One".  She created both the Japanese and English lyrics for "Kiss Me Good-bye" and the Midwest show will mark her U.S. debut.  As mentioned in previous updates, Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda will be directing as well, so it appears the world premeire of PLAY! is becoming a much hotter ticket with this addition.  More information can be found here.

The FFXII soundtrack will be released in Japan on May 31, and the Chicagoland ...

Square Enix has recently opened a new website for Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS.  Though it currently features little more than a bit of Final Fantasy III art, more information is likely forthcoming.  To reach Final Fantasy III's Japanese website, click here.

Final Fantasy III will be released in Japan later this year, and will feature brand new 3D visuals and some sort of Wi-fi compatibility.

[Source: Square Enix] ...

The latest addition to Square Enix's MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, has been released, and should be available across the United States this week.  Though service for the new expansion doesn't begin until Thursday, April 20th, Square Enix has released a massive amount of information about the new addition to FFXI's world.

Some of the highlights of Treasures of Aht Urhgan are as follows:

• New quests and two new battle modes, "Assault" and "Besieged."
• New map areas, including West Aht Urhgan and the Arrapago Islands.
• Highly-anticipated jobs--"Blue Mage," "Corsair," and "Puppetmaster."
• A new ship route between Mhaura and Al Zahbi.
• A storage feature called "Mog Locker."

In addition to a multitude of new features, Square Enix has tweaked various aspects of Final Fantasy XI's gameplay and interface.  To see a full list of all the changes that come with Treasures of Aht Urhgan, check out PlayOnline's update here.

[Source: PlayOnline] ...

Those eagerly anticipating the release of the new Final Fantasy XI expansion, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, have something else to look forward to: the game's Original Soundtrack.  The OST will be released this May in Japan and was composed by Naoshi Mizuta.

Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan's OST will cost 2000 yen, or about $16.92 US.

[Source: RPGFan] ...

According to Japan's premiere gaming mag Famitsu, Square-Enix's completely overhauled Final Fantasy III will have support for the Wi-Fi ability of the Nintendo DS.  It is unknown at this time exactly how FFIII will utilize this feature, but more is sure to be revealed in the coming months.

Famitsu also stated that Final Fantasy III will probably be released in July of this year in Japan.  The US release of Final Fantasy III for the DS will mark the first time the game has been available outside of Japan.

A new scan of Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS can be viewed right here.

[Source: AllRPG] ...