That, after the jump as well as the slated release info for Square Enix's big announced titles.

Final Fantasy XIII, 2009 Release, Trailer
Final Fantasy Versus XIII, TBA, Trailer
Final Fantasy Agito XIII, TBA, Trailer
Dragon Quest IX, 2008 Release, Trailer
The 3rd Birthday, TBA, Trailer
Chrono Trigger, 11/27/08, Trailer
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Winter 2008, Trailer, Demo
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 2009 Release, Trailer, Demo
Kingdom Hearts Coded, Winter 2008, Trailer
Valkyrie Profile, 10/30/08, Trailer, Demo
DISSIDIA Final Fantasy, 12/18/08, Trailer, Demo
The Last Remnant, 11/20/08, Undecided
Star Ocean 4, Spring 2009, Undecided
Infinite Undiscovery 9/11/08, Trailer
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book Winter 2008, Trailer, Demo
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon DS+, 10/30/08, Trailer, Demo
Valkyrie Profile, 10/30/08, Trailer, Demo

Not surprising that FFXIII won't be playable — especially with that demo packaged with Final Fantasy VI Advent Children Complete. Though, it is rather peculiar that Dragon Quest IX won't be playable. That game is on track for 2008 (which might mean fiscal 2008, meaning next Spring), but one would think that Square Enix would have more than a trailer for it. Perhaps that will change closer to the actual show...

Square Enix TGS [Official Site]

Square Enix Withdraws Tecmo Bid, Hints At Other Acquisitions [Gamasutra]

The Company yesterday received a written notice of the rejection of the Proposal from the board of directors of TECMO. Followed by the notice, the Company immediately requested TECMO for explanation of some issues to receive no response to it, even reasons of the rejection.

Under such circumstances, the Company is unable to make appropriate modifications to major terms of the Proposal including the TOB price, and determines that it is extremely difficult to continue the discussions with TECMO based on the Proposal. The Company, therefore, has decided to withdraw from the Proposal.

Square Enix turned down by Tecmo for Koei and then ignored? Ouch.

When Square Enix originally announced its offer to Tecmo on August 28th, the famed RPG maker proposed offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium. "I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," said Square Enix president Yoich Wada (pictured) at press conference that same day. "I hope." If the plan was rejected by Tecmo (and it was), Square Enix originally stated: "We will withdraw our offer."

Apparently, Square Enix is having a problem taking no for an answer as the company just released a statement:

The Company immediately requested TECMO for explanation of some issues as follows:

1. Please confirm that the decision on the start of discussions with KOEI toward integration of management is the reason for rejection of the Proposal.

2. If that is the case, please clarify concretely that major terms of integration of management with KOEI (form of the integration, stock prices assumption, integration ratio and so forth) are favorable for TECMO's shareholders than the Proposal.

3. If not, please clarify that TECMO has an alternative plan, which is favorable for TECMO's shareholders than the Proposal.

The Company will make definitive decision on its plan immediately after receiving a response from TECMO.

Bwah? Square Enix's offer doesn't seem so "friendly" any more.

Tecmo has just released a statement regarding this offering. That translated, after the jump.

For Tecmo, this proposal was received in a short span of time, but within the company, we collected opinions from management and game creators as well as a wide range of employees.

In our companies source of revenue, as a result of a guarantee with our capable workers, a guarantee of steady game development and the preservation of our brand, there is a high possibility of improvement. However, we did not arrive to agree to this proposal, and thus, our Managing Board declines the offer.

Stockholders, clients and customers, please continue your favor towards our company.

The term 'Final' in the title doesn't mean 'last,' but the teams behind it see it as a term for 'ultimate,' and as long as there are creators that are wanting to make Final Fantasy games, we will probably keep going... Well, when it comes down to it, it's up to the fans' needs, and we don't feel that there's actually a certain number that we should stop at...

But each Final Fantasy series has a lot of unique characters, and a world, and we receive lots of feedback from fans, saying, 'We want to see more of this character!' or, 'We want to see more of this situation!' So, we take those into account, and try to create new side stories based on that. So we're not necessarily conscious of a certain limit that we have to stop at.

Yep, they're not gonna stop Final Fantasy any time soon.

Interview: Kitase And Hashimoto On A 'Final' Final Fantasy [Gamasutra via Gay Gamer]

Official PlayStation Magazine [via GOONL!NE]

He tells Dengeki, by way of Final Fantasy-XIII.net, that Agito won't see the light of a UMD drive until after both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII publish. Yes, that's from the same source as the Squenix might charge for the standalone FFXIII demo business, so have some Mrs. Dash on hand to stave off hypertension.

Suppose it all makes sense, from a publishing standpoint, but that doesn't make epic wait feel any less daunting. At least we'll all have jet packs and snazzy silver jump suits by then...

But after that, you may be able to get your hands on it another way — cash!

Those who don't plan on befouling their Blu-ray library with the high-def cash-in of Advent Children may be able to buy the FFXIII demo as a standalone product, just like Sony has done with the Gran Turismo series.

That's according to a FFXIII.net report, citing a forum member's translation of a Dengeki interview with Squenix's Tetsuya Nomura. Of course, the whole thing could be lost in translation, but we wouldn't put it past the publisher.

It's not like they're setting a precedent here. I mean, I own a copy of Zone of the Enders for a reason and it's not because I really wanted to play Zone of the Enders. Clearly, many people don't have an issue paying for mini-portions of games still years away, or else Gran Turismo 4: Prologue would've been an one-off affair and we wouldn't be choking on penis monsters thanks to the Spore Creature Creator.

Still, if Square-Enix does plan to charge for the demo, we hope they'll at least be reasonable about the cost. No need to add insult (overpricing) to injury (the long wait).

Final Fantasy XIII Demo May be Sold Separately [Final-FantasyXIII.net]

DS版『クロノ・トリガー』が2008年11月27日に発売決定！ 予約特典も公開 [Famitsu]

According to Wada, there have been discussions since May with former Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda and Tecmo Chairman of the Board (and current president) Yasuharu Kakihara. Yasuda has recently resigned in wake of a slew of labor dispute legal trouble with Team Ninja and Dead or Alive member Tomonobu Itagaki. Wada admits that he was "concerned" what would happen regarding those discussions when Yasuda resigned.

This, said Wada, is the same as when Square and Enix merged, adding: "In entertainment, games are the equal of the film and television industry, and growth is strong. But, now the Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor that it did previously... This is a worldwide battle."

As we broke earlier, the Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4th to approve the offer. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). But if Tecmo does accept the offer, what will happen to Tecmo? It will fall under a holding company umbrella, said the exec. But regarding the actual Tecmo brand, Wada stated, "To either be affiliated and losing the brand or possibly merging with Taito, that's the big difference." Square Enix acquired Taito in 2005.

Wada was keen to point out how important (and attractive) Tecmo's IPs were. Not only that, he praised the company's ability to produce top quality titles — most notably Tecmo's fighting and action games. Wada also lauded the company's success abroad. The Square Enix exec pointed out that talented teams are needed to make games. "While it looks like the games are made by a single, talented genius, games are made by teams," said Wada. When asked about the Itagaki labor dispute, Wada replied: "I don't know anything of the concrete details of this particular case."

"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Wada. "I hope."

和田氏「TOBはこれから。目的はグループとして一緒にやっていくこと」 [Game Watch Impress]

Today at 1pm Japan Time, Square Enix will be outlining its plans for a friendly takeover troubled game maker Tecmo. Square Enix's takeover would help the company gain a stronger foothold in the U.S. market with popular Tecmo titles like the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games. What's more, Tecmo's games will help strengthen Square Enix's current portfolio, which is heavily dependent on RPGs.

This isn't the first time Square Enix has moved in on a beleaguered company. In August 2005, Square Enix acquired Taito and wholly owned the company as a subsidiary by September 2005.

Update: Square Enix has released a statement (after the jump) explaining his Tecmo takeover plan. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). The Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4 to approve or reject this offer. If rejected, Square states, "We will withdraw our offer."

1. Monster Hunter 2nd G (Capcom) March 27, 2008 Release: 2,396,642 copies sold
2. Monster Hunter 2nd (Capcom) February 22, 2007 Release: 1,706,387 copies sold
3. Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix) September 13, 2007: 790,705 copies sold
4. Monster Hunter Portable (Capcom) December 1, 2005: 668,964 copies sold
5. Phantasy Star Portable (SEGA) July 31, 2008: 545,242 copies sold

The PSP seems to have really taken off in the last two years here in Japan.

PSPの国内累計販売台数が1000万台を突破 [Famitsu] [Pic]

There will absolutely not be an Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII for Japan.

Obviously Toriyama is not mincing words. He's being crystal clear. But, really, why not release it on the Xbox 360 in Japan? Sales of the game in both America and Europe (in multiple languages) on both platforms are likely to exceed the Japanese sales markets — so what's the point of no mulit-platform for domestic consumers? From a business stand point, Toriyama's statement seems rather odd.

Worse yet, I'm beginning to think that asking Square Enix if the game is coming out on the Xbox 360 in Japan will be the Is-MGS4-Coming-Out-On-Xbox-360 of this and next year. Ungh.

Dengeki Scan [2ch.net]

With that in mind (and perhaps with one eye on the 18 Hour Boss Battle debacle) Square Enix has revealed plans to make Final Fantasy XI a bit more fun for newer players and to rebalance the game so a to allow experienced characters to stand side-by-side with newbies without it being completely embarrassing.

The "Level Sync" system is a way of powering down high level characters so that they can form parties with new players and everyone can play on a field that might be completely level but which is only a bit bumpy.

New Level Sync Feature to Change the Way You Party![PlayOnline - Thanks to Cayce White for the tip]

平和な学園生活は終わりを告げる [Famitsu]

Clearly concerned that their customers might be in danger of A) doing themselves a mischief and B) not having fun anymore, Square Enix has responded with a series of changes to the MMO "to prevent such battles from exceeding a certain predetermined length of time"

In a post to the official site entitled "Regarding Specific Notorious Monsters" Square has announced that the major league bosses Pandemonium Warden, Absolute Virtue and Jailer of Love (all of whom would make excellent Emo album titles) and their associated pets will be modified in the game's September update.

Final Fantasy XI Online Official Site [Thanks to Jeff Amick for the tip]

Taito said that in fact the entire “Space Invaders: The Anniversary Show” exhibition by the Computer Game Museum Berlin was likewise planned and presented without their knowledge and authorization.

"TAITO is seriously considering all available options—including legal actions against the infringer and, if necessary, the Games Convention exhibitor involved—in order to end this unauthorized and impermissible misuse of the Space Invaders content and to protect TAITO’s intellectual properties."

Taito does not address their take on the art and it's blending of Space Invaders with 9/11 outside the IP issue. I'm still waiting to hear back from Taito parent company Square-Enix. A press person told me that they do plan on making a statement.

A goof apparently, as Famitsu is running a correction, stating that the release date should read "TBA". Famitsu also adds: "To our readers and all concerned parties, we deeply apologize for any trouble this may have caused. We hope you accept our apology and correction."

ムック･ファミ通PS3 Vol.XIII掲載　PS3版『ラスト レムナント』発売日の御詫びと訂正 [Famitsu via my game news flash]

Los Angeles (August 18, 2008) - Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that its highly anticipated Nintendo DS™ title CHRONO TRIGGER® will ship to North American retailers on November 25, 2008. A groundbreaking RPG that became an instant classic, CHRONO TRIGGER is set to be one of the most compelling handheld titles available this holiday season.

Remastered exclusively for Nintendo DS, this newly enhanced edition maintains all of the game’s original elements and spirit while introducing portability, dual-screen presentation and Touch Screen functionality.

Originally released in 1995 on the Super NES® and subsequently shipping more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, CHRONO TRIGGER is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest video games of all time. Praise continued to be showered upon the title at last month’s E3 2008 Media and Business Summit, with CHRONO TRIGGER receiving accolades including “Best RPG” and “Best DS Game.”

Players can look forward to a reunion with CHRONO TRIGGER’s multifaceted storyline, memorable soundtrack and exhilarating gameplay this November.

STORY

When a newly developed teleportation device malfunctions at the Millennial Fair, young Crono must travel through time to rescue his misfortunate companion from an intricate web of past and present perils. The swashbuckling adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono’s race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

FEATURES

# A masterpiece with an engaging and unparalleled storyline, leading to the discovery of multiple epic conclusions to a journey that transcends time
# An inspiring musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda
# Intriguing battle system made possible by the unique combination of the Active Time Battle system and Tech skills
# Famed character designer Akira Toriyama lends his signature art style to create the vibrant world that has captivated gamers around the world
# Taking advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware, CHRONO TRIGGER makes its way onto the portable platform with all-new dual-screen presentation and Touch Screen functionality
# Brand-new dungeons and an Arena mode add exciting new dimensions to this timeless classic

CHRONO TRIGGER is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ctds.

The demo will be on a separate disc (ah ha! Blu-Ray has its limitations too ya know!!!!) The demo will be based on the opening to the game, naturally. Wouldn't be smart to spoilerize everything. Two other tidbits, I'll fess up and say I have no clue what these mean so I'll just quote verbatim: "One of the female characters, refered to as 'Pigtails Girl', has been through some tough times." And "Mr. 33CM's real name is based off of weather as well."

Final Fantasy XIII Demo to Last Over 2 Hours [PlayStation Universe]

How Long is Too Long? [Pet Food Alpha, thanks Brandon!]

『ドラクエIV』をしのぐペースで大台を突破 [Famitsu]

I think the most obvious reason that they made the announcement is just looking at the success of our console...Square has done games for us in the past, and I think there’s a point where Square just has to look at the Xbox 360, the install base and attach rates that we’re seeing and actually has to make a decision on their own that it’s the right thing to do for them...

I think it’s easy to assume that something’s going on behind the scenes, I think the more obvious answer is we’re doing really well and the game creators want their games to be where the most people and the most consoles [are], and right now that’s the Xbox 360.

For third party publishers, multi-platform makes sense. Still rather curious why it's not on the Xbox 360 in Japan, though...

Summit In The City [Mundorare via TalkXbox via Xboxer]

Obviously, we announced the title for both the PS3 and 360, so in that sense we’re very excited to be able to appeal to a new user base ans to fans that are users of both PS3 and 360.

...Another thing I’m excited about it that it’s traditionally taken about a year for localization to take place, so the Japanese version can reach audiences around the world. But with this titles we’re focused on decreasing that time gap. That means, right now, we’re not only involved in creating and developing, but also working hard to deliver the title in a fresh state to everyone in the world.

Sounds like Square Enix is doing its best to close the gap that's existed for its Japanese and Western customers. Good for them.

FFXII Will Be Delivered [VG247] [Pic]

Final Fantasy XIII / Versus XIII 스크린샷 [VideogamerX via PS3Hyper]

London (6th August 2008)– Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that CHRONO TRIGGER® will be released across PAL territories in early 2009 exclusively on the Nintendo DS™ handheld system.

They say that "time is money" but for our hero, Crono it is much more than that! Get ready to travel through time to avoid the destruction of the world as we know it. With CHRONO TRIGGER, your notion of time will be turned upside down as you race against it like you've never done before, while all the decisions you make along the way will affect past, present and future!

Originally released in 1995 for the Super NES® CHRONO TRIGGER is regarded as a classic that was sadly never released in the PAL territories. We may not have a time machine to rectify the past, but thankfully CHRONO TRIGGER is about to change history. This all-new edition of CHRONO TRIGGER contains all the classic essence of the original while introducing the portability, dual-screen presentation and Touch-Screen functionality of the Nintendo DS.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "It gives me great pleasure to see CHRONO TRIGGER being released in Europe and the PAL territories. With its ground breaking story and gameplay, this epic RPG with multiple endings has already won the hearts of many fans and I hope it delights a whole new audience of players into revisiting the CHRONO TRIGGER world time and again."

スクウェア・エニックス　プライベートイベント「DKΣ3713」にて新タイトル発売時期などの情報発表 [GameSpot, thanks Richard!]

All DLC has been available since May 30. That's everything for now, and we have no plans for future DLC at the moment.

Wonder why that is...

Afterthoughts: Final Fantasy CC: My Life as a King [1Up via VG247]

It looks like the collaboration works both ways, as this is more than just cheap cosplay stuff. Roen looks to have worked with Square Enix on character designs for Versus XIII.

Before you excitedly whip out the credit card, be warned that Roen is obscenely expensive. Sure, their tank tops are just dazzling, but even we balk at $240 price tags.

Square Enix Party Wrap Up [Game Watch]

It's just odd that such a screw-up would occur with nothing even vaguely FF-related coming out this month. Disgaea 3 ships on the 18th, and while for some of us that is more exciting than a FFVII remake, I can't see some hapless sign-monkey mixing the two of them up. Odd.

We're making the PS3 version first, and then porting to the 360 later.... I'm telling [the development team] to not think about the Xbox 360 right now. We can think about it after the development kits arrive... Right now, we're fully concentrating on the PS3 version.

Well that's good. The bad news is that, as GameSpot notes, the PS3 version will mostly likely be held back for that simultaneous platform release in North America and Europe. Wonder if the same will be true for Japan, where the Xbox 360 hasn't been announced. Boy, multi-platform is tricky!

Square Enix: 360 FFXIII development hasn't begun [GameSpot via EDGE]

Internet access was nonexistent, perhaps deliberately, for this event so a number of those who attended couldn't get up liveblogs. Also images of the screens were prohibited but you know someone's bootlegged at least one trailer, so if any tumble out we'll try to get them up (send a tip if you see one anywhere.)

We already got up the event's major announcements regarding Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Parasite Eve on the PSP, and the March 2009 due date for the Final Fantasy XIII demo. But there are a couple after action reports if you want descriptions of trailers seen and speculation on gameplay features arising from that. NeoGAF's is a pretty deep aggregation of Japanese blogs covering the show, I'd start there. Some things that caught my (untrained) eye:

• The Kingdom Hearts PSP version will add Snow White to Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty in Disney's crossover cohort.
• Final Fantasy XIII trailer showed gameplay but no actual battles, drawing out the tease.
• Versus XIII will cross-promote the ROEN fashion brand. All characters in the game will be wearing ROEN designs. Pure speculation, but I don't think it will affect gameplay, I think it's to make you want to buy those clothes.

Official SQUARE ENIX presents DKΣ3713 Private Party 2008 Thread [NeoGAF]
Square Enix DKS3713 Event Report

Final Fantasy Agito XIII PSP Release Decided [Famitsu]

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will ship in Japan at some point in March 2009.

Advent Children Complete Gets FF XIII Trail [Famitsu]

Well not FFXI specifically, but the amendment to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act passed this week makes it an unlawful business practice to run an internet gaming service without some way of canceling the service online, without requiring customers to call a phone number or mail a letter. Hit the jump for the full synopsis of the law.

Provides that an Internet gaming service provider that provides service to a consumer, for home and personal use, for a stated term that is automatically renewed for another term unless a consumer cancels the service must give a consumer who is an Illinois resident: (1) a secure method at the Internet gaming service provider's web site that the consumer may use to cancel the service, which method shall not require the consumer to make a telephone call or send U.S. Postal Service mail to effectuate the cancellation; and (2) instructions that the consumer may follow to cancel the service at the Internet gaming service provider's web site.

Square Enix's course here is pretty clear. Cancel the accounts of anyone living in Illinois. That'll show em!

Online Fantasy Game’s Absurd Cancellation Policy Leads To New Law [Silicon Alley Insider via Game Politics]