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Let’s Watch Some Guy Play Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV is now in beta, so people in the real world are playing it. And what do people in the real world do when playing video games? Yeah, they film it and upload it to YouTube. Here’s the game’s character creation suite, followed by a lengthy section that divides its time between cinematic…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 20, 2010 -
Does Final Fantasy Need A Reboot?
Final Fantasy XIII was released last year, and Final Fantasy Versus XIII is forthcoming. Now might be as good a time as any to clean the slate and start over. Final Fantasy XIII was hardly a failure, selling a whopping 5 million copies plus. “But when it comes to the customers’ reaction to the quality…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 16, 2010 -
So Many Square Enix Toys, So Little Time
At this year’s Tokyo Toy Show, Square Enix showed off…toys. There are loads of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts figures and knick-knacks. Makes sense, because there are loads of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games. I like the inflatable Slimes. Have a look for yourself. ［東京おもちゃショー2010］スクウェア・エニックスでフィギュア三昧 [Gizmodo Japan]
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 15, 2010 -
These Are Not The Colorful Slime Drinks You Think They Are
You’d think that a Slime drink in a blue bottle would be blue. Or one in an orange-red bottle would be orange-red. You are wrong. The drinks come in two flavors: blue Hoimi Cider and orange Mera Tropical. Priced at ¥284 ($3.25), the drinks went on sale earlier this month in Japan and come with…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 14, 2010 -
The Worlds Within Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Take a trip through Disney Town, the Dwarf Woodlands, the Castle of Dreams, the Enchanted Dominion, and Deep Space, in this Worlds trailer for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP. As I was viewing this video for the first time, my nephew, busy playing my Xbox 360 in the other room, shouted out,…
By Mike Fahey Published July 13, 2010 -
Kane And Lynch 2’s Dog Days Start A Week Earlier
Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days moves forward one week in the release schedule, now slated to hit stores on August 17 in North America and August 20 in PAL territories. The Japanese date remains an unchanged August 26.
By Mike Fahey Published July 13, 2010 -
Square Enix Boss Says Japan’s Core Gameplay “Not As Strong”
Yoichi Wada, boss of publisher Square Enix (Final Fantasy), has some stern words for Japanese developers in a recent interview with industry site Gamasutra. “I don’t think we can say Japan’s strong” in core gameplay, he tells the site. “Western developers have become much stronger, during the past five years, in this aspect — the…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2010 -
Keeping Abreast Of Final Fantasy XIV’s Character Customization
Something Is Different. No, *somethings*. Final Fantasy XIV has a robust character creator — with emphasis on bust. We know this! But let’s take a look at what to expect from FFXIV’s character customization. As seen above, players can alter their character’s “type”. Famitsu.com notes that this option is for players who get fussy over…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 9, 2010 -
Why Japan Likes Dragon Quest (And Other Pressing Issues)
Dragon Quest IX was released in Japan on July 11, 2009. A year later, the game is getting released in North America. Finally. Why the long delay, Square Enix? “The reality is that we were not able to develop all versions of the game simultaneously, since making the Japanese version alone proved to be a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 9, 2010 -
Screw English, It’s All About C
This month, Japanese online retailer Rakuten.com decided the language that was used internally by the company would no longer be Japanese. By 2012, the company’s official in-house language will be English. That would mean all meetings would be conducted in English and all internal documents would be in English. English, English, English! Rakuten has been…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 8, 2010 -
Slime, You Can Drink
Because who doesn’t like drinking something called “slime”? Japanese game company Square Enix has collaborated in the past with Osaka-based beverage maker Suntory to release game-themed drinks for its Final Fantasy series. This time around Dragon Quest gets its own beverages as part of a promotion for Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road Victory. The drinks…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 7, 2010 -
Obsidian Wouldn’t Mind Tackling A Chrono Trigger Sequel
Now that they’re working on Dungeon Siege 3 for Square Enix, are there any other Square Enix series the company would like a stab at? “Chrono Trigger,” says CEO Feargus Urquhart. With their first attempt at an original role-playing game tanking, Obsidian Entertainment is free to focus on what they do best: Making sequels to…
By Mike Fahey Published July 6, 2010 -
Dragon Quest Creator Launches Sentinels Of The Starry Skies In New York
Celebrate the launch of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies next weekend in New York City, with a Nintendo party in Rockefeller Center featuring the creator of the Dragon Quest series, Yuji Horii. Dragon Quest IX was a big release for Square Enix in Japan, and now it’s a big release for Nintendo…
By Mike Fahey Published July 1, 2010 -
Now Square Enix Has A Monster Hunter Type Game
In Japan, Capcom’s self-descriptive Monster Hunter series (above, pictured) is enormously popular, selling millions. Namco Bandai has created its own Monster Hunteresque game, the popular God Eater. Now it’s Square Enix’s turn. Dubbed Lord of Arcana, this forthcoming PSP title from Square Enix lets players create customizable warriors that slay large beasts. There are quests,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 1, 2010 -
Final Fantasy XIV PC Gets Two Release Dates
The first steps players take into the world of Eorzea will be wide ones, as Square Enix reveals two September release dates for Final Fantasy XIV on the PC; one for the normal edition, and an earlier one for the lavish collector’s edition. That’s right, Final Fantasy XIV for the PC is coming out on…
By Mike Fahey Published June 30, 2010 -
Are You Good Enough To Write Dragon Quest?
Like Dragon Quest? Want to, perhaps, write Dragon Quest games? Okay, read on. Square Enix is taking job applications for those interested in writing future Dragon Quest games. That could be you! Well, if you live in Japan and are fluent in Japanese. Hopefuls need to submit two writing samples. One is an essay about…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 30, 2010 -
Final Fantasy Versus XIII Story Finalized
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was first made public in 2006. Square Enix has shown screenshots and trailers. And now, Versus XIII’s designer is happy to report, the game’s story is finished. In an interview in the recent issue of Dengeki magazine, it was revealed that the scenario for the game is apparently fleshed out and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2010 -
Who Makes Big Money In Japan?
People who run big companies, that’s who. As previously mentioned, a new regulation now requires Japanese companies to disclose the previously well-guarded salaries of employees over ¥100 million (US$1.1 million). Executive salaries in Japan are lower than the astronomical compensation execs receive in the West. “Companies owe their existence to society,” says Shizuka Kamei, the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2010 -
Watch Seth Green Sell Dragon Quest IX To Teenagers
How does one sell a game like Dragon Quest IX, a traditionally core role-playing game, to the general Nintendo DS-owning populace? Right. Seth Green and pop rock band The Lost Boys. This is Nintendo’s attempt at shilling Square Enix’s Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies and… gotta say, I think it works. Sure,…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 28, 2010