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Final Fantasy XI Accounts Compromised
May 31 seemed like just another Square Enix monthly update to its Final Fantasy XI online game registration server system. It wasn’t. As reader David recounts, the next three days Square Enix customer support was out of order due to technical issues. “At the following time,” the Final Fantasy XI website stated, “the SQUARE ENIX…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 4, 2010 -
Play Dragon Quest IX The Proper Way, On A Slime
Hori’s very necessary Dragon Quest Slime Speaker Stand heads stateside, just after the North American release date of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. Support your Nintendo DS with a slime for just $49.99—whatta bargain! [Amazon via GoNintendo]
By Michael McWhertor Published June 3, 2010 -
Square’s New WiiWare Games Are Unbearably Cute
Enter the picture-book world of Kumanage, Square Enix’s adorable WiiWare title that’s actually two different games. Will you choose action or puzzles? According to Japanese gaming news website andriasang, Square Enix’s Kumanage is actually two different games: Kumanage: The Blue Gem that Kiina Hates -Battle Version and Kumanage: The Red Candy that Piina Likes –…
By Mike Fahey Published June 3, 2010 -
A Quick Look At Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s New Trailer
The next trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution won’t be hitting until Friday, but here are a handful of stills. Interesting design choices. I especially like the look of the future city. I can’t wait to see how well this mock-up turned out when it become moving graphics.
By Brian Crecente Published June 1, 2010 -
Final Fantasy VII Writer Sees End of The Nintendo Era
Since the release of the Game Boy, Nintendo has ruled portable gaming. That era is over, says Masato Kato, the writer of FFVII, Xenogears and Chrono Trigger. But why? “With the iPad going on sale, the epoch of Nintendo is finished,” Kato tweeted. “But with the DS and the Wii, it’s been digging its own…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 31, 2010 -
How Long Would A Final Fantasy VII Remake Take?
Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama wants to remake role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. FFVII character designer Tetsuya Nomura doesn’t think it’ll happen any time soon. What about the company’s president? According to Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada, they are often asked about a Final Fantasy VII remake. It took Square Enix between three and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 31, 2010 -
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light Hits the DS in October
Square Enix’s Japanese-only portable game The Four Warriors of Light: A Final Fantasy Anecdote is coming to the U.S. with a less unwieldy name in October. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light arrives on Oct. 5 for the DS
By Brian Crecente Published May 27, 2010 -
Is Story Important For Japanese Role Playing Games? Ask This Lady
Miwa Shoda joined Squaresoft, now Square Enix, in 1995 and went on to write Japanese Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy XII. Those are big games with big stories — something that they apparently do not need. “I’ve worked all over the place and gained a great deal of valuable experience from all sorts of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 27, 2010 -
Sony Still Teasing North America With Final Fantasy IX
Garnet wants to be kidnapped right away, and while that’s all fine and good in Europe, where Final Fantasy IX is now available for purchase on the PlayStation Network, here in North America we must ignore her desperate pleas. Japan got a PlayStation Network version of Final Fantasy IX on May 20, and now the…
By Mike Fahey Published May 26, 2010 -
Square Enix Wants More Games Like Heavy Rain
Thriller Heavy Rain has a fan in Yoichi Wada, the guy who runs Square Enix. That company churns out Final Fantasy games. In a recent interview with game magazine Famitsu, Imperial Hot says he’s recently played the thriller. His thoughts? “It would be good if they made more games like Heavy Rain,” said the exec…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 26, 2010 -
Front Mission Evolves Into Action Game This Fall
The giant mech strategy series turns shooter this September, when Square Enix brings Front Mission Evolved to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC (in stereoscopic 3D!!!), hoping to lure in a new legion of fans of piloting massive Wanzers. Square Enix has dated Double Helix Games’ Front Mission spin-off for September 14, bringing futuristic…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 25, 2010 -
Macho, Macho Man, Nier’s Gotta Be A Macho Man
Ever wonder why there are two versions of role-playing game Nier? In the West, “macho” means big and muscular. Beefcakes! Just look at the majority of Western games. In Japan, however, ideas of masculinity are different. Someone can still be manly and strong, but not necessarily shaped like a gorilla. When development on RPG Nier…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 -
Did Square Enix and Yahoo! Change Japanese History? Um…
Earlier this week, a teaser site appeared on Yahoo! Japan, claiming that the web portal and the game company would change Japanese history. The teaser site than asked Twitter users to guess what was to come. The guesses ranged from Dragon Quest online to a search engine game. Those guesses are wrong. Totally wrong. Inside,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 21, 2010 -
Square Enix And Yahoo! Japan To “Change Japanese History”
Japanese history is voluminous. And there have been huge changes. Just look at the past century! But domestic game company Square Enix and Yahoo! claim it will change Japanese history. The gall! A teaser site on Yahoo! Japan reads: “On May 21, we’ll change Japanese history.” So when you buy a Japanese history book in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2010 -
How’s Final Fantasy XIV Coming Along?
Not bad, not bad at all. Upcoming massively multiplayer role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV won’t be out until later this year, but here’s a look at in-game city-state Limsa Lominsa and it’s landmarks: self-descriptive Fishermann’s Bottom, culinary capital the Bismarck and armory Coral Tower. The game has been penciled in for the PS3 and is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2010 -
Dragon Quest IX Comes Stateside In July
The wait for the North American release of the game that sold more than four million copies in Japan comes to an end this July, as Nintendo locks in a date for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. Dragon Quest IX for the Nintendo DS shattered sales records in Japan, so it came…
By Mike Fahey Published May 19, 2010 -
Multi-Platform Final Fantasy Versus XIII Remarks Cleared Up
At a Tokyo investors meeting, Square Enix president Yoichi “Imperial Hot” Wada stated that the company was “looking into” bringing PS3 exclusive Final Fantasy Versus XIII to the Xbox 360. As previously posted, publisher may consider a multi-platform release. But there’s some “looking into it” to be done, so don’t expect an announcement of that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 19, 2010