Rumor: Final Fantasy XIV Coming to the XBox 360?Posted by Eddy on February 3rd, 2010

We’ve known for quite some time that Final Fantasy XIII was going to be gracing Microsoft’s gaming console with its JRPG presence in 2010. In fact, just recently we’ve found out how many stinking discs the game is going to occupy when it finally releases for the 360. That’s three discs for those of you keeping score at home. Yes, more than Mass Effect 2. Gasp! Outrage!

Anyway, while we’ve known what the deal was going to be with Final Fantasy XIII, speculation still swirled around the next title in the long-standing series from Square-Enix. Final Fantasy XIV was a big announcement unleashed by Sony at E3 2009, along with the apparent promise of exclusivity. However, a recent LinkedIn profile from a Square-Enix employee suggests that the in-production MMO is going to see a simultaneous release of sorts on the XBox 360 as well. No, that has not been announced, but last year the RPG maker’s executives hinted that talks just might be in the works. While this seems like a genuine confirmation that the speculation is true, it could just be an honest mistake from an employee.

Honestly, this isn’t altogether too surprising, seeing as how many Japanese developers are doing everything they can to garner more of a Western audience, which means opening up to the XBox 360’s predominantly Western core. So what do you guys think about this? Excited? Reserved? Indifferent?

Source- 1UP and Siliconera

What Happens in the New Just Cause 2 Trailer? It’s Up to YouPosted by Mitch on January 15th, 2010

One of the most alluring aspects of Eidos and Square Enix’s London Studio’s upcoming Just Cause 2 is that it allows you to carry out your missions in any manner you see fit. Do you execute an air strike or sneak in all ninja-like? The choice is totally yours as emphasized by this new branching video. Take a look and get ready for the most interactive trailer you’ve seen so far.

How do you guys feel about this game? It is launching at the tail end of a very packed Q1, but there’s definitely going to be room on my shelf for this game. How about you?

Final Fantasy XIII International Trailer is a Music VideoPosted by Eddy on January 14th, 2010

There’s not really any other way to say it. The new Final Fantasy XIII International trailer is a music video, set to some pretty cheesy music, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome in my mind.

The new video showcases tons of footage, some seen and some new, of cut scenes, battles and general action that really make me want this game something awful. The official release is on March 9, 2010, and it can’t come soon enough as far as my money’s concerned.

Who else is picking this game up?

Final Fantasy 13: The Last Traditional FF Game?Posted by Eddy on January 6th, 2010

Have you ever tried to tell a non-gamer that you are playing Final Fantasy (insert random number here), only to have them reply with the stupid joke “guess the other ones weren’t so final”? Because that has happened to me more times than I can count, honestly. Well, it looks like that dumb remark might actually find its punchline with Final Fantasy XIII, in a sense.

Square Enix head dude Yoichi Wada said in an interview today that Final Fantasy XIII could mark the end of an era, and that whether or not the franchise will continue its current format “remains to be seen.” Apparently, the team might move on to bigger and better things, including “next generation” play styles to hit a new audience. I’m not entirely certain what that means, but I’ve got a couple of guesses: namely that “a new audience” is not-so-subtle code for “Westerners”, and the new “play styles” they mention could involve motion controls or FPS/action games.

I’m not suggesting an FF FPS, but that Square might move into a genre they think is more suitable to broadening their core buyers. Regardless of what it entails, I do have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, I love JRPG’s and their emphasis on grand stories and gorgeous art. On the other hand, the formula is stale (though FF does it best) and might need a shot in the arm.

What do you guys make of this news?

Source- Shacknews

Square Enix Looks to the FuturePosted by Mitch on November 27th, 2009

Well, here’s a new one for you. When people talk about the death of gaming platforms the PC usually comes up, but Square Enix is turning that notion on its ear. In a recent interview with MCV, Square Enix grand poobah Yoichi Wada said that the company believes there’s going to be dramatic change in the industry that will shift attention away from physical media and onto download and sever based content.

Mr. Wada went on to elaborate that “In ten years’ time a lot of what we call ‘console games’ won’t exist,” and that Microsoft and Sony are already ramping up for the big change and third-parties should follow suit if they want to stay in the game.

The reasoning behind his statement is that the games market is changing from a hardware-based model to a network one, where “any kind of terminal becomes a potential platform on which games can be played”. Mr. Wada said that Square Enix is ready for the change, and they’re already stepping up production on their social and browser based games.

While we are seeing movement in this direction with things like OnLive and the success of browser-based MMOs, I don’t think that consoles in the traditional sense are going anywhere. Besides, I think that Square should finish up with their current disc-based project before they move on to figuring out how to exploit the digital market. Wouldn’t want them to get tuckered out. What do you guys think? Is there any truth to Square’s claims, or is this just going to be a dead end for the company?

Source: MCV

Final Fantasy XIII Drops in MarchPosted by Eddy on November 13th, 2009

Has hell frozen over? Are pigs flying? Are Republicans and Democrats holding hands in the streets? The only reason I ask is because Final Fantasy XIII (and no the number on the end doesn’t represent the development cycle) finally has itself a good and proper release date. Imagine that! The game drops on March 9th, 2010 in the US and Europe.

Is anyone else pumped about this? Which console will you buy the game for? Playstation 3 here. Sticking to my roots. Also, check out the new trailer for the game, which rules.

TGS: Final Fantasy XIV TrailerPosted by Eddy on September 24th, 2009

Malboros! I know Final Fantasy XIII still isn’t out yet, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have trailers for Final Fantasy XIV, the new MMO (maybe) entry into the series. While Final Fantasy XI never really did it for me, something about the art and the presentation of what I’ve seen so far for FF XIV have been striking.

This new FFXIV trailer straight from TGS only solidifies this position for me. Unless I’m wrong, am I spotting a hint about air and sea battles? Sign me up.

Final Fantasy XIII and the Disc DebatePosted by Eddy on August 21st, 2009

Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix’s long-awaited entry into the Final Fantasy series that has been approximately two decades in the making (not really) will finally be coming to both the PS3 and XBox 360 next year. Not only is it cool to know that this game is right around the corner, but it’s even cooler to know that the game is going to take between 40-50 hours to complete, according to recent reports.

However, there’s been some cause of debate about the game between those lovely fanboys. For years, we’ve heard that one of the PS3’s big advantages over the XBox 360 is the storage capacity of Blu-ray. However, it hasn’t really been an issue for many games in this generation until now. It seems that Final Fantasy XIII is going to take “about” three discs for the XBox 360 version as opposed to the PS3 version.

This is causing massive fanboy flame bombs, as you can imagine. Especially considering that Rage developer id software hinted this week that the XBox 360 version of the game could require a separate disc for multiplayer.

So, what do you guys think about switching discs for the XBox 360 version? Will it deter you from a purchase of the game, or is it really not that big of a deal and do you view it as a huge limitation? Personally, I’ll be getting FFXIII for the PS3, but I think it’s an interesting debate nonetheless.

Source- Kotaku

A Fool And His Money… Or: Why Do Gamers Spend Money Like The Federal Government?Posted by Anthony on May 27th, 2009

Games are expensive. And as you get older, you get more money to buy games. Inversely, you have less time to play said games. Therefore, life is cruel. But one thing I have noticed about gamers is that we are morons when it comes to money. It seems that we just can’t wait to part with our hard earned cash.
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GamerSushi Asks: Extend the Story?Posted by Eddy on March 23rd, 2009

Over the weekend, I got sick as a dog. For real. Burritos and stomach viruses do not mix, and apparently I don’t go well with with those two, either. Anywho, my brother was in town visiting, and since our options were limited to anything I could do while plastered to a couch, we chose to partake in the glorious fight scenes of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

All complaints about the movie aside, the fight scenes are some of the coolest I’ve ever seen in any medium, but beyond that, the movie itself is total fanboy service in terms of the content it delivers. I mean, really, they revisit nearly every single major or minor character and even give you a glimpse at life after the events of the story. Hell, they have the main bad guy show up again.

This got me wondering- what other franchises or video games would you love to see get the Advent Children treatment that Final Fantasy VII got? If you could have a ridiculous fanboy-loving movie sequel to any game that allowed you to see what happened to your favorite characters, and even threw in pants-wettingly awesome action sequences, what would it be? Go!