Tidbits

[Rattan]

Square Enix has launched the Square Enix Gallery, a service available to AT&T mMode subscribed phones. With this, users of the service are able to download wallpapers to their phones.

This information was coupled with Square Enix's redesign of their mobile site. The site features sample wallpapers of the newly launched gallery, as well as a cellphone game, Brave Shot. Currently, Square Enix Mobile is only associated with two wireless services, AT&T and Verizon, and a combined total of six different phones.

http://www.sqexm.com/

The next game of the Front Mission series, titled Front Mission 4, will be available in North America in June of this year. This is the first date released for Front Mission 4 pertaining to a North American release, so as such, is subject to change.

Front Mission 4 was originally released in Japan on December 18. RPGamer will continue to provide news as it becomes available.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles finds its way onto store shelves today. The occasion is notable as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is the first Final Fantasy on a Nintendo console, in the United States, since 1994.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is the story of the Crystal Caravan, a troupe of adventures soughting after the Mirula Droplets, which are used to help the blessed crystal maintain its power and gleam. The adventurers travel a world of monsters and danger to seek out these droplets.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is featured as "the first multiplayer Final Fantasy game available on home consoles in the United States" as well as a real-time combat-based game. Up to four players may cooperate at once, and also the use of a Game Boy Advance as a controller is possible, such that players may be privvy to information that is not available without the Game Boy Advance controller. Nintendo promises the control of the game to be simplistic but will still contain a strategy of cooperating with fellow players. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles was originally released in Japan during August of last year and received a swift localization to North America.

Some recent news. Nothing big.

[Super Shy Guy]

Bah, this gallery pisses me off. It was bad enough when they hardly acknowledged the old FFs during the PSX era, but now they're ignoring the PSX FFs, it seems! I would've loved to have an FFIX wallpaper on my phone that I don't own.

[AJ Middleton]

Wow, only FFX up? Wow.

And I don't like having to spend money to get a little picture on my phone.

[Rattan]

Square-Enix announced that they will make a Final Fantasy concert in North America for the first time this year. Square-Enix already made a couple of concerts based on the music from Final Fantasy games and it worked out great, so they decided to try the experience in North America. The concert will take place just before the next Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) which will be held in Los Angeles this year. The concert will feature the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale who will be performing some of the most popular Final Fantasy songs from Nobuo Uematsu. The concert is called Dear Friends - music from FINAL FANTASY and people can see this unique concert on May 10 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The E3 2004 will be held from May 12-14 in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

[Super Shy Guy]

So, are actors going to dance around in foam suits of Tidus, Wakka, and Yuna?

[Rattan]

In the last few months, Square Enix has been pouring money - approximately $6 million total - into a mobile developer by the name of UIEvolution, a North America-based company. In this time period, Square Enix has released Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest for high-end iMode phones in Japan and a vertical scrolling shooter - Brave Shot - in America. Square Enix has also sold wallpapers and screensavers for these phones.

Europe has yet to see any of these new projects, but SE has expressed its desire to bring these services worldwide, and that the acquisition of UIEvolution is but one step in the right direction. Should any major developments occur, we will be sure to keep you posted.

[Rattan]

With the release of the PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy XI drawing near, Square Enix and Sony Entertainment have planned a huge launch event to commemorate the arrival of both the game and the flood of new players into Vana'diel. The spectacular event will be held on the evening of March 22 at the Metreon Sony PlayStation store in downtown San Francisco. Interested players can grab some special giveaway goodies, participate in a Final Fantasy costume contest for a chance to win their own PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive with FFXI preinstalled, or try out the game before it goes on sale at 12:01 AM.

The PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive with FFXI will sell for $99 (USD) on March 23. Prospective PS2 FFXI players can visit Square Enix's FFXI website and check out the newly-added PlayStation 2 guide under the "Getting Started" section

[Rattan]

With E3 coming up in May, Square Enix is beginning to reveal small pieces of information regarding its supposedly better-than-ever booth at this year's exhibition. One such piece was revealed by Tetsuya Nomura, Square Enix's perennial character designer, in an interview with PlayStation Magazine. He affirmed that the company's upcoming movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be on display at the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be released directly to DVD this summer in Japan, but a North American release date has not been cemented. RPGamer will provide thorough coverage of E3 this May.

[Super Shy Guy]

On second thought, I read more about the FF concert in May, and Nobuo himself is taking part in it.

[Rattan]

Nearly 14 years to the day of its original release, Square-Enix still has dreams of Final Fantasy III swirling in its head. After experiencing countless setbacks developing a port of the game for the defunct Wonderswan Color, fate, it seems, has intervened. Fate, in this case, just happens to be Nintendo; Mario and his crew have asked the Square-Enix development house responsible for the port if they'd be interested in porting their project to the Game Boy Advance.

While nothing is set in stone at the moment, sources from Square Enix have assured a Japanese newpaper that the game is still in the works. When asked where the port (which was never abandoned) would end up the source strongly hinted at the GBA. There is no word yet on any North American release, but if the game is finally ported over the GBA chances are it will end up here.

[Rattan]

Square Enix apparently has several new online titles in the works. This is according to Ichiro Otobe, Square Enix's new analyst, who did an interview with the folks at GameSpot. He does not confirm the names of any of these titles but hints on how Square Enix will be using much of its resources to develop online games, seeing that many fans are interested in the concept. You can find the interview in the link below.
http://gamespot.com/news/2004/04/09/news_6093314.html

[Rattan]

Square Enix has a few surprises in store for those attending E3, no doubt. One of those surprises revealed itself today in the form of a rolling trailer in their still under-construction E3 display. The trailer features Samurai Legend Musashi, a PlayStation 2 sequel to the quirky PlayStation action-RPG Brave Fencer Musashi.

Samurai Legend Musashi features a redesigned hero with baggy pants, a tight tank top, twin swords, and an even bigger hair style than the original. The rest of the game's visuals, obviously, are a big improvement over its Playstation incarnation, with sharply outlined toon-shaded graphics which accentuate the character designs, and environments far larger than in Brave Fencer Musashi. Also shown, are some battles which show off some cool animations, like an enemy suddenly transmuting to burning ash, which blows away leaving his skeleton behind.

While not officially named as the artist for Samurai Legend Musashi, Tetsuya Nomura's stamp is all over both the heroes and monsters. Square Enix is planning on holding a press conference later on tonight, so look forward to more details soon.

[Rattan]

The upcoming issue of the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu will contain information on two new Full Metal Alchemist titles for the PS2. One is a fighting game called Full Metal Alchemist: Dream Carnival and will be published by Bandai, while the other is an action RPG published by Square Enix. It will be a direct sequel to the first title, and will use cell shaded graphics. The story will be based on the first part of the popular cartoon series.

Release dates have not yet been revealed for either title, but more information should be coming out once the new Famitsu hits the presses.

[Rattan]

Square Enix has announced that the game boy advance compilation remake of Final Fantasy I and II will hit Japanese store shelves on July 15th. People who purchase the game will also have the chance to get one of a possible three original straps via Club Nintendo. However, these special presents will be limited to a mere 10,000 only. The game is set at a 5,800 yen retail price.

[Rattan]

Anyone getting the GBA remakes? I'll probably buy a GBA and the first FF with the money I'll be getting from my job.

[Parrakarry]

FF3... ported to GBA... wow. I'd buy that, and FF1 and 2, in a heartbeat.

[Rattan]

I'd prefer getting 1 and 3. I hated 2.

[Rattan]

On June 30th, Square Enix filed and received the trademark for the title Radiata Stories for North America. At this time, Square Enix has not released official details regarding this new trademark.

The trademark covers everything from videogames to strategy guides for the title listed above. This could be a new multimedia project that Square Enix plans to release across many different platforms. We'll report more information on this trademark as it's made public.

[Rattan]

Today, Square Enix announced that they have fixed the programming error that was present in Final Fantasy 1&2 Advance. This error had caused the game to lock up and wouldn't allow the user to play the game properly.

Square Enix presented a formal apology to it's fans for the delay and they also thank them for their patience. Final Fantasy 1&2 Advance is now scheduled to ship in Japan on July 29.