Square Enix Message Board older than one year ago

Sign-in to post

Posted by Kotaku Sep 27 2011 12:20 GMT
- Like?
#finalfantasy For a game with grand ambitious, Final Fantasy XIV has been a grand disappointment. Today in Tokyo, Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada once again addressed the game's shortcomings. More »

Posted by Kotaku Sep 27 2011 08:00 GMT
- Like?
#dragonquest Dragon Quest, one of Japan's most beloved role-playing games, spawned more than sequel after sequel. A manga version ran for around seven years, and there was an anime in the early 1990s. More »

Posted by Kotaku Sep 26 2011 09:00 GMT
- Like?
#dragonquest The idea of raising monsters and then having them fight didn't start with Pokémon. In 1992's Dragon Quest V, players could select monsters and have them duke it out. That was years before Pocket Monsters came out. More »

YouTube
Posted by Joystiq Sep 23 2011 19:25 GMT
- Like?

A series staple is being added to Final Fantasy XIV: Chocobos. A year after release, players can now purchase and rent the birds for the purpose of traveling across Eorzea. Three Chocobo stables have opened up in-world, in which you can get your very own Chocobo whistle.

If that's not efficient enough, or Final Fantasy-y enough, you can also now take an airship ride between any of three ports. "Departure and arrival cutscenes will accompany each flight," Square Enix said. "The voyage itself, however, will be over in a matter of seconds." Now that's Final Fantasy. A later update will allow players to roam the decks and view the scenery.

Even materia is returning to the series in the latest update, as a resource crafted from old, well-used equipment. It's as if Square is desperately trading on nostalgia to attract FF7 players to its MMO.

YouTube
Posted by Kotaku Sep 23 2011 17:40 GMT
- Like?
#deusex Due out in October, the Missing Link downloadable content for Deus Ex: Human Revolution sees players navigating an augmentation-stripped Adam Jensen through a mysterious freighter. Here's lead narrative designer Mary DeMarle to show us how that works. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 23 2011 04:15 GMT
- Like?
Let's get something out of the way: I haven't played Final Fantasy XIII. Not one minute. That said, I'm fairly confident in saying that Final Fantasy XIII-2 doesn't dramatically alter the foundation laid down by XIII. I'm also very confident in saying that grasping the complexities of XIII-2's combat system during my brief play session at TGS was daunting, to say the least.

Thankfully, there are only a few new wrinkles for XIII vets to absorb. Namely, there's more to explore, more ways to fight and more ... uh, time rifts to discover.

YouTube
Posted by Joystiq Sep 23 2011 01:15 GMT
- Like?

We really, really want to like Square Enix's new iNVADERCADE. The iPad arcade cabinet peripheral is basically the same idea as the iCade, but modeled after a vintage Space Invaders cabinet. It allows you to play (supported) iOS games using a real joystick and button, includes speakers and a headphone port, and charges your iPad while you use it. Square Enix is even promoting the (approximately) £150 peripheral with the spot-on retro "show" above.

So why are we conflicted about the device? Well, for one thing, it's called the "iNVADERCADE," complete with annoying capitalization. For another, it has only one button, limiting its utility for arcade-style games, especially compared to the iCade's eight. Maybe you're not buying one of these to be practical.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 22 2011 12:00 GMT
- Like?
#dragonquest In the latest Dragon Quest X trailer, there's a train. It has several headlights and a curved shaft, and it looks like a train in another game. You can see it above. More »

Posted by Kotaku Sep 22 2011 06:30 GMT
- Like?
#armycorpsofhell I'm not normally a man to carry around regret, but last week, I didn't get a chance to play this game. The lines, as we've told you, were too damn long. But if ever Square Enix were going to make a game that spoke directly to my heart, it would be this. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 21 2011 21:00 GMT
- Like?

Despite Final Fantasy Versus XIII not appearing in any form at this year's Tokyo Game Show, project director Tetsuya Nomura shared some new details on it with Japanese magazine Famitsu. Apparently, the long-in-development Fabula Nova Crystallis game's lighting has been overhauled with some help from Square Enix' Luminous Engine, while Versus XIII's action is handled by another, unique engine.

More excitingly, Nomura said that he recently ran through the game's entire world map, as well as its dungeons/side quests, and he's "impressed with how expansive everything is." He also spoke to his other project -- Kingdom Hearts 3DS, or "Dream Drop Distance" if you will -- pinning its release to next spring, at least in Japan. So, um, get your keyblades sharpened.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 21 2011 15:20 GMT
- Like?
#speakuponkotaku In today's continuity-shattering installment of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Yoshi Salcedo wants us to settle an argument he's having with his girlfriend over Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series. Should we disregard the DS games because they suck? More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 20 2011 16:30 GMT
- Like?
This year's Monster Hunter-esque PSP action title, Lord of Arcana, was actually developed by Access Games and directed by Deadly Premonition's Swery65, though it didn't attract the same kind of attention Deadly Premonition did.

Last week, Square Enix revealed a followup, Lord of Apocalypse, for both PSP and PlayStation Vita. On his blog, after a couple of thumbnail-sized sandwich pictures, Swery revealed that his company is also making this one. "If you'll excuse my presumptuousness, it's a new Action RPG developed and directed by me," he said. "Of course, the wonderful developers over at Square Enix are doing an amazing job on this game for us as well."

Maybe if it does well, Swery can get the capital for some of his other crazy ideas.

YouTube
Posted by Kotaku Sep 20 2011 13:15 GMT
- Like?
#kingdomhearts Upcoming 3DS title Kingdom Hearts 3D got a new trailer at the Tokyo Game Show. It's beautiful. More »

Posted by Kotaku Sep 20 2011 09:00 GMT
- Like?
#dragonquest  Starting this November, Dragon Quest's cute blue Slime character is getting its own meat buns. The blue buns will go on sale at convenience stores across the country. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 20 2011 05:50 GMT
- Like?
DLC is the new black, you know? The bees knees; the cat's meow. Anybody whose anybody is all up ons that DLC tip; even Square Enix. During the recently concluded Tokyo Game Show, producer Yoshinori Kitase announced a fair amount of DLC for this winter's sequel to a sequel: Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Now, DLC is par for the course for a lot of western RPGs, thanks in no small part to the Dragon Ages and Mass Effects of the world, but it's virgin territory for the everlastingly oxymoronic Final Fantasy series, spinoffs not withstanding. Nothing specific was revealed, but Kitase did mention weapons, monsters and costumes as being on tap. We hope Square Enix goes whole hog; we'd pay 1200 MS Points for a blinged out Historia Crux.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 20 2011 01:00 GMT
- Like?
#deusex A month after release, popular opinion holds firm that Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a well-made game. And yet one niggling flaw stands out, an issue that has been highlighted in countless blog posts, tweets, and video game forums. Those accursed boss battles. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 19 2011 02:30 GMT
- Like?
That's right folks, it may still be Sunday here in the states, but in glorious Nippon it's already Monday, and that means these Tokyo Game Show trailers are priced to move! Our manager is out of town and we've gone crazy!! Just look at these prices:
  • Army Corps of Hell Trailer - Free!
  • Dragon's Dogma Trailer - Free!!
  • Asura's Wrath Trailer - Free!!!
  • Phantasy Star Online 2 Trailer - Price too low to print!!
  • Resident Evil Revelations Trailer - 100 percent off!!
Are you still reading this? You'd have to have a toolbox for a head to pass up an opportunity this golden! Jump past the break and find out why Crazy Eddie's Discount Trailer Emporium and Rustic Furniture Showcase is still your number one source for new and used video game footage!

Posted by Joystiq Sep 17 2011 07:50 GMT
- Like?
One of the two new games Square Enix announced for the Vita (in this case, also for the vanilla PSP), Lord of Apocalypse looks to be another JRPG affair, full of love, loss and betrayal -- at least, that's what we assume. All of this stuff is in Japanese!

YouTube
Posted by Joystiq Sep 16 2011 19:20 GMT
- Like?

Square Enix isn't really showing the 3DS RPG, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, at TGS, but the demo it's using to represent the title is pretty impressive regardless. 3DS systems are set up in front of a curved wall with a projected blue background, and a large AR card on the floor.

After paging through some text in the in-game engine (with cute 3D characters designed by Akihiko Yoshida), a young woman appears in an AR view, delivering a monologue in which she pleads for your help before being swallowed up by a crack in the earth.

This is a surprisingly effective bit of AR! The 3DS keeps track of her location, even when you move the camera away, without freaking out or admonishing you as the system's built-in AR games do. She even paces out of camera range herself.

Square Enix wouldn't allow me to photograph my own demo or the stage area, but the AR demo was released on the Japanese eShop, which allowed YouTube user Sumwheat to capture it on video. Should you get the opportunity to play the demo, you'll need a Bravely Default AR card, an image of which can be found after the break.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 16 2011 17:00 GMT
- Like?
#deadisland This is the part where I'd try to artfully describe how I meticulously took apart a zombie with an electrified fire axe on a pristine beach, sky-blue waters lapping at my knees. More »

Posted by Kotaku Sep 16 2011 09:00 GMT
- Like?
#finalfantasyxiii2 Final Fantasy XIII, for all its money and marketing, rang hollow with many gamers (even serious fans of the franchise), standing accused of being everything from linear to, well, just boring. More »

Posted by GoNintendo Sep 15 2011 20:52 GMT
- Like?
Bravely Default
Dragon Quest Anniversary Collection
Dragon Quest X
Dragon Quest Heroes Rocket Slime 3
Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance
Fortune Street
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 Professional

Posted by Kotaku Sep 15 2011 20:00 GMT
- Like?
#toys Some come to Tokyo in September to play games. More come to buy crap associated with them, though, as some of the most popular stalls at TGS aren't the ones with demo units, but stacks of t-shirts, action figures and art books. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 15 2011 17:25 GMT
- Like?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution plays host to a wide assortment of advertisements for fictional future-products (like robot eyes and face-installed sunglasses) -- but the game now sports a promo for a real-life, purchasable thing. The game's loading screen occasionally includes a tiny banner announcing the launch of the Star Wars Blu-ray trilogy, as seen in the corner of the image posted above.

Some of the billboards built into the game's environment are equipped to sport dynamic advertisements, but we haven't noticed anything as unsubtle as this. We suppose it could be worse! The advertisement could just pop up during a climactic boss battle. Or Darth Vader could just make a totally out-of-place cameo in one of Detroit's seedy alleyways. Actually, no, wait. That would be rad.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

Posted by Kotaku Sep 15 2011 11:30 GMT
- Like?
Buggy, but fun hack-and-slash zombie role-playing game Dead Island/ shipped more than a million copies to stores in the first few days of release and expects to send out 2 million globally by the end of week, the publishers say. Of course, these aren't sold to gamers numbers, but it is still pretty impressive. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 15 2011 12:00 GMT
- Like?
Dead Island publisher Deep Silver has gotta be totally stoked, having gone from relative obscurity to successful worldwide game publisher in the span of just one week. It seems that the company's latest release -- the much ballyhoo'd Dead Island -- has already shipped 1 million units to retail in the US, and the publisher expects to have moved 2 million units to retail worldwide by the end of its second week on shelves (that's this Sunday, folks).

"The critical 'first week' of game sales has been an enormous sales success for Deep Silver," company COO Geoff Mulligan said in a press release. "We're working quickly with our distribution partner in North America, Square Enix, to restock shelves as quickly as we can." With any luck, Square and Deep Silver can fill those restocking orders before the masses of shambling consumers arrive at retail for a taste of the zombie-filled action/RPG.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 15 2011 09:00 GMT
- Like?
#squareenix As you'd expect, Square Enix's booth at this year's Tokyo Game Show is one of the biggest and most popular, even on this first day, which should be quiet. Which it wasn't. At least at the place where you could play Final Fantasy games. More »

Posted by Joystiq Sep 15 2011 07:20 GMT
- Like?
Final Fantasy XIII-2 will arrive in America on January 31, Square Enix announced today -- somewhere at Tokyo Game Show. Europe's version will follow on February 2. Japan's release is set for December 15, with an extra option (above).

The first Final Fantasy XIII was accompanied in Japan by the lovely white and pink Lightning Edition PS3. With another Final Fantasy XIII game comes another limited edition, Japan-exclusive system -- this time in "pearl black." There's still a lot of pink. The Lightning Edition Ver. 2 PS3 will include a 320GB hard drive, the game and a controller when it ships in Japan, at a price of ¥37,960 ($495).

Posted by Joystiq Sep 15 2011 03:33 GMT
- Like?
Tokyo Game Show 2011 is officially on, as today's keynote -- delivered by Square Enix prez Yoichi Wada -- kicked things off. But despite Mr. Wada's position at the JRPG giant, he's here speaking as the chairman of the Computer Entertainment Software Association, which means he had some pretty high level content to get through in his speech. To be extra clear, his keynote is named, "The Nature of the Industry Revolution of Games," so, pretty high level stuff.

First and foremost, he's all about the cloud. No, not that Cloud, but the one that allows for remote gaming. "I think the Cloud is a real revolution," Wada explained. In his eyes, he's got a variety of electronics with "huge processing power" -- processing power that could be harnessed for new gameplay experiences. "If you could concentrate such processing power on the cloud, then there's going to be a huge paradigm shift," he added.

As for when this "paradigm shift" will happen, however, is unknown. According to Wada's slideshow, he expects a move in that direction anywhere between now and 2015. In the meantime, he believes we're only just now experiencing the first in several new waves of change in the game industry.

Posted by Kotaku Sep 15 2011 01:30 GMT
- Like?
#imperialhot The main in charge of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and the many, many remakes of previous games in those series, Yoichi Wada, big bossman at Square Enix, is officially kicking off Tokyo Game Show 2011. What pearls of wisdom with Wada drop during his TGS keynote? Let's find out! More »