Eyes On Me

THE LEGEND UNVEILED: FINAL FANTASY III SHIPS TO RETAILERS

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that FINAL FANTASY® III, developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS™, has shipped to retailers across North America. Released only in Japan for the Famicom (known as the Nintendo Entertainment System® in America) in 1990, FINAL FANTASY III was the first entry in the world-renowned franchise to sell over a million units. Now, North American users can experience the untold legend for the first time.

“Until now, FINAL FANTASY III has seen no remakes or appearances on other platforms since its original release on the Nintendo Entertainment System in April 1990,” said Hiromichi Tanaka, Director and Executive Producer for FINAL FANTASY III. “Due to the game’s age, a direct port might seem a bit dated, but now FINAL FANTASY III has been made anew on the sensational Nintendo DS platform, including new graphics in 3D, rebalanced jobs, and brand-new characterization for the four young heroes, who are now more dynamic than ever. As the only game in the FINAL FANTASY series that had not previously been localized, we are very pleased to finally bring FINAL FANTASY III across the ocean to players in North America. We hope that not only FINAL FANTASY fans, but a wide variety of players in North America enjoy the new FINAL FANTASY III.”

FINAL FANTASY III takes players into the next generation of handheld RPGs by delivering an experience that takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware. With an innovative interface that utilizes the DS touch screen along with the advanced Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities, FINAL FANTASY III presents an entirely new take on the only FINAL FANTASY never localized for North America. Users can also experience the title that introduced the popular moogles, summons, and the dynamic job system, which have become some of the most recognized elements of FINAL FANTASY, and experience them on the road, in the outdoors or in the comfort of their living rooms.

Story Protected by the crystals of light, the once peaceful land has forever been changed by the great tremor. Without warning, the earthquake pulled the crystals into the earth, upsetting the world’s fragile balance. It seems as if all hope is lost—but as the Gulgan prophecy foretold, four souls blessed with the light shall once again restore balance to the world… Near the small village of Ur, fate guides Luneth to a sentient crystal that changes his life forever. As the light of the crystal fades, Luneth embarks on a journey to seek three others who share his destiny to search for the remaining crystals, and fight the battle of light and darkness…

FEATURES The missing link in the evolution of FINAL FANTASY is unveiled—North American gamers experience a tale untold A dynamic job-changing system allows for more than 279,000 party variations The touch screen interface seamlessly utilizes DS capabilities—explore dungeons, dispatch foes and cast spells using the DS stylus A complete visual overhaul breathes new life into a classic—colorful 3D graphics bring FINAL FANTASY III into the new millennium Take advantage of both the wireless local area connection and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to access the Mognet and communicate with other players as well as NPCs, and uncover hidden dungeons, quests and items Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida, of the award-winning and critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XII, lends his talents by designing the four main characters and the outfits of their unique jobs

FINAL FANTASY III is rated E 10+ (Everyone 10+) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). For more information about the ESRB, please visit: www.esrb.org. FINAL FANTASY III will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99 (USD). Additional information on FINAL FANTASY III can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ff3

from Square Enix.com

SQUARE ENIX COLLECTS THE BEST OF FINAL FANTASY XI INTO ONE PACKAGE

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that the FINAL FANTASY® XI Vana’diel® Collection 2007, created exclusively for Windows®, has shipped to retailers across the nation. This exciting collection contains the award-winning FINAL FANTASY XI stand-alone product, the Rise of the Zilart®, Chains of Promathia® and Treasures of Aht Urhgan™ expansion packs, and a new foldout Quick Manual including a world map and a starter’s guide, all in one convenient budget-priced package.

FINAL FANTASY XI is the first massively multiplayer online role playing game capable of simultaneous multiplay across three different platforms, allowing players to take up arms together on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Windows, or Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft whether they are in North America, Europe or Japan. Now in its fourth year of service, FINAL FANTASY XI boasts more than 500,000 active subscribers and more than 1.7 million player characters from around the world.

Story In FINAL FANTASY XI, players embark on numerous adventures through vast environments in Vana’diel, a persistent world with over a hundred areas to explore, including mountains, forests, glaciers, deserts, oceans, rivers, castles and dungeons. FINAL FANTASY XI lets players create an alter ego to traverse the world of Vana’diel and gives players the opportunity to form parties with others or play at their own pace. The expansion packs Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan are included, adding new jobs, areas, monsters, items and quests while continuing the storyline in new and exciting ways. The FINAL FANTASY XI Vana’diel Collection 2007 is rated (T) for Teen. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Web site, http://www.esrb.com for more information about ratings. For the official FINAL FANTASY XI Web site, please visit http://www.playonline.com/ff11us. The FINAL FANTASY XI Vana’diel Collection 2007 is available exclusively for Windows at North American retailers for a suggested retail price of $29.99 (USD).

from Square Enix.com

Final Fantasy (with Tokyo Drift song)

PREPARE TO BE ADDICTED TO SQUARE ENIX’S NEW CASUAL SERIES "MEGATOUCH MOBILE ARCADE"

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive products in North America, and Merit Entertainment, a worldwide leader in touchscreen entertainment devices, today announced the release of MEGATOUCH MOBILE ARCADE. These popular and exciting games can be downloaded now via the Cingular network, and will also be available through Verizon’s network in the very near future.

"Expanding the Megatouch experience to the mobile platform is an exciting venture for Square Enix," stated Daishiro Okada President and COO, Square Enix, Inc. "When many people think of Square Enix, they think of epic role-playing games. With Megatouch, we’re working with a new genre and appealing to a different audience. We’re confident we will provide them with quality gaming only we could deliver," said Square Enix Producer Shuhei Yamaguchi.

Players will be challenged with a wide variety of fun casual games adapted for mobile that were previously found only on Megatouch® touchscreen systems. Primarily located in bars across the nation, Megatouch countertops, like Maxx™, Force™, and the newest ION™ systems, have entertained patrons throughout the years with engaging and highly addictive games. Merit’s games receive about 4 billion plays per year.

"We are excited to work with Square Enix to bring our hits to the mobile screen. As Merit Entertainment looks to find new and innovative ways to attract players to our touchscreen games, Square Enix has helped immensely by doing a masterful job of introducing a whole new generation of players to our games. Now that these new players are familiar with Megatouch games on their cell phones, we expect them to seek out the same fun and excitement at their local bars," said Colin Higbie, Merit’s Director of Marketing and New Business Development.

Megatouch Mobile Arcade is the first installment in the series of popular games to become available on the mobile phone platform. Featuring barroom favorites Q-shot™, Box Drop™ and 11 Up™, Megatouch Mobile Arcade was developed by Shuhei Yamaguchi. Shuhei has worked in the Japanese mobile industry for five years (Square Enix Co., Ltd.) as a producer, but this was his first title to appear in the U.S. market. Megatouch Mobile Arcade II, which is scheduled to be released at the end of this year, was developed by Square Enix’s newest Producer, Guy Silliman, and features even more gaming favorites, including Monster Madness™, Pharaoh’s 9™ and Card Raiders™. Guy recently joined the team from Electronic Arts, where he worked in QA and mobile production for almost four years.

"This unique partnership between Square Enix and Merit Entertainment will provide an entirely new and accessible medium for casual gamers to enjoy the rich content found on the Megatouch systems," said Guy.

Megatouch FEATURES Megatouch Mobile Arcade: Three unique games in one application. Fast-paced arcade action. Intuitive gameplay, fun for users of all skill levels. from Square Enix.com

SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES RECORD SHIPMENT WITH FINAL FANTASY XII

Square Enix, Inc. (Square Enix), the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that 1.5 million copies of FINAL FANTASY® XII became available for purchase at North American retailers on the street date of October 31, 2006. FINAL FANTASY XII is the company‘s first street-dated title and has set a new record in the number of units shipped.

FINAL FANTASY XII is the latest entry in the timeless franchise that has sold more than 68 million units worldwide. Developed exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, FINALFANTASY XII has already sold more than 2.4 million units in Japan since its release on March 16, 2006, and has won numerous Game of the Month awards from the industry‘s top publications in America, making it one of the highest-reviewed games of the year. In honor of this phenomenon, there was a celebration in Times Square on October 11, 2006 to commemorate the upcoming release of FINAL FANTASY XII.

Features

Newly implemented 16:9 feature enhances graphics on widescreen televisions

Brand-new, fully voiced cutscenes added for the North American release

Gorgeous CG cinematics and cutscenes in Dolby® Pro Logic II combined with real-time graphics rivaling those of next-gen titles

Shocking plot twists take players on an unforgettable journey of betrayal, political intrigue and a kingdom's struggle for survival

Active Dimension Battle (ADB) system enables players to move seamlessly between exploration and combat

Highly customizable Gambit system allows complete control over character A.I. during battles

License board gives the player the ability to customize each character's skills and abilities

Exclusive to GameStop and EB Games, the limited run of the FINAL FANTASY XII Collector‘s Edition is housed in special steel packaging, with completely unique package art. The bonus DVD offers Japanese and American promotional trailers, in-depth developer interviews, an art gallery and a featurette illustrating the history of the FINAL FANTASY series.

FINAL FANTASY XII is available at North American retailers at a suggested retail price of $49.99 (USD). The Collector‘s Edition, offered exclusively at GameStop and EB Games stores as well as through the e-commerce sites GameStop.com and EBgames.com, is available at a suggested retail price of $59.99 (USD).

FINAL FANTASY XII has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about the ESRB, please visit: www.esrb.org. For the latest updates on FINAL FANTASY XII, visit www.finalfantasyxii.com.

from Square Enix.com

Races (Final Fantasy XII)

Hume

Humans are referred to as Humes in the world of Ivalice. There are many different kinds of Humes in the world with varying levels of intelligence, body features and cultures. Social standards of Ivalice have other anthropoid races on equal terms with Humes, but there are other more intelligent races. These superior races prefer not to show themselves to Humes. There are also other less intelligent races that Humes utlize as slaves for manual labor. Humes make up around 40% of the population of Ivalice.

Viera

Tall and thin, vieras are people of the forest. Known for their long, slander bodies, tall ears and beautiful silver hair, the viera can live up to three times as long as average humes. With two different varieties, Veena Viera have white skin and Rava Viera have brown skin. Had it not been for their height and long ears, this race would closely resemble the humes. Having a greater sense of sight, a viera can spot and catch her prey from 10 km in the distance. Viera's great sense of hearing allows them to make out even the different sounds of footsteps. Over 450 years ago, the ancient homeland of the viera was destroyed in war. Having lost great portions of forest to conflicts, some vieras started to live amongst the Hume. Mixed vieras of Veena and Rava lineage easily integrate with Humes. Pure-blood vieras remained in the forests, keeping their ancient traditions.

Bangaa
The race evolved from reptiles have hard scales that cover their entire bodies. One of their features is the long, low-hanging ears. There are four kinds of bangaas. Bangaa-Ruga have yellow-brown skin with short ears are more gentle than the other bangaas, making them instructors or monks. Bangaa-Faas have bronze skin with great athletic abilities. In the bangaa language, Faas means soldier and they have a strong sense of justice. Bangaa-Bista with their copper skin; Bangaa-Sanga have ash grey skin. While there are four kinds of bangaas, there are also mixed bangaas of different decent.

Other than differences in their physical appearence, the bangaa race have similar intelligence and lifestyles with humes that allow bangaas to fuse in with human society. Bangaas live 1.5x or 2x as long as average humes, but they have low reproductive cycles. Bangaas are physically superior with great hearing and mobility. Due to their voice limits, they can only command low-level magic. There is one that has developed exclusive magic for the bangaa race. Between the Bangaa-Ruga and Bangaa-Faas, they make the laws and keep the order. The Bangaa-Bista and Bangaa-Sanga lead more general lifestyles, which makes it easier for them to integrate with humes. There are rebels among the bangaas, as some Bangaa-Ruga become fighters. Certain bangaas shave their hair and become thugs that attack people. Lizardmen are closely related to bangaas, but they are less intellgent and detested by the bangaa race. Bangaas take offense to people calling them "Lizard guys."

Moogles

Known for their small bat-like wings, soft hair covering their bodies and the red pom-pom on their heads, the moogles are around 80-120 cm tall. Their intelligence and lifestyles are similar to humes, which makes it easy for moogles to live amongst the humes. With their dexterous hands, they are knowledgable in the field of engineering. It is said that moogles built the first airship, a masterpiece of technological advancement. Most moogles contribute to society with their great engineering capablities. There are moogles that are so advanced that they are able to learn the ultimate technology called Etoria. While it looks like an ordinary city, there's a capital for moogles at the center of the city that's tailored for the small moogles. Humes and bangaas usually pass through the city. While mostly moogles inhabit the city, there are also unidentified technology that's installed in the city that even moogles do not understand. While not all moogles become engineers, there are a few moogles that become knights or mages. Throughout history, moogle-technology have been used in wars amongst the humes, the different races and against monsters.

Seeq

The race that evolved from pigs, seeqs are about as tall as humes. They tend to grow fat and their intelligence is not high. While they may look slow, seeqs can be fast and make great fighters. With great offense and defense, their great balance allows for fast movements. Due to their great combat abilities, seeqs make great mercenaries or guards. The seeq is a barbarous race with no morals. A lot of them become thieves, with jewelry and gold being their favorites with which they decorate their ugly bodies.

from FFXII.net