Let’s pretend for a moment that you are a big budget game company.  Let’s also pretend that you have a historic and well-loved franchise. Now, imagine that you plan to make an MMO with said franchise name and universe.  You would think that you would then utilize all your resources, both financial and intellectual, to produce a product that people would play to the point at which time disappeared.  Makes sense, right?  Obviously, not everyone who plays games the likes of World of Warcraft have given up their families and jobs for the game, but the potential is there, and if anything, Blizzard wants to encourage its players to devote as much time as possible to the world of Azeroth.

Apparently, Square-Enix has decided they want to do things differently.  How, do you ask?  Well, perhaps by making their player base tired of their game before it has even been fully released.  That’s right, I’m talking about the fatigue system.

(more…)

Although Deus Ex: Invisible War was a great game on its own, there was something special about its predecessor — something revolutionary. The first play-through of Deus Ex was just something incredible — a whole new experience– and the game was ahead of its time. We know this, and so does Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s game director Jean-Francois Dugas. According to Dugas, he is trying his best to make sure that Human Revolution brings gamers the same feeling that the original Deus Ex brought us 10 years ago. Hear what Dugas had to say about Dues Ex: Human Revolution, and see the latest gameplay trailer below!

(more…)

Final Fantasy XI is a sly thief; I happen to have misplaced a Summer or three I’ll never get back. I quit XI several years ago because it felt like a decent MMO, but too quick to lose it’s luster in the fun department as time progressed and I’ve slowly migrated from World of Warcraft, as well. If you’re like me, you probably enjoy keeping up-to-date on MMOs regardless and likely didn’t get a chance to take part in the closed-beta for the approaching Final Fantasy XIV. Keep your subligar on, because Square-Enix recently “tweeted” that early September will mark the beginning of open-beta on PC, with closed-beta coming to an end tomorrow.

(more…)

The UK isn’t going to stand for Final Fantasy XIII—by this I meant a “misleading” televised ad. In a recent commercial aired in the UK, Square-Enix seemingly went all disingenuous on their viewership when they showcased PS3 footage in a strictly 360 ad. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority reported “there was a discernible difference in the picture quality of the two; the PS3 image in video sequences appeared sharper and colors were more vivid than those of the Xbox 360.”

(more…)

Square-Enix has announced that Gun Loco, a new third-person shooter, will be coming to the Xbox 360 exclusively.  The game will offer single player and multiplayer gameplay in a “sprint action shooter format.”  The game will supposedly be “redefining” run-and-gun style gameplay with a unique host of characters, and the art style boasts a fairly unique look from what I can tell from the screenshots.

(more…)

A lot of exciting stuff has been coming out of Gamescom, including the new Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep trailer.  Before you sit down to watch it though, be sure that you have refreshments handy because it’s seven minutes long.  The trailer features plenty of glimpses of the gameplay, characters and story.

(more…)

Oh, Dragon Quest, how they love you.  In Japan, anyway.  With the recent release of Dragon Quest IX for DS, however, Nintendo hopes to change that.  Through a careful combination of old and new, Nintendo, Square Enix, and Level-5 hope to make the West crazy for (or at least more familiar with) the iconic, “smiling slime” RPG.  Still, as gamers, we all know that while avoiding innovation can make a franchise feel stale, changing things up too much can ruin the core experience (just ask Sonic).  So has this group of developers and publishers succeeded in crafting something that can be successful outside of Japan?  An experience not just for the die-hard few, but something perfectly palatable for a wide-range of Western gamers?

(more…)

European Kingdom Hearts fans are probably excited as hell right now, since they’ll be able to purchase the special edition version of KH: Birth by Sleep on September 10th.  Australians will also be able to purchase the special edition of the game.  The cost of the special edition is £34.99, and comes with a 48-page art book and two art prints, which explains why the box is so big.  If you’re living in North America, what do you get?  Nothing.  Actually, that isn’t true.  If you pre-order the game from Amazon, Gamestop or Best Buy you’ll receive a special art decal for your PSP.

(more…)

They only had to do one simple thing to sell me a Collector’s Edition of Final Fantasy XIV, and it was to put Yoshitaka Amano artwork on the cover.  They did it, and now I’ll be buying.  Square-Enix announced this major important piece of news, and also I guess the release date for the PC version.  Important, yes, but not Amano-important.

(more…)

We stepped into the Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep presentation and were surprised to be face to face with none other than Tetsuya Nomura who was sitting there with an entourage of translators.  Both Stephanie and Dave had assumed that we were in for a demo of the game itself just like all of our previous appointments had been thus far. So when we sat down with Nomura, we flipped out our notebooks and prepared to absorb in any juicy information we could pry about the upcoming PSP Kingdom Hearts title, Birth by Sleep.

(more…)

For the often scantly detailed Final Fantasy Versus XIII, some scans from the latest Famitsu have hit the web with a few new shots of the likely even better than Final Fantasy XIII sibling title. Also, in an interview with Tetsuya Nomura recently surfacing, it has been revealed that Versus XIII will have an open world that you can explore using a car at any time you like. Monsters will be visible on-screen where you are exploring and more will pop up if you sit around for too long.

Also detailed in the interview is a snippet about loading times being as infrequent as possible, with hopes to keep load times only when changing areas. Battles are to be “seamless.” All I know is — it’s been damn long since we’ve seen an inkling of shine from Final Fantasy Versus XIII, so enjoy the scans below (even if it’s only a couple)! Hopefully this marks a hint that more news will come out soon on this highly-anticipated title.

(more…)

The recent trailer released showcasing Deus Ex: Human Revolution was met with near-unanimous praise.  It’s very well-done, showcases some of the great aspects of the game, and is cinematically gorgeous. What hadn’t been shown off until E3 was actual gameplay footage. Those of us lucky enough to land meetings with Square-Enix this past week were able to see the game in action, and I can allay any fears right now.  This game has massive potential.  Some of the combat options, both stealth and action, had me almost drooling on Square’s lovely booth carpet.

(more…)

When Final Fantasy XIV was first announced, I met the news with trepidation and curiosity.  I really liked Final Fantasy XI, but couldn’t stick out the massive grind that the first year or so of the game required.  I quit and looked back with regret later upon hearing that they’d actually improved things quite a bit over the years.  I am a fan of the series to the bitter end.  There has not been a game I didn’t love, despite the criticisms levied against the majority of them lately.  It was with all this in mind that I sat down at a computer at Square Enix’s massive E3 booth for some hands on time with Final Fantasy XIV.  My opinion has changed, but not drastically because I’m still hesitant to endorse the direction it’s headed.  However, I also find myself wanting to play more, and have a hunch that this might be the game that brings me back into the MMORPG fold.

(more…)

Yesterday, Square-Enix announced their batch of exclusive titles that will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS. There are only four working titles for the 3DS as of right now, which includes Chocobo Racing, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Dragon Quest. In regards to the new Kingdom Hearts title, there has been a lot of confusion as to whether the game will be a port of the original PS2 title or a completely new game.

(more…)

Square-Enix has dropped the curtain on their full line up during E3. A few portables, a few downloadables, and a few more console titles fill their 2010 line up. Earlier though, they had teased of a new Kingdom Hearts promised for this E3, and as my big innocent twinkly anime eyes lit up, I heard the title of the game just today… and my ears suddenly lower, like I got hit on the head with a newspaper by my master. “Bad Tigresa! No, you will never see a real Kingdom Hearts sequel! You greedy, greedy girl!” Here’s how Square-Enix lays out the story of the latest in the Kingdom Hearts franchise (post-Birth By Sleep).
(more…)