The remake of FFIV on the Nintendo DS will now see a North American release on July 22nd, 2008. In addition, a PAL release is confirmed for Summer 2008. FFIV DS will include features such as more detailed characters, expansion of the plot and several other gameplay tweaks aimed for greater balance.

Here are some new screenshots to keep you interested in the meantime:





 

Recently, Square-Enix has announced that they will release FF Tactics Advance 2: Grimoire of the Rift on June 24th, 2008 in North America. The highly anticipated DS title will have a stylus-based control and additional jobs.

In the game, players follow the adventures of Luso, a boy who crosses paths with a magical book that transports him to Ivalice. As well, characters in FFXII such as Vaan, Penelo and Al-Cid will make an appearance.

 

As the North American release of Final Fantasy Chronicles: Ring of Fates is now only a month away, Square-Enix has now revealed the cover and other artwork related to the game. The North American cover is almost identical to the Japanese one, except for the colour of the background.

Square-Enix has also revealed some new artwork of the game. Ring of Fates is set for a March 11th, 2008 release in North America.

 

Recently, Square-Enix has unveiled another video promoting the upcoming North American release of Crisis Core.

FFVII: Crisis Core is set for a March 25th, 2008 release in North America. There is also a new update on the US Crisis Core website, listing new facts, character details and storyline.


 

Recently, Square-Enix has released some storyline and character details regarding FFXIII and FFXIII: Versus. In a recent edition of Famitsu magazine, new pictures and details have surfaced in regards to the main heroine. She is described as a dark-blonde haired girl, carries a sword and is considered to possess similar skills as the main protagonist. To recap, the protagonist is heir to his country’s throne and is responsible for protecting the last Crystal. No information was revealed about the heroine’s age and name. The article also introduces three other new characters. One carries a gun as his main weapon, another has a scar on his face and the last character introduced is a laid-back character with glasses. They are all friends of the protagonist. According to Famitsu, the main method of transportation in Versus will be through cars. The development team behind the project has also modeled some of the different areas of the game after real world locales, such as the surrounding area of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku.

For FFXIII, the Famitsu article again features the woman shown in last year’s trailer of the game. She is apparently a friend of Lightning and also details the conflict between the Falsi and Cocoon. Famitsu has confirmed that additional summons such as Ifrit, Carbuncle and Siren will appear in the game. The role of summons in FFXIII is to help the Lusi people. Square-Enix will show more footage on FFXIII running on the PS3 later this year. No official release date has been given for either title at this point. We will keep you posted as more details are released.




 

This year’s Jump Festa event in Japan will take place on December 22^nd and 23^rd.  It is sponsored by the publisher of Shonen Jump, Shueisha.  The annual event closes out the year by showcasing the newest titles and future releases for many of the major companies.  Square-Enix has the following lineup:

Dragon Quest IV – Good chance of it being playable
Final Fantasy IV – Playable

Public Trailers:
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon ~Labyrinth Forgotten by Time~
Star Ocean: First Departure
Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness

New Closed Theatre Trailers:
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts: Coded
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Final Fantasy Agito XIII

Another piece of interesting news is that Square-Enix will also feature a new trailer for the PSP Final Fantasy fighting game Dissidia at the event as well.
 

Square-Enix has recently released its first-half financial results for the 2007 fiscal year. As a whole, sales were down by about 5% from the previous year. Net profit for the company had risen by a about 32.5% to 4.4 billion yen. The biggest hit for Square-Enix this year thus far has been FF VII: Crisis Core for the PSP.  Here is a table with 2007 first-half sales numbers for selected Final Fantasy titles:
 

Game	Platform	Sales
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII	PSP	710,000
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings	DS	530,000
Final Fantasy III	DS	450,000
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates	DS	360,000
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions	PSP	320,000
FF Fables: Chocobo Tales	DS	170,000
Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System	PS2	160,000
Final Fantasy I	PSP	140,000
Final Fantasy II	PSP	90,000

As expected, Japan sales accounted for well over 80% of the company’s total sales for the current fiscal year. Net profit is expected to reach 12 billion yen by the full fiscal year, ending on March 31st, 2008.

Square-Enix president Yoichi Wada weighs in on the company’s position, strategy and branding:

“It is always necessary to take risks, big or small, in the entertainment industry. And in order to be prepared for these feats, it is essential to have appropriate control over the basics of the business such as running costs, contracts, etc., and to stay sound and healthy.”

The financial figures appear to be strengthening.

“FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST and KINGDOM HEARTS are franchises that have been created since 2000. We are currently working on new ideas and projects including CHIISANA OSAMA TO YAKUSOKU NO KUNI: FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES for Wii Ware and THE LAST REMNANT. We hope you will enjoy these in the coming year.” - In response to creating new brands

The business appears to be making steady progress.  “Even so, we cannot be entirely satisfied with these figures. And as a company aiming to be the world’s leading contents provider, there is still room for improvement. In the first half-period we introduced DRAGON QUEST MONSTER BATTLE ROAD, a trading-card based arcade game, and other smash hits, but we cannot award ourselves a pass mark without a number of further “new seedlings.”
 

(Past News)