squareamp

This is old news, but it is news that we haven’t posted yet.

A week before E3, we found out about NIER, a multi-platform action-adventure game  catered to Western game audiences.  Square Enix also has a website for the game up, feel free to check it out.

Also, here is the debut trailer:

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube DirektNIER E3 2009 Trailer

This is apparently what Japanese executives think Americans want to play, because the term “Western audiences” is getting tossed around a lot when describing this game.  Me, I think I’ll wait around for FFXIII.

While we’re drooling over the marvels of FFXIII and FFXIV, let’s not forget that there are actually other Square Enix games on display at E3. And we have trailers for two of them: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (now confirmed for US release September 29) and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. With English voicework, no less.

embedded by Embedded Video

embedded by Embedded Video

It should be starting any moment now, they’re over 30 minutes behind schedule. See the link below for the direct feed

G4TV: http://e3.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696020/Live-Blog-Square-Enix-E3-2009-Press-Conference.html
GameSpot: http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6210518/square-enix-e3-2009-press-conference-liveblog-june-3-1100-am?page=1

[Update: Hey guys, adding another live blog link to Zigo's post.  This one appears to be getting updated, while the G4 page is still blank.]

Behold, the Final Fantasy XIII trailer from E3 in ENGLISH!

embedded by Embedded Video

Gametrailers Direkt

Final Fantasy XIV was announced just now at the Sony E3 press conference as a Ps3 (and probably PC) exclusive for release in 2010.  The official website also states this will release for the Windows OS as well.

This is the sequel to Final Fantasy XI, a MMORPG, and was codenamed “Rapture” during it’s development.

Update:

Grainy youtube trailer!  There is a HD much higher quality version on the official site, link below.

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkt

Update 2:

The official website is now online.  Definitely some Taru, Elvaan, Mithra, Hume and Galkas in those illustrations.  This is a clear successor to Final Fantasy XI.  There are also some little horned dudes.  Not sure about them…

Yes, that’s Nobuo Uematsu doing the music.  The official site confirms it.  The game staff consists of veteran Final Fantasy team members - mainly the FF11 director and producer leading this project up, and art directorship from Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII veteran Akihiko Yoshida.

Producer: Hiromichi Tanaka
Director: Nobuaki Komoto
Art Director: Akihiko Yoshida
Music: Nobuo Uematsu (!)

Nintendo had their E3 press conference this morning, among the highlights:

• New Super Mario Brothers for Wii
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (handheld RPG)
• Wii Fit Plus
• Golden Sun DS (!)
• Metroid: Other M

Want to guess which one I’m most excited about? Post your thoughts in the comments.

Did you know that the sequel to fan-favorite Final Fantasy IV was released today to the WiiWare download service?  Here are five things about the game that might interest you.

The Title: The game is titled Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.

The Developer: Matrix Softeware developed The After Years for Square Enix after being involved with the remakes of Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS.  Yeah, you know those snazzy 3D remakes?  Matrix Software made them.

The Setting: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years takes place 17 years after the original title, featuring the son of two primary FFIV characters as the lead protagonist.  There’s more, but it would be spoiling it for you.

The Cost: This is where it gets tricky.  This is an episodic game, meaning it is broken into 9 chapters that will be released between now and September.  I’ve seen a couple of variations, but for the most part it is 2 chapters in June, 3 in July, 3 in August, with a finale in September.  The initial chapter and “main game” itself is 800 points, you must get this to purchase subsequent chapters.  So that’s 8 bucks USD, following chapters are priced at 300 points (3USD), the first of which, Rydia’s Tale, already available for purchase.  The finale may cost 800 points, meaning the total price of this game will come out to 40 USD, about the price of a Square Enix DS title if this were released for the handheld.

The Music: Mostly Nobuo Uematsu stuff from the original game, from what I can tell so far.

Better late than never. Here’s what is on the slate for the show, starting Tuesday:

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers - Wii
• Final Fantasy IV: The After Years - WiiWare (Which comes out Monday, BTW)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord - Wiiware
• Final Fantasy XIII - XB360, PS3
• Front Mission Evolved - XB360, PS3, PC
• Nier - XB360, PS3
• Supreme Commander II - XB360, PC
• Order of War - PC
• Dissidia Final Fantasy - PSP
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - DS

Let me introduce you to the new Square Enix game Nier.

Square Enix presents.. Nier

Described as being “like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden”, the game features a protagonist searching the world for a cure to his daughter’s illness.

The scan, and news, of the game comes courtesy of website PlayStation LifeStyle.

Update:  Since making this post, it looks like an official Square Enix announcement has come forward and Kotaku has the details.

According to official Square Enix word, the game is “set in a crumbling world plagued by disease and dark, unrecognizable creatures.” Players will control the titular NIER, as he searches for a cure for his daughter armed with a “mysterious book.”

Who is Cavia?  They are responsible for a number of Square Enix titles already, including the Drakengard series (Drag-on Dragoon) and the Dragon Quest VIII-prequel that followed the Yangus character earlier on in his life.

Last week, Gameplayer dished some scoop that Square Enix would unveil three previously unknown titles at E3 next week.  Now they are following up to tease that one of the titles is none other than the developed-in-house MMORPG follow-up to Final Fantasy XI with the code name of ‘Rapture’.

The tease also states that the MMORPG will be unveiled as a Sony PS3 exclusive (as well as PC) much the way Final Fantasy XI was when launched for the PlayStation 2 all those years ago.

Literally nothing is known about ‘Rapture’ currently other than the fact it is being developed by the FFXI team, whether it’s even branded as a ‘Final Fantasy’ MMO is to be seen.