Square Enix Weekly Recap: 26/11/2012
Posted by Ben Bateman on 27/11/2012
Hello my dear Square Enixions. Apologies for the late delivery of this week's Square Enix news recap. Either Square Enix HQ was on fire or it was an elaborate ruse by an Agent 47 wannabe to aid them in their infiltration of the building. I can however guarantee that this post is worth the wait coming ram-packed full of news for you to gorge your information-hungry brains on. You could say this news comes hot off the press...hot, fire, get it?
- Hyper Japan 2012 This Weekend! - Lots of lovely Square Enix Products were up for grabs at the UK's Hyper Japan. Did you get anything nice?
- Hitman: Absolution Out Now! - Well that crept up on us without a sound! You can now bust some chops, dress up as a chicken and just chill out as Agent 47. But dfinitely get making some Contracts of your own...
- Turn to 400 - The Fighting Fantasy Documentary Film - Before Eidos there was Fighting Fantasy; find out more in this documentary Kickstarter.
- Voice Box: The End of an Era - Part 1 - Our community guest bloggers tell their Final Fantasy stories in the first of a new series.
- Sleeping Dogs Now Available from Xbox Games on Demand - Ditch that plastic for the more eco-friendly digital download! You will be rewarded with pork buns.
- Heroes and Generals Beta Videolog #4: The Eisenhower Build - Exciting changes are heading their way to the next version of Heroes and Generals. Get a sneaky peek at what's coming up, as well as details on how to sign up to the beta.
- GROOVE COASTER ZERO Out Now on iOS - The incredibly popular music-rhythm game has returned and it's free-to-play!
- Loading Bar - Hitman: Absolution Cocktail - Forget "shaken not stirred", how about having your drinks shot, drowned, set on fire and sliced with a Samurai sword?
- Hitman: Absolution Special Edition with Sleeping Dogs Out on PSN - Tough time deciding which game to get? Grab Hitman: Absolution Special Edition on PSN and get Sleeping Dogs included!
- Chaos Rings Omega Out Now on Android - This brilliant RPG makes its highly-anticipated arrival to Android
- New Addictive Puzzle Game Alert!! - Motley Blocks is a barmy combo-linking, block-spinning, 3D puzzler that lets you build a T-Rex. Yeah, you need to play this.
- Get your Black Friday Deals - We hope you nabbed up some good deals over the weekend. Some of the Steam deals are still available so check out the store and pick yourself up a bargain.
- Hitman: Absolution – now featuring over 50,000 levels! - You guys have only had the game a few short days but there's already over 50,000 Contracts (and a lot, lot more since the article was published).
- Hello, My Name is Phil! - Say hello (and play nice) with Phil Elliott, the Head of Community and Social Media at Square Enix Europe.
- Croft Couture #16: Dayana - Crystal Dynamics highlights yet another incredibly talented Lara Croft cosplayer.
- Tomb Raider Community Roundup: 11/24/12 - Get yourself up to speed with the Tomb Raider Community Roundup from Meagan Marie.
- Guest Blog: Kate Sykes @ MCM Expo - Were you at the London Comic Con MCM Expo? Guest Blogger Kate Sykes dishes out all the details on behalf of Crystal Dynamics.
- Featured Contracts - IO Interactive talks about this week's featured Contract in Hitman: Absolution and how to submit your own Contracts for candidacy.
- ICA Site Launched - Speaking of Hitman Absolution's Contracts, have you seen the amazing new Hitman community website? It's the perfect complement to any Hitman fan's gaming experience.
- Expert Combat Tips from the UFG Masters - If you're breaking out the Drunken Fist Pack for Sleeping Dogs then Dan Sochan from United Front Games has got some top tips for you.
- Video Game Awards 2012 Nominations - Sleeping Dogs is up for a Video Game Award but we need your vote. Gather you friends, family and pets. Let's conquer this!
- Spotlight: Drunken Fist Pack - This new Sleeping Dogs add-on hands Wei Shen an exclusive outfit that allows him to unleash a head-spinning new fighting style.
- Animated textures for smoke and fun! - It's surprising how much fun you can have with smoke animations. Another small and sometimes unnoticed component that makes Heroes and Generals even more immersive and realistic.
- How do we actually show you this webpage? - A quick look for the web-devs and geeks among you at what keeps the Heroes and Generals website ticking.
- New Weekend Creation Challenge - Gameglobe wants to know "Where have all the turkeys gone?" Can you build a level to answer that question?
- Weekend Creation Challenge - The winners of last week's Gameglobe challenge - entitled "Rescue" - have been revealed. Play them now, for free!
- Leaderboard Challenge - Get the highest score possible in Manic Mine and get 200 coins! Entry is simple, just play it for free over on Gameglobe today!
In the news
- Montreal Hitman “another take on the character from a fresh perspective”, IO on “new project” (OPM)
- Four Square Enix PC Ports that’ll blow your mind (thumbACTIVE)
- Motley Blocks Is A Fun And Frantic Color Matcher From Square Enix (AppAdvice)
- A Final Fantasy Music Collection For Blu-ray And Record Players (Siliconera)
- Square Enix marketer keen to drop retailer exclusive bonuses (VG247)
- Hitman marketer doesn't want to "exploit" controversy (GamesIndustry)
- Square Enix tours Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn ‘The Black Shroud’ in Alpha test video (Gaming Examiner)
- Square Enix considers same-sex marriage for Final Fantasy XIV (CNet)
- Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn: Square’s second chance (VG247)
- Sony talks possible Square Enix collab in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale (Examiner)
So as these weekly recaps are getting larger, how are you guys finding the format of the post? Is there too much information? Is it all relevant? Would you rather it was broken down into categories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Latest Comments
Like this message to send it to the top!. A message from a long-time fan of the series and business student. I’ve enjoyed playing many Final Fantasy and Square Enix Games over the years. Chrono Trigger/Cross, FF9,X, 8 (except for disc 4), the list is longer but; the one I enjoyed most notably was Final Fantasy 7. If there were any game worth remaking, other than FF Tactics (maybe Chrono series), it is Final Fantasy 7. One high ranking member of your organization mentioned that remaking FF7 would ruin the company or something like that, and it should not be done until the original was surpassed. If that logic were to be applied logically, no remake of any other game should have been made until a game that surpassed FF7’s quality of experience had been made. With the exception of the PS one remakes of the earlier FF titles, naturally. To look at it from a business standpoint, you have known for a long time that great demand for one specific product exists, a FF7 remake. With PS4 coming out soon and lackluster sales of these following games: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (just guessing). A business consulting firm might advise that particular company to capitalize on its greatest asset to recoup some losses. To address the issue of needing to create a title that surpasses Final Fantasy 7 in quality of experience and craft; perhaps through giving FF7 the remake that lives up to expectations, the company will grow its ability to create a game that surpasses it on a modern console. Plus it’s a guaranteed success, millions would be pre-ordered. People who haven’t played video games since FF7 would buy it. Consider the following to explain how this remake would help create the game that would surpass FF7. By analyzing the underlying principles that made FF7 stand out against other FF’s, the company can make a game that isn’t a clone of FF7 nor follows it in a formulaic manner. In a way, it would bring the company back closer to the fundamentals of making a truly great gaming experience, epic in scale and story. A group of strong willed characters, not all existentially whiny ones. Epic missions, games such as motorcycle mini game/ snowboard to break up the pace a bit. Gold saucer, a place to chill exploitable chocobo races for rare loot. ******* villain you want to crush, more reasons to crush him. Backstory for the characters, plot twists that add to the drama and saving the world from destruction. The rest I’m sure you should be able to figure out. I’ll be posting this pretty much everywhere, I want the message to spread.Posted by jondoekno on 19/05/2013 16:29- Like this message to send it to the top!. A message from a long-time fan of the series and business student. I’ve enjoyed playing many Final Fantasy and Square Enix Games over the years. Chrono Trigger/Cross, FF9,X, 8 (except for disc 4), the list is longer but; the one I enjoyed most notably was Final Fantasy 7. If there were any game worth remaking, other than FF Tactics (maybe Chrono series), it is Final Fantasy 7. One high ranking member of your organization mentioned that remaking FF7 would ruin the company or something like that, and it should not be done until the original was surpassed. If that logic were to be applied logically, no remake of any other game should have been made until a game that surpassed FF7’s quality of experience had been made. With the exception of the PS one remakes of the earlier FF titles, naturally. To look at it from a business standpoint, you have known for a long time that great demand for one specific product exists, a FF7 remake. With PS4 coming out soon and lackluster sales of these following games: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (just guessing). A business consulting firm might advise that particular company to capitalize on its greatest asset to recoup some losses. To address the issue of needing to create a title that surpasses Final Fantasy 7 in quality of experience and craft; perhaps through giving FF7 the remake that lives up to expectations, the company will grow its ability to create a game that surpasses it on a modern console. Plus it’s a guaranteed success, millions would be pre-ordered. People who haven’t played video games since FF7 would buy it. Consider the following to explain how this remake would help create the game that would surpass FF7. By analyzing the underlying principles that made FF7 stand out against other FF’s, the company can make a game that isn’t a clone of FF7 nor follows it in a formulaic manner. In a way, it would bring the company back closer to the fundamentals of making a truly great gaming experience, epic in scale and story. A group of strong willed characters, not all existentially whiny ones. Epic missions, games such as motorcycle mini game/ snowboard to break up the pace a bit. Gold saucer, a place to chill exploitable chocobo races for rare loot. ******* villain you want to crush, more reasons to crush him. Backstory for the characters, plot twists that add to the drama and saving the world from destruction. The rest I’m sure you should be able to figure out. I’ll be posting this pretty much everywhere, I want the message to spread.Posted by jondoekno on 19/05/2013 16:27
Concerning a Steam release: According to this rumor, yes. http://gs.inside-games.jp/news/394/39479.html Also, the user David managed to find out the following: "I just did some quick searching, and FFVII and FFVIII have game hubs on Steam. You just cannot access them. Also the last update on FFVII's CDR page was 2013-05-15 09:13:50 " MERCHANDISE -TFF Keychains (Zack, Cloud) https://twitter.com/hidemi_mad_dog/status/335557376784625664/photo/1 LUMINOUS ENGINE -3D Dot Game Heroes Developer Provided Tech For Square Enix’s Luminous Engine http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/17/3d-dot-game-heroes-developer-provided-tech-for-square-enixs-luminous-engine/Posted by Grimoire on 19/05/2013 06:41
I hope FFVIII PC makes it here and on an accessible platform such as Steam (I'm outside of Europe's G5).Posted by HYNE on 18/05/2013 11:47- FINAL FANTASY VIII -Final Fantasy VIII Is Coming To PC With High Resolution Graphics http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/17/final-fantasy-viii-is-coming-to-pc-with-high-resolution-graphics/ FINAL FANTASY XIV -Final Fantasy XIV Adds Even More Character Customization Features http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/17/final-fantasy-xiv-adds-even-more-character-customization-features/Posted by Grimoire on 17/05/2013 18:38
- Wow, I can't wait to play this on Vita! This looks incrediblePosted by SBernard4 on 17/05/2013 15:53
- FINAL FANTASY VII -Japanese Introduction Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1S-fFVzG4&feature=youtube_gdata KINGDOM HEARTS -KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX - Community Video "Erste Einblicke" http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2ddv3GxFUH0 BRAVELY DEFAULT -Bravely Default Producers And Director Look Back At Their Achievement http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/16/bravely-default-producers-and-director-look-back-at-their-achievement/ MUSIC -Live Remix Pictures http://blog.jp.square-enix.com/music/cm_blog/2013/05/cd_7.html MERCHANDISE -"KINGDOM HEARTS PEN CASE ACCESSORY CASE!! Images added! Stay tuned for more updates." https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.160967024079654.1073741837.100004990716473&type=1&l=ef3b9bd54aPosted by Grimoire on 17/05/2013 08:21
- Any news on Chaos Rings for Windows Phone 8? Contemplating getting a Windows Phone 8 device but if Chaos Rings is only on Windows 7 then i guess i will have to get a Windows Phone 7 phone until i complete this game :PPosted by Zavistic on 16/05/2013 23:53
Comments
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/03/how-to-play-final-fantasy-artniks-the-new-final-fantasy-crossover-game/
http://www.jp.square-enix.com/company/ja/news/2012/html/4db79e5f4f202185935bf0b43ab1e33a.html
http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201212030013/
www.4gamer.net/games/182/G018237/2012120...
http://www.finalfantasy.net/lightning-returns-ffxiii/world-turns-lightning/
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-12-01/dragon-quest-x-spawns-manga-by-digimon-xros-wars-nakashima
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/01/square-enix-are-working-on-something-called-all-the-bravest/
That great it can join its overprice unfair Troll friend gaurdian-cross I finish chapter 1 not 1 single 5 star card mostly 4 stars like 2 ramil 2 angels & 2 vampires because the game so broken with cheats that SE was so busy banning well ovell 10000 person & to busy counting in the cash-cow flow of money from in game app buys to give out any more details of new games.
On the side note gaurdian-cross is a troll because it use special rare cards from a game that not out yet FF14 it was out for a while, and FF11 that many EU ps3 never get the chance to play. Lol
http://na.square-enix.com/finalfantasyairbornebrigade/go/article/view/final_fantasy_25th_anniversary/260993/final_fantasy_airborne_brigade_available_soon
"The popular free-to-play style social game in Japan is coming to US/Canadian shores!"
@HYNE Those were the rumors about Type-0 that I was speaking of. I read that almost 90% of the english vocals had been done for it and it was put on hold for some reason (poor PSP sales in the west). But I don't really consider this all trustworthy since it wasn't really an official Square-Enix statement. As for X, this is news to me since I heard that the company didn't really want to take long with this title and were looking to release it as soon as possible, but it looks like my sources weren't very accurate. The thing is, with the internet, anyone can go and say anything. If we don't have something official, it's quite easy to start doubting stuff.
All we get is vague comments from the director about his feelings and a lot of hearsay. Not very reassuring, I guess...
Final fantasy Type-0's international release is currently on hold. There have been two important news about this game. The first is that a PSP (exclusive) release of this game is not going to happen (http://www.novacrystallis.com/?p=3656). The second is that Square Enix didn't completely shelve the idea of an international release and is looking for a good opportunity to release it in the West (http://www.siliconera.com/2012/11/02/square-enixs-hajime-tabata-comments-on-final-fantasy-type-0-localization).
Final Fantasy X HD has been confirmed to be still in development (http://eu.square-enix.com/en/blog/square-enix-weekly-recap-24092012#comment-33080). It was announced (too) early and other projects took precedence (like Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD whose development started before FFXHD [http://gematsu.com/2012/10/nomura-talks-kingdom-hearts-1-5-hd-remix-development]). FFXHD is coming, but it might/will take a long time.
Last year the company announced that it was going to revamp the graphics of FF X. Since then, the only thing we have gotten is a response that this will only be a graphic upgrade and that you "do not want to take too long with it". No news since then.
And then we have the big fish. Since 2006 all Versus has seen was a small 10 minute (very impressive admittedly) preview, which was, as quoted, "not to be taken too much in to consideration as the final product would look much better". The strange thing about this title is, contrary to the previous two, you always mention it somewhere. Especially these days.
But my question is: is there a purpose that we're not getting any answers or news for titles we are really looking forward to? Do you not have a PR department capable of handling these things? Can you not issue a statement, simply telling us why Type-0 didn't happen here, where X HD is or how come it's been seven years since Versus was announced and we've had nothing yet? Btw, this is not a "hate" comment. This is just a comment by a fan who really does care about the series and is looking for some answers. It's reasonable. There are thousands of us out there.
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/11/28/dragon-quest-vii-screenshots-have-enemies-characters-and-more/
The Gold-Kaiser
As for the retailer pre-order bonus article, I think it should go. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of pre-order bonuses (as long as it doesn't include pre-order only software/DLC), but I absolutely hate it when it's only with specific retailers. And I completely agree with Tanthalas about the FFXIII-2 bonuses being exclusive to GAME. Even though I willingly bought the Crystal Edition from GAME, Zavvi were charging £20 less for the Crystal Edition, so I think the sooner pre-order bonuses are offered through ALL stores (or even not at all), the better.
In the wake of FF25TH, the release of three Ultimanias commemorating the entire Final Fantasy series (http://www.siliconera.com/2012/11/28/the-entire-final-fantasy-series-condensed-into-three-memorial-ultimanias) seems like a great opportunity to make them available worldwide in English.
https://twitter.com/sq_staff/status/273264053567250432/photo/1
Watch Square Enix Play With Lighting Effects In Agni’s Philosophy
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/11/27/watch-square-enix-play-with-lighting-effects-in-agnis-philosophy/
http://www.4gamer.net/games/032/G003263/20121127088/
FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary Ultimania Vol.2 - Pictures
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.448174981907879.104823.220023421389704&type=1
FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary Ultimania Vol.3 - Pictures
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.448218865236824.104837.220023421389704&type=1
FFX + FFX-2 HD bundle sounds great.
How to approach FFXII HD? Any ideas? Not sure Revenant Wings could make it a bundle.
Still, my fingers are crossed for a FF X-2 international (In English) along with FF X HD, but I realize this is difficult. I just wanted to put it out there, but I'm not expecting the impossible. If this were the case though, my journey to my favorite FF saga could be increased in value.
I wonder what the last part of this year will bring for SE.
(Sorry about that, sometimes I simply don't have the time to log out and in again here at SEM E and end up posting using my SEM A account). But yes, it was nice to finally be able to have a look at the lyrics, too.
FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary Ultimania Vol.1 - Pictures
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.447912471934130.104773.220023421389704&type=3#!/media/set/?set=a.447912471934130.104773.220023421389704&type=3
@member_10004461 That song is incredible! The End Of An Era scene is so powerful.
I could have got the Crystal edition of FFXIII-2 for 40% cheaper from amazon than buying it through Game just to get their exclusive pre-order bonuses.
I simply hate the retailer exclusive bonuses system, its a disservice to the fans that want to buy your stuff.
Mr. Smith has my UTMOST respect and support. Retailer exclusives was a malicious idea from the start and as soon as it's dropped, the better.
I thank him for speaking out and I sincerely hope his words make a difference.
Anyway, hi Ben.
I've been meaning to ask you, have you found out anything about Dissidia 012 DLC and Chocobo Racing 3D status?
A: Neat!
Q: Is there too much information?
A: No.
Q: Is it all relevant?
A: Yes.
Q: Would you rather it was broken down into categories?
A: I find the current format easy to read, but categories such as "Events", "New Releases", "Upcoming Titles", "Music", "Contest", etc. would be just as fine with me.
Thank you for yet another interesting news recap!