Square Enix: Last News

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‘Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail’’s popularity is already causing issues, three months before launch

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail is already causing issues for Square Enix, despite the expansion not actually being released until July.Release details for the long-awaited Final Fantasy 14 expansion were confirmed over the weekend, with Dawntrail coming July 2 after an early access window available to all those who pre-order the game.And pre-orders for a number of Dawntrail physical and digital versions went live yesterday [March 26] but quickly caused havoc with Square Enix’s servers.The Digital Collector's Edition includes in-game bonus items:
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‘Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’ confirms orchestral world tour
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth last month, an orchestral world tour has been announced.Set to kick off in August 2024, the tour will allow fans to “experience all new symphonic arrangements” of the music of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.The show will include “beloved scores” by Nobuo Uematsu and “exciting new contributions” from Mitsuto Suzuki, Masashi Hamauzu, and many other esteemed composers and arrangers. The whole thing will be performed by an orchestra and chorus of over 100 musicians led by renowned conductors Arnie Roth and Eric Roth.“Immerse yourself in the world of one of the most visionary games of all time with this sensational multimedia concert experience,” reads the official Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth tour website.Announcing the FFVII REBIRTH ORCHESTRA WORLD TOUR!Immerse yourself in the world of one of the most visionary games of all time with this sensational multimedia concert experience!Experience all new symphonic arrangements of the music of FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH including… pic.twitter.com/SaaIXh8nHk— Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY (@ffdistantworlds) March 8, 2024Select shows will see appearances from the original composers, with Masashi Hamauzu appearing at Los Angeles, Rotterdam, London, Bangkok, Taipei, New York and Paris while Mitsuto Suzuki is set to take part in shows in Chicago, Munich and Rome.Tickets for the tour are being released in waves, with the first leg on sale this Friday, March 15.
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Sega says blockchain might “devalue” its biggest gaming franchises
Sega has now stepped back from its previously planned blockchain initiatives for fear of “devaluing” its strongest gaming properties, saying the technology is yet to show its maximum potential.In a new interview, the company’s co-chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi said that the move to blockchain might have been viewed as an interesting investment, but Sega’s motivation is to be ahead of the masses.“For the majority of people in the video game industry, what blockchain advocates say may sound a bit extreme, but that’s how the first penguin has always been,” he told Bloomberg, making a metaphor about risk-takers. “We should never underestimate them.”Nevertheless, Sega will be “[withholding] its biggest franchises from third-party blockchain gaming projects to avoid devaluing its content.” As a result, that doesn’t affect the present plans for Three Kingdoms and Virtua Fighter characters to be turned into non-fungible tokens or the newest Sangokushi Taisen blockchain game from developer Double Jump Tokyo.Sega is also “shelving plans to develop its own games in that [blockchain] genre, at least for now.” Utsumi continued to criticise play-to-earn games too, calling them “boring” and pointless for pulling the “fun” out of gaming.The company is not the only business to be dabbling in blockchain, NFTs and web3.
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‘Final Fantasy 16’ producer tells fans to “look forward to” PC version
Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida has shared that fans should “look forward to” the current PS5 exclusive coming to PC, though a timeframe for its launch is yet to be confirmed.Final Fantasy 16 launched yesterday (June 22), and while the game is currently locked to a six-month exclusivity deal on the PS5, it’s expected to make its way to PC platforms at some point beyond that window.In a recent livestream spotted by PC Gamer, co-producer Naoki Yoshida shared that Square Enix hasn’t “had the time to optimise the PC version” of Final Fantasy 16 because it has been focusing on getting the PS5 version ready for launch.Specifically, Yoshida explained the studio is still working to optimise Final Fantasy 16‘s seamless loading screens for PC.“We will be sharing more about the PC version when the time is right, please look forward to it,” added Yoshida.It’s been a confusing few years for Final Fantasy 16‘s PC version. The game was initially announced for both PS5 and PC, however Square Enix went on to deny reports of a PC launch.In March, Yoshida acknowledged that he would like to “eventually” launch Final Fantasy 16 on PC, fans shouldn’t expect it to launch immediately after its exclusivity deal ends.“First of all, it is true that Final Fantasy 16 is a six-month limited-time exclusive on the PS5 platform,” shared the producer.
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Square Enix won’t show ‘Final Fantasy 16’ at Tokyo Game Show
Square Enix has confirmed what titles will be showcased during the Tokyo Game Show, with Final Fantasy 16 missing from the list of confirmed games.Tokyo Game Show has released a list of exhibitors and what people can expect to be showcased, with Square Enix set to give players updates on a variety of Final Fantasy titles – but Final Fantasy 16 isn’t mentioned anywhere.According to the official Tokyo Game Show website (and translated by Eurogamer), Square Enix will be bringing news on Final Fantasy 14, Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin and mobile remake Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis.The studio will also be offering players a look at Tactics Ogre Reborn, Dragon Quest Treasures, The DioField Chronicle, Romancing Saga – Minstrel Song, Star Ocean 6, and Valkyrie Elysium.The hybrid digital/in-person Tokyo Game Show opens September 15 and runs until September 18.Back in June, a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 was revealed alongside the news that the title is looking at a summer 2023 release. At the same time, director Hiroshi Takai confirmed that development on Final Fantasy 16 is finished and the game can now be played through from start to finish “though, from optimisation to brush-up, there is still a mountain of challenges to tackle as we head into our final push.”Following that the producer of Final Fantasy 16, Naoki Yoshida, confirmed the reason for the game’s lack of turn-based combat, saying it’s to appeal to a younger audience.He later said that he believes the Final Fantasy series is “struggling” to adapt to industry trends but isn’t worried. “My current impression is that all we can really do is create multiple games, and continue creating the
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Square Enix appears to be opening a new Western studio
Square Enix could be opening a new studio in the West.The application appeared on the database last week on August 17 where it was filed, created and formalised, and it currently appears to be pending  (via VGC).It looks like the new Western studio will be called Studio Onoma and will focus on developing and “publishing of computer game software and video game software.”The application also includes additional details for the services and goods the studio will provide, such as strategy guides, posters, casual clothing, toys, games, and playthings, “namely action figures, [and] handheld battery-operated games”. Square Enix Newco Limited is listed as the trademark applicant, which is a recently established company in London, England.Earlier this month, it was reported that Square Enix is looking to sell off stakes in Western studios in a bid to “improve capital efficiency.” This follows the sale of Crystal Dynamics and Eidos to Embracer Group back in early May. The deal was worth around £240million ($300million) and included Square Enix studios Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montréal, and Eidos.In July, the founder of Eidos, Stephane D’Astous, stated that the Final Fantasy publisher may have sold its Western developers to gear up for a Sony acquisition.At the time, he said: “If I read between the lines, Square Enix Japan was not as committed as we hoped initially.
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