260°

Final Fantasy XIII Released in Japan as Square Enix & Sony Hope for Big Sales

It's D-Day for Square Enix and Sony in Japan as the PS3 exclusive version of Final Fantasy XIII arrives on store shelves in its motherland.

Both Square Enix and Sony have been banking on Final Fantasy XIII to give both their fortunes a boost in Japan. Sony's PS3 has proved popular there, but overall console gaming in Japan lags behind the handheld behemoth that is the DS and to a lesser extent PSP - and Sony and Square Enix will be hoping today's launch can prove big-budget console games still have it.

For Sony this is also a landmark day as after seeing RPG franchises such as Star Ocean and Tales as well as new properties including Blue Dragon, The Last Remnant and Lost Odyssey release either exclusively or first on the Xbox 360, they at last have an earth-shatteringly big RPG to call their own - in Japan at least.

Genesis55237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

Yeee Haaa! Here we go! This should be fun for PS3 fans to watch. Lets see what all out major marketing can do.

densai5237d ago

PS3 domination in japan starts here

kewlkat0075237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

not some spin-off or rehash....This game will be bought regardless of reviews and other nonsense. Dude it's a CORE Final Fantasy game...

Edit Below: Nobody ever said no need to market. This is not a new franchise or IP. It's the next Final Fantasy. I repeat, it's the next installment of the CORE franchise....lol

AP5237d ago

Marketing is still really important, though. It's the difference between high sales and astronomical sales! Then again, FF13 has basically taken over Japan. TV, billboards, theme song on the radio, everything.

qface645237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

what are you going on about? serious question (no really)
how many times have we heard that line already?

not bashing or anything just saying
how many times do we have to hear ps3 domination starts now thing

meepmoopmeep5237d ago

yeah, i hope Santa brought me a brain-implant device to learn Japanese the Matrix way.

:(

Jsynn75237d ago

FF is to Japan what Halo is to the US. Huge sales regardless of quality or bad reviews. This should be fun.

gaffyh5237d ago

No need to hope Sony and Square, this game is a definite big seller.

meepmoopmeep5237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

yeah, this is THE game JPN gamers want/need/drool/kill for

until a 'real' DQ games releases

sikbeta5237d ago

Final Fantasy XIII Released in Japan as Square Enix & Sony expecting HUGE Sales

[fixed]

darthv725237d ago

how long after the game has been out for the ps3 will square release the 360 version in japan? I understand their decision not to release it day one but you have to figure it is being developed in Japan for launch in the US and possibly Europe. Who is to say they wont release it in JP when it comes out in other territories.

That just makes better financial sense. Those who have 360 only will want the game in JP and unless they make it region free then they would be stupid not to eventually release it there.

No flaming. It is a valid question.

gaffyh5237d ago

@above - IF it releases it will be in March, but I doubt it will even happen.

rockleex5237d ago

In Japan until Final Fantasy says so! >:D

Trust me, after seeing the success of FFXIII, Japanese developers will flock to the HD consoles.

I feel like this generation still has a long way to go. ^_^

Dragun6195237d ago

@ Darthv72

I really doubt there going to release the xbox360 version in Japan.

http://img1.a9vg.com/200912...

http://img1.a9vg.com/200912...

SE says its a PS3 Exclusive in Japan.

creatchee5237d ago

I disagree - FF and Halo are huge in sales because they are both consistantly high quality and have a loyal fanbase. I don't remember any Halo or FF ever getting bad reviews (except maybe FFXI)?

Prototype5237d ago

Anyone who imports this or knows someone in japan can they confirm if theres any English subtitles at least?

Jsynn75237d ago

Thanks for the misinterpretation of what I said. I will clarify. Even if FF and Halo got bad reviews and/or had low quality, they would still sell big because (and this part is where you were right) they both have huge fan bases. Clear?

+ Show (13) more repliesLast reply 5237d ago
AP5237d ago

This is gonna be awesome.

knifefight5237d ago

Not the same, but Similar thoughts expressed here:
http://www.n4g.com/NewsPend...
It will indeed be very interesting to watch how this all pans out over the next year or so.

AP5237d ago

It's real make or break time for next gen JRPGs and consoles imo.

densai5237d ago

its the end of xbox in japan and the start of the fight back against the wii. end of gen ps3 will climb. first japan then the world!

qface645237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

pretty sure the end of the 360 in japan has been happened already

rezenu5237d ago (Edited 5237d ago )

densai, I love my PS3 but don't make the rest of us look like mindless fanpeople. I'm pretty sure Sony will do well in Japan with FFXIII but there's no need to act like that.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5237d ago
densai5237d ago

First japan, then it will happen in america and the uk and europe. xbox is dead in japan, now time for wii, then the rest of the world!!!

AP5237d ago

Haha, I think it's gonna take more than FF to catch up with the Wii...

Udidntlistenpunk5237d ago

Be honest. Which fanboy honestly thought the 360 actually stood a chance against S0nY?

FF13 and GT5 is going to wipe the floor with the 360 and slamdunk it in the trashcan.

kaB00m and merry xbot xmas.

Myst5237d ago

Just wished they released this game at the same time world-wide, I'm going to hate having to wait knowing Japan is playing it first again. oh well. Good luck Square!

AP5237d ago

THe game has some English text and there will be fans translating everything within the first week or so, so importing is definitely an option... that's what I'm doing.

Myst5237d ago

But we wouldn't have to translate if they just released it all at once! :p. Eh I would import, but at this time it's more than likely sold out anyway. Also it wouldn't hurt me to bad to wait anyway.

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70°

The 7 Best Final Fantasy Characters: Unveiling the Legends

While FFVII ranks highly, there's more to the series than one game. Here's Chit Hot's picks for the seven best Final Fantasy characters.

220°

The older it gets, the more I respect Final Fantasy XIII

Alex Donaldson: "Hindsight is a hell of a thing, however, and in the years since Final Fantasy XIII, my respect for the decisions its developers made has skyrocketed. In the two Final Fantasy titles since we see both the brilliance and the folly in alternative approaches - and in Final Fantasy VII Remake, we get a more nuanced understanding of what FF13 was trying to accomplish from many of the same development leads."

Einhander1972118d ago

FFXIII is actually one of the best Final Fantasy games.

I also sort of was disappointed at the time, never as much as the bandwagon. But really all the fantastic 3D rendered cutscenes and I actually liked the characters and the story though convoluted was actually fantastic and the ending was extremely emotional. So much budget and time were put into that game Square had such big plans, I actually have always felt kind of bad for how things played out.

I have been thinking for years how great it would be to get all three games on one disk for PS4 or 5.

Nyxus118d ago

I always liked this game, and I agree, a rerelease for current gen would be nice.

Shane Kim116d ago (Edited 116d ago )

Gotta take off the nostalgia glasses. It's the worst FF. Shiva as a bike, I mean come on.

Elda116d ago

Shiva as a bike is strange but saying FFXIII is the worst FF is not at all a fact, that's simply your opinion.

Terry_B116d ago

*One of the 3 equally bad FF's

DivineHand125116d ago (Edited 116d ago )

When I got my series X a year ago, I bought FF13 for nostalgia reasons but ended up being disappointed. When I first played it around the time it launched, I didn't have a lot of experience with final fantasy games, so I enjoyed it. Fast forward to when I played it again, I found that the game had many unnecessary filler moments instead of just giving us meaningful content.

The game is also very linear and a quote on the article said it best. "It is like a sewage pipe that leads to the ocean until it opens up on Grand Pulse."

The story didn't make much sense either and I believe it is my mistake as I played the FF7 remake on PS5 prior which is a night and day difference in terms of pacing, storytelling and likeable characters even though cloud is aloof.

FinalFantasyFanatic116d ago (Edited 116d ago )

Probably was a mistake to play any of the golden era FFs first (e.g. FF6 through FF10), it makes it harder to enjoy some of the FFs that aren't as good. I think FF12 was where major issues with the series started becoming apparent, and it just got worse from there.

FinalFantasyFanatic116d ago (Edited 116d ago )

I didn't really care for it that much, the only saving grace was that it had a better story than 15 (overall it was better than 15) and possibly 12, and even then, you had to read some of it through primers, like reading a book. Plus the battle system was reasonably fun for what it was, even if it was more the spectacle that was exciting for me (e.g. summoning). And to be fair, the 13 trilogy got better with every games, I still don't like Snow though.

Gamingsince1981116d ago

Ff13 is only good if you haven't played a ff before, or any other games that are decent for that matter.

-Foxtrot116d ago

It is in fact no way the best Final Fantasy game, it's one of the worst

Linear corridors, Cutscene, Fight, Cutscene...rinse and repeat

Dialogue and characters are pretty bad, especially Lightning as the main FF hero, they literally said they tried to make a "Female Cloud" and they failed.

Story was pretty awful

I could go on

I think the only alright thing that came from the game was the music.

Elda115d ago

That's not a fact that's your personal opinion. The game sold 11 million copies between its 2009 release up until 2014 including critically reviewed as an 8 out of 10 or an 80 out of 100. The game does have some issues but it's not at all a fact as one of the worst FF games.

-Foxtrot115d ago

Elda

Not just mine mate

A large majority

So….

Traecy115d ago

N4G commenters such as yourself aren't the majority. The game was well received.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 115d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 115d ago
gold_drake118d ago (Edited 118d ago )

i liked the game alot but i didnt like how they handled the terminology.

i dont mind reading data logs but it had soo many.

but i always loved the music and how it looked. the battle system wasnt too bad either.

but i like 13-2 more :)

i still dont understand why we never got a remaster of the trilogy

Eonjay116d ago

Xbox kinda did. Besides the video files of course which are still best on PS3 due to bluray.

Snookies12118d ago

XIII is a pretty solid game, but XIII-2 is WAY better. XIII-2 was one of the few games I decided to go for a Platinum trophy in, early on. Had so much fun the entire way through getting it too!

Eonjay116d ago

Totally agree. FF 13 was okay but 13-2 is my favorite FF game ever.

shinoff2183118d ago (Edited 118d ago )

I hated this to when it released. I haven't much liked a ff game since ff10 as much , aside from ff7remake. I decided to give it another shot on my series x since it's not on a current ps and was liking it quite a bit(just takes me some time to get over things ) until star ocean 2 remake came out I was all over that.

Square should definitely remaster it or something for ps4 ps5

KillerB116d ago

my favorite jrpg trilogy ever

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70°

Interview: Making music with Masashi Hamauzu

Square Enix Blog: "How do you compose iconic songs that help define a legacy? We speak to legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu about his work on Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy VII Remake, and how to make unforgettable music."

Read Full Story >>
square-enix-games.com