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Luckyman · Mar 10, 2008

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/858/858038p1.html

Maybe Final Fantasy XIII isn't so far off after all
by John Tanaka

March 10, 2008 - Fans of Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest know the drill: get all hyped up for the Japanese release of the next installment in your favorite series, then watch the hype deflate as you wait additional six to twelve months for a localized version.

But the classic approach to localizing software may be on the way out. Square Enix president Yoichi Wada told Japan's Nihon Keizan Shimbun daily today that from here on out, the company will be "making simultaneous releases the norm."

Of course, the question is if this plan includes upcoming monster hits like Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX. Both titles are still without a final release date, suggesting that if past schedules hold, we wouldn't have a chance of getting either until 2009 or beyond.

You can thank the strength of the gaming markets outside of Japan for this sudden shift in policy, which is actually just one area of overseas gaming that's drawing the attention of the suits at the Square Enix headquarters in Tokyo. In addition to simultaneous releases, the company is looking into the possibility of forming development studios outside of Japan and even selling overseas-developed games.

Kill Your Masters · Mar 10, 2008

BeLIEve

archnemesis · Mar 10, 2008

Awesome news is awesome.

Evlar · Mar 10, 2008

DQIX Worldwide Day 1 Fuck Yeah

Einherjar · Mar 10, 2008

Finally, no more need to import!

Imm0rt4l · Mar 10, 2008

why you gettin my PAL's hopes up squenix?

Skilletor · Mar 10, 2008

I want to believe...I really, really, really do. I mean, shit, even 3 months like Lost Odyssey would be better than the normal wait.

Nuclear Muffin · Mar 10, 2008

I'll believe it when I see it.

Sage00 · Mar 10, 2008

Awesome, so now every territory gets to wait until Holiday 09 for FF13!

Mithos Yggdrasill · Mar 10, 2008

Words are not enough. We need more facts.

cw_sasuke · Mar 10, 2008

The Sphinx said:
DQIX Worldwide Day 1 Fuck Yeah

i`m sure game on nintendo consoles are still the exception :lol

Quazar · Mar 10, 2008

Great news for the MMO. No head start now bitches.

xaosslug · Mar 10, 2008

oh, shit.

HomerSimpson-Man · Mar 10, 2008

You can thank the strength of the gaming markets outside of Japan for this sudden shift in policy

Come my North American and European brothers, you all done good, GROUP HUG!!!

tribal24 · Mar 10, 2008

BELIEVE !!!!!! FFXIII 2008

Pai Pai Master · Mar 10, 2008

Oh god yes, timely releases all over my face please, Square Enix.

ksamedi · Mar 10, 2008

This is very positive news, if it means we will be playing the DQV remake and DQ main game at the same time of there respective releases in Japan.

OldJadedGamer · Mar 10, 2008

I'm going to file this under the "I'll believe it when I see it" category.

Grayman · Mar 10, 2008

Sage00 said:
Awesome, so now every territory gets to wait until Holiday 09 for FF13!

Probably. New release Dates = year late euro date.

SantaC · Mar 10, 2008

bad news for JGAF

ram · Mar 10, 2008

Hellraizer said:
BeLIEve

.

they are aiming for that like what....10 years now???

LIARS

Skellig Gra · Mar 10, 2008

So instead of Japan getting it early, all territories get it late.

Community Forum · Mar 10, 2008

Well that's all fine and dandy, but there are a ton of JRPGs that saw improved versions for the US releases.

B-Rad Lascelle · Mar 10, 2008

Still no release dates for FFTA2 and FFIV DS... eh, Square?
Simultaneous indeed. :lol

cw_sasuke · Mar 10, 2008

Hollywood Duo said:
So instead of Japan getting it early, all territories get it late.

ps3 sales in japan am cry :lol

Kill Your Masters · Mar 10, 2008

ram said:
.

they are aiming for that like what....10 years now???

LIARS

Exactly. After reading this news I thought, "huh, someone dug up old Wada news?"

Sandman7 · Mar 10, 2008

The norm.

Which means for anything other than non-remade FFs and DQs they will just say 'The unprecedented demand for the game means we want to spend more time to make the quality of the translation and voice acting the best it can be.' And then the usual years wait.

TheExodu5 · Mar 10, 2008

FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII
FINAL FANTASY XIII

OMG! SIMULTANEOUS! DO IT!

batbeg · Mar 10, 2008

This is going to be like Last Remnant, isn't it?

"A Game for the World...

Simultaneous Worldwide Release!

(Except you, PAL land)"

EDIT:

By the way, seriously though...

FUCK YES SQUARE ENIX! They're already starting this with their portable titles (save Crisis Core :-\). World Ends With You, FFT: War of the Lions, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (I think?)...

Mac the KNife · Mar 10, 2008

Finally, Japan is as boned as the rest of us.

Ermac · Mar 10, 2008

Do want

lyre · Mar 10, 2008

This is merely a convenient excuse to delay FF13 until 20XX if they really need it.

Otherwise, FF13; 2k8; BELIEV!

batbeg · Mar 10, 2008

WAIT! This could suck. Whenever "International" releases come out (ie expanded ones), we won't get them because publishers never do that shit, but we wouldn't have got the extras to begin with because of a simultaneous release.

Or they could just stop that shit and go to DLC, or heaven forbid include everything in the game.

cw_sasuke · Mar 10, 2008

batbeg said:
This is going to be like Last Remnant, isn't it?

"A Game for the World...

Simultaneous Worldwide Release!

(Except you, PAL land)"

btw. wasn`t that game supposed to hit the stores in 1Q of 08 ? :lol

SE seems to be really confused with their releases for the current gen....

webrunner · Mar 10, 2008

UK, US, Canada, Japan, is fine.

But when is it going to get released at the bottom of the ocean

Natsume · Mar 10, 2008

NA + JP = The world according to S-E

I'm calling it now, a year down the line when they are releasing games in NA + JP at the same time they'll deny PAL is in the world

monkeylite · Mar 10, 2008

I hope this explains the huge delay DQ IX is having.

Mmmkay · Mar 10, 2008

Sounds like a pre-emptive excuse for delaying a title or two.

batbeg · Mar 10, 2008

monkeylite said:
I hope this explains the huge delay DQ IX is having.

Huge delay? It wasn't even announced that long ago.

cw_sasuke · Mar 10, 2008

monkeylite said:
I hope this explains the huge delay DQ IX is having.

no, the dq 4,5 and 6 are the explanation for that delay

also they reworked the battle-system....still dq9 christmas 08 worldwide would be fuckin sweet

djtiesto · Mar 10, 2008

Great news, hopefully they will follow through on their promises. I'm sick of waiting 1+ years between releases, that is, if we even get the game at all.

Jamesfrom818 · Mar 10, 2008

PAL land holding all of us back!

jk

Luckyman · Mar 10, 2008

What are SE biggest sellers outside of Japan?

Outside of Final Fantasy there dosen't seem to be much to gain from this for them.

TheExodu5 · Mar 10, 2008

Luckyman said:
What are SE biggest sellers outside of Japan?

Outside of Final Fantasy there dosen't seem to be much to gain from this for them.

Better customer relations?

Dead Prince · Mar 10, 2008

Yes! But where's The Last Remnant?!

thefro · Mar 10, 2008

All this means is the games get delayed everywhere just so Europeans and Australians won't whine

.

HylianScribe · Mar 10, 2008

Square-Enix finally gets it. Everyone should wait the same time so we all get the game at once - these types of games are dependent heavily on narrative, and having it out a year ahead of time in Japan is spoiler death to the rest of us.

antiloop · Mar 10, 2008

Hollywood Duo said:
So instead of Japan getting it early, all territories get it late.

Not Europe though, so this is good.

KZObsessed · Mar 10, 2008

FFXIII Worldwide Release Spring 2009

I WILL BELIEVE!!!

luxarific · Mar 10, 2008

Now if they can just follow this up by releasing their "International" versions with English dubs and/or subs, I can die happy.

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