In fact, with the game being released on a normal day instead of the day after Christmas, maybe someone in Europe will notice its release — something we suspect may be a problem for a game that has been under the radar for most of its development.

Crystal Bearers dives into Europe February 5 originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sometimes new information comes from the strangest sources. Apparently, when Square-Enix made their last update to the Final Fantasy XIV with two new jobs revealed, they added a little something unexpected. Not what would have been expected, either — it was the support site for the game. Since the game is yet to be released or even have a finalized date published, said site contains only a handful of questions, which largely contain no new information… but there are at least two interesting pieces to be gleaned from the site, one minor and one slightly larger.

The smaller piece of information is the list of supported platforms for the game: Windows PC and Playstation 3. That isn’t exactly new information, but it’s confirmed. The slightly larger tidbit is the confirmation that Japanese releases of Final Fantasy XIII will contain a code to obtain an exclusive in-game item for Final Fantasy XIV. The answer specifies that plans to include said code in the North American or European releases have yet to be decided… which could mean anything. Will the item be exclusive to Japanese players to compensate for the game having a global launch instead of one in Japan first a la Final Fantasy XI? Will the item be cosmetic or have some game impact? Will there be different items based on region? No answers are yet forthcoming, but it should be an interesting tidbit for fans looking forward hungrily to the game’s release some time in 2010.

Final Fantasy XIV support page located originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tweet about Xbox Final Fantasy XIII, win a mystery prize originally appeared on Joystiq Xbox on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix has announced their highly anticipated RPG, Final Fantasy XIII, will be coming to U.S. shores on March 09, 2010.  This will be the first foray in High Definition for the popular series.  Another first for the series, this one is going multi-platform!  Both Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be able to enjoy Final Fantasy XIII.

Final Fantasy XIII will take players on an epic tale through the worlds of Cocoon and Pulse.  With an improved active battle system, a new paradigm system, and a swanky summoning mechanic, there will be lots for fans to experience.

Keep it locked here for more details as the March 09, 2010 release date nears.

When Shonen Jump recently revealed Square Enix’s intention to include a “campaign code” for something in Final Fantasy XIV with the first printing of Final Fantasy XIII, we weren’t sure what to make of it. Thankfully, Famitsu’s latest issue (translated by Andriasang) details the inter-franchise crossover content a bit more, calling it a “secret in-game item” and reporting it can be input before the upcoming MMO opens up to the public for a “limited edition item” of some type. It’s unclear if the item will be available for use in the PC beta.

Apparently, Famitsu also notes that the item is exclusive to Japan and, though limited, will be included with all FFXIII PS3 bundles (also Japan-exclusive). Since we’re certain that someone reading this is currently weighing the import costs of one of those bundles against the value of an exclusive virtual goody, we hope for you and your family’s sake that a friend is by your side, calling in an intervention right now. It’s really for the best.

Japanese Final Fantasy XIII includes ’secret in-game item’ for FFXIV originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers Screenshots -1.052009-11-09 18:21:00Maura S

Gamekyo have published new screenshots from the forthcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers exclusive Wii™ game. The game has certainly been a long time coming, having been announced at E3 2006, so it’s great to know that the release is just around the corner, in North America and Japan at least; Europe will have to wait a little longer. Curses.

The story continues one thousand years on from the events of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube. It follows the adventures of a young crystal bearer, Layle, a mercenary who has been hired to provide an escort for the new passenger airship, the Alexis. When the Alexis is attacked by an army of monsters, the fun really begins… Can’t wait for this one – some of the gameplay looks insane, such as Layle picking up cows and using their udders to fire missiles!

You can visit the official website , Facebook or Twitter page to learn more about the game and get all sorts of goodies, including an Official Fan Kit, developers’ diaries, wallpapers and competitions to win signed copies of the game.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers will be released in North America on 26^th December at a RRP of $49.99. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB (alcohol reference, crude humour, fantasy violence, mild language, suggestive themes).

Square Enix has posted on their shop the Japanese boxart for Final Fantasy XIII.

No confirmation if other versions of Final Fantasy XIII will have the same boxart. But there is a good chance.

The game is coming out in Japan on December 17 for the Playstation 3.

Though the effeminate hairstyles have managed to stay in tact as the Final Fantasy franchise has evolved, one element seems to change from game to game: The character progression system. From Materia to Guardian Forces to the Sphere Grid and plain ol’ leveling up, the series has introduced some novel forms of strengthening your characters. It sounds like Final Fantasy XIII will be no different — according to the latest issue of Shonen Jump, the RPG introduces a new progression system called “Crystalium.”

Andriasang laid out the gist of how the system operates — instead of gaining experience from battles, players earn “Crystal Points,” which they can then spend on new abilities and stat boosts which are arranged on a circular chart. As you progress down one of the chart’s specialization trees, you unlock stronger abilities; Fire leads to Fira, and so on. Sounds a lot like the aforementioned Sphere Grid — but we suppose we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on the game before we can make a more insightful assessment.

Final Fantasy XIII character progression system explained originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click to My Life as a King-size

If you purchase the game from Amazon (current price: $44.99), you’ll get a 2010 calendar. If you opt for Best Buy, you’ll get a soundtrack sampler, which probably has tracks from the game, rather than Bon Jovi singles. GameStop’s offer is $5 off of reservations, but that’s not terribly appealing, given that the reduced price is the same as what Amazon is offering, with no extra stuff.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers: The Pre-order Bonuses originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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