News

Square Store

Posted by: Sean Colleli at 8/25/2007 4:17 PM - Comments (0)
Square-Enix has finally launched its online store, a mecca for rabid Final-Kingdom-Dragon-Hearts-Quest-Fantasy fanatics everywhere.  If you've always wanted Sora's key sword, now's your chance, although I always thought it looked a little unwieldy.  Great for blunt trauma sure, but how can he cut anything with it?


The Wait Is Over! Square Enix, Inc. Launches Official Online Merchandise Store Tonight
U.S. Square Enix Online Store Exclusives Announced

 

LOS ANGELES (August 20, 2007) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, today announced the long-awaited launch of its official U.S. online merchandise store. Launching at 6p.m. PDT, this e-commerce site will allow fans to purchase collectibles from Square Enix’s best-selling franchises, including exclusive items, at: http://www.square-enix-shop.com

 

“We are extremely excited to answer our fans’ requests and sell our goods directly to them,” said Hidemi Matsuzuka, Merchandising Division general manager, Square Enix Co., Ltd. “Now, fans won’t have to hunt for particular Square Enix collectibles, and will always have a place where the merchandise is simply a few clicks away.”

 

The store kicks off with a lineup of high-end figurines and collectibles from top-selling Square Enix franchises such as FINAL FANTASY® and KINGDOM HEARTS. With new products arriving regularly, the official online store is slated to become the ultimate destination for allSquare Enix goods.

 

Featured Items

All items are available now unless noted otherwise.


FINAL FANTASY III TRADING ARTS® mini

A set of five adorable miniature figurines based on the characters from FINAL FANTASY III, now appearing on Nintendo DS™. Available only at the official online store.

Item:                 Ingus (Knight), Luneth (Freelancer), Arc (Red Mage), Refia (Devout & Dragoon).

SRP:                $17.99


FINAL FANTASY / KINGDOM HEARTS MASTER ARMS

No detail has been overlooked in these lifelike weapon replicas from the FINAL FANTASY and KINGDOM HEARTS series. Take the power of the Gunblade or Keyblade into your own hands, faithfully recreated at up to 10 inches. Sold separately, online-exclusive versions available (while supplies last).

 

Items:               Squall's Gunblade from FINAL FANTASY VIII

Seifer's Gunblade from FINAL FANTASY VIII

Cerberus from FINAL FANTASY VII -DIRGE of CERBERUS™-

Kingdom Key from KINGDOM HEARTS

Kingdom Key Dark Side from KINGDOM HEARTS (online exclusive)

SRP:                $34.99 (each)

 

FINAL FANTASY MASTER CREATURES® Vol. 2

The Summons of the FINAL FANTASY world have been recreated in spectacular detail. This collection includes Summons from FINAL FANTASY VII, FINAL FANTASY VIII, FINAL FANTASY IX, FINAL FANTASY X and FINAL FANTASY XII.

Items:               Knights of the Round (FINAL FANTASY VII)

                        Diablos (FINAL FANTASY VIII)

                        Odin (FINAL FANTASY IX)

                        Yojimbo (FINAL FANTASY X)

                        Mateus, the Corrupt (FINAL FANTASY XII)

SRP:                $22.99 (each)

 

FINAL FANTASY MECHANICAL ARTS

The MECHANICAL ARTS series features mecha from the FINAL FANTASY series fully realized as breathtaking figures. The first release includes mecha from FINAL FANTASY VII, FINAL FANTASY X and FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN™.

Item:                 Highwind (FINAL FANTASY VII)

Sister Ray (FINAL FANTASY VII)

Continental Circus, also known as Fahrenheit (FINAL FANTASY X)

Fenrir (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN)

Kadaj’s Motorcycle (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN)

SRP:                $22.99 (each)

 

 

FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN SCULPTURE ARTS

Online Store Exclusive Edition

Cloud and Sephiroth sculptures come together to recreate their unforgettable aerial battle in

FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN, the award-winning CG sequel to the 1997 PS one® game console hit, FINAL FANTASY VII. Relive one of the most memorable scenes of the movie with this detailed masterpiece sculpted completely in polystone. A glowing flame effect has been added to these online store exclusive editions!

Item:                 Cloud Strife

Sephiroth

SRP:                $200.00 (each)

 

FINAL FANTASY XII PLAY ARTS®

The characters of the twelfth installment in the FINAL FANTASY series join the line of PLAY ARTS figurines! Vaan, Ashe, Balthier and Gabranth are recreated in intricate detail, complete with movable joints. Collect all four to complete the FINAL FANTASY XII experience.

Items:               Vaan
Ashe
Balthier
Judge Magister Gabranth

SRP:                $24.99 (each)

 

KINGDOM HEARTS II PLAY ARTS (Phase One)

From the phenomenal series created by Disney and Square Enix, Sora, Roxas, Axel and Kairi are brought to life as highly articulated action figures that can be posed and equipped in a variety of ways.  Relive the excitement of the game that shipped over 10 million units worldwide.

Item:                 Sora
Roxas
Axel
Kairi

SRP:                $24.99 (each)

 

KINGDOM HEARTS II PLAY ARTS (Phase Two)

Pick your favorite, or collect all three forms of Sora in his battle gear! Equipped with various Keyblades and gear, relive the adventure with these colorful recreations of Sora in his Final, Master, Wisdom and Limit forms. 

Item:                 Sora (Final Form)

                        Sora (Master Form)

                        Sora (Wisdom Form)

          Sora (Limit Form) (Online exclusive)

SRP:                $24.99 (each)

 

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS®: THE WAR OF THE LIONS™ TRADING ARTS

Character designer Akihiko Yoshida’s illustrations have been faithfully recreated for this set of four miniature figures based on FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS. Available only at the official online store.

Items:               Ramza

                        Agrias

                        Delita

                        Ovelia

Release:           November 2007

SRP:                $29.99



About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 75 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 43 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

 

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing, and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.

LOTRO Mines of Moria Watcher Raid Caught on Video

by: Eva - - Comments (0)
Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria launched this week and Turbine has been celebrating with a barrage of goodies. I guess you can only keep something this good secret for so long. The latest offering is gameplay footage of the "Watcher Raid." This raid was designed for seasoned veterans that have maxed their level and collected and leveled a substantial legendary item set. The LOTRO: Mines of Moria 'Watcher Raid' trailer is an excellent way to get a close up of the watcher from a safe distance.

GamerDNA and Child's Play Whip Up Contest for Charity

by: Eva - - Comments (0)
GamerDNA and the Child's Play charity are running a new online contest to raise money for Children's Hospitals across the globe. Online gaming communities are invited to take on a little friendly competition. Once entered community members can visit gamerDNA, an online social platform for gamers, to take a multiple choice Decades of Influence Quiz. When you build a profile on gamerDNA, you're asked if you'd like to take short quizzes about your gameplay style and personality. This particular quiz is on innovations in gaming over the last four decades. Once they complete the quiz, gamers will get a badge displaying which decade most effects their style and the name of their community. The community that collects the most badges will score 6 bundles of Nintendo DS systems and games from gamerDNA. There are more specifics in the press release following the break and at www.gamerdna.com/childsplay.

Child's Play was founded in 2003 by Penny Arcade creators Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins. The charity has an annual auction and toy drive to benefit sick children in hospitals worldwide. Just take a look at the map for an idea of all the Children's Hospitals you can reach out to help. If you want to know more, check out the Child's Play website.
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Beyond Protocol is ready for you, are you ready for Beyond Protocol?

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
I've talked about this game for months now and guess what? Beyond Protocol is finally available for download and play. If you have been completing ignoring me (which is a very common hobby) check out some of the past posts .
[READ MORE]

Using America's Army technologies Walter Reed Army Medical Center gives soliders the skills to drive army strong

by: Nathan - - Comments (0)
Many private and public companies, corporations, scientific studies and even the military turn to video game technologies when they want to simulate real life situations. Technology and services from the Army Center for Enhanced Performance, America's Army, GM Mobility, General Motors Automotive Service Education Program at the Community of Baltimore County, Bruno Independent Living Aids and other businesses from the DC area were chipped in to give wounded servicemembers a very useful tool. A state-of-the-art driving simulator that will help them return to driving independence by allowing them and their therapists to gauge how best to get them back on the road. I bet it even has a "support our troops" bumper sticker on the back. [READ MORE]

News Roundup: Tabula Rasa Underground Tomb

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
Thanks to Defunct Games, Cryptic Studios, TheTechLounge, AtomicGamer, Massive Gamer, I4U News, ActionTrip, Tweaknews.net, Techgage, and Digit-Life for today's news roundup.

Prince of Persia goes gold

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
Less than three weeks away, Ubisoft's beautifully envisaged Prince of Persia has gone gold.  Even though it's headed to the presses, it's still not too late for the free Limited Edition Upgrade if you pre-order.  The Limited Edition comes with:
  • Limited Edition packaging [which often means a unique slip cover that gets thrown away]
  • An exclusive look at the making of Prince of Persia
  • A Prima digital mini-strategy guide full of developer's secrets
  • A digital art book chronicling the game's journey from concept to winner of Best Artistic Design at E3 2008
  • The original soundtrack scored by composer Inon Zur
  • [Plus the catch-all] And much more...

Rock Band DLC strikes a "Jesus Christ Pose" with the "Red Devil"

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
Heads up on Tuesday's Rock Band releases.  The Killers will have a triple-pack featuring Hot Fuss's "Mr. Brightside" and "Smile Like You Mean It"; there's also "Spaceman" on there, but I have to confess that I have no idea what that track is.  Plus an '80s shred master, Yngwie (pronounced ING-vay) Malmsteen, has his own triple-pack:  "Caprici Di Diablo," "Damnation Game," and "Red Devil."  Note the preoccupation with Beelzebub.  But not to be outdone, the band formerly known as Burn the Priest, Lamb of God brings "Laid to Rest" as the top-tier example of their "pure American death metal."  Fun for the whole family!  And Soundgarden rounds out Tuesday's releases with "Jesus Christ Pose" (no, next Tuesday is not a Christian music extravaganza) and "Pretty Noose."  All very uplifting stuff for the Rock Band audience. [READ MORE]

New screenshots for the four-player Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce

by: Randy - - Comments (0)
It's no longer 1-on-1,000 when you go up against Dynasty Warriors odds.  With Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce (PSP) the odds can be as high as 4-on-1,000 as buddies link up for multiplayer button mashing.  New screenshots are out for the 2009 title.
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Tabula Rasa shutting down

by: John - - Comments (2)
First General British leaves NCSoft and now Tabula Rasa is going to be shutting down as well. NCSoft has made a post stating that the game will be turned off on February 28th, 2009. For those that want to play, it'll be free starting January 10th, 2009 so you get a month and change of free play if you want to try it out. I remember Richard Garriot talking about this venture many, many moons ago at E3 and it's sad to see it didn't have the success that we thought it would. It was a long time coming and a short time here.

Grand Theft Auto IV PC has some cool new features, out December 2

by: John - - Comments (0)
The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV is coming out on December 2nd with cool new features. First off, there's going to be an additional radio station where you can stick in your own MP3s. The big new feature though is the Social Club TV where you can record in game footage in both single and multiplayer games. Use the built in editor to change camera angles, audio, speed, and add special effects. Create your own video and share it with others. Anyone can watch but members are the only ones that can post videos. Sounds pretty slick and I might have to pick it up on the PC to finish off what I started on the 360 before my disc died.

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Sony says you must put trophies in your game starting in 2009

by: John - - Comments (0)
Come January 2009, all games must support the trophy system on the PlayStation 3 Videogamer reports. This seems like an obvious request to me as Sony has spent a considerable amount of time and man power to implement a feature like that into their system. Now we'll see some consistency in the system knowing that any game in the future will let you earn trophies... if you are into that sort of thing.

Crafting my New Xbox Experience avatar

by: Randy - - Comments (2)
PhotobucketDo you hear what I hear?  That's the sound of my Xbox 360 no longer hitting Boeing jet decibels when Fable II is spinning in the tray.

Thanks to the crispy fresh NXE (New Xbox Experience), I download Peter Molyneux's ear-bleedingly-loud-in-the-tray role-playing game from the disc and onto the hard drive.  It took a grand total of 12 minutes.  And, let me be frank for just a moment, there's absolutely nothing else I did for 12 minutes this week that gave me the warm-fuzzy feeling that I'm feeling right now with Fable II.  In Fable II, if you're still running it from the disc, you don't have to do anything more than stand around an uneventful town square and you'll have to engage your 5.1 speakers at 80% just to hear what the in-game town crier is shouting right next to you.  But now?  The gravel-churning sound from my 360 has ceased.  Calmed itself.  Found peace and understanding with itself.

And it has graciously granted me a slice of that same peace.

But then with Grace, my wife, nestling next to me on the couch -- though she doesn't know why I'm dragging her in front of the 360 -- I open up the Avatar Customization screen.  The bright NXE spectrum splashes against the backdrop and I gingerly hand the controller to Grace.  "Okay," I say, no hubris in my tone, "it's time to make me!"

With very little hesitation in her movement, Grace makes a slightly-below-medium height fellow with caramel-colored skin, hair black and slightly slicked back, then skillfully fits him into a pair of Timbalands, dark jeans, and a straight-lined jacket.  Not bad, I say.  Not bad at all.

I grow distressed, however, when she keeps trying to adjust my avatar's chubby factor.  "Is that all the further it goes to the right?"  She looks at my stomach, looks at the avatar, looks at my stomach again.  "Hm," she says.  "Maybe you'll be that skinny again.  Someday."

She then promptly puts a wedding ring on my avatar's finger and then heads for the Facial Features screen.  She flips around the options, chuckling at a few, and settles on dropping a scar over my avatar's right eye.

"Hey?" I say.

"Hey," she stops me.  "Do you want to be you, or do you actually want to be interesting?"

Warhammer Online Destruction Epic Armor concept art

by: Randy - - Comments (2)
It can be easy to dismiss concept art, especially when a game is already launched and the proof is in the pudding, and not in the recipe.  But it's admirable when we can take a look in-game and see just how close the digital artists got (and I'd say they got pretty durn close) -- especially within MMOs, where countless shortcuts and efficiencies have to take precedence to make for smoother online gameplay.

This batch of concept artistry is a parade of Warhammer Online's Destruction Epic Armors.  These are the suits everyone is ultimately after, and any of them would cut a frightening silhouette on a battlefield.  Developer Mythic presents the epic armor for the Zealot, Chosen, Magus, Shaman, Marauder, Squig Herder, Sorceress, Witch Elf, and Disciple of Khaine: