Square Enix has revealed plans for the UK launch of Final Fantasy XII. From 12pm to 2pm on February 23, the world of Final Fantasy will takeover HMV on Oxford Street in London.

You'll be able to meet the executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu and director Hiroshi Minagawa and ask them about all those years of Random Battles, among other things.

The first 100 people to buy the game during the two-hour launch event will receive an exclusive Moogle soft toy and a CD soundtrack featuring five songs from the game. The following 200 people to buy the game will also receive the soundtrack.

But we're looking forward to the Cosplay competition, in which you could win a trip to Japan. Square Enix talent spotters will be in the store looking for their favourite costumes. We can't wait.

via cvg ...

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via gibiz

Ready At Dawn president Didier Malenfant has told GamesIndustry.biz that Sony's performance in the next-gen console market will be determined by the actions of the company itself, not those of its rivals.

"It's their market to lose. That's the reality," Malenfant observed.

"It doesn't depend on Nintendo or Microsoft - it depends on them. They've got a great platform in the PS3, they've got great teams working with them, but every hardware transition is difficult.

"Next-gen involves a lot of money, it's a big investment, and it's going to be a difficult time of transition whether you're Microsoft or Sony."

Malenfant conceded that Sony's image has suffered in recent months, stating, "I think that's the price you pay for being the number one player in the industry. You can see that with Microsoft with operating systems - after a while, you become the favourite target."

He went on to argue that the negative press surrounding the company has worked in its competitor's favour: "All the buzz about Sony nicely hid the fact that Microsoft weren't selling many 360s and didn't really have any good games until Gears of War came out. I think everybody is in a similar position if you look at how PR gets handled and how things are interpreted."

Malenfant co-founded Ready At Dawn in 2003, and the studio has since produced PSP-exclusive title Daxter. RAD is now working with Sony once again on a new PSP game - but that doesn't mean that if the studio moves into next-gen development it will automatically look to the PlayStation 3.

"It all depends on the project. It could be PS3 or 360 or both," Malenfant said.

"If we find a game we're excited about and it happens to be on 360, we'll go for it. We just work with what the platform's capable of and get the most out of it rather than focusing on limitations." ...

Super Paper Mario will be released for Nintendo Wii on 9th April in the States, Nintendo told its American buddies this afternoon, confirming an earlier report in Nintendo Power to the effect that it would be out that month.

Developed by Intelligent Systems, Super Paper Mario had originally been lined up for the GameCube, but with that console's demise hastened by Wii excitement the game shifted to the newer format, where its platform and role-playing hybrid style will have a chance to find a wide early audience.

Like the N64 and GameCube Paper Mario games (and, to some extent, Alphadream's Mario & Luigi series) before it, Super Paper Mario will consist of side-scrolling platform-style gameplay, directed by holding the Wiimote sideways and using it like a regular game controller, but interestingly it will allow players to switch to three dimensions to aid exploration. Players will also collect Pixls, which add game functionality that draws upon Wiimote capabilities.

If that sounds a bit vague, it's because there simply isn't a huge amount known of the game. The good news is that, given the unquestionable pedigree of past Paper Mario games, it's probably a bit of a dead cert. Expect to see it ripped lovingly to pieces pretty soon after the 9th.

via eurogamer ...

The first details of LucasArts' PS3 and Xbox 360 Star Wars project have finally emerged, from the latest issue of US mag Game Informer.

It's called Star Wars: Force Unleashed and takes place between Episode III and Episode IV, when new Sith on the block Darth Vader is out to wipe the galaxy clean of runaway Jedi.

As Vader's apprentice, you're on a secret mission to dive head-first into the forbidden Dark Side of the force, take out the emperor and rule the galaxy as master and apprentice. Awww.

Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are being developed in-house at Lucasarts, while PS2, PSP and DS duties have been outsourced to another, unnamed developer.

George Lucas reportedly has a lot of input in the project, and even helped design some of the characters.

Force Unleashed uses LucasArts' much-touted Eurphoria engine, which calculates environmental damage such as smashing crates in real-time. One given example of the tech is how a tree will either break in two or splinter realistically depending on how you hit it. Likewise, steel will dent appropriately when damaged your fancy Force powers.

And speaking of Force powers, many of the world-bending tricks from the E3 tech demo are present in Force Unleashed, including the "cannon ball"-like force push, with controls presented in a similar vein to the excellent Psi-Ops.

One scene reportedly has you battling Jedi Knight Shaak Ti in the Jedi Temple, after the galaxy-wide order to exterminate of the Jedi. There's also the suggestion of being able to control your own pack of Rancors, the gigantic beasties that Jabba the Hutt likes to keep under his gaff.

But we all know how Star Wars ends so it's going to be a very predictable cock-up for Vadar's Palpatine-trouncing plans, right? LucasArts promises to shake up the Star Wars lore with alternate endings in Unleashed, where the bad guys really can win.

We'll bring you more details - and hopefully media - as it arrives. Where's the Wii version though? Perfect for the Wii Remote...

via cvg ...

The first details of LucasArts' PS3 and Xbox 360 Star Wars project have finally emerged, from the latest issue of US mag Game Informer.

It's called Star Wars: Force Unleashed and takes place between Episode III and Episode IV, when new Sith on the block Darth Vader is out to wipe the galaxy clean of runaway Jedi.

As Vader's apprentice, you're on a secret mission to dive head-first into the forbidden Dark Side of the force, take out the emperor and rule the galaxy as master and apprentice. Awww.

Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are being developed in-house at Lucasarts, while PS2, PSP and DS duties have been outsourced to another, unnamed developer.

George Lucas reportedly has a lot of input in the project, and even helped design some of the characters.

Force Unleashed uses LucasArts' much-touted Eurphoria engine, which calculates environmental damage such as smashing crates in real-time. One given example of the tech is how a tree will either break in two or splinter realistically depending on how you hit it. Likewise, steel will dent appropriately when damaged your fancy Force powers.

And speaking of Force powers, many of the world-bending tricks from the E3 tech demo are present in Force Unleashed, including the "cannon ball"-like force push, with controls presented in a similar vein to the excellent Psi-Ops.

One scene reportedly has you battling Jedi Knight Shaak Ti in the Jedi Temple, after the galaxy-wide order to exterminate of the Jedi. There's also the suggestion of being able to control your own pack of Rancors, the gigantic beasties that Jabba the Hutt likes to keep under his gaff.

But we all know how Star Wars ends so it's going to be a very predictable cock-up for Vadar's Palpatine-trouncing plans, right? LucasArts promises to shake up the Star Wars lore with alternate endings in Unleashed, where the bad guys really can win.

We'll bring you more details - and hopefully media - as it arrives. Where's the Wii version though? Perfect for the Wii Remote...

via cvg ...

via cvg

To celebrate the release of Realtime World's brilliant free-roaming car-flinger Crackdown this Friday, CVG has teamed up with Microsoft to give away three copies of the game complete with Halo 3 beta invites.

To enter head on over to the competition page, ...

The game profile page for Spider-Man 3 on the EB Games website suggests that the Wii version of Spiderman 3 will contain two extra characters: Morbius and Shriek.

The same EBGames page also contains a detailed list of features for the game. These include a new combat system, unique powers that differ when Spider-man changes from his normal suit to the new black one, and a Wii-specific control system that will give players the "sensation of swinging through the city via the Wii Remote".

Oblivious as to where the retail site obtained this information, with nothing regarding exclusive content having been officially announced, CVG went on the prowl.

Activision told CVG that the existence of these characters were not part of any official announcement made by Activision, and therefore suggested that EBGames' claim is mere rumour and speculation.

Could this be part of a leaked press release? We'll keep our ears close to the ground.

via cvg ...

Sony has revealed that the first 500,000 "purchasers" of PS3 who registered on the PlayStation Network will receive a Blu-ray version of Casino Royale.

The deal's a bit similar to the one Microsoft offered with offering an HD version of King Kong when you picked up the 360 HD-DHD player. Casino Royale's obviously a better film though...

Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing said, "The PlayStation Network unlocks the broad range of interactive entertainment features of PlayStation 3. It's easy to set up, offers free online gaming, has great tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and includes a wide variety of content for download through the PlayStation Store."

via cvg ...