News Article: HELL FREEZES OVER! Square, FF on Nintendo!
News Date: 03/08/2002
Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
Link: http://nni.nikkei.co.jp
Discuss it in the Forum!
Remember Yamauchi´s fund to support development? Square´s getting some of that money to make Final Fantasy games for GameCube and GBA. No, this is not a joke.
Major props to Powder, who sent us this extremely important news tip! According to the Saturday morning (in Japan) edition of the popular Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper, Square and Nintendo are getting back together to bring Final Fantasy back to Nintendo fans on both GameCube and Game Boy Advance! Here´s an excerpt from Nikkei´s website. You can see the full story by registering there (credit card required, but you get a two-week free trial period during which you can cancel at any time).
OSAKA (Nikkei)--Nintendo Co. (7974) has agreed to resume procuring the popular "Final Fantasy" video game software for its game consoles from Square Co. (9620) after a five-year hiatus, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Friday.
The big news in this is not only is Square coming back, but Hiroshi Yamauchi himself is funding Square´s return, by virtue of Fund Q, the fund set aside to help spark game development on GameCube. The new company to be stared by Square and Akitoshi Kawazu (one of Final Fantasy´s developers), should be founded by the end of March.
Another important quote ...
The deal calls on the Square affiliate to produce software allowing users of two Nintendo consoles -- the GameCube and Game Boy Advance -- to play together by the end of the year.
"... to play together"? What does that mean???
Surely the first game to come out of this new venture will be Final Fantasy XI, as Square has been adamant about wanting the game on every console. But could we see a port of Final Fantasy X? And how does the GameBoy Advance fit in? There are a lot more questions to be answered yet.
Still, gamers´ prayers have been answered. Square is officially back on Nintendo.
Billy says: This has been confirmed officially by NCL. In a related note, millions of gamers have just shit their pants.
Rick says: I knew it was cold when it started snowing in Seattle in March. But this ... wow.
Who knew that we´d ever see Square on a Nintendo platform while Yamauchi was still head of Nintendo? And with this own money even!!!
Jonathan says: I´m in awe. I know as well as anyone the problems with Final Fantasy and their decline in recent years, but regardless, this is, market-wise, an incredible coup for Nintendo. That´s not to even mention the now highly possible appearance of FFXI (online) for GameCube and all the classic FFs and other Square masterpieces being ported to GBA with enhancements. SPOOGE!
David says: If Final Fantasy games start launching on GameCube and PS2 at the same time, this will be a major blow to Sony. This may also further ease the minds at Enix about bringing DQVIII to GameCube as well as (or instead of) PS2. *pinches self*
Mike S says: This has skechy written all over it. I´m looking at the wording here. "Square-affiliate" bugs me. Affiliates don´t make THE Final Fantasy. They make spin-off Final Fantasy games. I´m talking about stuff like Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy. Stuff like that. The way this story is worded makes it sound like the actual "Final Fantasy" series itself won´t make it to the GameCube (at least not right away). Oh well, I guess some Square is better than no Square.
David says: Perhaps the whole affiliate thing has something to do with the fact that Sony owns 20\% of Square. Or maybe it hints towards the fact that we´ll be getting late ports instead of the simultaneous launches I mentioned above. Either way, I think it´s pretty clear that Nikkie said "Final Fantasy". If they weren´t talking about the main series, they would have said so.
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