E3 2011: Final Fantasy series tops 100 million

LOS ANGELES--When Square Enix closed on Eidos in April 2009, the publisher offered a glimpse at the strength of its portfolio, saying that its blockbuster Final Fantasy franchise had sold some 85 million units since 1987. Now, just over two years on, and the Final Fantasy series has completed that first big centennial milestone.

As part of the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo today, Square Enix said that the Final Fantasy series has now shipped more than 100 million units worldwide. The Final Fantasy series joins a small-but-growing group of titles that have exceeded the 100 million mark, including Mario, The Sims, Tetris, FIFA, and Need for Speed.

The Final Fantasy series had a big year in 2010, having welcomed two new major installments to its ranks. In March, Square Enix's long-awaited Final Fantasy XIII arrived for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to a strong critical reception. The publisher also launched a new Final Fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online game, Final Fantasy XIV, though it fared far worse with critics.

At this year's E3, Square Enix is showing off Final Fantasy XIII-2, the sequel to last year's hit. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is slated to arrive in Japan this year, and GameSpot will post impressions of the game from the show soon. Also, check out XIII-2's new trailer below. The publisher is also working on Final Fantasy XIII Versus.