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Japanese Final Fantasy XII gets premium price

  • By Hirohiko Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Dec 1, 2005 12:47 pm PT

Next Square-Enix RPG to cost nearly $80 when released across the Pacific in March; merchandising deals announced.

TOKYO--Some things are so indispensable that retailers can charge just about whatever they want for them and people will still pay: medicine, gasoline, alcohol, Xbox 360s, and--in Japan at least--big-name Square Enix role-playing games.

Square Enix announced at a conference in Tokyo today that when Final Fantasy XII hits shelves there March 16, it will carry with it a heftier price tag than most PlayStation 2 games. Where the typical PS2 new release in Japan goes for 7,140 yen ($59.53), Final Fantasy XII will fetch 8,990 yen ($74.96). That's about $15 more than the norm but still not quite up to the 9,240 yen ($77.05) Square Enix charged for Dragon Quest VIII at its Japanese release last year. Even that sticker shock couldn't drive gamers away, as Dragon Quest VIII launched to throngs of eager customers.

American gamers who aren't willing to pay a premium for the next Final Fantasy needn't worry too much. Just as Dragon Quest VIII arrived on US shores with the standard price tag, online retailers GameStop and EB Games are likewise asking the expected $49.99 for preorders of Final Fantasy XII.

Square Enix also used the conference to announce some merchandising plans for its latest role-playing game. The game's main theme music (not to be confused with its main theme song), will be composed by Taro Hakase, a music producer who worked with the popular Japanese band Kryzler & Company in 1987. Hakase said he has been working on the project with Square Enix for two years.

A CD single of the song, titled "Kibou" (Hope), will beat Final Fantasy XII to stores with a March 1 release. It will be offered in two packages; the bare bones edition will run customers 1,050 yen ($8.75), and a special edition with the CD and a promotional DVD featuring clips of FFXII and Hakase will cost 1,680 yen ($14).

Square Enix also unveiled plans to collaborate on a new energy drink with Suntory, the largest beverage company in Japan. Kazuhiro Saitou, chief of Suntory's food business division, said the upcoming Final Fantasy Potion energy drink will revitalize drinkers, much like a potion does in the game. While the drink is still in development, Suntory is attempting to give Final Fantasy Potion a refreshing taste with the use of herbs, such as hyssop and lemon balm. The beverage will be offered in a normal package and a "premium box" package, which comes with a special bottle and a Final Fantasy XII Art Museum Card.

Final Fantasy XII is scheduled for a North American release August 1, 2006. Gamers who don't want to wait that long can nab a demo of the game packaged with Dragon Quest VIII.

45 Comments

  • Nerissa

    Posted Jan 27, 2006 9:19 pm GMT

    I would never pay that much for a game, I don't care who made it. What a rip.

  • dragonist1

    Posted Jan 19, 2006 2:39 pm GMT

    I would pay extra -__-;

  • iori666

    Posted Dec 3, 2005 10:12 am GMT

    Playstation 3 will probably be launched in Japan in Spring of 2006, so why would they add a premium to an older generation game? If anything, you would think thety might lower the price. Guess them Japanese REEEAALLLY love their rpg's.

  • deleteduser

    Posted Dec 3, 2005 5:43 am GMT

    "I would still have bought it at $80... "

    O yes they know you would.....That is why they will tag it that way.

  • crossdx

    Posted Dec 3, 2005 2:22 am GMT

    Paying extra to play it earlier, sounds like a fair trade-off if you ask me.

  • xshaftx

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 7:55 pm GMT

    Im gonna sit on my ass with the joypad in one hand and a potion drik in the other and play final fantasy XII till my eyes pop out ;-)

    I dont care what the game will cost !

    ME.... WANT....... FINAL XII.......................... NOOOOW

  • Alpha1972

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 2:43 pm GMT

    High End games deserve high end cash. Square just jump ahead above the rest. As long as we pay they will raise the price till they don't sells don't figure.

    Law of business supply and demand.

    It like here in the USA there was 2 version of Xbox 360's, one for $299 and another for $399. In Japan there will be one version offered for $350. Two different country and deals, according to our society and economy.

    $80 Buck for a game oh well as long there a market for it... There but here it will be $49.99 , don't expect the same content.

  • Sabtura

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 10:38 am GMT

    How much is that in Gil?

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 6:05 am GMT

    I would have been missing out on FFXII if they had charge $80 over here in the North American market. I don't exactly like the idea of paying $60 for X360 games, so $80 would have definitely been a no-go for me.

  • pavelbure

    Posted Dec 2, 2005 5:53 am GMT

    to the people that think final fantasy is the most popular in the world, try the dragon quest series, it is the most popular rpg, not final fantasy.

  • KuramaKaoru

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 8:56 pm GMT

    Glad it's gonna be 50 as much as I'd love FFXII I would NOT buy it for 80 unless it came with some good items.

  • macmaster1

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 8:47 pm GMT

    All i know is that if i was japanese i would be upset. Square enix is overpricing it own countrymen. I guess if they over charge the japanese gamers it will help keep the cost down for American gamer's. Life is unfair,LOL.

  • Mp5slipknot

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 7:49 pm GMT

    So wait, a Final Fantasy energy drink? Square-Enix truely is becomming $quare-Enix. Guess they will be the EA of Japan eh?

  • ff7cloudking

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 5:29 pm GMT

    I would have bought it at 80$... actually I would have bought anything square dished out at 80$ lol

  • dennis_phong

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 5:05 pm GMT

    Im still getting it

  • Zidaneski

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 4:57 pm GMT

    I would pay $80 for FFXII, but then there goes my senior yearbook. Its amazing how popular Final Fantasy is, you'll be hard pressed to find someone of (reasonable age) that doesn't know what Final Fantasy is. Its about time they created the potion, ever since I was little I would imagine what a potion would taste like, though I assumed it would taste bitter.

  • GyRo567

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 4:21 pm GMT

    You'd have to pay me to play a Final Fantasy game in the first place! XD I'll enjoy laughing at people who pay 80 bucks.

  • RyuKazama

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:48 pm GMT

    Pssh! I don't mind paying $80. You people in the US should count yourselves ridiculously lucky for not paying what Japanese and the UK have to for software. Most games now are £30 here (not £40, they dropped it to £30 now) but big titles like FF will go to £35 (now, before it would have been £45).

    I'll probably import it. I hope to get my hands on this drink too. 2 bottles maybe...gotta try one and keep the other...even if it does get out of date, crazy people will still buy it.

  • FX102

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:41 pm GMT

    We pay £40 anyway here for any PS2, Gamecube and XBOX in the shops (£30 online), so convert to dollars or yen and our standard prices are not that different. This is exactly why I went crazy on game purchases when I visited the States in summer.

    Damn VAT, we have to live with such high prices all the time.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:38 pm GMT

    Don't forget the tax.

  • tutukun

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:38 pm GMT

    i can think of a better way to spend my $80, n wait until the price goes down abit . 80$ for a game is just ridiculous

  • Digital-Devil

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:34 pm GMT

    just gimme the dang game i dont care if its $100 i'm ready for a new FF game ^.^

  • MHKnights

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 3:18 pm GMT

    Whatever. I won't pay full price for yet another repetitive, been-there-done-that FF game. I may get it when it hits the $20 mark. And you couldn't pay me to drink that sugar water energy drink, blech.

  • MadGamer132

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:59 pm GMT

    can't wait to play the demo!

  • _sean_05

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:45 pm GMT

    erm, all games cost more in Japan.....>_>......and where can i get these potions? question: if a potion is $2 then how much will a megalixir be???

  • HardWood

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:39 pm GMT

    it can still cost more than $50 here in the us

  • Sagacious_Tien

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:38 pm GMT

    What a rip off to Japanese consumers. No wonder their gaming industry is losing customers.

  • ROCKINGFOOL

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:22 pm GMT

    well idont blame square enix for puting ahiger price tage cuz first dragon quest comes every 4 to 5 years and finel fanatsy is actually the most popular rpg in the world thanx to finel fantasy7 so if iam the producers of thease game i can say 100$ is afine number and still ppl will gona buy it

  • Roybott

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:18 pm GMT

    A Final Fantasy Potion drink, now thats a kool idea!!! lol

    Who can say they wouldn't atleast buy one of them to try it?!?!?!?

  • vaejas

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:12 pm GMT

    Bah, back in my time we had to cough up $120 of allowance for Phantasy Star 2 on launch day with its 16 bits of "6 Mega Memory." I bet SquareEnix doesn't even include a spoiler hintbook riddled with typos and misprinted maps! Lordy, those were the days... what ever happened to Sega anyhoo?

  • Fahim2

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 2:11 pm GMT

    Oh wow, an energy potion i can actually drink!!! As if one wouldn't feel like an utter TOOL. God bless the japanese

  • Eclipse_ShinRa

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:55 pm GMT

    I cant wait for it^^ the drink i cant wai tto buy

  • Redstorm

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:46 pm GMT

    I wouldn't pay $80 for a freakin game. No way!!

  • shutdown_202

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:35 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • Eclipse_ShinRa

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:31 pm GMT

    I world buy it if it was $100 XD
    I think its a cool idea..^^

  • halvedlife

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:23 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • halvedlife

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:22 pm GMT

    Playstation 3 will probably be launched in Japan in Spring of 2006, so why would they add a premium to an older generation game? If anything, you would think thety might lower the price. Guess them Japanese REEEAALLLY love their rpg's.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:22 pm GMT

    I would still have bought it at $80...

  • player66

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:22 pm GMT

    [...said the upcoming Final Fantasy Potion energy drink will revitalize drinkers, much like a potion does in the game.]

    I'm suprised Rockstar didn't capatalize on this marketing tactic for The Warriors. They could have sold real-world "flash" which would "revitalize users" just like in the game (hopefully without the nasty side-effect of a life-long addiction). Oh well, we can always hope...

  • doomed51

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:14 pm GMT

    wow, S-E raking in that dough!! at least in Japan

  • artillery

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:08 pm GMT

    It wouldn't bother me to pay $65 ($15 more) for FF12.

  • nova1979

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:08 pm GMT

    But they also get it months before we do, so I don't feel that bad.

  • superkoolstud

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:08 pm GMT

    Looks like one to Netflix.

  • Goze

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 1:03 pm GMT

    Supply and demand =).

  • RykuXr

    Posted Dec 1, 2005 12:56 pm GMT

    I'm glad it's gona be $50 instead of $80 over here. Sucks for the Japanese.

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