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Final Fantasy XIII exclusive to Japan in 2009

  • By Mark Walton, GameSpot UK
  • Posted Jan 16, 2009 7:57 am PT

Square Enix's highly anticipated JRPG won't be released outside of island nation until sometime after April 2010 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

At this year's Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix debuted a new trailer for Final Fantasy XIII, its highly anticipated role-playing game slated to arrive for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Aside from the eye candy, Square Enix's trailer also offered the tantalizing promise of a 2009 launch date.

Unfortunately, that promise of a 2009 release apparently applies only to Japan, given that the game isn't going to make it to the US or Europe until the second quarter of 2010 at the very earliest. The news emerged as Square Enix, the game's developer, delivered projections for the remainder of its current fiscal year, which ends March 31.

Square Enix president Yoichi Wada told Reuters that the game was on track for a 2009 PS3-exclusive launch in Japan, with international launches for the Xbox 360 and PS3 coming "in the business year from April 2010 or later."

Final Fantasy has been one of the most successful franchises ever to hit the console market. Since its first incarnation on the NES, the series has sold upward of 85 million units worldwide, with numerous spin-offs and even a feature-length movie adding to its success.

Despite the delay in the launch of Final Fantasy, Square Enix has remained optimistic about its financial outlook for 2009 with a small dip in operating profit of 2.4 percent to 21 billion yen ($236 million) forecast for the year. The company also reported healthy sales for the tail end of 2008 and said "demand has been generally brisk," with key titles such as Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest IV and Final Fantasy VII prequel Crisis Core all hitting shelves throughout the year.

1456 Comments

  • crystal-gardens

    Posted Oct 3, 2009 1:36 am GMT

    They still are on nintendo but there arent very many on wii and i dont think there are any plans for a new one for the ds

  • Tbro13

    Posted Sep 27, 2009 5:34 am GMT

    holyblade107 in the beginning before Sony, FF games were on Nintendo consoles.

  • DBZKING1234

    Posted Jun 23, 2009 9:55 pm GMT

    well guys FF versus XIII is supposed to be a PS3 exclusive so dont get too upset. Its looks better in my opinion

  • matelian

    Posted Jun 5, 2009 4:34 am GMT

    so NO FFXIII for PC i guess ?? : (

  • holyblade107

    Posted May 18, 2009 3:55 pm GMT

    this sucks. why the hell is FF XII being released for 360. FF has always been console exclusive for sony. it pisses me off more that it's now delayed!
    I'm not a sony fanboy or anything, but screw square its time for a new &#@!#$@ Final fantasy Dammit!

  • beny_pimpster

    Posted Apr 18, 2009 7:54 pm GMT

    LOL wish ffx3 dont get release to poobox360 if the developers made it like metal gear solid 4 no way the grand poobox360 can handle it

  • king_chapeton15

    Posted Apr 8, 2009 4:55 pm GMT

    damn xbox steal the best exclusive game for playstation 3 cuz bill gates cant find decent publishers whats next resistance and killzone!

  • Chakusola

    Posted Mar 23, 2009 4:51 pm GMT

    How long has it been, 3 years? I don't remember a game being advertised as a no-show for 3 years... what in the world is Square-Exix thinking?

  • Shadow_Pro

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 10:07 am GMT

    Xbox 360 and PS3 coming "in the business year from April 2010 or later."....................... is MUCH!

  • IamTakkun

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 10:23 pm GMT

    April 2010.... Doubtful.

  • StanleyL GameSpot staff member

    Posted Feb 6, 2009 10:24 am GMT

    testing! now with one edit, now with 2 edits

  • RWF

    Posted Feb 4, 2009 7:43 pm GMT

    This game might most likely be good even though a girl might be the main character. The thing I care about most in this game is the music. If Nobuo Uematsu is not composing the music for it, then I guess I will have to pass on it. Other people may like the music from new composers, but I don't. I have not bought a Final Fantasy game since FFX because he didn't create any music for recent the FF games (FFX-1 and FFXII, He did for FFXI, but it was junk in my eyes, and he composed only the theme music in FFXII). So I am hoping greatly that he composes the music for this game. Bring back that feeling I get when I play the older Final Fantasy games. That feeling that keeps you hooked on this game until you beat it. It's been awhile since I felt that way about a RPG game. Bring back that FF magic, at least for me!!!

  • 666_Laventine

    Posted Feb 4, 2009 5:29 pm GMT

    @peeps saying waiting = better game
    Not always true. Play Too Human & you'll see what I mean

  • corwinn01

    Posted Feb 4, 2009 9:57 am GMT

    I am glad that I am not the only one thinking about learning Japanese. lol

  • GCase1

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 1:51 am GMT

    Time to go buy Rosetta Stone I guess

  • markypants GameSpot staff member

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 1:30 am GMT

    @Master_Griever
    That's my plan as well ;-)

  • Master_Griever

    Posted Jan 27, 2009 7:34 am GMT

    Before I read this article I had decided to race through my collection of Final Fantasies starting at VII (wouldn't have time for the rest I though), but now, I'm not going to race through, I'm going to play them all properly, 80 hours + on FFVII, 60 hours + on VIII, 60 hours+ on IX, 200 hours + on X, 150 hours + on X-2 and 200 hours + on XII, stat maxing, ultimate boss beating glory. Should take me at least a year right?

  • OathKeeper48

    Posted Jan 27, 2009 1:58 am GMT

    wouldn't it be alright if it was all english writing.

  • lil_luz_10

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 8:46 pm GMT

    rage

  • Aussie3318

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 6:03 pm GMT

    If they're going to take that long to do english dubs, they better also change the lip movements of the characters to match that of the english words rather than just a basic dub. I ain't waiting god knows how much longer than the japs just to get less than the full experience that they got to enjoy months earlier.

  • lozvil

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 4:33 pm GMT

    IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME. I'LL JUST WAIT. IF YOU'RE REALLY A FAN OF FF GAMES, YOU SHOULD BE WILLING GO WAIT.

  • StarlightHunter

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 12:59 pm GMT

    well why is is taking so long for this game to come out. and capcom thought about that with dmc4 and that turned to their favour when releasing it on both the xbox and ps3, so why should it only be on the ps3?. its up to the developer.

  • hyde668

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 12:07 pm GMT

    I can wait! I still say that this game should only be on the ps3...sorry. well, at least we get final fantasy 13 versus....YES!!!!!

  • hatmatidor1

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 12:04 pm GMT

    I only care that they make a good game, even if I'm bitterly aged by the time it's released.

  • Gamewako

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 11:52 am GMT

    Yeah, and I'm sOOOoooOOO sure that our buddies @ SE won't be release like a bajillion FF remakes, sequels, spin-offs, in the mean time.

    Quit Baaaawwwwwwing children; Suffice it to say your, as well as my, collective hungers for JPop-heavy sexually ambiguous emo soap opera games will be fed.

    I gaurontee.

  • koolr

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 10:40 am GMT

    People are too lazy to wait.
    They are telling like they will die in the year Q4 2009 and they want to get on their hands on first.
    (Sigh) some gamers are tooooooo lazyy...

  • Tiger626516

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 10:16 am GMT

    @peeps saying waiting = better game
    I can agree with you some on this. But when Japan gets the game that means it is DONE. Meaning no more polishing, no more tweaking no more making it better. So saying wait cause its going to get better then you would hear SE say it would be delayed in Japan also. Main reason for our "Delay" is mainly due to the last minute change in putting it on the 360. Japan market much bigger for the PS3 (hence why they get PS3 version 1st) and the US market is 360 big. So to maximize SE's income they have to place the 360 same time as PS3 here in the US. As much as I hate fact I have to wait longer. Not much we can do but deal with it.

  • Zain-Midori

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 7:33 am GMT

    .........this is..........just.........wtf enix...
    though i do pretty much c why there doing it just been waiting for this game for a while at least give us kh 2 final mix + to keep us busy for the time being

  • f-chopin

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 4:00 am GMT

    It's going to be a long year.

  • ZippyDSMLee

    Posted Jan 25, 2009 11:26 am GMT

    So let me get this right they release it early,polish it for a year then release a handicapped version world wide while they re-release the final product in JP..... you know....if you put English text in the with selectable JP audio in the Intentional version I would buy it for 100$ just to skip bad US dialog and a over all underdeveloped product(cough FF12UScough)......

  • Pork_Lord

    Posted Jan 25, 2009 2:13 am GMT

    The Reuters link is dead

  • Master___C

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 8:55 pm GMT

    does square really need this much time to finish a game? it better be top quality or i'm going to be very disappointed for this wait...

  • PesmergaYuber

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 1:00 pm GMT

    It makes me a little miffed to learn that the delay is caused by the XBOX version of the game... but thanks for explaining it to me at least. Enjoy it XBOX users...

  • hassanfadil

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 9:35 am GMT

    Dat_Azn play the game for me :'(

  • Dat_Azn

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 9:30 am GMT

    luckily i'm japanese so no worries here, except shipping it to the states...

  • hassanfadil

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 9:26 am GMT

    Too bad I was waiting for this

  • pyro2007

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 7:51 am GMT

    i think its BS they can keep their stupid game.....
    I lied im sorry for my fit of nerd rage I just need my FF Fix

  • perryg84

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 1:44 am GMT

    I do not mind the delay as long as they have enough time to get it right. The quality bar for these games is very high.

  • Shiftfallout

    Posted Jan 24, 2009 1:40 am GMT

    @Pesmergayuber, it is due to the 360, if thats any confirmation. Some here think that just because you make a game thats compatible with a system, that its instantaneously gonna work with it. Things dont work that way. There are a ton of changes that will need to be made to make the game work with the 360, as well as the legal and various other processes that need to go through. When you have both Microsoft and Sony involved, issues will arise. The game has already been processed through sony, so its good to go as far as the PS3 is concerned, all thats left is Microsoft, and Microsoft might not be happy with certain things. I guarantee you FF would have been released a few months later if it was just the PS3. Thats the way its always been.

  • PesmergaYuber

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 8:34 pm GMT

    Maybe I'm missing something but can someone please explain to me why it will take so long after it's launch in Japan to introduce this game to North America? It can't possibly take a year to translate and localize a game! My guess is that it has something to do with the fact that they are releasing it for the XBOX 360 (I know there is a lot of comments on this, count me in as one who is dissapointed) . They should do what they do with other titles such as Resident Evil 4, launch right away on the console it was intended for and then release the version for the other consoles.

  • slipknot61174

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 1:45 pm GMT

    I agree wholeheartedly, nicnoflash. I seem to remember a time when you wanted Sonic, you went Sega. You wanted Mario or Zelda, you went Nintendo. There was an expected exclusivity in your console of choice. I miss those days. So on the one hand, I suppose one could argue that with all the multiplatforming going on nowadays, there's no need for Flame Wars: The Attack of the Fanboys. But (!) I still contend that MS monopolizing the industry with a busted system (and man, does that ever say something about our world when we pay $200-400 for a system we know we'll end up replacing countless times and STILL make it number one) is a bad thing not just for Sony but for us all. Just look at WWE when they became the only wrestling company on television. You NEED competition to continue growth in ANY industry. MS is taking that part out of the equation slowly but surely. God help us gamers.

  • Shiftfallout

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 12:12 pm GMT

    @Xenojobeia, Apparently people DO read them. I read them, others like MrFinalFantasy read them. MTM read and replied to every single tit for tat sentence. So yes people do read them and if you are having a problem with that, then perhaps its time to grow up. What you see here is very small, feel free to go to a university where on a daily basis you read and write 50 pages of someone or yours senior thesis, or in journalism where you write and read easily pages upon page of text. Its nothing. When you fill out contracts, do your taxes, pick up a newspaper...it all requires reading, and more so than what you find on this website. Reading long comments here takes less than a minute at most. Im sorry you are having trouble doing what millions of others are doing on a daily basis with no problem.

  • howardorr

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 10:43 am GMT

    Lucky I'm starting th learn Japanese now, then. Should be ready to play the game in Kanji circa 2013.

  • Xenojobeia posted Jan 23, 2009 9:42 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Xenojobeia

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 9:42 am GMT (hide)

    stop with the essay long rants no one reads them your all wasting your time

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