Square Enix launches teaser countdown

Latest attempt at viral marketing shows a pastoral view, faint MIDI music, and the number "4"--leading some to link page to "4 Warriors of Light" trademark.

During May and June, Konami gave much of the gaming press heartburn with a series of teaser timers leading up to the announcements of Metal Gear Rising, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Today, Square Enix did something similar by launching a bare-bones teaser site bearing a clock counting down to 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.

Countdown...to what?

Other than the clock, not much else is on the Web site except a hand-drawn sketch of a rustic countryside that slowly appears on the crinkled pseudo-parchment background. A couple of cottages are nestled in this quaint picture, both overlooking a central cobblestone bridge that hangs over a small creek. The landscape is decorated with a variety of large, well-kept trees. A large number "4" is displayed prominently in the meadow to the right, under the timer. By turning up the volume, a faint majestic-sounding MIDI-tune can also be heard.

While the theme is unfamiliar, there are hints as to what the game might be. According to the Industrial Property Digital Library--Japan's answer to the US Patent and Trademark Office--Square Enix trademarked the title "Hikari no 4 Senshi" (4 Warriors of Light) this past April. In its description, items ranging from video game software to mobile phone straps and collectible trading cards could be covered by the trademark.

One theory is that the aforementioned "4 Warriors of Light" could be related to the original band of heroes in the first Final Fantasy, which was released in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Since then, the Final Fantasy series has gone on to sell more than 85 million units worldwide on a host of platforms. Most recently, the PlayStation Network reissue of Final Fantasy VII sold 100,000 copies in two weeks just this past month.

323 Comments

  • NuKkU

    Posted Jul 20, 2009 9:40 am PT

    a remake of FF1 really that would be awesome

  • kittenmanger

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 3:00 pm PT

    ill pre order it better be worth somethin

  • sonictank

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 6:37 pm PT

    sounds like its gonnna rock and be that of like ff tactics maybe?

  • ahmadmud

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 9:28 am PT

    hey what is this game, i don't understand japanese, lol ???

  • JixHedgehog

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 6:35 am PT

    Heh, I called that one, game looks great too

  • JimmeyBurrows

    Posted Jul 4, 2009 1:48 pm PT

    well that sucks... lol... that game looks naff... if a console can't do nice looking 3d graphics they should just make it 2d, you can literally see every face on those models.
    anywho nice artwork

  • F0ZZY

    Posted Jul 3, 2009 1:18 pm PT

    we all know its a Final Fantasy game already

  • goldknight2

    Posted Jul 3, 2009 12:49 am PT

    woow already 4 characters on the dragon, I want to know whats going to join the painting tomorrow because all the (main)characters are already at it.

  • MrHatnClogs

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 9:51 am PT

    It's the Final Fantasy Countdown! *Danana Dadatata Danana Dadatata*

  • GenkaiSIX

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 8:54 am PT

    Good, I'm glad you spoiled it. I kind of had a feeling it would be a DS game, which is a big disapointment for me. Would have loved to see something with a little bit more graphical prowess.

  • skullbird11

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 7:52 am PT

    OMG YOU JUST RUINED IT!!! xD

  • dr_mindbender12

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 6:57 am PT

    Its Final Fantasy Gaiden: 4 Warriors of Light
    http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6924/1246452065996.jpg

  • JimmeyBurrows

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 5:25 am PT

    doesn't seem like FF1 in any way at all... they never rode dragons in it, they just killed one >.> or more lol... plus the characters don't resemble any of the character selections you were given... I'm gonna go ahead and agree that the art style looks very much like Tactics... But for some reason the music reminds me of FF Adventure lol. Guess I'll wait a few more days >.> starting to get annoying lol.

    Edit- an idea... the 4 warriors of light travel through FF 2-14 and tell the main characters they're doing it wrong XD lol

  • player2

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 9:25 pm PT

    Theres a girl on the dragon now

  • JixHedgehog

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 7:24 pm PT

    Prolly an original FF spin off, classic sounding NES music can only mean it's headed for WiiWare or the DS.
    Man, they don't make music like this anymore, and it's a MIDI

  • XXforbiddenXX

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:41 pm PT

    Okay definitely not V. Suikoden Fantasy?

  • TheLunaDivider

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:35 pm PT

    Hopefully it's versus xiii

  • CTBradums

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:05 pm PT

    Definitely looks like a Tactics Advance game. The art style on the character, his wide-bladed sword (common in Tactics Advance), and the dragon make it look like it. I'm sorry, but if it is, it's disappointing. The first Tactics Advance was decent, but the second title wasn't great. Just my opinion, but I really hope it's not another Tactics Advance...

  • Viralmessiah666

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 4:46 pm PT

    Final fantasy....come on,4 warriors of light? nobody remembers that?

  • SilentCard

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 12:17 pm PT

    Hmm... I'm just spit-ballin' here, but could it be a new Breath of Fire game?

  • skullbird11

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 12:00 pm PT

    Well, my guess is a new collab with disney on a new IP. The signs are everywhere... The font used, its like the font in KH. This midi is very disney like, very catchy (listerning to it now ^^). ..

  • cliveisback

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 10:53 am PT

    Great, looks like another Tactics Advanced or something. Please let me be wrong.

  • 123biteme

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 10:11 am PT

    im going with gamespot and many others and hope that this is a remade final fantasy 1. if u really look, its the only game that actually let u choose which characters u want in your party which really added to the difficulty and strategy of the game.

  • TrayaFrost

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 9:55 am PT

    Looks like another Tactics, the art style on the dragon is incredibly reminiscent of the other games.

  • NAWAF005

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 9:51 am PT

    the picture changed to a kid riding a dragon

  • Briantb_2008

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 8:00 am PT

    theres a dragon on it now

  • BrandonRising

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 7:45 am PT

    I don't know what it is,i have hopes(come on FF1 remake even tho you are extremely unlikely).But i just hope if it is good i don't have to get a DS or PS3 to play it.

  • Taksteinfloyd

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 7:27 am PT

    To all the ignorant people here:

    1: Hideo Kojima did not invent website countdowns, Square Enix have already done it AT LEAST twice before that I know of.

    2: It could easily be a new IP. Blood of Bahamut had a very similar countdown before its revelation, and while it seemed to be an FF game, it turned out to be a completely new game, although slightly related to FF.

    3: The music is not "DS quality". Many DS games have streamed high-fidelity music, for example TWEWY. The music is 8-bit, which doesn't hint at any specific console.

  • Hobbitslayer18

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 5:37 am PT

    The music the site plays sounds very familiar to me, but I can't remember from where...

    And it does sound like DS quality.

  • JimmeyBurrows

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 4:01 am PT

    I'd laugh if when the timer runs out... you've got the whole picture done... and it just randomly changes to something completely different to piss everyone off XD lol...
    but they may be using a different title other than the warriors of light... maybe they just did that to throw everyone off... I'm sure there are a few names they haven't used up.
    *puts money on... a brand new title that for some reason has the number 4 in it O___O lol.

  • dr_mindbender12

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 2:26 am PT

    Now there's a boy riding the dragon. Maybe someone can guess the game judging by the art style of that character

  • aura_enchanted

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 10:55 pm PT

    meybe there going out on a limb and taking one of eidos's old and forgotten titles for a spin into a 4quel?

  • robin_killian

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 9:19 pm PT

    Nerd assassin: Seiken Densetsu does have FF roots, for it was originally called Final Fantasy Adventure. Secret of Mana was originally going to be FFAdventure 4, but the series was renamed, and the first 3 games were incorporated into the later games, Sword of Mana for DS was Final Fantasy Adventure on the GB remade.

    With that lil' history lesson out of the way, the 4th Mana game was actually Legend of Mana for the PS.

    My guess on this teaser site: the only sound guesses would be one of a few remakes, or could be another expansion to FFXI, or maybe... just maybe, a new "Secret of _____" game.

  • Skylander7

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 9:04 pm PT

    From my many years of gaming, I can predict the following (in knowing Square Enix, that is):

    -It is NOT related to Chrono Trigger, especially a sequel
    -Doing a Live Arcade/PS Store/Wii re-release of Secret of Mana or translated Sieken Densetsu 3 would be too profitable and a sound business decision... so it can't be that
    -It can't be a new IP, as this viral marketing is some sort of marketing effort.. something SE just.. well.. doesn't do with new IP's (World Ends With You???)
    -If Enix made it, and it didn't have "Dragon Quest" in the title... it can't be remade
    -It can't be something the old school fans enjoyed prior to FF VII that has become legendary through word of mouth (at SE.. word of mouth just doesn't exist, all of those inflated ebay values are flukes).
    -It isn't Parasite Eve
    -If it is something the fans want, there's a 50% chance it'll only be on a mobile phone
    -Regardless of how mediocre it is, fanboys will buy it... thus sending the message to SE that crappy rehashes that actually detract from the value of the source material moves units at retail

    My guess is another SaGa or... even worse... a new Drakengard. With the #4 involved.. Drakengard 4 will be sort of like "House Party" 3 and 4.. nobody has really ever seen 3, they just automatically know it sucks so bad that 4 is somehow worse than 3.

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 7:19 pm PT

    For me it's either Mana or FF, since the Seiken Densetsu series I think have FF roots, or is it the opposite. Thing is that they are connected with each other, and the connection I think was from the early titles. Having that "Four warriors of light" stuff make me think of only those 2 titles.

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 7:17 pm PT

    @Davitu

    I think it can't be SaGa 4, since the fourth one is already released.

    The series was SaGa Frontier, SaGa Frontier 2, Unlimited SaGa, and then Romancing SaGa. Correct me if I'm wrong about that, but I think that's it.

  • 1425678786655

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 6:32 pm PT

    lol whoever thinks this isnt a FF game is dumb,

    "warriors of light" basically describes all the first FF games

    then again, most people have only played 7-12

  • Davitu

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 4:27 pm PT

    Its Romancing SaGa 4 because the designer Tomomi Kobayashi mentioned he is working on a new game for the first time in 10 years, and he is responsible for the SaGa series.

  • hai1ong

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 1:38 pm PT

    The dragon is reminiscent of Flammie from Secret of Mana when he crosses the screen. This is Secret of Mana or Seiken Densetsu 2. Secret of Mana 2/Seiken Densetsu 3 is another SNES game only released in Japan I believe. We haven't seen Secret of Mana 4.

    Watch link at 9:30
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heqs4HbClY4

  • FreshTillDeath

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 1:37 pm PT

    Final Fantasy 1 remake for ds. Case closed.

  • Tzunoy

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 1:31 pm PT

    Mana or DQ

  • Tzunoy

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 1:29 pm PT

    Mana baby Mana

  • somberfox

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 12:26 pm PT

    Ok I can hear that music now (I couldn't hear it before even with maxed volume), sounds similar to something you might hear in an 8-bit DQ game but it also sounds reminiscent of the music in the SaGa games for the Gameboy.

  • skullbird11

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 11:59 am PT

    lol, you got the most likely like dragon quest and FF but then you get the REAL long shots like KH2:FM+ translated and added quests...?

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 11:19 am PT

    I'm really getting tired of this viral campaigns.

  • XXforbiddenXX

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 11:07 am PT

    The dragon can also be Hiryuu from Final Fantasy V.

  • tu2pac

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 10:14 am PT

    @RazerBlade13

    your avatar ... lol ... nice

  • XXforbiddenXX

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 10:05 am PT

    Sounds a bit like the Final Fantasy Theme...hmm...Dragon Fantasy? Mystic Quest? but the link...0706 = 13? Final fantasy V only had 4 characters...4 elements. The 4 is located in the sky..so nature's gifts? Ahh..I looked up the release dates of all FFV games. All the days are 6, 6, and 19. 6+6=12. 1+2=3. 1+9=10. 1+0=1. 3+1=4. or 6+6+19=31. 3+1=4. So maybe it could be Final fantasy V! And if you add all first digits of the years, you get 4 (excluding Anthology Pal). 154 hours from now (1:00 PM 6/29/09) is July 6. 7+6=13. 1+3=4. I don't know I'm bored.

  • corwinn01

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 9:57 am PT

    My son thought it was a new saga game or a mana game. I 'm leaning towards a Saga game myself but that 4 warriors of light is messing with me.

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