Square Enix Party 2005 not free

TOKYO--As previously announced, Japanese game publisher Square Enix will hold its eponymous convention, Square Enix Party 2005, on July 30 and 31 at the Nippon Convention Center (Makuhari Messe) in Chiba, Japan. Visitors will be able to play a lineup of 12 games, which include the major two that were absent from E3 last month: Final Fantasy XII and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (both for the PlayStation 2).

However, gamers that want to try out Square Enix's upcoming titles will have to be willing to pay for the privilege. Attendees will be required to purchase a 1,000 yen ($9.15) ticket that will go on sale on June 20. The entrance fee is the same price as an advance ticket for the annual Tokyo Game Show, which will take place in the same convention center two months later but will feature the latest games from numerous publishers throughout Japan. That said, the Square Enix Party 2005 will take up about one-third of the exhibit space of the Tokyo Game Show, which is still extremely large for an independent event.

Aside from playing games, visitors to the Square Enix Party 2005 will also be able to get a glimpse of the latest trailer for the role-playing-game-inspired computer-animated movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The event will also give fans a chance to purchase Square Enix merchandise.

Tickets for Square Enix Party 2005 will be available through Ticket Pia, the Japanese equivalent of Ticketmaster. Square Enix has not announced if it will sell tickets on the day of the event.

The full list of games scheduled to be at the festival is as follows:

Final Fantasy XII (PlayStation 2)
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2)
Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
Code Age Masters (PS2)
Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami o Tsugu Shoujo (PS2)
Grandia III (PS2)
Heavy Metal Thunder (PS2)
Musashi Samurai Legend (PS2)
Slime Morimori: Dragon Quest 2 (Game Boy Advance)
Final Fantasy XI (PC, PS2)
Front Mission Online (PS2)
EverQuest II (PC)