News
Square Enix Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Final Fantasy
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 16, in the year of our Lord 2012)
– Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive
entertainment products in the Americas, today announced the
official North American 25-year celebration of FINAL FANTASY®,
one of the most groundbreaking video game franchises in history.
A new website dedicated to this occasion allows fans to share
their memorable experiences and stay up-to-date on the various
events planned throughout the rest of the year.
Since its first release in 1987, FINAL FANTASY has won hundreds
of awards and has received tremendous praise from fans around
the world. The franchise titles are currently displayed in the
Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “The Art of Video Games”
exhibit that showcases the forty-year evolution of video games
as an artistic medium. With fourteen installments of the main
game and multiple sequels and spin-offs, the brand has expanded
into other areas including motion pictures, anime, merchandise
and publications.
In conjunction with the official FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary
event in Tokyo, Square Enix will kick-off the North American
festivities at Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Prime 2012 with the
franchise’s first “Experience FINAL FANTASY” event on Friday,
August 31 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the ACT Theatre in
Seattle (700 Union Street). The general public is invited to
re-experience their most cherished FINAL FANTASY games through
dozens of playable units that span multiple generations and
participate in a series of commemorative activities and games
for fans of the renowned franchise. Prizes include fan favorite
character plushies and a custom FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 branded
PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video
game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Attendees will
also be able to receive a special 25th anniversary poster
featuring Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork.
Near the end of the event at 7:30 p.m., fans will also have the
opportunity to learn about the new details about the direction
of Lightning’s story through a special video message from the
esteemed creators Yoshinori Kitase (producer), Motomu Toriyama
(director) and Isamu Kamikokuryo (art director).
The general public is also invited to attend two special
concerts celebrating the music of FINAL FANTASY. The Chicagoland
Pops Orchestra and Chorus will perform at the official 25th
Anniversary Distant Worlds: THE CELEBRATION concert of FINAL
FANTASY music on Friday, December 7 at 8:00 p.m. at the Akoo
Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. This concert conducted by GRAMMY
Award-winning artist Arnie Roth, will be an exclusive, one night
engagement of the specially designed program of new celebration
arrangements and a pantheon of classic FINAL FANTASY music from
the entire series. Additionally, the FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th
Anniversary Concert will be held on Saturday, September 22 at
8:00 p.m. at the Zellerback Auditorium in Berkeley, California.
The FINAL FANTASY momentum continues to build with the recently
launched FINAL FANTASY III for the Android through Google Play,
along with the recent announcement of the game as the launch
title for the new OUYA game console. The downloadable PC version
of the critically acclaimed title, FINAL FANTASY VII is now
available and will incorporate key features that help players
relive the award-winning story and share their experience with
friends. Additionally, Square Enix recently announced FINAL
FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, the fully-redesigned, massively
multiplayer online adventure.
Other significant title launches include:
• THEATRHYTHM™ FINAL FANTASY – available now for the Nintendo
3DS™ system, the first FINAL FANTASY rhythm game has over 30
add-on audio tracks (with more planned) for $0.99 each. A demo
for this critically acclaimed game is set to be released in the
coming months through the Nintendo eShop.
• FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS™ – available on mobile devices later
this month, the game draws upon the roots of the series and
delivers the best of FINAL FANTASY, retro and fresh alike,
directly to a smartphone.
Related Links
Official FINAL FANTASY 25-Year Anniversary Homepage:
http://www.ff25th-anniversary.com
Official North American Members Community Twitter:
@SQEX_Members_NA
Official Distant Worlds Concert Homepage:
http://www.ffdistantworlds.com/Chicago25th
About FINAL FANTASY
Since the release of FINAL FANTASY in 1987, this unique RPG
series continues to showcase the spectacular visuals, highly
imaginative worlds and rich stories leading the industry and
earning the highest accolades from users around the world.
Titles of the series have so far achieved a cumulative shipment
of over 100 million units worldwide.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses
SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content
throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The
Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading
development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of
intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold
over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold
over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold
over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE
INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned
subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at
http://www.na.square-enix.com/.