What a big disappointment that is to be honest. You would have thought that we would at least see a new trailer, but it looks like we won’t even get that. The Tokyo Game Show in September may now be the next realistic target for fans looking to see how the game is shaping up after years of delays.

An E3 2012 list revealed by VG247 shows that Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been left out, but games such as Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy are included. Other notable games that will be shown and once of Eidos fame include the new promising Tomb Raider game and also Hitman Absolution too, which looks pretty impressive from what we’ve seen.

At the end of the day though, it is disappointing that Square-Enix still do not have anything new to show regarding Versus XIII at E3. Or are they just teasing us by keeping it a secret perhaps? – That may be one glimmer of hope worth hanging on to.

Square’s Tetsuya Nomura recently asked fans for patience regarding the game, but has your patience well and truly ran out now with the company? If they really are holding back a few secrets for E3 next month though, we would like to see a new Final Fantasy game announced for the PS Vita. Crisis Core was excellent on the PSP and it would be great if the Vita had a unique Final Fantasy game of its own.

What are your thoughts on another E3 no-show for Final Fantasy Versus XIII? Big disappointment or expected for you?

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We recently told you how an upcoming Versus XIII reveal was cancelled by Square-Enix without reasonable explanation, and there’s still no indication on what current stage the game is at, or if we can expect the game to release within the new few years.

Thanks to some details picked up by Andria Sang though, Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to get a taste of the upcoming game. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is due to be released this Summer and it has been confirmed that the game will include the official theme to Final Fantasy Versus XIII called ‘Somnus’.

If you’re not already aware, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is a rhythm game in which players will be able to deal damage to enemies, by hitting notes from familiar Final Fantasy games at a precise moment. The beautiful music featured in the franchise is obviously one of the standout highlights for many fans, so from our point of view it is bitterly disappointing to see that this is a Nintendo 3DS title only. A Final Fantasy rhythm game needs to come to the PS Vita as well.

A new demo is currently available for 3DS users and features the tracks Sunleth Waterscape from Final Fantasy XIII and the popular Man with the Machine Gun from one of our favorites – Final Fantasy VIII. We would love to see some Black Mages tracks in there at release, as songs such as Force your way and Those who Fight Further would be a big hit with fans in our opinion.

So there we have it. What an unlikely scenario where the first official taste of Final Fantasy Versus XIII may actually end up coming via a 3DS game. If you have been keeping your eye on this adventurous rhythm game, let us know your initial impressions so far.

More About: final fantasy, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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Not for the first time, Japanese magazine Famitsu has provided some inside information on the latest Final Fantasy whispers coming out of Japan, and their latest issue contains some rather odd comments from Versus director Tetsusya Nomura.

He has told the magazine that him and the team were ‘almost’ ready to show of the latest build of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, i.e a playable demo of the game, but for reasons unknown which he wasn’t willing to discuss – it appears that even this has been delayed from happening soon. Only until ‘further discussions’ are made is when we will see the situation remedied.

Andria Sang has translated the information from Japanese and they are as confused as we are by the information as well. For a game has almost received as many delays as Duke Nukem Forever, embarrassing as that is, this is not the kind of whispers that Square-Enix want to make public with fans who have been waiting for the game for years. We hope that this is just down to mistranslation and that the game will be shown off soon, but it doesn’t look promising at the moment and it could be a final nail in the coffin for some fans who have given up hope on this after another E3 2011 no show.

What do you make this this folks? As a huge Final Fantasy fan myself, this is definitely not what I wanted to hear for the first tidbit of info surrounding the game in months. Let’s hope Square-Enix has some answers soon.

Where art thou Squaresoft?: The saga surrounding Final Fantasy Versus XIII has become a sorry mistake, further dragging Square-Enix that could once do no wrong as Squaresoft, into the mud. For so little content to be shown for a game that has been in development for six years, there really is no excusing that, especially when you see the company focusing on games like Final Fantasy XIII-2 instead.

Square-Enix know that they are in a bad place at the moment, especially when their CEO openly admits that the initial launch of Final Fantasy XIV was one of the reasons why many consider the company to be a ‘damaged brand‘ right now. With that said and done, we’re optimistic that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is going to be one hell of a game, but come on Square-Enix – get your act together and give us something to get excited about at least.

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Unfortunately it isn’t the elusive release date that you’re all looking for, but it is still pretty good news as Square-Enix has confirmed that the next time they show the game, it will be real-time gameplay footage taken directly on the PS3, and not pre-rendered, pre-packaged content from a trailer.

Tetsuya Nomura is the director and producer for the infamous game and he has given an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu revealing some new details about the game. He has said that the game has improved a lot since the last trailer we saw, and that graphics in particular have been upgraded.

He also revealed that Final Fantasy Versus XIII will contain pre-rendered events using real-time cinematics and also effects created by Square Enix’s Visual Works department. According to Nomura, the ratio between real time and rendered cutscenes is thought to be around 7 to 3 respectively.

We may not have to wait until E3 2012 to see the game next either, as Nomura also confirmed that they are planning to hold a Final Fantasy Versus XIII event, in which the world will finally get a solid look at how the game has progressed after being in oblivion for so many years. We’re not particularly bothered when we actually see the game next, but we just hope that it lives up to expectations as there is intense pressure on Square-Enix to deliver a game which firmly puts the company back on the top of the RPG game, especially after the disappointments of previous games. Just so you’re aware though, Tetsuya Nomura also worked on Final Fantasy VII so Final Fantasy Versus XIII is probably going to be the best game to come out since FFX.

Speaking of FFX, Noruma also mentioned to Famitsu that development is well underway for the PS3 and PS Vita remake. Will we be seeing the first gameplay for this title at E3 as well? We sure hope so. If you are still pumped up about Versus XIII, let us know your thoughts on that real time, pre-render ratio.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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Square-Enix has again given fans a glimmer of hope that the Final Fantasy Versus XIII project is still well and truly alive, but we can tell you that the latest comments from the company again do not feature any sort of indication when the game will be available. Basically, kiss goodbye to any hopes of seeing the game come out in 2012.

In a recent interview with EDGE magazine, Yoshinori Kitase, producer for the upcoming game admitted that there hasn’t been much in the way of fresh updates for the game, but did go on to say that fans will be excited when the game gets its next big reveal. Here’s the statement below, courtesy of GamingEverything.

“… Then there’s Versus XIII, which is currently in development. We released a trailer in January and since then there has been nothing, but I can assure you the team is working extremely hard on it and I think people will be excited when they next see it.”

So there we have it. Not really much to go on from Square-Enix, in typical fashion it has to be said but it does give fans a bit of relief that the team are still working on the game 100% and the next reveal should be something special indeed. Will we see fans finally see some fresh gameplay after YEARS of disappointment? Let’s hope so. We still remain optimistic though that Versus XIII is going to be worth waiting for, regardless of the time taken by Square-Enix. The remake of Final Fantasy X is an excellent way to pass the time though in the meantime, so let’s hope we get a release date on that soon as well.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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Currently we are under the impression that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is going to be a PlayStation 3 exclusive, but these days exclusivity doesn’t count for much and we wonder whether this game could also come to Xbox 360, one recent post over at OXM.com seems to suggest that it is more than likely.

OSM’s Edwin Evans-Thirlwell listed six reasons why Final Fantasy Versus XIII is coming to Xbox 360, here is a quick summary of what he had to say. Firstly as recently pointed out by Kotaku the Versus team recently posted job listings where they asked for Xbox 360 development experience. Also it has been pointed out that the game’s engine, Crystal Tools, is a multi-platform engine.

Three other reasons all revolve around money, firstly bringing one game to multiple platforms almost guarantees higher sales, in-turn more downloadable-content will sell. One other thing which points towards a 360 release is the fact that Sony won’t pay to keep the game exclusive, these days Sony and Microsoft have to put up big bucks to ensure their rivals don’t get certain games – we can’t see Sony doing this.

You can see one final reason why Final Fantasy Versus XIII should come to Xbox 360 via the OXM link in this post’s second paragraph – do you think this game will be a PS3 exclusive?

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Square-Enix recently held a fan event for upcoming release Final Fantasy XIII-2 over the weekend in Tokyo, and with it, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase also confirmed that the team has now commited themselves to full development with regards to Final Fantasy Versus XIII, according to NovaCrystallis.

You may remember this Summer that Square-Enix said that production hadn’t even started on the game, so this is definitely pleasing news for those who had almost given up on the game after continuing to see a lack of information on the status of the game, despite being announced five years ago at E3 2006.

It remains a head-scratcher for fans as to why Final Fantasy XIII-2 is releasing so soon after Final Fantasy XIII, as many believe that Square-Enix should at least drop some solid release information on Versus XIII rather than focus their efforts entirely on FFXIII-2. That game is due for release in Japan at the end of this year so hopefully SE will press on with Versus after that game releases.

Sadly, Versus XIII is still not deemed worthy enough to show at this year’s Tokyo Game Show which kicks off this week in Japan. Instead fans are expected to see further footage from Final Fantasy XIII-2, while the company may even drop a surprise announcement for XIII-3 after a domain website was revealed last week.

Would a Final Fantasy Versus XIII release date in 2013 or 2014 be too late for you, or are you perfectly happy to sit back and play the waiting game while Square Enix gets their act together? Give us your thoughts on the whole release situation below.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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In what some people might perceive as a nightmare scenario, it has become a very real possibility that the Final Fantasy XIII series will now become a trilogy. Within the last few days, Square-Enix has just secured the domain name for www.finalfantasyxiii-3.com , and although the domain doesn’t specifically mention the company, the domain can be traced back to the Corporation Service Company (CSC), according to Fusible.

Further research has discovered that Square-Enix has previously used the CSC to secure websites for past titles in their HeroesofRuin and DeusEx franchises, leading us to suggest that this is definitely too much of a coincidence to be a hoax.

Now then, on to the real discussion, as if Square-Enix are planning to release Final Fantasy XIII-3, where does that leave Final Fantasy Versus which is currently residing in Oblivion? Let’s not forget that FFXIII-2 is not even out yet, and if the news is true, Square-Enix may be planning a Tokyo Game Show announcement for a Final Fantasy XIII-3 release sometime in 2013/2014.

This is pretty disheartening for Final Fantasy fans who have been waiting patiently for the slightest of updates on Versus XIII despite SE’ unwillingness to do so. On a side note, it would also mark the first time in the franchise that a single title would become a trilogy – it’s just a shame that Final Fantasy XIII perhaps received more criticism than praise otherwise this news could be approached with slightly more excitement.

Are Square-Enix really testing fans resolve with a possible third Final Fantasy XIII game? If Final Fantasy Versus XIII was finished 100%, this wouldn’t be an issue, but since they continue to alienate fans with a lack of information, this may serve as the final straw for some. Give us your thoughts on this.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, final fantasy xiii-3, Square-Enix

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It had been speculated for months that the Tokyo Game Show was the ideal setting for a fresh update on the status of Versus XIII, especially after another no show at this year’s E3 expo in Los Angeles. However, it looks like our previous fears over the state of it’s current development were true, as it now will not be shown at TGS either.

We’ve asked this before, but what exactly is going on at Square-Enix? It seems to us as if they have completely put Versus XIII on hold to focus on Final Fantasy XIII-2, a game which many are you are hoping will put Square-Enix back on the right track after Final Fantasy XIII received a fair portion of criticism.

This is evident in the fact that Square-Enix even have Final Fantasy XIII-2 ready in playable form at the upcoming Eurogamer Expo next month, despite the fact that the game was only announced in January and won’t be releasing in Europe until 2012. That means for a full year, Square-Enix has obviously been prioritizing FFXIII-2 as their main release, seemingly leaving Final Fantasy Versus XIII to rot away in oblivion.

What happened to the community updates from Square-Enix? There’s nothing worse than a developer failing to give the slightest updates for a game which is obviously high on everyone’s wish list, so the news will be pretty gutwrenching for those once they hear that Versus XIII is still in AWOL status.

Is it time for Square-Enix to feel some heat over this, or do you believe they are doing the right thing in focusing on Final Fantasy XIII-2? Square-Enix do not seem to be listening to gamers any more, so should drastic measures like a boycott on FF XIII-2 be taken or not? Give us your thoughts on this below.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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We have already reported on director Tetsuya Nomura’s recent interview with Famitsu, but courtesy of tech site AndriaSang who usually provide us with trustyworthy translations, new details have emerged from him.

According to the site, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is yet to go into full production, despite being in development for six years, seemingly evident in the fact that gamers are yet to see any solid gameplay footage for Versus XIII – just what is going on down at Square-Enix HQ we wonder?

As we informed you earlier this week, Nomura also unveiled details on player-controlled cutscenes that will be featured in Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but the possible bombshell suggesting that the game isnt even in prototype stage is worrying to say the least – or is it?

If you look at Square-Enix’ upcoming schedule, you’ll probably be well aware that they are now focusing their efforts entirely on Final Fantasy XIII-2, despite stating that new information on Versus XIII would definitely be coming soon. It really makes you wonder if the game will actually come out at all, which brings us nicely onto our next insight.

Considering all the countless delays on the game so far and blatent confirmation that the development status on Final Fantasy Versus XIII is non-existant at the moment, is it really so farfetched to consider FFVXIII as a PlayStation 4 title instead of a PlayStation 3 game? It’s probably pretty accurate that the PS4 isn’t coming for another few years yet, but it’s clear that neither is Final Fantasy Versus XIII unfortunately.

A PlayStation 4 release wouldn’t be such a bad idea to some perhaps, it all depends on whether gamers would be satisfied seeing an ‘old-gen’ game on a next-gen games console. We say this, because based on screenshots already released for the game, it definitely looks like a title that is very much within the graphical capabilities of the PS3, rather than a title which has been maxed out to the limit.

Going back to the production issue regarding the game though, and correct us if we’re wrong on this one, but if it’s not even in prototype stage yet, does that mean they won’t have a playable version to show everyone at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show in September? That would be very disappointing for fans if that turns out to be true.

Give us your thoughts on this, both on the alarming production status on the game so far, and also the possibility of Final Fantasy Versus XIII appearing on the PlayStation 4 instead.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, PlayStation 4, Square-Enix

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