NA Press Releases

LOS ANGELES, California (May 10, 2005) — Square Enix, Inc., a leading interactive entertainment company known for its FINAL FANTASY® and DRAGON QUEST™ franchises, announced today the availability of sixteen FINAL FANTASY soundtracks on the iTunes® Music Store. This is the first time any of the soundtracks from the acclaimed videogame series will be sold in the United States, and the first time original game soundtracks will be available on the iTunes Music Store. The dedicated FINAL FANTASY page on the iTunes Music Store will feature music from FINAL FANTASY I through XI, Music from Dear Friends, and two Black Mages albums.

“We’re expanding our business sphere beyond the traditional videogame in many ways,” said Ichiro Otobe, President and COO of Square Enix, Inc. ”I’m excited to bring FINAL FANTASY music online by collaborating with Apple, an innovator in this arena. The iTunes Music Store is the perfect platform for our videogame soundtracks, which began as an early form of digital music.”

“I am thrilled that our soundtracks will finally be available to all the supportive American fans who have enjoyed our music over the years,” said series composer Nobuo Uematsu.

FINAL FANTASY is one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, with more than 60 million units sold worldwide. The first FINAL FANTASY was released in 1987 in Japan and 1990 in North America. Spanning multiple platforms, the long-running series has introduced the world of cinematic role-playing games (RPGs) to millions of gamers around the world. The collection available on iTunes will span music from the sounds of the first primitive consoles to the latest orchestral compositions.

An accomplished composer and musician, Nobuo Uematsu has been responsible for the sweeping, epic scores in the FINAL FANTASY series. Well known for its ability to stir emotion in players, his music has changed gamers' perceptions and the standards of video game music forever. The music has led to a successful line of soundtracks and solo projects for Uematsu and has been brought to new life in live orchestral concerts since 2002. The music from the game series has grown to such popularity that veteran composer Uematsu was named as one of the “Innovators” in Time Magazine’s “Time 100: The Next Wave - Music” feature. The Black Mages made their debut in February 2003 with a self-titled album comprised of FINAL FANTASY battle music arranged in a rock style. Uematsu leads the band, performing as organist.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing, and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.

© 2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY and other names of products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co, Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. The names of companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

LOS ANGELES, California (May 15, 2005) — Square Enix, Inc. (Square Enix) the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, today announced the release date of the highly-anticipated, feature-length CG film, FINAL FANTASY® VII ADVENT CHILDREN™ (ADVENT CHILDREN). ADVENT CHILDREN will be released on September 14, 2005, in Japan, followed closely by a North American release. ADVENT CHILDREN is part of the COMPILATION of FINAL FANTASY VII, a collection of titles based on FINAL FANTASY VII, the seminal 1997 hit on the PlayStation® game console.

"Following the great reception we received at the Venice Film Festival for our special edition version, I am pleased to announce the official release date of ADVENT CHILDREN," said director Tetsuya Nomura. "Not only can our fans follow the fate of their friends and allies after the great battle of FINAL FANTASY VII, they can also enjoy this new visual expression that is the result of the technological challenges that we overcame."

FINAL FANTASY VII, originally released in Japan for the PlayStation® game console on January 31, 1997 and September 7, 1997 in North America, redefined the standard for role playing games (RPGs) and has since achieved record-shattering sales of over 9.5 million units worldwide (3.9 million in Japan and 5.6 million in North America and Europe, as of September 2004). Fans have long requested a true sequel, and with FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN, their wishes are granted. The stunning quality of the imagery in ADVENT CHILDREN earned the title a special invitation to the 61st Venice International Film Festival and the Montreal Festival of Nouveau Cinema.

FINAL FANTASY VII Story

The story began in Midgar, where a corporate superpower known as the Shinra Electric Power Company used its monopoly on mako energy to dominate all aspects of life, securing political power in the process. Shinra's mako reactors dotted the city. However, mako was not the "wellspring of happiness" Shinra claimed it to be, but rather the vitality of the planet itself - the source of all life. Some began to realize: If we let this continue, the planet will die.

These individuals set up an anti-Shinra organization called "Avalanche," and began resistance efforts using guerrilla tactics. Among Avalanche's members was Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra's elite guard, "SOLDIER." Though Cloud showed no emotion and was bound by no principles, a mission with Avalanche awoke in him the need to confront the holes in his past and question his very reasons for being. And that journey, perhaps, took the heaviest toll...

ADVENT CHILDREN Story

Two years have passed since the fated battle.

Though Midgar - city of mako, city of prosperity - has been reduced to ruins, its people slowly but steadily walk the road to reconstruction. However, a mysterious illness called -Geostigma- torments them. With no cure in sight, it brings death to the afflicted, one after another, robbing the people of their fledgling hope.

Cloud lives a quiet life with orphans, running a delivery service to get by. The loss of those dear to him during the great battle has left him with scars that do not heal. Overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, he carefully guards his heart.

Then, one day, a phone call comes offering work. The client is requesting protection from a young man named Kadaj. Before long, Kadaj's young and vicious gang preys on the orphans living with Cloud. But why the children? And more importantly, why Cloud? Faced with an inevitable battle, Cloud wavers: Are sins ever forgiven?

After a long struggle, the true battle with Kadaj - a battle beyond human understanding - begins.

Staff

DIRECTOR Tetsuya Nomura
CO-DIRECTOR Takeshi Nozue
SCENARIO Kazushige Nojima (STELLAVISTA LTD.
COMPOSER Nobuo Uematsu
ART DIRECTOR Yusuke Naora
PRODUCERS Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto
MECHANICAL/CREATURE DESIGN Takayuki Takeya

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan’s best-selling franchises – FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide – under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com/

© 2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA. FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. ADVENT CHILDREN, DRAGON QUEST, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

LOS ANGELES (May 16, 2005) — Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan, "Square Enix") a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software including two of the world's most popular franchises FINAL FANTASY® and DRAGON QUEST™, today announced that FINAL FANTASY XII will be released on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system in fiscal year 2005 in Japan and fiscal year 2006 in North America. In addition, plans to bring a FINAL FANTASY title to the PLAYSTATION®3, Sony Computer Entertainment's next generation computer entertainment system that is currently in development, are just beyond the horizon.

FINAL FANTASY XII is the latest title in the best-selling series. Dynamic rendered movies and high-quality real-time graphics that push the PlayStation 2's performance to the limit create the spectacular world of Ivalice, the setting for this epic story. Deep characters with distinct personalities convey their emotions through gestures and expressions as well as words. All this and a revolutionary battle system that allows seamless transitions between battle and exploration are just some of the many brand new elements and challenges that are packed into this title.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to finally announce the release timing for FINAL FANTASY XII and hope that our fans can wait just a little longer, as the development team is working very hard to complete our latest installment," said Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix. "We were also very happy to showcase a technical demonstration of FINAL FANTSY VII in collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment. Thanks to the PLAYSTATION 3's powerful Cell processor our acclaimed classic has never looked better."

For technological development purposes and in preparation for the development of next generation software, a state-of-the-art technology demonstration video was created and shown at the Sony Computer Entertainment press conference on May 16, 2005, in Los Angeles, California. The video recreated a scene from the opening sequence of FINAL FANTASY VII, the seminal 1997 hit on the
PlayStation® game console, by utilizing the next-generation, high-performance processor Cell. The
scene was recreated with the PLAYSTATION 3's ultra high-speed data transferring and calculation capabilities. With this technology, a real-time scene with high-end, game-movie quality was successfully created. This means that the movie can be generated in conjunction with the player's movements, as opposed to a pre-rendered movie that plays during a game.

FINAL FANTASY XII Story

The story of FINAL FANTASY XII takes place in a world called "Ivalice," in an age when magic was commonplace and airships plied the skies, crowding out the heavens. A world of many races, the humes, bangaa, viera and, of course, moogles, all call Ivalice home.

War was on the horizon. Seeking to strengthen its base of power, the great Archadian Empire had been invading and subjugating its neighboring kingdoms one by one. The small Kingdom of Dalmasca was one such kingdom.

When the occupying Archadian forces established a new consul in Dalmasca's Royal City of Rabanastre, it caught the attention of Vaan, an urchin living on the streets. To Vaan, the Empire was a hated enemy who had taken the life of his brother - his last surviving family member. Vaan hatched a plan to sneak into the castle housing the new consul and unburden him of one or two of his treasures. But before he would have the chance, Vaan got far more than he bargained for; a resistance movement of former Dalmascan soldiers rising up against the Archadian Empire was launching an assault! Amid the ensuing confusion that engulfed the castle, Vaan saw something he could scarcely believe. There, among the members of the resistance, was the figure of the sole remaining heir to the Dalmascan throne, the Princess Ashe, who'd been given up for missing...

Our story follows Vaan, Ashe, Vaan's friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, his partner Fran and many more on an adventure through Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.

© 2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY and other names of products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co, Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The names of companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

LOS ANGELES, California (May 16, 2005) — Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan, "Square Enix" a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software including two of the world' most popular franchises FINAL FANTASY® and DRAGON QUEST™ today announced that FINAL FANTASY® XI will be released on Xbox 360™ Microsoft's next-generation gaming console, and Xbox Live, the company' premier online gaming service. The partnership was announced at Microsoft's Media Briefing held in Los Angeles on May 16th. Xbox 360 will be available this holiday season.

"As we move forward with our cross-platform strategy to bring our titles to more gamers in multiple formats, we are extremely excited to launch our popular MMORPG on the Xbox 360 and look forward to this collaboration with Microsoft," said Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix. "The Xbox 360 provides a powerful platform from which gamers can be immersed in the spell-binding FINAL FANTASY XI story that comes to life through collaborative online game play."

"We're thrilled to be working with Square Enix to bring their incredible game FINAL FANTASY XI to Xbox 360," said Robbie Bach, Microsoft chief Xbox officer. "The power of our next generation games and entertainment system combined with the creativity and innovation of Square Enix promises to truly revolutionize video games on a global scale."

FINAL FANTASY XI is a massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG). The original version of the game was released in May 2002 in Japan, October 2003 in North America and September 2004 in Europe, with a subscriber base now in excess of 500,000 active accounts.

With the release of the Xbox 360 version, Square Enix will be expanding its cross-platform strategy, making FINAL FANTASY XI available to a much wider audience. Players will be able to choose their hardware and play on the same servers as existing gamers. The powerful next-generation capabilities of the Xbox 360 will provide a much more dynamic and visually impressive gateway to Vana'diel - the world of FINAL FANTASY XI.

No further information regarding FINAL FANTASY XI for Xbox 360 is available today. More details will be released in the coming months.

About FINAL FANTASY XI

In FINAL FANTASY XI, players undertake multiple adventures through Vana'diel, a complex gaming world with more than 100 areas to explore. The gaming universe contains the award-winning visual content, innovative gameplay and deep storyline that the FINAL FANTASY series is famous for. The Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia expansion packs expand the storyline and open up a variety of higher-level skills and abilities.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 40 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.<

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing, and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com/

© 2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
SQUARE ENIX, SQUARE ENIX logo, FINAL FANTASY, DRAGON QUEST and Vana'diel are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

LOS ANGELES, California (May 17, 2005) — Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan, "Square Enix") a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software including two of the world's most popular franchises FINAL FANTASY® and DRAGON QUEST™, today announced plans for the FINAL FANTASY Crystal Chronicles series to be developed for the Revolution, Nintendo's next-generation console currently in development.

The Revolution's promise of seamless interactive entertainment provided by the built in Wi-Fi system caught Square Enix's attention. The company decided to join the Revolution with FINAL FANTASY Crystal Chronicles, which was originally released on Nintendo's GameCube by Game Designers Studio, Inc, an affiliate of Square Enix.

"We would like to strongly support Nintendo's next-generation networking plans," said Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix. "The Revolution may embody a new platform beyond a portable or console, which makes possible a new structure in the network gaming system, changing the ways communities are built and supported. This is the kind of direction we've envisioned, and we will challenge ourselves to provide immersive interactive content in response to what Nintendo offers."

More details regarding the new FINAL FANTASY® Crystal Chronicles series are not yet determined and will be announced in the near future.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.<

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 40 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing, and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com/

© 2005 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY and other names of products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co, Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. The names of companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.