NA Press Releases

Media Advisory

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that GRANDIA® III will be released on February 14, 2006, exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. GRANDIA III is rated "T" for Teen. Please visit www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. Additional information on GRANDIA III can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/games/grandia3/. For the official fansite, please visit http://www.hangar-g3.com.

Game Description

GRANDIA III draws gamers into a wondrous world with an innovative battle system and uplifting story about the freedom in controlling one's own destiny. The developers have taken special care to accentuate this feel, not only throughout the game's story, but also in the game's music and the openness that is felt while navigating the world map by plane.

Yuki has idolized the legendary pilot Schmidt since he was a young boy and has been trying to build his own airplane ever since. Loving the freedom of flight, he dreams of one day leaving his small island and reaching the mainland. In the woods not far away, Alfina rides alone on a horse-drawn carriage. She is a Communicator, one of the few who can speak with the Guardians, gods that protect the world. She is hurrying to a temple to take the place of her brother, Emelious. Resentment of his obligated duty as a Communicator has turned Emelious into a cruel and violent being filled with hate. Fate will bring Yuki and Alfina together just as the world is about to fall apart.

Features

Romp through vibrant and colorful fantasy locales and natural environments

Stunning cinematic sequences are animated by hand without the use of motion capture

Scan surroundings to look for search points or treasure chests

Ply the skies by plane to journey from one place to another

Use your sword in the "random encounter free" field to destroy objects or stun enemies before attacking

Seamless transition from field screen to battles with over-the-top animations

Semi real-time battle system allows for fast paced action and strategizing with a Command Wheel that breaks the RPG mold of typical command text windows

Perform and link up Aerial Combo attacks for massive damage

Multiple auto-battle settings for each character dictate fighting strategy in addition, utilize the Strategy Advice System for tips during critical moments in battle

Control conversation flow during special event scenes

© 2006 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. SQUARE ENIX is a trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. GRANDIA is a registered trademark of GAME ARTS Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ entertainment products in North America, announced a simultaneous launch for FINAL FANTASY® XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan™, the third expansion pack for the title. The long-awaited release of FINAL FANTASY XI for Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft will also be available that day. Specifically, retail product and service will be available as listed in the following regions (based on time zone differences) - April 18 in North America, April 20 in Europe and Japan.

FINAL FANTASY XI, the first cross-platform, cross-continent massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) will be accessible on Xbox 360 for the first time to players in North America, Europe and Japan. Gamers will be able to communicate and play together no matter where they are or from what platform they connect - the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Windows® operating system or Xbox 360 (platform based on region availability). FINAL FANTASY XI has more than 500,000 subscribers in North America, Europe and Japan, combined. With the release of the third expansion pack and Xbox 360 version, the world of Vana'diel® will be an even livelier place to visit, expanding the community even further.

Treasures of Aht Urhgan can be played along with the original version of FINAL FANTASY XI (which is required to play any of the expansions) and does not require the Chains of Promathia™ and Rise of the Zilart® expansion packs. The third expansion will be sold separately for PlayStation 2 and Windows users at North American retailers for a suggested retail price of $29.99 (USD). Treasures of Aht Urhgan will be available as part of the complete package for Xbox 360 which includes PlayOnline™, FINAL FANTASY XI and all three expansion packs for the title - Chains of Promathia, Rise of the Zilart and Treasures of Aht Urhgan - at North American retailers for a suggested retail price of $49.99 (USD).

Features

Players will uncover the tales and legends surrounding the the Aht Urhgan Empire.

New jobs, including the highly requested Blue Mage and Corsair, have been added to expand battle strategies even further.

Along with additional areas to explore, powerful monsters have also been added, including the Mamool Ja, a powerful tribe of the beastmen that hold dominion over the Mamool Ja Savagelands, a land hostile to the Near Eastern Aht Urhgan Empire.

Keeping with the FINAL FANTASY XI principles, system enhancements in addition to those listed have been implemented to enrich gameplay in a variety of ways.

On Xbox 360 gamers will be able to see and hear the world of Vanafdiel like never before in high definition video.

Join a community of over 500,000 with players from around the world and on several platforms.

Service Fees

North American service fees remain the same and are as follows: FINAL FANTASY XI subscribers will receive their first 30 days of access without charge. Aside from Internet service provider access charges, the free trial period will begin on the date players create their first "Content ID" or character. Any additional Content IDs purchased are also available without charge until the end of the free trial period. After 30 days, players can continue to play FINAL FANTASY XI by paying a monthly fee of $12.95 (USD) for one FINAL FANTASY XI character, and can create up to 15 additional characters for an additional charge of $1.00 (USD) per character, per month. Payment for monthly access charges must be made by credit card only (restrictions apply).

System Requirements

FINAL FANTASY XI for Xbox 360

Requirements for Xbox 360 version are as listed: Xbox Live® account, Broadband connection (Xbox 360 does not support 56K connection) and Xbox 360 Hard Drive.

FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows

The minimum system requirements for FINAL FANTASY XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan are as follows: Windows 2000/XP, Intel Pentium III 800Mhz or faster processor, 128MB RAM, DirectX® 8.1 compatible sound card, DVD-ROM drive, 56K or faster Internet connection, and GeForce series or Radeon 9000 series video card with 32MB of RAM. A DVD ROM drive is required to install Treasures of Aht Urhgan and the Vana'diel Collection.

FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation 2

Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is pre-installed on internal Hard Disk Drive (40GB)(for PlayStation 2). Available for a suggested retail price of $99.00 (USD), the internal Hard Disk Drive attaches to the Network Adaptor (Ethernet/modem) (for PlayStation 2), which connects to both broadband or dial-up networks, and rests in the expansion bay of the PlayStation 2 console.

For updates and information on FINAL FANTASY XI please visit: http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/.

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 63 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, California and Seattle, Washington. 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/

CHAINS OF PROMATHIA, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, PLAYONLINE, RISE OF THE ZILART, SQUARE ENIX, the Square Enix logo, TREASURES OF AHT URHGAN and VANA'DIEL are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.