STAR OCEAN: FIRST DEPARTURE TAKES OFF FOR RETAILERS TODAY

The First Entry in the Dynamic Space Opera Saga Is Revived on the PSP

LOS ANGELES (October 21, 2008) &mdash Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that STAR OCEAN®: First Departure™ for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system has shipped to North American retailers.

The STAR OCEAN saga comes to life in the completely remastered STAR OCEAN: First Departure, developed exclusively for the PSP system. Featuring a revised game engine, improved battle system and fully voiced, all-new animated scenes displayed in 16:9 widescreen, players can now follow the exploits of humankind’s journey across the stars in an adventure that has never before been released to the North American audience.

With the January 6, 2009 release of STAR OCEAN: Second Evolution™ for the PSP system following closely behind, the first chapter in the series that has shipped over 2.8 million units worldwide is primed and ready to be reintroduced to fans across the globe.

STORY

STAR OCEAN: First Departure
Space Date 346: The crew of a Terran Federation ship arrives on Planet Roak. With the help of a stalwart band of local heroes, the crew must work together to unravel a mystery and halt a galactic war. STAR OCEAN: First Departure marks the first time that the initial installment in the popular STAR OCEAN franchise is available in North America.

FEATURES

A classic series evolves – The action-packed RPG experience is recreated on a handheld console for the first time

All-new animation movies – Fully voiced animated cut-scenes presented in a gorgeous 16:9 widescreen format provided by anime powerhouse Production I.G

Refined battle system – Intuitive skills and combo system coupled with redesigned 3-D backgrounds provide a stimulating and action-packed battle experience

Private Action system – Interact and discover riveting episodes between characters with added voiced dialogues and brand-new event face graphics

STAR OCEAN: First Departure is rated T (Teen). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. STAR OCEAN: First Departure will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99(USD). The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/starocean/firstdeparture/.

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

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises — FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 45 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. 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.

DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, FIRST DEPARTURE, SECOND EVOLUTION, STAR OCEAN, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.