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All Articles: Final Fantasy VII
Sony will release PlayStation Classic microconsole with 20 games on December 3
With a history stretching all the way back to the failed Super NES disc drive, the fates of Sony and Nintendo have always been closely linked. Late last night, the PlayStation purveyor decided to take another page out of Nintendo’s nostalgia-themed book with the announcement of the PlayStation Classic microconsole.
The PlayStation Classic will be available on December 3 (the 24th anniversary of its launch in Japan), and it’ll include 20 pre-loaded games (Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms have been announced so far). The package will also include two USB-powered replica PlayStation controllers, an HDMI cable, and a USB power cable (but no AC Adapter, you’ll need to supply your own). And don’t worry, you won’t need to dust off your old Memory Cards, the PlayStation Classic will give players the chance to save their progress directly to the system.
All this can be yours for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $99.99. More pictures of the rather snazzy-looking device can be found at the PlayStation Blog:
The mini console is approximately 45% smaller than the original PlayStation, and it emulates the original’s look and feel by featuring similar controllers and packaging. Long-time fans will appreciate the nostalgia that comes with rediscovering the games they know and love, while gamers who might be new to the platform can enjoy the groundbreaking PlayStation console experience that started it all. All of the pre-loaded games will be playable in their original format.
Your move, Nintendo.
Posted in News, Retro
Tagged Final Fantasy VII
E3 2018 Aftermath: 9 Games That Were Missing In Action
E3 brings developers, journalists, and fans together for a celebration that is like the video game version of Christmas (or at least, it’s the day when we find out what to ask Santa for six months later).
And while there were so many projects announced, revealed, discussed, and dissected, some people still felt let down because the games they were pining to see were a no show. There were no brief teasers, no tiny morsels of information, just nothing. Radio silence from their developers.
So what were the biggest games you were disappointed you didn’t see at E3 2018? Because I have a few of my own… (more…)
Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Xbox One
Tagged Borderlands 3, E3 2018, Final Fantasy VII, Metroid Prime 4, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Avengers Project, Yoshi
Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider, Spacewar!, and John Madden Football are the newest inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame
Earlier this morning, The Strong Museum and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games announced this year’s inductees to the World Video Gamed Hall of Fame. The Class of 2018 includes Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix’s beloved RPG; Tomb Raider, Eidos Interactive’s introduction to Lara Croft; John Madden Football, EA Sports’s first football simulation; and Spacewar!, an early game created by the Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT in 1962.
“Spacewar! was not a commercial game, but it helped to launch the multi-billion-dollar video game industry,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, the Director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “It also spurred computer users of all types to think about creative new uses for computers and helped turn the computer into the most powerful plaything ever created.”
“John Madden Football’s action-oriented gameplay has changed the way we play and consume sports video games… and even the way actual sports games are broadcast,” said Jeremy Saucier, The Strong’s Assistant Vice President for Interpretation and Electronic Games. “It’s yearly, updated release of the game has modeled the path to success for franchises in other sports such as soccer, hockey, baseball, and basketball.”
“The Guinness Book of World Records cites Lara Croft as the ‘Most Recognizable Female in a Video Game’ of all time,” said Curator Shannon Symonds. “The character is not without controversy for her early status as a sex symbol, but she’s evolved with the franchise to become the epitome of a strong female hero.”
“Final Fantasy VII is widely acclaimed as the game that broke Japanese role-playing games into mainstream popularity across the globe,” Symonds added. “In addition to its technical achievements, it also introduced the world to memorable characters… such as protagonist Cloud and villain Sephiroth… who have appeared in other game franchises and myriad media.”
Eight other games were finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018, including Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King’s Quest, Metroid, Minecraft, and Ms. Pac-Man. I’m sure they’ll all get a chance next year, as Nominations for the Class of 2019 are already open.
Posted in News, PC, Retro
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
World Video Game Hall of Fame announces finalists for Class of 2018
Curators at the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and the Strong Museum have announced the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Eight games will get their first chance to be inducted into gaming’s inner circle, including Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King’s Quest, Metroid, Ms. Pac-Man, and Spacewar!.
Two other games, Final Fantasy VII and Tomb Raider, were previously in the finalist pool for the Class of 2017. They’ll get another chance this year alongside John Madden Football and Minecraft, which were previously on the ballot in 2016.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame will announce the inductees for the Class of 2018 on Thursday, May 3, at 10:30 AM. But this year, fans will get a vote in the first-ever Player’s Choice ballot. According to the rules, “the three games that receive the most public votes will form one “Player’s Choice” ballot, which will join the 27 other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, a supporting group composed of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.” Fans can make their voice heard through the Player’s Choice ballot once a day until April 4th. So vote early and vote often!
And if, for some reason, you’re unfamiliar with this year’s finalists, the World Video Game Hall of Fame has put together a helpful cheat sheet that can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Minecraft, Ms. Pac-Man, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
Sqaure Enix: Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Avengers Project will be released “in the next three years or so”
A few months ago, Square Enix told their European investors that it was likely Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake wouldn’t be released until 2018 at the earliest. Today, the publisher has revealed that even that forecast might be too optimistic.
During Square Enix’s most recent quarterly financial report, President Yosuke Matsuda discussed the company’s upcoming lineup and once again stated that Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as The Avengers Project, wouldn’t launch in 2017. But then he went on to add, “We plan to launch each of these upcoming titles in the next three years or so.”
Yikes. That means there’s a very real possibility that some combination of Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and/or The Avengers Project could be pushed back all the way to 2019.
Hopefully Square Enix has better news about their 2017 release schedule at this year’s E3 Expo, which kicks off on June 13, just a little over two weeks from now.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts III, The Avengers Project
Square Enix is telling investors that Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake might not be released until 2018
Back in March, Square Enix held a “Roadshow” presentation for their UK investors, and the slides from that presentation are now available online. While they paint a rosy financial picture for the company, the slides also hint at further delays to a pair of upcoming RPGs.
In a section highlighting recent and upcoming releases, Square Enix listed six games under the heading, “Fiscal Year 2018 and Beyond” (Square Enix’s fiscal year runs from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018). Three of the games… Dragon Quest XI, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy… received an additional notation that they’re scheduled to launch in Japan in 2017.
Unfortunately, that left the other three games… Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the Avengers Project partnership with Marvel… to fill out the “Beyond” half of the section.
While this news is disappointing, it shouldn’t be too surprising. The publisher has never announced an official release date for Kingdom Hears III, and in January, Square Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura said both games “still [had] a ways to go.” The developer also strongly implied that a showcase at an industry event was the most that either game would receive in 2017.
Still, there’s 11 months remaining in Square Enix’s current fiscal year. You never know, they could have a few surprises in store for their fans.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts III
The Video Game Canon: Final Fantasy VII
Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look back at Final Fantasy VII and Square’s desire to bring cinematic storytelling to the early days of Sony’s PlayStation. Here’s a teaser…
Since the beginning, every new console cycle has existed as its own separate era that video game players speak of with as much reverence as comic fans who use “Golden Age” and “Silver Age” as a shorthand to represent the different decades of comic production. Ralph Baer’s Odyssey (1st Generation) directly lead to Nolan Bushnell’s Atari 2600 (2nd Generation). Atari’s machine gave way to the rise of Nintendo’s NES (3rd Generation), which in turn lead to the “16-Bit Wars” of the Super NES and the Genesis (4th Generation).
Up to this point, Square had only released three Final Fantasy games in America: 1990’s Final Fantasy, 1991’s Final Fantasy II (released in Japan as Final Fantasy IV), and 1994’s Final Fantasy III (released in Japan as Final Fantasy VI). Even though the remaining three games had yet to make their way across the Pacific, the publisher was determined to unify the franchise’s numbering across all regions with the next sequel. But they still had to find the right home for their game.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.
Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Retro, Top Story, Video Game Canon
Tagged Final Fantasy VII
World Video Game Hall of Fame announces 12 finalists for the Class of 2017
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior fought against Mortal Kombat for the hearts (and quarters) of arcade players in the early 90s. Next month, they’ll square off again as two (of the 12) finalists the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017.
Announced this morning by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, this year’s finalists also include Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy VII, Halo: Combat Evolved, Myst, Pokemon Red and Blue, Portal, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Wii Sports, and Windows Solitaire.
“These 12 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists span decades, gaming platforms, and countries of origin… but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture,” said Jon-Paul C. Dyson, the Director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Whether it’s a pop culture icon like Donkey Kong, an innovator and true original like Portal, or a game like Wii Sports that transformed millions of living rooms into interactive zones for all ages, they’re among the most influential games of all time.”
An international advisory committee made up of journalists and scholars familiar with the history of video games will advise the Hall of Fame’s selection of this year’s inductees, which will be announced on Thursday, May 4, at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time).
You can learn more about all of this year’s finalists after the break. (more…)