“No reason” to bring FFXIII 360 International Edition west, says Square Enix

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Square Enix has just told VG247 it has no plans to release the International Version of Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 – that was announced this morning in Japan – to Europe and the US.

A Square spokesperson told us the Japanese re-release was “essentially identical” to the version America and Europe got in March this year for PS3 and Xbox 360, and that there was “no reason” to bring it west.

“This is the International version, essentially identical to the game that has already been released in Europe and the US – so there’s no reason to release this version outside of Japan,” the publisher said.

Defection detected. Again.

Square’s Shinji Hashimoto announced the new version alongside producer Yoshinori Kitase at a Microsoft press conference (via Andriasang) today, after a leak in this week’s Famitsu and an earlier leak in Dengeki magazine.

The game, an international edition known as “Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits Edition”, will release on December 16 in Japan for a budget price of ¥4,980, according to the latest issue of Famitsu.

During the Microsoft conference, Kitase announced it will have an Easy Mode and a book known as “Corridor of Memory”.

He also confirmed that a novel to the game, known as Episode i, will be included, which details events after the game.

It was previously reported that it was a post-completion in-game quest, but Square clarified the situation in a statement.

“There is no new episode content. Early reports may be confused by a pre-order item accompanying first editions of the release called Final Fantasy XIII – Corridor of Memory, a book of original stories set within Final Fantasy XIII,” said a statement sent to VG247 by the publisher.

As with the US-EU version of the game, the new edition will be on three DVDs. It has the English voice-acting from the western version with Japanese subtitles.

Leona Lewis’ My Hands will be the theme again.

This will be the first 360 title in Square’s Ultimate Hits budget line.

Here’s the Japanese TV ad for the deal, featuring a massive X.

Click Here

Lightning strikes

A Japanese release of FFXIII was hinted at earlier this year, when the game’s Achievements list appeared on Xbox Japan’s website in July.

But Square remained coy on it, with producer Yoshinori Kitase refusing to comment on it at gamescom.

Final Fantasy XIII launched in December of last year for PS3 in Japan, before launching in the west in March this year for PS3 and Xbox 360.

The game shipped 5 million units of the game worldwide, before it was confirmed in May it had sold 5.5 million units.

Square also announced a sequel to Dissidia: Final Fantasy today, named Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy. It’s to release next year and will feature Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII and Kain from Final Fantasy IV.

Posted in: Hot, RPG, Square Enix, Xbox 360

Criterion collaborating with DICE on NFS: Hot Pursuit

Digital Foundry’s revealed DICE is working with Criterion on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

The Battlefield developer’s been helping the Guildford-based studio on creating the racer’s massive open world.

“It’s been a great collaboration actually,” said Criterion art director Henry LaBounta. “Early on we set style guides for what we wanted to create out of this game, to offer players the ability to see a wide variety of types of environments from the deserts to the mountains to the forest to the coastal routes and so forth.”

Criterion’s senior engineer Alex Fry told DF that roughly 15-25 DICE artists are helping out on the project.

“We designed the world here, handling guys and the world artists worked together to make sure the game world drives well and feels right,” said Fry. “Once we finessed that and locked all the roads down, Henry set out the art style and how this game was going to look.

“Then we built in core locations… this is going to be seaside, this is going to be the mountain range, we wanted a bridge here… we mapped out the rough lay of the land and then DICE with our art director went in and turned it into something beautiful.”

Expect Hot Pursuit to be a key part of EA’s gamescom press conference tomorrow in Cologne.

Get details on it here.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit releases on November 19 on PS3, 360, PC and Wii.

NfS: Hot Pursuit in HD: sun, sand, supercars

EA dropped a fantastic gameplay trailer of Criterion’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit today, showing cars racing through the desert. Why would you not want this?

It’s out on November 19. The game’s been on tour in the US recently, as you can see in this latest video from Chicago.

DICE has been working on this as well, so with these two studios on it, it’s bound to be one of 2010’s stand-outs.

See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxnPH1PXehA&feature=player_embedded

Valve’s Weier details Portal 2 co-op at PAX Prime

Mpressions:

Valve’s Weier details Portal 2 co-op at PAX Prime

portal2

Portal 2 was shown to the public for the first time at PAX Prime last weekend, and while no one got hands-on time, Valve’s Josh Weier was there to show us a bit of the puzzler’s co-op portion.

First and foremost, those who felt the first Portal was a bit light lengthwise will be pleased to know both the single-player and co-op modes are twice as long as the original game. Also, those who felt tinges of motion sickness or vertigo with the first one shouldn’t be troubled this time out; the field of view has been changed.

The co-op portion of the game’s story is independent from the single-player. Obviously, you and your partner will have to work together in order to complete each stage.

Valve has included the ability for you or your partner to throw up an hint icon on the screen, which designates where you’d like the other player to open a portal. You’re using the same gun you had in the first game.

Hug it up

These hints are extremely useful, especially as the two players aren’t allowed to speak to each other. It’s just hints and emotes for communication.

Emotes can be used to hug it out with their partner, wave, or complete other small gestures.

The hint system was demonstrated to the audience in a situation with a light bridge. In order to use the bridge to get into the next room, the players had to use the portal guns to make the bridge extend. A player would throw a hint up on a wall, the partner would open a portal there, and the first player would throw its portal up and walk through to the other side.

Another instance of required cooperation where hints were useful was a room with lasers, which are new to the series. In this room, one player would insert a reflecting cube into the laser’s path, while the other player opened a portal in the wall for the laser to be reflected through. Each player would then open portals in the walls deterring the laser’s path until until it was no longer restricted.

Lasers will play a significant part in some of the game’s puzzles, as you’ll sometimes have to use reflector cubes to aim lasers at turrets in order to destroy them.

“Chasm filled with deadly liquid”

At one point in the demo, Valve showed a room obstacled by a large chasm. In order to get to the other side, a portal needed to be opened allowing one of the players to build up enough momentum to shoot across the chasm.

One player opens two portals, which allows the co-op partner to keep slipping through them, gaining speed constantly. Once the player gained enough momentum, the player’s partner shoots a portal into the wall on the other side, and the player came flying out onto a platform.

Should your partner not open the portal in the correct spot, you’ll fall into the chasm filled with deadly liquid. Tough break. However, you appear back where you first started in the room, so it’s not like you’ll have to walk too far to restart.

Once you finally reach the other side of the room, you just repeat what your partner did to get you both across.

Throughout play, Glados’s voice twits along, encouraging you or throwing witty barbs your way should she feel you’re not doing as well as you should.

All in all, co-op in Portal 2 looks like it will be loads of fun, and with twice the puzzles and length as the first game, it should lock you in for time.

You can check out the demo we saw of Portal 2 through the video we posted for you on Saturday.

Portal 2 releases on February 9 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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