Square Enix’s Private Party 2008 announced

Famitsu’s latest issue released today announced details concerning a special Square Enix private party dubbed DK Σ 3713. The planned date is 02/03 of August 2008.
Rather than being a 2 day event, it includes 6 sessions spread across the 2 days. The session times are 1000, 1330 and 1700 hours with an expected 400 people attending each session.

Square Enix Poster

There was speculation in to the name that each letter stood for a game:
D - Dragon Quest, Dissidia
K - Kingdom Hearts
Σ - Sigma Harmonics
3 - Kingdom Hearts 3, The 3rd Birthday
7 - Final Fantasy 7 (Advent Children Complete)
13 - Final Fantasy 13/Agito 13/Versus 13

But now Square Enix has revealed on the official site the confirmed list of games which supports the speculation to have been correct. The games making an appearance will be:

- Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)
- Final Fantasy Agito XIII (Mobile)
- Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PlayStation 3)
- Kingdom Hearts Coded (Mobile)
- Kingdom Hearts358/2 Days (Nintendo DS)
- Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (Sony PSP)
- Dissidia Final Fantasy (Sony PSP)
- The 3rd Birthday (Mobile)
- Sigma Harmonics (Nintendo DS)
- Final Fantasy VII AC Complete (Blu-Ray)

With Final Fantasy Agito XIII being included in the line up, this scraps the recent rumours that Square Enix plan to axe the mobile game. Parasite Eve 3’s future however now seems to remain in trouble.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 doesn’t hit the mark

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift release date looms large hitting America on June 26th, 2008, and in PAL territories on June 27th, 2008.

However there seems to be a growing disappointment among game reviewers concerning this title.

EGM’s July issue reviewers gave Tactics A2 a B/B-. They agreed that the game had immeasurable depth and customization but it lacked a meaningful plot.
Nintendo Power also recently released their July issue, giving the title a score of 7/10.

Those that are interested in purchasing the game should look forward to hours of gameplay however story based fans won’t be too impressed.

Square Enix admires DS sales

Square Enix recently posted its financial standings ending March 31, 2008, and suffice to say, the relationship with Nintendo must be amiable at worst.

The total sales for their games can be seen following:
* Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS) - 1,150,000 (Japan)
* Final Fantasy IV (DS) - 590,000 (Japan)
* Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS) - 540,000 (Japan), 222,000 (US), 280,000 (Europe)
* Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) - 380,000 (Japan), 160,000 (US), 150,000 (Europe)
* Itadaki Street: Mario & Dragon Quest (DS) - 430,000 (Japan)
* Final Fantasy III (DS) - 480,000 (Europe. 2 million globally)
* Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) - 800,000 (Japan), 450,000 (US)
* Dragon Quest Swords (Wii) - 490,000 (Japan), 110,000 (US)

However offline game sales fell 45%, and mobile game sales were less than expected.

The upside to this is that company boss Wada-san explained mobile content could easily be transferred to the Nintendo DS, so it’s not as unlikely we’d see Parasite Eve 3, Tobal, or Final Fantasy IV: The After (the sequel to FF IV) on the handheld, as Japan has with Front Mission 2089: Borders of Madness.

Square Enix also have the new Xbox 360 RPG game up their sleeve; Infinite Undiscovery, developed by tri-Ace.

This is going to be a hell of a year for Square Enix.