GameCube needs RPGs, eh? Well, if PGC is right, then we may be getting some. And I still can't believe who's involved...
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Remember Yamauchi's fund to support development? Square's getting some of that money to make Final Fantasy games for GameCube and GBA. No, this is not a joke.
Major props to Powder, who sent us this extremely important news tip! According to the Saturday morning (in Japan) edition of the popular Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper, Square and Nintendo are getting back together to bring Final Fantasy back to Nintendo fans on both GameCube and Game Boy Advance! Here's an excerpt from Nikkei's website. You can see the full story by registering there (credit card required, but you get a two-week free trial period during which you can cancel at any time).
OSAKA (Nikkei)--Nintendo Co. (7974) has agreed to resume procuring the popular "Final Fantasy" video game software for its game consoles from Square Co. (9620) after a five-year hiatus, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Friday.
The big news in this is not only is Square coming back, but the details. Hiroshi Yamauchi himself is funding Square's return, by virtue of Fund Q, the fund set aside to help spark game development on GameCube. The new company to be stared by Square and Akitoshi Kawazu (one of Final Fantasy's developers), should be founded by the end of March.
Another important quote ...
The deal calls on the Square affiliate to produce software allowing users of two Nintendo consoles -- the GameCube and Game Boy Advance -- to play together by the end of the year.
"... to play together"? What does that mean???
Surely the first game to come out of this new venture will be Final Fantasy XI, as Square has been adamant about wanting the game on every console. But could we see a port of Final Fantasy X? And how does the GameBoy Advance fit in? There are a lot more questions to be answered yet.
Still, gamers prayers have been answered. Square is officially back on Nintendo.
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Source:
PGC.
Keep your fingers crossed. PGC says NCL has confirmed it, but I'm still waiting for some confirmation from other sites (such as, say, IGN and GameSpot). Still, wouldn't it just be poetic justice to have Squaresoft returning because of none other than Yamauchi?