Square Enix has just announced that Final Fantasy XIII has shipped over 5 million units worldwide, with at least 3 million of those accounting for US and Europe figures, as reported by Andriasang,

The game has shipped at least 2 million units in Japan since its launch back in December, and by all accounts it looks like it’s going to easily eclipse that success here in the west.

This figure brings sales of the franchise as a whole to a whopping 96 million units in 20 years. Not too shabby.

Well, North American sites have joined in on the Final Fantasy XIII review extravaganza, but it seems that Edge has the most scathing review so far, especially since the majority of reviews have been fairly positive.

Full list after the cut:

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Well, it’s about time that Final Fantasy XIII reviews showed up online after being suppressed for so long. And now, days away from its release, we in North America and Europe can finally know what the big names in games have said.

List of reviews after the cut.

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MSXbox World has the first ten minutes of Final Fantasy XIII in plain’ ol’ English! Not that Japanese moonspeak you saw before.

Not only that, the Collector’s Editions for the PS3 and 360 have been revealed in fancy CGI fashion. Revel in the majesty (thanks, VG247)!

Final Fantasy XIII is out March 9th. THAT’S TWO WEEKS FROM RIGHT NOW.

Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama issued a statement on the official European FFXIII website about XIII’s linearity and how it will be beneficial to all – fans and newcomers alike.

“In order to allow the player to become absorbed in the drama of the storytelling and the new and exciting world of Cocoon and be drawn to the characters without getting distracted or lost we have deliberately used a linear game design for the introduction sections so they can be enjoyed in the same manner as watching a film,” said Toriyama.

“We are aiming for a vibe while playing that is similar to the experience of an FPS style game, where the player rapidly progresses through a series of dramatic events and experiences one after the other on an imposing and atmospheric battlefield.

“This kind of design is also very beneficial for the player in allowing them to gradually and systematically learn the brand new battle system that this installment brings to the series. It is set up such that the player will experience and try out each character’s possible roles in battle and naturally internalize the intensely tactical nature of the Paradigm Shift system.”

Kind of interesting how an FPS game would influence an RPG game with the idea of quickening the action from one section of the game to the next. Never thought of it that way.

Final Fantasy XIII is out for the PS3 and 360 March 9th in the US and Europe!

Yoshinori Kitase said to TechDigest that a Final Fantasy VII remake is possible should the right amount of time be invested into it, that is, a year’s time.

“If it were possible that we had all the right facilities and the right environment to be able to make and prepare a Final Fantasy VII remake within a year, we’d very much like a go at it.

“But even Final Fantasy XIII has taken over three and a half years to create. If we were to recreate Final Fantasy VII with the same level of graphical detail as you see in Final Fantasy XIII, we’d imagine that that would take as much as three or four times longer than the three and a half years it has taken to put this Final Fantasy together. So it’s looking pretty unrealistic.

“But if any such situation came about, by any remote chance, then yes, we’d do it”.

Looks like everyone will just have to be content with the PlayStation game for now, but thankfully it’s available for everyone to snag on the PlayStation Network.

Speaking to GameTrailers recently, Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase admit that he’s quite interested in seeing a Final Fantasy VII remake come to fruition.

“I’m really interested to see this more complete form of Final Fantasy VII portrayed more realistically with the voice and animation and all the suttle expressions there.

“I’d be interested to see that and to make that, it would be a great experience. I don’t get tired of people asking that question, so I’ll continue to answer my thoughts as long as people keep asking.”

It’s surprising to hear this, considering that Square Enix has gone on the record numerous times stating that its simply not going to happen. Of course, just because he wants to make it, doesn’t necessarily mean it will actually happen.

Well, the US isn’t the only country that’s going to see the Final Fantasy XIII 360 Bundle, but European gamers who desire a new system will be happy to hear that the boxed set will be upon their shores on March 9th as well.

The special edition bundle comes in two flavors:

-120 GB console, wireless controller and a copy of the game
-250 GB hard drive, two wireless controllers, a copy of the game, two codes for downloadable Avatar items, and the console itself has “Final Fantasy XIII” engraved on it

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A rumor and pictures have been spreading through the internet the past few days as to a Special Edition (hereafter referred to as SE) for Final Fantasy XIII, Square-Enix’s newest game in the Final Fantasy franchise.

We are unable to see any pictures that aren’t blurry or require a login to member sites to view, but we’ll give you what we have.

The SE bundle is set to include:

- LE 250 GB Black (even though boxart shows white Xbox 360) Xbox 360 (no current branding)

- 2 Black (again, possibly white) wireless controllers

- The basics: AV Cable, Headset, Network Cable

- A copy of FFXIII (obviously)

The SE is set to retail at $399.

We’ve yet to see if there’s any truth to this rumor, but keep your eyes out for further information.

Well, Team Teamwork has done it again. The creative mind that brought you The Ocarina of Rhyme has graced our ears with Vinyl Fantasy VII.

If you’re unfamiliar with either creation, what Team Teamwork does is take a game’s soundtrack, toss in some ridiculously fresh beats from famous rap and hip-hop artists and make something that’s, at the very least, fun to listen to.

Familiar names like Jay-Z, Outkast, MF DOOM, and Ghostface Killah grace the lineup of rhyme spitters.

Unfortunately, Team Teamwork’s Bandcamp page received a cease and desist notification for using copyrighted material, but you can still keep updated on current projects via the Team Teamwork Tumblr. You can also listen to other mash-ups on the official MySpace page.

Happy listening!

Saying people are excited about Final Fantasy XIII would probably be an understatement. And it looks like players might have more content to enjoy on top of the 50+ hour experience when the game hits down in March, according to producer Yoshinori Kitase.

“At first we had plans to release the game simultaneously worldwide, so we had the intention to deliver identical version between the regions. When we noticed that we wouldn’t make it, we decided to release the game as fast as possible in the west after its release in Japan,” said Kitase.

“We initially had doubts to add extra content to the western version but then it would have taken the international version more months of delay. We did prepare a DLC but it will arrive a little later in the west.”

The accessible availability of DLC makes re-releases of RPG a little redundant, doesn’t it? It should be worth keeping an eye on what they release.

Unofficial Final Fantasy Site has just reported that what appears to be the back of FFXII’s box-art has been leaked onto the internet.

The back of the box states that the game has no optional or mandatory installation and will only use up to 500kb of hard drive space for a game save. This is great news for PS3 owners who’ve had to endure long installations before being able to play their games.

FFXII also features full 1080p for all FMVs, as well as lossless audio. These features definitely sets the PS3 version as superior to the 360’s, something the PS3 fans who cried out in infamy are sure to enjoy.

Hit the link for more details.

The Final Fantasy series may never be true to its title, but this trailer is – Square Enix has released the final Final Fantasy XIII trailer before the game’s release in Japan in less than three weeks time.

Us gamers in the west still have to wait until March 9th, 2010 to get our hands on this game, but that’s definitely a huge improvement on the almost year long wait we had to endure for past Final Fantasy games.

Hopefully this will tide you over until then. Enjoy!

This is the one everyone has been waiting for. Square Enix has just announced that Final Fantasy XIII will hit US and European shelves March 9, 2010.

In a uniquely inventive twist, Square has stated that it will announce new information on the game on the 13th of every month as part of its “Lucky Number 13″ campaign.

The announcement was made in an official video. I dare you to watch this and not feel at least remotely excited.

Square Enix has just released the seven minute trailer of Final Fantasy XIII, that was showcased at the Tokyo Game Show over the weekend.

Check it out below. It’s rather nice.