Vana'Diel Prepares For A Wave Of New Players With Launch Of FINAL FANTASY XI Starter Pack
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London (19th July 2007) - Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announced the imminent release of the FINAL FANTASY® XI Starter Pack for Windows® for the low suggested retail price of £4.99.
The FINAL FANTASY XI Starter Pack will be released on 20th July and is the ideal inexpensive introduction into the MMORPG genre. Included with the Starter Pack are the PlayOnline® Viewer, Tetra Master online card game and the original FINAL FANTASY XI software. Purchasers will also be able to enjoy a one-month free trial to the online world.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first online offering from Square Enix and an absolute must for fans of the series with over 500,000 active players to meet and share your adventure. This past year has seen a massive amount of changes to the game's infrastructure, as the developers have acted on constructive feedback from the large fan base and implemented many of their new ideas to the growing world of Vana'diel. These include tweaks to the difficulty levels of missions, adjusted drop rates for rare items, the revision of the Signet system allowing players to party more efficiently in smaller groups and the introduction of Chocobo Racing.
"We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer FINAL FANTASY XI to a whole new spectrum of gamers at such a competitive price," said John Yamamoto, President and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd., "We are confident that this release, coupled with recent gameplay changes and the forthcoming Wings of the Goddess expansion pack will encourage even more to try what is an exciting and prolific online experience."
About FINAL FANTASY XI
FINAL FANTASY XI takes you into the aftermath of a great war, as you answer a desperate call to defend your people. In this first ever cross-platform massively multiplayer online game, you'll unite with other heroes as you attempt to save the world from utter destruction. The adventure continues in multiple expansion packs: Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan and the forthcoming Wings of the Goddess, which will be available in winter 2007.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first MMORPG capable of simultaneous multiplayer action across three different platforms, allowing players worldwide to combine forces on Windows, PlayStation®2 (North America and Japan only) and Xbox 360.
FINAL FANTASY XI players from all over the world can unite in one gaming universe in a community of more than 500,000 players, and 1.7 million characters.
March 2007 saw the introduction of the French and German language versions of FINAL FANTASY XI creating an influx of new players. Those already playing will tell you this has added to a vibrant multi-cultural online community.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first ever MMORPG for Microsoft's Xbox 360.
For more information about FINAL FANTASY XI, please visit www.playonline.com.
About Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 75 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 43 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Located in London, Square Enix Ltd. handles operations in Europe and other PAL territories including sales, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com
CHAINS OF PROMATHIA, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, PLAYONLINE, RISE OF THE ZILART, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TREASURES OF AHT URHGAN, WINGS OF THE GODDESS and VANA'DIEL are registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries. Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United Kingdom and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Square Enix Limited is a company registered in England & Wales under the number 3679704 whose registered office is Castle House, 37-45 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LS.
Contact:
Alex Huhtala
Public Relations Manager
Square Enix Ltd
+44 (0) 20 7324 5223
alexh@square-enix-europe.com