I really don't know what's going on with Final Fantasy these days. Characters dressed like they're runway models? Cocoon citizens? Henry?! I guess we'll unravel the mystery soon enough. It ships to Japan in December, and arrives here in spring 2010.

Sparks fly, both figuratively and literally, in the latest trailer for Final Fantasy XIII. After that, some things get beat up and a hot rod appears in battle. Then Snow takes his shirt off.

The latest in Square's long-running RPG franchise hits Japan in PlayStation 3 form on December 17, with PS3 and Xbox 360 editions hitting North America in spring 2010.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

A fresh batch of screenshots from Final Fantasy XIII has been produced by Famitsu, largely featuring the recently announced character of Hope Estheim (pictured below, left).

The anticipated RPG is still planned to hit North America early next year on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Square Enix today announced that its long-awaited RPG Final Fantasy XIII will see a spring 2010 release in North America.

The title is expected to be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

There are no plans for a release of the demo for Final Fantasy XIII on Blu-ray outside of Japan, the game's producer Yoshinori Kitase has told VideoGamer.com.

In Japan a demo of the Square Enix RPG was included on Blu-ray with the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete--which is due for a demo-free US release June 2.

Kitase raises the idea of a downloadable demo, saying "We hear that the demo version normally means something that you can download in the West, so that is a possibility."

Final Fantasy XIII is should arrive on PlayStation 3 in Japan later this year, with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions due in Europe and North America no earlier than April 2010.

With the PlayStation 3 demo of Final Fantasy XII hitting Japan this week--it's bundled in the Blu-ray release of Square's CG flick Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete--screenshots and footage of the demo have appeared via Kotaku and Joystiq.

The PS3 edition of the legendary role-playing game hits Japan this winter, while Europe and North America get the game on both Xbox 360 and PS3 no earlier than April 2010.

Read on for two more videos from the demo, chock full of gameplay... Read more

Square Enix has released another batch of Final Fantasy XIII screens into the wild. They've been tagged and are ready for your scientific observation.

The PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIII should hit Japan this year, while Europe and North America will get the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions no earlier than April of next year.

The official Final Fantasy XIII website has once again been updated with new screenshots, giving us a glimpse of Gadot (the dude with the fire hair), Maqui (the kid), and Lebreau (the girl with the gun). Apparently, they're friends of bleach blonde Snow. At last official word, Square was set to release the PlayStation 3 version of the long-awaited RPG in Japan this year, with Europe and North America slated to receive PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions no earlier than April 2010.

Following the decision to postpone the Japanese debut of Dragon Quest IX (DS), Square Enix now says this might impact the long-awaited Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360).

"There is a possibility that [the] Dragon Quest IX delay could effect Final Fantasy XIII," said Square head Yoichi Wada, as reported by IT Media and translated by Kotaku.

Shifting Dragon Quest IX from March to July left Square Enix without a major release for the rest of its fiscal year, which ends on March 31. The delay was one of the reasons the company yesterday lowered its profit forecast for the fiscal year by nearly 63%.

At last official word, Final Fantasy XIII was slated to hit Japan this year in PlayStation 3 form, with North America and Europe seeing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the anticipated role-playing game no earlier than April 2010.

Recently-revealed character Sazh Katzroy takes center stage in the following Final Fantasy XIII screenshots. They come via the official Final Fantasy XIII site, currently in countdown mode for some sort of reveal.

Final Fantasy XIII is currently expected to release before the end of 2009 in Japan on PlayStation 3, with a simultaneous Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release to come no earlier than April 2010.

The overseas release of Final Fantasy XIII will occur no earlier than April 2010, according to word from Square Enix President Yoichi Wada in a Reuters article. Wada also told Reuters that the long-in-development epic is still on target for a 2009 release in Japan.

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Final Fantasy XIII will be released simultaneously in North America and Europe.

Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase is really just getting in the way during this brief development video. We want to see the game--he wants some Bauer-like face time.

In development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Final Fantasy XIII is still scheduled for release this year in Japan, with a North American release to follow.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Temporarily ending the reign of low-res magazine scans, Square Enix has released a number of low-res Final Fantasy XIII screenshots through the RPG's official website.

Along with in-game graphics, the screenshots offer a glimpse of the project's various computer-generated cutscenes, along with what looks to be some sketchy concept art.

Thus far, three main characters have been revealed: Lightning, Snow Villers and Oerba Dia Vanille. Lightning is the gal that's not showing her mid-riff, and Snow is the dude.

Final Fantasy XIII is slated for simultaneous release on PS3 and Xbox 360 in Europe and North America, but will only be hitting PS3 in Japan. The Japanese version arrives this year. There's been no word on international release dates, with speculation that the late-starting Xbox 360 port could delay its debut in North America and Europe.

Square Enix has released a pair of CG trailers for its two forever-upcoming Final Fantasy projects, Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360) and Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3).

The trailers were first shown at a Square event last summer, and so make no mention of the Xbox 360 port of Final Fantasy XIII.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Click on through for the Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailer.... Read more

The long-awaited Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360) will hit Japan in 2009, developer Square Enix reaffirmed at a dedicated invite-only event this weekend.

Following contradictory reports from numerous sources, the studio confirmed to Shacknews that all news stemming from the recent event was for the Japan only, including word that Final Fantasy XIII would arrive in 2009.

Though Square announced an Xbox 360 port of the one-time PlayStation 3 exclusive RPG at this year's E3, the studio has not yet started work on or even received the development kits for the port. A playable PS3 demo, meanwhile, is due out in March.

"We're making the PS3 version first, and then porting to the 360 later," director Motomu Toriyama stated in a video, according to GameSpot. "I'm telling them to not think about the Xbox 360 right now...We can think about it after the development kits... Read more

A playable demo of Square Enix's long-awaited RPG Final Fantasy XIII will arrive with the Blu-ray edition of the Final Fantasy VII-inspired CGI flick Advent Children next March, the studio has announced.

While a North American release for the Blu-ray disc and the accompanying demo have yet to be confirmed, Japan and North America share the same region coding for Blu-ray discs, meaning the movie itself will be playable on North American PS3s.

Though developers are able to lock out game content on a by-region basis, examples of region-locked PlayStation 3 games are extremely rare, as the bulk of downloadable PS3 demos and games will run on any PS3 worldwide with no issue.

In addition to the playable FF13 demo, the Blu-ray release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will pack new trailers of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which the company affirmed as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and the now PSP-bound mobile FF13 game, Agito.

Acclaimed Japanese developer Square Enix has revealed that its much-anticipated RPG Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360) is being built on PCs, though contrary to reports from other outlets, this news does not necessarily confirm that FF13 will be released on PC.

Much like Capcom's MT Framework technology, Square's PC-based Crystal Tools engine lets the company easily develop for multiple platforms using the same toolset.

"[Final Fantasy XIII] is being built on PC, where it's actually functional," producer Yoshinori Kitase said Square Enix's E3 press conference, according to Nvidia's Nzone. "We're still focusing on making it work on PS3, so it's difficult to know how long the process of taking it to 360 will take."

Though the console editions of FF13 can run on Square's PC development units, this does not confirm that the title will be released for PC, especially as a full-fledged PC version would require additional testing and texture work to ensure... Read more

Here's the trailer for Final Fantasy XIII which Square Enix showed off during the Microsoft E3 2008 press conference. We'll have a better quality recording later.

Square today announced that former PlayStation 3 exclusive Final Fantasy 13 will also arrive on Xbox 360 when the game debuts.

The title was revealed in a trailer of in-game footage during Microsoft's E3 press briefing, prefaced by a request that the footage was not to be recorded or captured in any form.

"Available on Xbox 360 at launch in North America and Europe," the company concluded. "We believe that bringing the game to Xbox 360 will allow us to provide a game to even more fans in North America and Europe."

Previously released screenshots of the PlayStation 3 edition

No clue was offered as to when the title will be released.

Publisher Square Enix has dismissed reports that its action-RPG offshoot Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3) is on hold, claiming that development of the game is still on track.

"Reports that development for Final Fantasy Versus XIII is on hold are false," the company said in a statement reported by Eurogamer. "The truth of the situation is that when free, some staff from the Versus team have been helping with the XIII team on development of Final Fantasy XIII."

The statement directly contradicts yesterday's report from Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, in which Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) lead designer Tetsuya Nomura said that the team behind Versus XIII were pulled from the project to help complete FF13.

"Development for both titles is continuing as originally scheduled," added Square Enix.

Set in the same universe as Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII is an action-RPG featuring completely different characters and story than its main series counterpart. The games were announced at E3 2006 alongside a third title, Final Fantasy Agito XIII, in development for mobile phones.