FFXIII not before April 2008

By Robert Purchese Published 24 May, 2007

Square Enix boss says so.

Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada has said that Final Fantasy XIII won't be released until at least April 2008.

He was talking at a money meeting discussing the company's earnings in fiscal 2006, which ended in March. But when quizzed about the financial year ahead and the arrival of FFXIII, he revealed it wouldn't be ready in that time frame.

"It will still take more time," said Wada, in an article translated by IGN. "At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question."

Square Enix America has avoided commenting on it so far, and we are waiting to hear back from the European representatives.

Square Enix has previously said it will have a demo of the game ready in time for this year's E3 conference, which runs from 11th to 13th July.

We recently flew out to the Square Enix Party in Japan and saw no evidence of it there, but we did manage to interview legendary designer Tetsuya Nomura.

He'll be the force behind the counterpoint title Final Fantasy Versus XIII, a dark and supposedly more action-based affair. Follow our biscuit trail to the interview for more information.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Cyclone #1 5 years ago

    I know XII was heavily delayed, but it's still slightly surprising to see XIII so quickly after 12.

  • trav #2 5 years ago

    Apr 2008 = Japan
    Oct 2008 = US
    Apr 2009 = Europe*

    And there is the release dates for FFXIII across the world.

    *Prediction may not actually come true, but more than likely will.

  • Killerbee #3 5 years ago

    but it's still slightly surprising to see XIII so quickly after 12.

    Don't speak too soon. There's plenty of opportunity for them to delay it a whole lot more. :)

  • Steroyd #4 5 years ago

    from who's perspective?

    Japan had the game a whole 12 months before Europe, and the US had it about 4-5 months before us poor Europeans.

    I would LOVE to eat crow on this but no effing way are we getting FFXIII in the same year as Japan whenever it releases for them.
    Edited by 1 at 24/05/07 @ 11:41

  • PsychoPingu #5 5 years ago

    PS3. Region Free. Sooo..... we'll all be playing it in October anyway ;)

  • Gurgeh #6 5 years ago

    "PS3. Region Free"

    I can't wait until the first region locked game comes out for the PS3. How long was the moratorium? 2 years?

  • JediMasterMalik #7 5 years ago

    No surprise there, wasn't expecting an '07 release anyway.

  • Blerk #8 5 years ago

    Hardly surprising this, is it? Was anyone seriously expecting it to be out this year? Even in Japan? No chance.

  • Darren #9 5 years ago

    I thought BD games had all the language files on so there's only ONE version of the game anyway so won't FFXIII be a worldwide release in April 2008?

  • Luvbeers #10 5 years ago

    I love the Halo 3 ad in the middle of this article!

  • lambtron #11 5 years ago

    So. What is there actually coming out for the PS3? I ask because I have finished Motorstorm (was good) and Resistance (was mediocre) and there is ... nothing else ...

  • Les #12 5 years ago

    "I can't wait until the first region locked game comes out for the PS3."

    Why exactly would you enjoy a region-locked game coming out for the PS3?! Unles you're an idiot 360 fanboy... O wait, you are...

  • NewYork #13 5 years ago

    Part of me thinks it'd be amusing if this game finally came out and was average.

  • Steroyd #14 5 years ago

    I thought BD games had all the language files on so there's only ONE version of the game anyway so won't FFXIII be a worldwide release in April 2008?

    The actual game code must be filling the disc up to the brim.

    I was kind of hoping SE would do that so they see sense to not lose revenue with people who import after all we pay more.
    But the PSP is region free also and they still seem to drag their heels in the same manner as they did during the PS1/PS2 era. :/
    So I'm less optimistic of this actually happening outside of Sony's first party games.

  • The12thMonkey #15 5 years ago

    There is only one FF game who's content is developed in 4 different languages at the same time, and that game is FFXI. Square have said before (I seem to recall), that the financial return from the Japanese sales allows for the localisation of the game to English. Localisation means more than different language files. FFXII was re-lip synched, which has implications for the camera changes in cut scenes, has implications for the duration of the music, whether it gets louder, softer, etc. Localisation is a huge process these days.

    Just because Blu Ray discs can hold all the language files, it doesn't mean it will.

  • CitizenGeek #16 5 years ago

    Shouldn't they just have said "FFXIII definately not even anywhere near April 2008" and saved us all from the press release a month from April detailing that it won;t be until after 2009? :( Square Enix, I love thee, but you really are the most unreliable publisher out there.

  • firefly #17 5 years ago

    Oh come on!

    Square Enix may be unreliable but they're no Ninendo of Europe.

  • davisorle #18 5 years ago

    @Luvbeers
    LMAO

  • SexyBodyBuilderDude #19 5 years ago

    I think it's pretty safe to say Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13 won't be released until the Holiday shopping season of 2008.

    There's no way in the world MGS4 would be released in the month of March of 2008, and there is no way in the world Final Fantasy 13 would be released in the month of April of 2008. We won't see those games until much closer to Christmas in 2008.

    It SUCKS to hear news of delays like this. But, that is very common with the Playstation 3, because it is so difficult to work with.

    PS3 has experienced delays from before it was released, to it launch, to now, and apparently with games like MGS4 and FF 13 that will continue to be delayed until late 2008.

    It sucks to own a PS3 right now. I feel bad for the people who bought the system thinking they would be playing Metal Gear or Final Fantasy right now, because those games are a very looooooooong time away!

    It makes a LOT more sense to wait for the system to come down a couple hundred dollars by Christmas of 2008, and then buy the system when more games are available...IF the games are available...and IF the games aren't also announced for the Xbox 360 like everyone says they will.

  • sonsonate #20 5 years ago

    Code filling that 50GB disc, I doubt that. 5 Dvds worth of game? In what lifetime? THAT game would be coming out in 2015, perhaps.

  • NegativeZero #21 5 years ago

    PS3. Region Free. Sooo..... we'll all be playing it in October anyway ;)

    The region free thing is only Sony's policy for their own first-party games. They encourage their third parties to follow suit, but don't require it. As Squenix is a third party, it'll be up to them.


    I don't think anyone was expecting FF13 this year anyway, but I wonder if they might have delayed things to see how PS3 ends up performing over Christmas? Last I heard the White Engine that they're using had been ported to 360, so if PS3 is still bombing in the US they might decide to hedge their bets and go multiformat.

  • Les #22 5 years ago

    Nice to see the xbots resorting to their master company's favourite marketing tactic: FUD.

  • Galvanizer #23 5 years ago

    This game is clearly not even finished!

    Japan = Q4 2008
    USA = Q2 2009
    Europe = Q4 2009

    I'm certain this will be the case judging by Wada's words.

  • Les #24 5 years ago

    "I know many loved it but as far as I'm concerned FF isn't even FF anymore. Final Fantasy is Hironobu Sakaguchis franchise, without him behind it, it's just going downhill and will probably continue to do so..."

    The fact that each new FF is different from the previous one is what makes FF Final Fantasy. Without evolution, the series would never have made it to number XII. But if you like to stay in the past, Blue Dragon is non-evolved FF in all but name.

  • Vandrius #25 5 years ago

    X360 fanbois with your "No way will they fill Bluray" comments...

    There have been a large number of developers who have complained that DVD is starting to limit games.

    IIRC one of the devs of a fairly big PS3 game coming out this year (lair, heavenly or something) had said that they would manage to fill the ENTIRE disc. I have no doubt someone with a good memory in here will be able to clarify that point.