FINAL FANTASY XI FOR WINDOWS BEGINS SHIPPING TO NORTH AMERICAN RETAILERS OCTOBER 28, 2003
Marketing Blitz For First Online FINAL FANTASY Title Includes Promotional Campaigns with Alienware, America Online and NVIDIA
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 6, 2003) - Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. ("Square Enix U.S.A."), the publisher of Square Enix products in North America, announced today that FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows, the first online title in the world-renowned series, will begin shipping to North American retailers on October 28. FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows will include the "Rise of the Zilart" expansion pack and other applications on five CD-ROM discs and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99 (USD).
FINAL FANTASY XI subscribers will receive their first 30 days of access without charge. Aside from Internet service provider access charges, the free trial period will begin on the date players create their first "Content ID" or character. Any additional "Content IDs" purchased are also available without charge until the end of the free trial period. After 30 days, players can continue to play FINAL FANTASY XI by paying a monthly fee of $12.95 (USD) for one FINAL FANTASY XI character, and can create up to 15 additional characters for an additional charge of $1.00 (USD) per character, per month. Tetra Master, the online version of the wildly popular and addictive mini-game from FINAL FANTASY IX, will also be included in the package and will be available for $1.00 (USD) per month. Payment for monthly access charges must be made by credit card only (restrictions apply).
Marketing and Promotional Partners In addition to a targeted marketing campaign that includes national print and online media in the top gaming and computer gaming magazines and websites, Square Enix has united with several promotional partners in its marketing efforts for FINAL FANTASY XI. Included is a giveaway by Alienware for its "Area 51" desktop PC that comes bundled with FINAL FANTASY XI and co-branded print ads with NVIDIA. In addition, the premiere online games destination, AOL Games, will debut a comprehensive programming package around the launch of the new game beginning October 21 available at AOL Keyword: Video Games.
FINAL FANTASY XI
In FINAL FANTASY XI, players will undertake multiple adventures through vast environments in the world of "Vana'diel," which has more than 100 areas to explore, including mountains, forests, ice plains, deserts, oceans, rivers, castles, and dungeons. The game allows players to create their alter ego that will exist in the world of Vana'diel, choosing from a variety of races, facial features, hairstyles and colors. They will be able to play at their own pace and form parties by utilizing the various communication tools that have been incorporated into FINAL FANTASY XI, including easy-to-use chat and messaging systems. The inclusion of "Rise of the Zilart" will expand the storyline and open up a variety of higher-level skills and abilities.
The first cross-platform, cross-continent massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), FINAL FANTASY XI allows gamers to connect to the same exact world regardless of whether they are playing on a personal computer (PC) or PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and whether they are playing in North America or Japan.
PlayOnline
FINAL FANTASY XI is a multiplayer online game in which players play via the Internet, and is playable via broadband or dial-up connection on both the PC and PlayStation 2. FINAL FANTASY XI is accessible only through the PlayOnline network service, a network service created by Square Enix. The PlayOnline service will launch on October 28, 2003. PlayOnline provides a wide range of online services and entertainment including games, entertainment, and communication. Thus, PlayOnline not only serves as a portal to the world of FINAL FANTASY XI, but also a gateway to several other applications including communication tools such as email, messaging, a "Friend List," games, support, downloadable files, and audiovisual customization. Players will create personalized PlayOnline identities or "handles" that allow other players to communicate with each other, no matter where they are on the PlayOnline network. These basic services on the PlayOnline network will be free of charge. For more information on PlayOnline, FINAL FANTASY XI, and Tetra Master, please visit the official Web site at http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/index.shtml.
Square Enix U.S.A. has partnered with Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital, to provide in-game support and customer service by phone for both versions of FINAL FANTASY XI as well as PlayOnline.
FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows System Requirements
The minimum system requirements for FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows are as follows: Windows 98/98 SE/Me/2000/XP, IntelR PentiumR III 800Mhz or higher, 128 MB RAM, 6 GB of hard drive space, DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card, CD-ROM drive, keyboard, 56K or faster connection, and either the ATI Radeon 9000 series or NVIDIA GeForce series video card with 32MB of RAM.
FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation 2
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system will be pre-installed on the internal Hard Disk Drive (40GB)(for PlayStation 2). Available in March 2004 for a suggested retail price of $99 (USD), the internal Hard Disk Drive attaches to the Network Adaptor (Ethernet/modem) (for PlayStation 2), which connects to both broadband or dial-up networks, and rests in the expansion bay of the PlayStation 2 console.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated FINAL FANTASY XI "T" for Teen. For more information about the ESRB, visit http://www.esrb.org.
About Square Enix Co. Ltd. and Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment contents including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide and DRAGON QUEST ( DRAGON WARRIOR in North America ) which has sold over 30 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.
Square Enix U.S.A. Inc., located in Los Angeles, Calif., handles operations in North America including localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix U.S.A. can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix-usa.com.
(C) 2003 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Title Design by Yoshitaka Amano. FINAL FANTASY, TETRA MASTER and VANA'DIEL are registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. SQUARE ENIX, PLAYONLINE, RISE OF THE ZILART and the PLAYONLINE logo are trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. PlayStation and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Windows and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
