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Home > Archive > Xbox forum > February 2005 > XBOX 2 ANNONCEMENT: Hironobu Sakaguchi on 2 games for Xbox 2
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XBOX 2 ANNONCEMENT: Hironobu Sakaguchi on 2 games for Xbox 2
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| NEXT BOX 2005-02-24, 6:30 pm |
| [ok here are some posts about this announcement BEFORE it happened. we're
going back in time some hours here]
Xbox 2 Announcement Looms - Sakaguchi-san in the Mix
Final Fantasy creator's MistWalker Studio offered.
24th Feb 2005
Related Links People Hironobu Sakaguchi
Link to This Article http://news.spong.com/x?art=8374
According to snowballing levels of speculation today, Microsoft Game Studios
is today poised to make a significant announcement at 16:00 Eastern Time in
the US.
The announcement is said to be Xbox 2-focused and important enough to have
national press embargoed and ready to run with the news later on today.
Although nothing of substance has leaked thus far, further speculation
points towards a possible move towards Hironobu Sakaguchi's MistWalker
Studio. The team, largely comprised of former Square and Enix staff, is
currently working on two unnamed projects for unspecified next-generation
platforms. To date, only one piece of art, included in this news story, has
been offered.
However, some of the more optimistic speculation knocking about talks of a
serious showing of hardware and software, though sources have hinted to
SPOnG that this won't be the case.
Which again highlights the inherent strangeness of the gradual emergence of
the Xbox 2. In a little over half a year, the Xbox 2 will - if all goes to
plan at MS towers - be available to buy in your local Tesco. Yet we have no
idea what it is, what it looks like, what it will do, what games - aside
from Burnout 4 - will be available at launch. This lack of information so
close to a major launch in two territories (the US and Europe seeing Xbox 2
well before Japan) is astonishing to most industry watchers.
So, for what looks set to be little more than a crushing disappointment
(though in all honesty, we actually believe something of substance is likely
to be shown that will genuinely surprise) check back on SPOnG tomorrow.
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| NEXT BOX 2005-02-24, 6:30 pm |
| okay, unless this is a hoax, now we have official confirmation!
( but no link / url. but I'll post one when i get ahold of it)
Video Game Legend Hironobu Sakaguchi Joins Microsoft Game Studios as a
Developer for Next-Generation Xbox Platform
Father of "Final Fantasy" Series and AIAS Hall of Fame Inductee Will Develop
Role-Playing Games
REDMOND, Wash. - Feb. 24, 2005 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that
Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and president of Mistwalker game
studio, has joined with Microsoft® Game Studios to develop role-playing game
(RPG) video games exclusively for the next-generation Xbox® video game
platform. Sakaguchi is best known as the creator of the "Final Fantasy"
franchise, which has sold more than 60 million units worldwide, and was
executive vice president in charge of game development at Square Enix Co.,
Ltd. until February 2001.
Citing a shared vision with Microsoft for the next generation of video
games, Sakaguchi will lead the creation of two upcoming Xbox-exclusive RPG
titles to be published by Microsoft Game Studios.
"Sakaguchi-san has taken role-playing games - traditionally a niche market -
and introduced them to a broad and diverse audience across the globe," said
Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing
at Microsoft. "We are ecstatic to work with Sakaguchi-san and celebrate what
this news means not only for Xbox, but for gamers worldwide."
"I'm excited about the two epic game titles we will be developing,"
Sakaguchi said. "A number of talented creators have signed on to help
develop these games, and I'm confident we will be able to create games that
provide gamers with a new kind of thrill.
"Microsoft's cutting-edge technologies in the next-generation platform will
allow me to bring to life an array of ideas that I have had for many years,"
Sakaguchi said. "I want these games to be alive with a new vision for gaming
and vividly depict new characters that will transcend the game, find a place
in the hearts of gamers, and make time spent with my games a fond and
long-lasting memory."
Sakaguchi started his career at Square Co. Ltd. in 1986 as director of
planning and development. He was promoted to executive vice president in
1991 and eventually ascended to president of Square LA Inc. (now Square USA
Inc.) in 1995. In 2000, Sakaguchi was inducted into the coveted Academy of
Interactive Arts & Science (AIAS) Hall of Fame for his groundbreaking work
on the "Final Fantasy" series. In 2004, Sakaguchi announced that he had
started his own development studio, called Mistwalker.
Xbox is coming off a blockbuster year as the only video game console to show
year-to-year growth in 2004, while competitors declined*. Driven by epic,
platform-exclusive content - including "Halo® 2" by Microsoft Game Studios,
"Fable" by Microsoft Game Studios., "Ninja Gaiden" by Tecmo Ltd., and Xbox
LiveT, the only unified online video game console service - gamers worldwide
continue to flock to Xbox for an unparalleled digital entertainment
experience.
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| I Won't, But Me Mate Will 2005-02-24, 10:14 pm |
| In article <1109286899.abb25048afde7127c416fd157e1b5b06@teranews>,
pahsons@juno.com says...
quote:
> There's no telling what your doing with NEXT BOX
>
>
> OMG X( SPURT
>
Tell me ya were'nt lying down when you did that...
--
G(ranny's) T(its): atavaX
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| Numb Natural One 2005-02-24, 10:15 pm |
| There's no telling what your doing with I Won't, But Me Mate Will
quote:
> In article <1109286899.abb25048afde7127c416fd157e1b5b06@teranews>,
> pahsons@juno.com says...
> Tell me ya were'nt lying down when you did that...
Only afterwards
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| Zackman 2005-02-24, 10:15 pm |
| NEXT BOX wrote:
quote:
> okay, unless this is a hoax, now we have official confirmation!
> ( but no link / url. but I'll post one when i get ahold of it)
It's for real. What doesn't seem real is the fact you posted just a link
instead of cutting and pasting the entire story. I'm still swooning.
Clearly this is aimed at helping Xbox 2 crack the Japanese market. But then
that's what they thought having exclusive Tecmo fighting games would do
also. Which it did... the Xbox sold six units that week instead of two and
almost managed to beat the Wonderswan.
Is it just me, or is this the first time MS has officially admitted the
existence of a next-generation Xbox in their *own* PR materials?
-Z-
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