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> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/0...ws_6130106.html
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> http://image.com.com/gamespot/image...0_screen001.jpg
> http://image.com.com/gamespot/image...0_screen002.jpg
> http://image.com.com/gamespot/image...0_screen003.jpg
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> World of Mana spanning multiple platforms
> Square Enix's long-absent RPG franchise will be making its return.
>
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> CHIBA CITY, Japan--The Mana series, also known as Seiken Densetsu, has
> been
> one of Square Enix's major franchises since the company's humble
> beginning.
> Although a new game hasn't been released for nearly five years now, the
> company announced at E3 that it was reviving the series with the launch of
> a
> new project named "The World of Mana." Square Enix didn't reveal details
> on
> the project back then, aside from a "polymorphic content strategy" that
> will
> be used in bringing it to its audience. This refers to a method of taking
> an
> original concept and developing it simultaneously across multiple media,
> including novelizations, film, games, and other products, such as manga.
>
> During the Square Enix Party in Chiba, we learned that Square Enix also
> plans to expand its new Mana game across multiple platforms and multiple
> genres. A pamphlet provided to the press included a two-page announcement
> for the official launch of the project:
>
> "Our staff are working hard to bring the world of Mana to everyone in
> various genres and platforms. Please look forward to the Mana series from
> now into the future."
>
> This promo material also presented an illustration of a house surrounded
> by
> nature, and it commented that gamers can expect new stories surrounding
> the
> Mana tree, which will feature "unique characters, and environments drawn
> with a soft and smooth touch."
>
> Square Enix presented visitors to its event with a short trailer for the
> official announcement of the project's launch, which surprised viewers
> with
> its dynamic presentation. Running for a short 30 seconds, the trailer
> started with a scene where a flock of red birds is flying above a forest.
>
> "It began long ago when the Mana goddess turned herself into a tree to
> look
> over the world," read a line of text that appeared on the screen, hinting
> that the new project will inherit the worldview of the series' original
> GBA
> release.
>
> After the words disappeared, the screen zoomed out from the forest,
> revealing a small area of a colossal tree, which was the tree of Mana. The
> tree then zoomed out of view even more, and its details faded away,
> turning
> into the official logo for the World of Mana project.
>
> No specific release date was announced for The World of Mana. While you
> wait, however, check out the logo and illustration of the house in the
> game's screen index.
>
> By Hirohiko Niizumi -- GameSpot
>
>
>