20,21 MCV574_final
5/2/10
17:22
Page 2
RETAILBIZ: FINAL FANTASY XIII WWW.MCVUK.COM
Final Fantasy XIII promises to delight fans once again with a colourful cast of characters, impressive visuals and an epic storyline in keeping with its hugely popular predecessors
RELEASED: MARCH 9 FORMATS: XBOX 360, PS3 PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX DEVELOPER: SQUARE ENIX PRICE: £49.99 DISTRIBUTOR: OPEN CONTACT: 020 8636 3013
MCV 12/02/10 21
and the lines between good and evil are constantly blurred. “Final Fantasy XIII lets players embark on an adventure beyond their wildest dreams, packed with breathtaking environments to explore, unique allies to befriend, and awe-inspiring enemies to conquer,” explains Arnese. “An immersive storyline draws the player ever closer to a cast of intriguing characters. Will they have the strength to face their fate, or are they doomed to destroy everything they love? “There is a level of craftsmanship, detail design and quality here that is second to none, setting a new benchmark for the realisation of video game worlds and characters.” The game boasts a new graphics engine developed specifically for this generation of consoles. Consumers can expect stunning highdefinition cinematics and sound, as well as some of the time-honoured gameplay mechanics that have evolved as the series has progressed.
The familiar Active Time Battle system is present once more, with new features granting players the freedom to give numerous commands in a single turn in real-time. There is also a brand-new mechanic – the Paradigm System – that enables players to assign different roles, such as commando or medic, to their party members at any time during battle. RETAIL FANTASY
Square Enix plans to elevate Final Fantasy XIII’s debut above previous games releases and bring it closer to becoming one of the biggest entertainment launches of the quarter. To accomplish this, the publisher has invested in an extensive multi-million pound campaign that designed to reach millions of consumers. Key to this massive campaign will be heavyweight TV advertising, which will run across terrestrial and satellite channels – it kicks off on March 1st running into Easter and beyond.
TV spots will appear more frequently as launch day approaches, and Square Enix has secured prime advertising spots during key football programming. The publisher has also made its biggest ever investment in video-ondemand media. Meanwhile, the firm estimates that its national bus side advertising campaign will reach a staggering 75 per cent of the UK’s population throughout March, mirroring the impact of triple-A blockbuster movie campaigns. In print, Final Fantasy XIII will be promoted directly to fans and a general gaming audience through both specialist and men’s lifestyle publications. These promotions will also broaden into both the wider lifestyle and national press, such as full-page ads in Metro, Shortlist and others. Retail will be a key component for Square Enix’s plans with dedicated instore programmes booked with major retail partners and plenty of high impact POS available.