New Final Fantasy XI scenario playable in April, buyable in March

Final Fantasy XI’s upcoming downloadable scenario ‘A Crystalline Prophecy — Ode of Life Bestowing’ has been priced and somewhat dated. The content will be available for purchase (through the PlayOnline Viewer) on March 23 for $9.99. However, you won’t be able to play with the new content until Square Enix rolls out a “version update” in early April.

Don’t worry about paying early. Unlike some of the hookers I’ve met during my travels, Square Enix probably won’t cut and run after receiving payment. The reasons are simple: First, corporations don’t have legs. Secondly, they’re liable to deliver.

The exhaustingly named ‘A Crystalline Prophecy — Ode of Life Bestowing’ is the first scenario of three that Square Enix announced in November. The other two scenarios, ‘A Moogle Kupo d’Etat’ and ‘A Shantotto Ascension — The Legend of Torn, Her Empire Born’ are due out at some point later this year.

Hit the break if you’re interesting in learning the expansion’s story. I’m Vana’diel retarded, so it’s impossible for me to convey its magnificence.

SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES PURCHASE DATE OF NEW CONTENT FOR FINAL FANTASY XI

Award-Winning MMORPG’s New Add-on Scenario will be Available for Purchase March 23rd

LOS ANGELES (March 13, 2009) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix®  interactive entertainment products in North America, today announced that the first in a series of three previously announced add-on scenarios for their MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game, FINAL FANTASY® XI, will be available for purchase on March 23, 2009. This add-on scenario, titled “A Crystalline Prophecy™ – Ode of Life Bestowing,” will be available exclusively for online purchase through the PlayOnline® Viewer, and will be priced at $9.99. After purchase, FINAL FANTASY XI players will have access to this new content following the release of the upcoming version update in early April 2009.

Creation of these three upcoming content packages is led by Masato Kato, who created the stories and scenarios for FINAL FANTASY XI, and its first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart®. Two additional add-ons, “A Moogle Kupo d’Etat™ – Evil in Small Doses” and “A Shantotto Ascension™ – The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born”, will be released later this year.

STORY

A Crystalline Prophecy – Ode of Life Bestowing

One day, a giant crystal appeared in the skies above Jeuno, triggering a series of unexplained happenings across the land. Now, adventurers will set forth to unravel the mysteries of this primordial crystal that holds the secret of Vana’diel’s past.

Accommodating players in North America, Europe and Japan, FINAL FANTASY XI is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game capable of simultaneous multiplayer cooperation across three different platforms. Now in its sixth year of service, FINAL FANTASY XI has a robust community of 500,000 subscribers from around the world. The series continues to evolve and expand, offering newcomers and fans alike an immersive, engrossing and engaging universe to traverse, defend and explore.

For more information about FINAL FANTASY XI, please visit the official website: http://www.finalfantasyxi.com.

Profile of Masato Kato

Masato Kato served as director and scenario writer on titles including Chrono Trigger®, Radical Dreamers, Xenogears® and Chrono Cross® for Square Co., Ltd. (now Square Enix) and oversaw the initial plot conception and event direction for the original FINAL FANTASY XI and the Rise of the Zilart expansion. Since leaving Square in 2002, Mr. Kato has worked on a number of titles and continues to pursue his unique design vision.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan’s best-selling franchises — FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 47 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, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.