Maybe, just maybe, FFXIII could be released in 2009 in the West!

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Square Enix released their Q2 financial reports earlier today and held a conference to discuss them. Square Enix is having an amazing year thus far, bolstered by Dissidia's international sales and the release of Dragon Quest IX in Japan. During the first half of the fiscal year, they've already sold more games then the entirety of the previous fiscal year, in fact.

Square isn't done, either. While they've sold 12 million software units so far, they expect to double up to 26 million by the end of the fiscal year. This will obviously be helped by the Final Fantasy XIII, Star Ocean 4 International and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep launches in Japan.

They may also be aiming to release Final Fantasy XIII this year in the West. When CEO Yoichi Wada was grilled about the Western release of Final Fantasy XIII, he said everything was progressing smoothly. He also explicitly said it's possible to get the game out before the end of the fiscal year internationally.

In layman's terms, that means we could be seeing Final Fantasy XIII before March 2010. The PS3 already has an incredible line up of RPGs heading West next year, with Resonance of Fate, White Knight Chronicles, and Star Ocean 4 due early in the year. Looks like FFXIII could be crashing the party as well!

Source: PS3Center

 

[Rey]

Oh are you serious? This will be perfect. I hope it comes out in January or Feb because March seems pretty long. Or christmas? As always thanks for this Ryan my friend!

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

I wouldn't get your hopes up too much, knowing Square Enix it'll be a case of that they could have FFXIII out by the end of 2009 they just don't want to straight away. I still reckon it's going to be released around March/April time.

 

[Exoskeleton]

Yay! MArch is when My birthday is! I know what IM getting...yays...they better keep that date to March...

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

.....I'm a bit skeptical....

Yes, I'm happy that FF13 and KH:BBS is coming out in the West possibly in Spring 2010, but me, I think it's too good to be true.....

 

[Fusionist]

Ack, no, no, no, I don't want my hopes up damn it Dx

I managed to concede and wait 'til Spring 2010, but just hearing the possibility of March instead of April 2010 makes me wary, and now you're talking about being before March, possibly even while it's 2009? Don't tease me, damn it!

And if that's the case, then what the hell really is the localization process? I'm pretty sure Square and other gaming companies wouldn't want the public to know that they hold out in other regions just for the hell of it. I mean, if they could release FFXIII before 2010 to the West, then wtf was the April 2010 thing they were talking about? D=<

 

[Valkyrur]

I can't help feeling so sceptical about this news. Although it would be nice to have the game be released earlier, I get this strange feeling this may just be a message to satisfy the masses that are demanding an earlier release.

Then again, this scepticism is a good way to keep my hopes down, though it's not doing much especially when so many high quality screenshots are hovering around.

 

[Jase Elendius]

And here I've been waiting to preorder when they announce a collectors edition so the game stores don't look at me with puzzled looks. It will be great if this does get released this year. However, given the fact that it's already November I seriously doubt we'll see the release before 2010. Early 2010, though, would be excellent.