bentllama
02-24-2005, 08:14 PM
Video Game Legend Hironobu Sakaguchi Joins Microsoft Game
Studios as a Developer for Next-Generation Xbox Platform
2005-02-24 16:00 (New York)
Father of 'Final Fantasy' Series and AIAS Hall of Fame Inductee Will Develop
Role-Playing Games
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and
president of Mistwalker game studio, has joined with Microsoft(R) Game Studios
to develop role-playing game (RPG) video games exclusively for the next-
generation Xbox(R) 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.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
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 in
the United States to show year-to-year growth in 2004, while competitors
declined*. Driven by epic, platform-exclusive content -- including "Halo(R) 2"
by Microsoft Game Studios, "Fable" by Microsoft Game Studios, "Ninja Gaiden"
by Tecmo Ltd. and Xbox Live(TM), the only unified online video game console
service -- gamers worldwide continue to flock to Xbox for an unparalleled
digital entertainment experience.
________________________________________________________________
Microsoft Hires `Final Fantasy' Creator to Develop New Games
2005-02-24 16:00 (New York)
By Jonathan Thaw
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the No. 2 seller of
video-game consoles, hired the creator of the ``Final Fantasy''
series to develop games for the next version of its Xbox device.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, 42, will create two role-playing games
exclusively for the Xbox, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft
said in an e-mailed statement. Such games allow players to
control fictional characters that cooperate to advance a
storyline or complete a task in computer-generated environments.
Microsoft is working on the next version of Xbox and it
needs compelling games to avoid the failure of its first console
in Japan. Microsoft shipped 9,279 units of its Xbox in the six
months ended Sept. 26 in Japan, while Sony Corp. shipped 946,065
units of its PlayStation 2, according to Tokyo-based game market
researcher Enterbrain Inc.
``We think we've identified our issues'' in Japan, said
Peter Moore, corporate vice president of worldwide marketing and
publishing at Microsoft. The company has lacked role-playing
games that are popular with Japanese gamers, he said.
Shares of Microsoft rose 16 cents to $25.36 at 4 p.m. in
Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. They have fallen 5.7
percent in the past year.
More than 60 million copies of ``Final Fantasy'' games have
been sold since it first went on sale in December 1987. The game
is produced by Tokyo-based games maker Square Enix Co. and plays
on PlayStation.
Sakaguchi
Sakaguchi served as executive vice president at Square Enix
until February 2001, Microsoft said in the statement. In April
2004, he began planning game development at his own company,
Mistwalker Inc., which was founded in March 2001.
Sakaguchi started developing story lines and characters for
Microsoft's new games several months ago, Moore said. He declined
to say when the games will be released. The company hasn't set a
release date for the new Xbox. Some analysts have said they
expect it in time of the year-end holiday season.
Microsoft said in January that its Xbox division turned a
profit for the first time, spurred by the November release of the
video game ``Halo 2.'' The division, on which Microsoft spent $12
billion between 2000 and 2004, earned $84 million compared with a
loss of $397 million a year earlier.
Terms of Sakaguchi's employment agreement with Microsoft
weren't disclosed. He'll be based in Tokyo.
--With reporting by Desmond Hutton in Tokyo. Editor: McGuire.
Studios as a Developer for Next-Generation Xbox Platform
2005-02-24 16:00 (New York)
Father of 'Final Fantasy' Series and AIAS Hall of Fame Inductee Will Develop
Role-Playing Games
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and
president of Mistwalker game studio, has joined with Microsoft(R) Game Studios
to develop role-playing game (RPG) video games exclusively for the next-
generation Xbox(R) 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.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
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 in
the United States to show year-to-year growth in 2004, while competitors
declined*. Driven by epic, platform-exclusive content -- including "Halo(R) 2"
by Microsoft Game Studios, "Fable" by Microsoft Game Studios, "Ninja Gaiden"
by Tecmo Ltd. and Xbox Live(TM), the only unified online video game console
service -- gamers worldwide continue to flock to Xbox for an unparalleled
digital entertainment experience.
________________________________________________________________
Microsoft Hires `Final Fantasy' Creator to Develop New Games
2005-02-24 16:00 (New York)
By Jonathan Thaw
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp., the No. 2 seller of
video-game consoles, hired the creator of the ``Final Fantasy''
series to develop games for the next version of its Xbox device.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, 42, will create two role-playing games
exclusively for the Xbox, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft
said in an e-mailed statement. Such games allow players to
control fictional characters that cooperate to advance a
storyline or complete a task in computer-generated environments.
Microsoft is working on the next version of Xbox and it
needs compelling games to avoid the failure of its first console
in Japan. Microsoft shipped 9,279 units of its Xbox in the six
months ended Sept. 26 in Japan, while Sony Corp. shipped 946,065
units of its PlayStation 2, according to Tokyo-based game market
researcher Enterbrain Inc.
``We think we've identified our issues'' in Japan, said
Peter Moore, corporate vice president of worldwide marketing and
publishing at Microsoft. The company has lacked role-playing
games that are popular with Japanese gamers, he said.
Shares of Microsoft rose 16 cents to $25.36 at 4 p.m. in
Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. They have fallen 5.7
percent in the past year.
More than 60 million copies of ``Final Fantasy'' games have
been sold since it first went on sale in December 1987. The game
is produced by Tokyo-based games maker Square Enix Co. and plays
on PlayStation.
Sakaguchi
Sakaguchi served as executive vice president at Square Enix
until February 2001, Microsoft said in the statement. In April
2004, he began planning game development at his own company,
Mistwalker Inc., which was founded in March 2001.
Sakaguchi started developing story lines and characters for
Microsoft's new games several months ago, Moore said. He declined
to say when the games will be released. The company hasn't set a
release date for the new Xbox. Some analysts have said they
expect it in time of the year-end holiday season.
Microsoft said in January that its Xbox division turned a
profit for the first time, spurred by the November release of the
video game ``Halo 2.'' The division, on which Microsoft spent $12
billion between 2000 and 2004, earned $84 million compared with a
loss of $397 million a year earlier.
Terms of Sakaguchi's employment agreement with Microsoft
weren't disclosed. He'll be based in Tokyo.
--With reporting by Desmond Hutton in Tokyo. Editor: McGuire.