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Mystery URL At Japanese Microsoft Site Suggests 360 Final Fantasy IV
Could a Live Arcade port of Final Fantasy IV: The After be on the horizon?
By Nick Des Barres, 01/27/2009
Go ahead, click on this link:
http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/games/f/finalfantasy4/
Notice that Microsoft Japan's server appends a "details.page/" to the URL. Now try a different one; replace "finalfantasy4/" with "finalfantasy5/", gibberish, or anything else. No "details" are appended.
What does this mean? A "finalfantasy4" is registered on Microsoft Japan's Xbox 360 web page for some reason -- and we'd be willing to guess it might represent a forthcoming Xbox Live Arcade port of Square Enix's recent cell phone RPG Final Fantasy IV: The After. Just last week, Microsoft stated the following in its press release concerning Square Enix's first two XBLA releases, Yosumin and Crystal Defenders: "Beginning with these two games, Square Enix plans to release a steady stream of its popular titles -- as well as original content -- on Xbox LIVE Arcade". Both Yosumin and Crystal Defenders are ports from mobile platforms, so it's not such a stretch to imagine The After might be next.
Final Fantasy IV: The After is a direct sequel to FFIV, written and directed by original creator Takashi Tokita. A serial RPG in twelve chapters for the Japanese cell phone services (iMode, Yahoo!, and EZWeb), The After stars Cecil and Rosa's son, Ceodore, and takes place a decade after the events of the original game.
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