TGS: Square hints at Final Fantasy IX unveiling

[09.14.99] » Square announces a November conference on upcoming titles and includes a not-so-subtle "IX" logo in the promotional reel.

"IX" logo seen in a brief promo clip

   According to videogames.com, Square has scheduled a conference on November 23 in Yokohama, Japan in order to officially reveal their upcoming lineup of titles. At least one PlayStation 2 game is confirmed to be unveiled at the conference. Most interesting, though, is a movie reel shown at the Tokyo Game Show designed to promote the event -- as the movie draws to a close, a large "IX" appears on screen, lasting for only a brief moment. The logo is certainly no accident, and most fans queried believe the possibility of an "Einhänder IX" revelation is rare.

   So, just what kind of Final Fantasy IX can one expect to see on November 23, if the unveiling assumption holds true? The "FF IX" design sketches uncovered by the GIA are certainly a strong possibility, although the documents were only labelled "FF IX" internally -- Square exec Shinji Hashimoto explained that Square was developing an unusual new game that might prove too off-beat to be deemed Final Fantasy IX, meaning the game depicted in the sketches could undergo a name change before hitting shelves. The sketches could even represent a game that never made it beyond the conceptual stage. Regardless, it's extremely likely that the new Final Fantasy title will turn out to be a PlayStation title after all -- development has undoubtably been ongoing for well over a year, and Square's fully-owned subsidiary Digicube accidentally divulged the target system and release date several months ago -- news Square never denied.

   Our complete FF IX Watch section is available here.