Pre-order Final Fantasy VIII already?

[12.22.98] » Japan has already started to accept reservations on Square's hype machine, with various North American retailers now setting pre-order dates.

Japanese ads abound

   Square's Final Fantasy VIII isn't expected to hit North American stores for at least another year, assuming the "Winter 1999" date from the English FF VIII demo holds true. That means that we don't even need to think about pre-ordering the game just yet, right? The poor phrase is overused, but "think again."

   Various videogame retailers across North America are setting dates to begin accepting pre-orders for the highly anticipated title. One Electronics Boutique store has set an early date of April 2nd, 1999 to begin, while many other EBs around the continent, when asked, are planning to start in early summer. Check with your local specialty store for a specific date.

   Meanwhile, over in Japan, Next-Generation Online has reported that advertisements announcing pre-order acceptance have begun to appear. The Japanese stores started their pre-order lists this past Sunday, December 20th. Final Fantasy VIII is still set for a release on February 11th, 1999 overseas.

   Thanks to Aaron Littleton for the news tip.