So, that's how we fooled them.

[06.16.99] » GIA's infamous "Final Fantasy Gaiden" joke written up in Famitsu magazine.

   This past April Fool's Day, the GIA (with the help of graphic artist Nick Des Barres) ran a straight-faced story on a non-existent title, Final Fantasy Gaiden. Set in the world of Final Fantasy VIII, this convincingly scripted "side story" managed to fool many - the story's timing made many doubtful, but a number of "screen shots" and a convincing movie clip made just as many cautiously optmistic.

   Add Japan's leading weekly news magazine, Famitsu, to the list of those unsure what to make of the story. The latest issue of Famitsu has a brief paragraph of text describing the magazine's discovery (and subsequent debunking) of the hoax. While this "foreign game information page" usually isn't much for self-promotion, this story was too good to pass up.

Top headline:
Do net rumors have the taste of honey?

Sub-headline:
What in the world is "FF Gaiden?"

Text:
One day we find screenshots of a game called "Final Fantasy Gaiden" on
a foreign webpage! What can this be? And so, we ask Square about it:
"Is this for real?" Square PR's reply: "We don't know what this is
about at all. It's a completely groundless rumor." Upon closer
examination, it turns out to be an April Fool's joke. 

Picture caption:
It appears it was made by the staff of this game information page. But
it's incredibly well-done.

Bottom headline:     
Shock! Incredibly well-done.