Final Fantasy VIII pre-sell campaign

[07.06.99] » Who needs a t-shirt when you could win a car?

   A dramatic showdown between Sega's Dreamcast and Sony's big fall releases is coming this September, and Sony recently announced the pre-sell plan for their biggest release of all - Final Fantasy VIII. Rather than giving out the usual t-shirts or phone cards, Square EA and Toyota have teamed to hold a sweepstakes for the brand-new Toyota Echo sedan. Gamers who pre-purchase FFVIII at major national outlets between July 30th and August 31st will be entered into a drawing for one of four Echos.

   Toyota's new Echo sedan is aimed at the below-30 demographic, the group which traditionally encompasses video game players. This isn't the company's first foray into the gaming world, however, as Toyota dealerships across Japan have been selling Sega Dreamcasts since near the system's launch. As far as we know, this marks the first direct cross-promotion between a brand new car and a brand new game. Will the car Squall drives become an Echo in the US version? Each is scheduled to ship nationwide this fall, with Final Fantasy VIII available on September 7th.