Limited quantities of FINAL FANTASY X for the PlayStation 2 will start shipping to retail stores in the U.S. on December 26, 2001, instead of the originally scheduled January 2002. The game was released in Japan on July 19, 2001 and sold through 90% of the 2.14 million units it shipped in the first four days. To date, the FINAL FANTASY series has sold over 35 million units worldwide, making the franchise one of the best-selling series in the history of videogames. In FINAL FANTASY X, the main character, Tidus, is a star player of blitzball, a full contact sport. After miraculously surviving the destruction of his homeland, he awakens among ruins and thereafter meets a young woman named Yuna. As a summoner, Yuna must travel to distant temples and learn the secret art of summoning aeons -- powerful spirits of yore, in order to defeat "Sin." FINAL FANTASY X features a distinct Asian influence, bringing a fresh feel to the characters, music, settings and story. It will also be the first in the series to feature voiceovers for the characters. James Arnold Taylor and Hedy Burress will voice the main characters in the U.S. release of FINAL FANTASY X. In addition to the game's voiceover dialogue and gameplay-to-full-motion-video transitions, FINAL FANTASY X offers fully 3D environments that integrate real-time movement with battles, allowing players to walk around and engage in battles on the same field map screen. Life-like, high-polygon, motion-captured characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY VII, VIII) bring realism to the screen. As seen in previous FINAL FANTASY titles, players will be able to enjoy new mini-games, such as mastering the sport of blitzball and the Al Bhed language. Visitors to www.playonline.com can learn more about the story, characters, world, game features and listen to samples of the characters' voices. A special "Behind the Game" section including interviews with the development team and voice actors will launch in late December. As part of the marketing push, a one-day only event will be held in San Francisco on December 15, 2001 offering consumers an opportunity to demo FINAL FANTASY X before its release. This "Consumer Demo Day" will be held inside the world's only PlayStation store, located at The Metreon on the corner of 4th & Mission Streets in San Francisco, California. In addition to playing the game, visitors will have a chance to win prize packages and receive a free FINAL FANTASY related promotional item, while supplies last. FINAL FANTASY X will be released on DVD format and is compatible with the DUALSHOCK 2 analog controller. The game carries a suggested retail price of U.S. $50 and is rated "T" for teens.
Go behind the scenes of the making of the film version of FINAL FANTASY.
