The age old question/rumor (which Square Enix has continuously debunked and alternatively hinted at) may be answered very soon: will FF7 really get a remake or not? For some of the more hopeful people out there,Tetsuya Nomura's recent announcement (about another announcement) might be a bit of a Phoenix Down to pick you guys up. What with the coming release of FF7: Advent Children Complete movie, who knows what else might drop alongside it? Do Aeris a favor and dig into the Item menu found in the full article for details.

One of the best ways to tease expectant players is to show them a scan of an upcoming game. Dengeki Magazine, for example, has one for Square Enix's Star Ocean 4. Want to take a look at it? It's available for viewing after the jump.

Final Fantasy series character designer Tetsuya Nomura and FFXII director Yoshimori Kitase recently had a chat with Japanese gaming magazine Dengeki in the aftermath of the publication's "Den-Play Awards." The two were quizzed on subjects such as Final Fantasy Versus XIII,  exclusivity and Cloud Strife. Read the full article to find out how they answered the questions.

The latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation magazine says that Square Enix will release a new concept artbook, "CLOUD", featuring art from their popular titles. Included here is a special promotional DVD with Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailers. We do hope there's gonna be new trailers for us to ogle at. Read on to find out more.

Thanks to Kyle Wynen for the tip!

There's been a few wisps of smoke but no fire in sight as far as Disgaea 3 for the Sony PlayStation 3 is concerned. This time though we've got some hard evidence that will eventually materialize because of these new scans that Moetron found in the Dengeki Playstation Magazine.

As you can see, the wily bunch is back for more tactical action in the Netherworld. Disgaea 3's graphics doesn't seem like the typical next-gen graphics but quite frankly, who cares? For Nippon Ichi titles, the deep gameplay and the demonic hilarity have always been the selling points and that tradition would probably continue.

So, will Overlord Baal still be the last secret  boss? What's new in the item world? We're hoping to see more of Lord Zetta and Vyers again. Them and more prinnies and Prism Rangers too! What do you think?

More Disgaea 3 scans after the jump!

  

The renowned Square Enix character designer Tetsuya Nomura was recently interviewed by Dengeki Playstation Magazine regarding twin video game titles Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Since it was done in Japanese, what we're giving you are the the juiciest bits, albeit translated.

First off, the first part of the discussion focused on the PlayStation 3 itself and Nomura expressed his usual love for the Sony hardware. He mentioned that the new console is very much capable of making their imagination as close to reality as possible. He enthused:

It's not just about how pretty the graphics are but more of how much limited amount of movement we can put in one go and how big our imagination and ideas are. The PS3 is the machine that is closest to being able to express our imagination.

Quite interestingly, Nomura commented that they are exploring the possibilities of changing the gameplay for the new FF titles. He shared that their team has been together since Final Fantasy VII and the Kingdom Hearts series so they are on a level which they feel comfortable and able to experiment:

The action elements will be high in the game but instead of defeating the enemies from an audience's view, I want to give people the taste of actually being part of that world. The assignment here is whether we can build an FF with the suspense and thrill of Third-Person-Shooting or not. In that sense, the game will be a slightly different type of FF.

And regarding the characters in Versus XIII, the designer shared that Square Enix is planning to come up with action figures alongside other characters like Subarashiki Kono Sekai, Lightning, and even Cloud. However, these are still under wraps because Nomura is still in the process of finalizing the designs.

Lastly, other party members for the titles are still under development so fans need to wait for a little longer before getting a glimpse of them. Also, the screenshots you've seen and the videos you've watched are still not representative of the final designs because Nomura is still, like we said, working on the characters' overall appearance.

Rumors regarding the next installment in Konami's hit Silent Hill series have started cropping up. This month's issue of EGM included a short piece in its rumors section that pegged Silent Hill 5 as being prepped by Konami for release this year. The same piece also speculated that Silent Hill 5 will be handled by Konami in the US rather than in Japan.

On the more substantial side of things, Electric Shock Magazine [Dengeki Playstation] recently had an interview with chief director Masashi Tsuboyama about the upcoming Silent Hill 5. In the interview, Tsuboyama revealed that while they have yet to announce anything official, they are looking for a next gen console release and a possible multiplatform game.

Aside from stating the above information, Tsuboyama declined to give out more concrete info on Silent Hill 5. He did point fans towards Konami's press conference on July 11. Although Tsuboyama did not promise anything Silent Hill 5-related to be presented in the press conference, it's a good bet that any news regarding the game could come out around that time.

Game and character designer Tetsuya Nomura recently had a talk with Japanese video game magazine Dengeki PlayStation and discussed what's keeping him from creating Final Fantasy Versus XIII. There have been rumors going around that Versus is going to be Nomura's last FF title.

Nomura said that he is currently working on a mobile game called Monotone and he prefers to focus on one project at a time. He even added that while Monotone isn't as big as the Final Fantasy series, every project deserves the same amount of work and dedication.

When it comes to Versus XIII, Nomura shared that it's not just about finding time. He assured fans that he isn't forgetting about the title and another reason he's not so keen to work on the game yet is because of the PlayStation 3's rather high specifications.

What he wants first is "to utilize all the technology the PS3 contains and produce the game that he envisioned." Final Fantasy Versus XIII is one-third of the Fabula Nova Crystallis FF XIII compilation from Square Enix.

Apparently, life after Kingdom Hearts is an altogether different adventure for Tetsuya Nomura. Speaking to Dengeki PlayStation, Nomura intimated that his next game won't be a Kingdom Hearts sequel, but an entirely new series.

"First, it's not Kingdom Hearts III," Nomura told Dengeki PlayStation. "Of course, because we're calling it a 'new' series, it won't be KHIII. Also, it's a series, so it probably won't be just one title." According to Eurogamer, this new title is still expected to share some similarities with the popular Kingdom Hearts series, though.

Nomura also hinted that some of the characters in the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix secret movie will be connected in some way to the new series. Square Enix is expected to shed more light on the new project later this year.

Wondering what's new with Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII? Well, we are too, and that's why it's a good thing that game director Motome Toriyama and designer Tetsuya Nomura recently granted an interview with Japanese magazine Dengeki to give the latest updates about the game.

In case you're not aware, the game's opening scene will involve a real time battle scene. "The intensity of the opening scene, it's probably the most in the Final Fantasy series so far," said Toriyama, "and will surpass what's been shown in the few trailers released for the game so far."

In all the Final Fantasy series he says? Well, we guess we will have to see about that as we all know that the franchise is one of the most successful ever.

Anyway, Toriyama wanted to clear up certain matters about the relationship between the Cocoon world and the world below it. The director somewhat likened the Cocoon residents to a virus: they are people afraid of the outside world. Anyone who is believed to have an outside influence is forced out from their world. Also, those people who do things that make their world fall further from the sky are also banished.

Nomura talked a bit about the blond guy who appeared at the end of the FF XIII trailer. He said that this is one big guy, both literally and figuratively. First, his foot size is somewhere around 33 centimeters and he can carry two people around while running. He wouldn't share though what exactly this guy's relationship is with Lightning, the main character.

Regarding FF Versus XIII, Nomura hinted that the game will feature battles in the whole environment of the game, meaning players will be able to strike virtually from anywhere. Speaking of which, the designer reminded that players won't be able to warp freely anywhere. Accordingly, players may only warp to places where their sword has been placed.

Nomura also said that the main character won't be fighting alone. Instead, he will be accompanied by party members who have their own weapons and skills - something reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts.

Lastly, Nomura and Toriyama announced that Square Enix is planning something big for FF's 20th anniversary this year.