Things are looking up for Eidos, which had a very tough year. The owner of the Tomb Raider franchise is being courted by several big names, including the titan studio Square Enix, who's looking to expand with more titles that appeal to Western tastes.

Well if Lara doesn't appeal to Western tastes I don't know what does.

We've been seeing a lot of remakes lately, and there's an undeniable patronage for them. Naturally, the mammoth publisher isn't about to pass on the opportunity. Square Enix president, Yoichi Wada, talks about games, consumers, and why remakes are in. Square Enix and remakes, huh?  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Lately, several gaming bigwigs in Japan have shown growing concern that the West is outstripping development from their end.

Square Enix to the rescue! Squeenix prez Yoichi Wada suggested that to remain competitive against Western companies, gaming companies in Japan should consider forming an alliance.

So how's development on Final Fantasy XIII going? Yoichi Wada went on national TV the other day - well, Japanese national TV - to prove to everyone that, yes, FF13 is indeed going places with their Crystal Tools engine. He took Pigtailed Girl over here and took her for a spin!

After the big Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360) announcement of E3 2008, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada was interviewed on what this move signifies for the direction that Square Enix will be taking as a company from here on out. Wada explained that Square Enix will be platform neutral in this game, and stressed that the goal is to reach as many people as possible. More on that in the full article after the jump.

Yes, news of the Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360 still leaves us a tad dumbfounded, but don't let the shock make you too numb to absorb the follow up news. Some additional tidbits were announced in the Square Enix E3 conference, most of them about Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PS3). Read all about it - and watch the FFXIII trailer - in the full article

Remember when Wada said he wanted simultaneous worldwide releases for their games? Well, this might be a spin-off solution to that. In a meeting with some stockholders, Square Enix's Yoichi Wada revealed that offering Final Fantasy XIII as an online rental could be possible. They're considering it, at the very least, thus making the game more accesible to those that might not be able to pick it up in an actual retail store. Grab your MP and head on over to the full article to summon an excerpt from Wada's interview.

Square Enix, that blessed company that brought us the Final Fantasy franchise, may be having an internal dispute. Rumor has it that big boss Yoichi Wada is threatening to axe employees if they don't start becoming more mainstream with their games. Story in the full article.

Has Final Fantasy Agito XIII - the mobile component of Square Enix's Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation - been canned? A recent statement given by Square Enix big boss Yoichi Wada has people wondering about the mobile game's future. More in the full article.

Square Enix is planning to expand its reach, but will its current setback - a slumping fiscal year 2007 - get in the way of everybody's favorite RPG factory? We'll know in the near future, or at least when we see the results of fiscal year 2008. More details in the full article.