Square Enix has announced it’s plans for Anime Expo 2018, in other news KH3 won Best RPG at E3:
LOS ANGELES (July 2, 2018) – At this year’s Game Critics Awards, KINGDOM HEARTS III was awarded Best RPG title. This continues the critical reception of the title most notably at the E3 convention where it received over 30 awards from North and South American media publications.
“The long-awaited third entry in the beloved KINGDOM HEARTS franchise brings together the magical worlds of Disney, Pixar and Square Enix,” said Ryan Lacina, Product Marketing Director at Square Enix. “Fans can expect an RPG adventure of a lifetime, with all new worlds and characters, epic battles and a storyline filled with Disney magic.”
KINGDOM HEARTS III will be available on January 29, 2019 for the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, and the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. KINGDOM HEARTS III is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.
KINGDOM HEARTS III tells the story of the power of friendship as Sora and his friends embark on a perilous adventure and support each other through difficult times. Set in a vast array of Disney worlds,KINGDOM HEARTS follows the journey of Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is joined by Donald Duck and Goofy, two emissaries sent by King Mickey from Disney Castle, to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and overtaking the universe. Through the power of positivity and friendship, Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney and Pixar characters old and new to prevail tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds.
LOS ANGELES (July 2, 2018) – SQUARE ENIX® is showcasing the latest from their upcoming video and card game titles at Anime Expo 2018, taking place July 5-8, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with Pre-Show Night on July 4.
Attendees who visit the SQUARE ENIX Booth in the Entertainment Hall (LACC West Hall A), will have the exciting opportunity to play demos of DRAGON QUEST® XI : Echoes of an Elusive Age™ , KINGDOM HEARTS III, and STAR OCEAN®: ANAMNESIS™ before their release.
Fans will also have a chance to meet some of their favorite game developers from the DRAGON QUEST and STAR OCEAN series throughout the show. Their autograph schedules are available below:
DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Yuji Horii (Series Creator and Game Designer) will participate in autograph sessions* at the SQUARE ENIX booth, where he will be signing an exclusive 8×10 signature card and posing for photographs, on:
- Friday, July 6, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Saturday, July 7, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Saturday July 7, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
*A limited number of Horii autograph tickets will be distributed at the DRAGON QUEST XI area of the SQUARE ENIX booth starting at 10:00 a.m. the day prior to each day’s signing sessions. Fans may pose with Yuji Horii for one photograph only. Only the Square Enix signing cards will be signed. Personal items will not be signed.
STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS
- Akira Yasuda (Illustrator), also known as “akiman”, will participate in autograph sessions at the SQUARE ENIX booth, where fans will have a chance to receive a pre-drawn STAR OCEAN illustration in addition to an autograph, on:
- Friday, July 6, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, July 7, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
*A limited number of “akiman” autograph tickets will be distributed at the Square Enix Members area of the SQUARE ENIX booth at 10:00 a.m. for the day’s signing sessions.
Other activities at the SQUARE ENIX booth include:
- FINAL FANTASY® Trading Card Game Demos and Tournament
- Attendees can dive into the popular trading card game and receive free lessons on how to play.
- They can also play the newest set, “Opus VI,” one week early in daily Pre-Release Tournaments. The set includes characters from fan favorite titles, including FINAL FANTASY® XIV: Heavensward™, FINAL FANTASY® X/X-2, and DISSIDIA® FINAL FANTASY NT. Tickets to participate in the tournament will be sold at the SQUARE ENIX booth.
- DRAGON QUEST XI Photo Wall Contest
- Attendees can enter to win slime plushes by striking their best pose with the heroes from the DQXI photo wall and uploading the pictures to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #DragonQuestAX (while tagging @DragonQuest).
- Photobooth
- A photo opportunity where fans can take pictures featuring backgrounds from FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS™ and STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS
- Photo Opportunities with STAR OCEAN Cosplayers
- Yuno Mizusawa, the official Evelysse (“Eve”) cosplayer from Japan, will be making special appearances at the booth, alongside STAR OCEAN series cosplayers.
- The cosplayer schedule is available on the STAR OCEAN Facebook at: (https://www.facebook.com/starocean).
- Daily giveaways while supplies last, including:
- DRAGON QUEST XI T-shirts and posters
- STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS buttons
- SQUARE ENIX Members lanyards
The Entertainment Hall hours are available at: http://www.anime-expo.org/plan/hours-and-maps/.
FINAL FANTASY XV® WINDOWS EDITION will also be making an appearance at the Cooler Master gaming trucks at Petree Plaza throughout the weekend. Fans can get hands on with FINAL FANTASY XVon high-end gaming PCs and have the chance to receive a special themed mousepad.
The full lineup of titles from SQUARE ENIX (in alphabetical order) include:
DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Platform: PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, STEAM®
Available: September 4, 2018
The highly anticipated latest entry to the beloved DRAGON QUEST video game franchise follows the adventure of a hero who must solve the mystery of his fate with the aid of a charming cast of supporting characters. DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age offers a world of adventure, exploration and instances of heroism— all brought to life by the character art of famed manga artist Akira Toriyama and the memorable music of composer Koichi Sugiyama.
FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game
Genre: Trading Card Game
Available: Now
The FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game (“FFTCG”) is the result of a close collaboration between Hobby Japan and Square Enix. Designed by former trading card game champion Taro Kageyama, the game received high praise for its blend of strategy, luck and fast-paced gameplay making it very versatile and appealing to all kinds of audiences. The “Opus VI” series of cards will release July 13.
FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION
Platform: STEAM, Origin, Windows 10
Available: Now
FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION brings ultimate 4K quality to the acclaimed RPG along with add-on content and new features. Join Prince Noctis and his closest friends as they fight against the empire in an effort to reclaim their fallen kingdom. Players can now enjoy the FINAL FANTASY XV base game, all season pass content, all-new side quests and enemies, and more.
KINGDOM HEARTS III
Platform: Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system
Available: January 29, 2019
In the upcoming action RPG, KINGDOM HEARTS III, players can join forces with Donald Duck and Goofy for the adventure of a lifetime traveling across worlds based on beloved films like Disney•Pixar’sToy Story, and Monsters, Inc., and Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Big Hero 6, Tangled, Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. Attendees will be able to experience a boss battle against the Rock Titan from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hercules and uncovering the Toy Box world from Toy Storyalongside Woody and Buzz.
STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS
Platform: Android and iOS
Available: July 2018
STAR OCEAN: ANAMNESIS puts players in the captain’s chair as they lead a squad of heroes across the galaxy. They will have the freedom to build endless strategic and iconic teams with returning all-star characters from the STAR OCEAN series, choosing between attackers, sharpshooters, defenders, invokers and healers to assemble a powerful crew. Enhanced mobile-specific controls will have users experience fast-paced real-time combat with gorgeous 3D graphics. For the first time in the series, players will also be able to tackle missions together in a brand-new co-op multiplayer mode.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 141 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 76 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 66 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
