After an incredibly rough financial report last year that had an "extraordinary loss", resulting in the resignation of then-CEO Yoichi Wada, Square Enix can finally collectively wipe the sweat from its brow - for this last fiscal year features a return to profitability for them. The financial report for the fiscal year ending 31st March 2014 sees the company posting a solid profit of ¥6.5 billion, translating, roughly, to $65 million. Net Sales for the year were up 4.8% on the disastrous 2013 fiscal year, and other areas, such as increases in operating income and a  ¥350 million windfall received "for the closure of an amusement facility" helped them achieve such numbers. In terms of games and gaming, Square Enix cited "favorable sales" of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Thief and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition as factors in the improvement. Lightning Returns, meanwhile, remained conspicuous by its absence, unmentioned. Japanese-only titles such as Dragon Quest X, Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light and Sengoku IXA were also noted as performers. Another important factor was, of course, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The troubled MMO relaunched in this fiscal year with some solid success, and Square Enix describes its performance as favorable in its report. The digital entertainment

Square Enix has revealed that the Nintendo DS 3D remake of Final Fantasy III is to expand its platform reach once again - this time with a PC release via Valve's Steam distribution platform. This likely doesn't come as a huge shock, as the German ratings board leaked it a few weeks ago. Originally released in Japan on the NES in 1990, FF3 originally never saw a Western release. It finally saw the light of day with a Nintendo DS port, and that version of the game was then carried over to PSP and mobile platforms like iOS, Windows Phones and Android. They even shoved it out on the Ouya. That version is now making its way to PC. It's been quite the journey - and Square Enix are certainly getting their money's worth out of this remake. The PC version has been 'optimised for PC gaming' according to Square Enix, and will feature 'improved 3D visuals and sotry sequences' as well as Steam Trading Cards, Achievements, and some all-new visual designs for some in-game elements. The game was the first to introduce the job system, but also really predates the time when Final Fantasy truly began to grapple with the in-depth

The guys and girls over on Nova Crystallis' sibling site RPG Site recently got time to sit down with Final Fantasy XIII series producer Yoshinori Kitase - and got him to reminisce and reflect about his time working on the series ahead of saying a final goodbye to it with this week's Japanese launch of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. "When we're talking about the FF13 series, I think we should separate the argument - separate the experience of making numbered Final Fantasy games and not," Kitase explained to the site when asked about the difference between creating main-line numbered FFs and sequels such as Lightning Returns. "When you're making a new numbered Final Fantasy title, everything has to be created from zero, from scratch. The characters, the universe, the story - it all has to be completely new. The kind of flow you find yourself in is getting prepared for making the game and kind of... accumulating whatever you can come up with, making that world bigger and bigger and bigger, up to the point where it's ready to be released. That cycle is right for making new, numbered Final Fantasy games. "A game like this, or FF13-2 - it's basically

After months of fans desperately waiting for a final confirmation, Square Enix has announced a Western release date for Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster. The game will launch in North America on March 18th 2014, while European fans will have to wait a few additional days for a launch on the 21st of March. The game will be a budget release, launching with a price of $39.99 in North America. There's three versions of the PlayStation 3 edition of the game - the standard featuring the games, a limited edition featuring a 48-page art book, and a digital download version available via the PlayStation store. Square Enix provided no details on the PlayStation Vita release, and it appears it won't launch at the same time - fans wanting their FFX fix on the go will have to either wait or import. If you can't wait that long or want the Vita version, the region-free release is available for import already in both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions thanks to our friends at Play Asia. Japan is also getting a cool-looking limited edition PS Vita hardware bundle. What do you think of the date? Sound off

We all know that a lot of you are bursting with excitement for Lighting Returns and can't wait to get your hands on the game. Square Enix might be releasing a steady flow of recent media, but that's still not going to be quite enough to sate your desires - and so we've teamed up with Square Enix's European operation to do something about that for our UK-based users - and we've got a way for you to play Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII next week! As part of an exclusive ticketed event fans will get the chance to go hands on with a never-before-seen segment of the game for a while and then will get to meet and participate in a Q&A with two of the key developers of the game: FFXIII series director and story boss Motomu Toriyama and Lightning Returns gameplay designer Yuji Abe. One of the Nova Crystallis team will also be on-hand to hang out throughout, if you've ever wanted to meet some of the people behind the site. You'll need to be able to get yourself to Central London on next Monday evening - the 14th, so this is only for UK readers or

Ever since evidence leaked of a cancelled Western-developed Final Fantasy XII spin-off, online conversation about a potential Western take on the series has been intense. The talk is even referenced in recent Square Enix release Deus Ex: The Fall, where an optional email viewable on a computer declares the latest FF deserves to be Game of the Year 2027 - "Giving it back to a Japanese developer was the right move," the email winks. When fellow network affiliate RPG Site got a chance to interview Final Fantasy Brand Director & Producer Shinji Hashimoto earlier this month they asked him his opinion on a potential East-meets-West development - and he's still clear that he - and the company - haven't ruled it out entirely. "I wouldn't say no straight away!" he said with a chuckle. "It depends on the proposal and everything, though, of course," he elaborated. "Obviously Final Fantasy is traditionally a Japanese game, so it would really just depend on how discussion goes. But, yes - if any Western studio actually approached us, we'd of course think about it." While Hashimoto wouldn't talk about the Final Fantasy XII project, codenamed Fortress, it is clear that Square Enix hasn't been entirely turned

It’s strange that my first two UFF Network hands-on articles of E3 2013 are of HD remakes of decade-old games - but it just seems to be the current trend. Yesterday I tackled Fable Anniversary, the HD do-over of Lionhead’s original Xbox classic, and now it’s the PlayStation’s turn with Final Fantasy X and X-2 HD Remaster, the PS3 port of the classic PS2 FF. This game actually takes a completely different approach than a typical HD port. Where that is more akin to a full graphical remake, running on a completely different engine, this really does earn the ‘remaster’ title instead, choosing to change little and instead upgrade what was already there from the PS2 version with minimal disturbance to the original game. As such, the remastered versions of FFX and FFX-2 both essentially take the same level geometry and models from the PS2 version and lays higher quality, high-definition friendly textures over the top. The result is a game that’s stunningly crisp, the beautiful, bright colors of Spira and its characters popping out in a way they simply didn’t before. Without doubt it was one of the most beautifully colorful titles at E3. It’s also instantly recognizable despite being quite a

At the ‘Future of Final Fantasy’ pre-E3 event on Tuesday morning, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Producer Yoshinori Kitase had a very short amount of time to explain his game to press salivating at the concept of learning more about the newly announced Final Fantasy XV. It was clear that he chose his words carefully. Rather than focus on the legacy of the Final Fantasy XIII saga, or the character of Lightning, he offered a simple summary of his game - he felt that people would be shocked with it. “Is this really Final Fantasy?” he hypothesized they’d ask. Yes, he argued, it is. Gone are the paradigm-shifting, ATB-driven turn-based battles of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, replaced instead with a system that evokes those mechanics visually while being completely different in practice. It’s certainly both brave and interesting. Kitase is right to assume that question will be asked, for at a glance, it doesn’t feel very Final Fantasy. Then again, with the series about to switch to a more action-focused slant for FF15, perhaps Lighting Returns is the ideal appetizer. Square Enix is clearly keen to drive home to fans and critics alike of FF13 that this entry is something different and new. Unlike

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