Square Enix has been going back and forth on release dates for Final Fantasy XIII for at least a year now. Previously, they stated that all forthcoming products would have simultaneous worldwide releases, but that has not been the case and is assumed not to be for FFXIII. Some translation issues also led to confusion about when we would actually get to own the next numbered installment in the long-running Final Fantasy series. It was coming out in 2009! Then 2010! Then 2009! Then 2010! Then 199x! Then beyond the flow of time! Bottom line: no one has any idea when this game is coming out.

Those who have been following the development of Final Fantasy XIII (and have a bit of common sense), however, have probably noticed the distinct lack of gameplay footage in most of the trailers we’ve seen thus far. To me, that was a red flag to not expect to see the game on store shelves in this calendar year. Square Enix is still optimistic about that, though. In the latest issue of Japanese mag Famitsu, Squenix exec Yoichi Wada stated that the recent delay of Dragon Quest IX may affect development of FFXIII in some way. Additionally, Wada told Famitsu "Development is going favorably for a 2009 launch."

I’m not sure that I believe that, but if it does come out in 2009, it will probably only launch in Japan this year. If that’s the case, I would guesstimate a spring-summer 2010 release for North America, with PAL regions getting the game between now and the end of time. Honestly, I'd rather Squenix spend the time necessary to develop this into a fantastic game, and if that means we can't play it until next year, so be it. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Final Fantasy XIII news, when Square Enix claims to have been mistranslated and promise to finish the game by the end of the century.

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