Square Millennium Foreign Media Kit - 2000/Square Millennium Foreign Media Kit.bin/playonli.txt

Text File | 2000-01-28 | 6KB | 108 lines

   January 29, 2000
                                                                        Square Co., Ltd.

To the Members of the Press:


 PlayOnline

 HANGING GAMING, CHANGING COMMUNICATION,
CHANGING YOUR LIFE.
-- Popular "Final Fantasy" Series to Become an Online Game --

Square Co., Ltd. used today's "Square Millennium" press event to announce "PlayOnline," a
comprehensive network entertainment service which will supply online games, e-distribution,
 and e-commerce services.  According to Square, PlayOnline will start in the year 2001.

"Final Fantasy" to be Reborn Online
  The Final Fantasy (FF) Series of computer games represents the evolution of role-playing
  games (RPGs)-interactive games where several players gather around a table to role-play
  characters in a creative, sometimes competitive, environment.
  With the arrival of the 1980s and the advance of personal computers and home game machines,
  RPGs evolved into a contest in which a single player was able to take on a number of
  virtual players appearing on the computer screen.  In the FF Series and other games of its
  genre, major steps were made in the visual impact of RPGs.  The number of owners and players
  in Japan is now said to be over four million, and the worldwide user base is estimated at
  some 10 million gamers.
  Now, the FF series and other RPGs are entering a new phase in their evolution, one that will
  change the way you play games: RPGs are going online.
  The characters appearing in these online RPGs will all be played by real people.
  Participants from around the world, from different countries, cultures, and age groups, will
  be able to savor the thrilling experience of this virtual world with the next generation of
  FF games.  Final Fantasy is being reborn online.
  Online games open doors for a new kind of communication where players can interact with
  other people on an equal footing, regardless of background, culture, or age.  Through the
  Internet, gamers will have the opportunity to make "online game friends," in much the same
  way that contacts have been made through e-mail or chat room exchanges.  To users, the
  online game will grow to become an indispensable presence.
  Square plans to incorporate its impressive array of image and game system technology, fully
  utilizing the three-dimensional computer graphics know-how that has made the FF series stand
  out in its genre, to provide gamers with the ultimate visual online experience.

PlayOnline and E-Distribution - Changing Your Life.
  PlayOnline will also feature an "e-distribution" system, supplying additional contents and
  services to enhance online gaming.
  This system will allow inter-player communication through e-mail and chatrooms, while also
  providing tactical information linked directly to the game, as well as cartoons, music,
  sports news updates, and more.
  In the time spent waiting for friends, a frequent occurrence with online games, players will
  be able to read cartoons, sample the latest hit songs, access their favorite sports information
  in real-time, and enjoy other diverse contents.  All these contents will be readily accessible
  through a fully interactive on-line interface-the perfect solution for today's online gamer.

PlayOnline and E-Commerce - Going Beyond Entertainment
  PlayOnline's easily accessible chatroom and e-mail features invite everyone in the household
  to join in - whether they are interested in playing games, or just want to use the
  e-distribution information system.  PlayOnline's features do not stop there, however.
  PlayOnline's e-commerce will provides access to virtual department stores, bookstores, and
  more.  In these e-commerce services, Square will apply its rich 3D computer graphics and
  game player interface technology to create a stimulating e-commerce environment approximating
  real shopping.  The goal is to generate the sensation that genuine products are being taken in
  hand for potential purchase.
  For these e-distribution and e-commerce features, the cooperation of Square subsidiary DigiCube
  has been enlisted to enhance and expand the quality of the contents and the product lineup.

Realizing a Broadband Environment
  Japan's networking environment, traditionally behind overseas networks, has arrived at a
  major turning point in its history.  Home access, an area which has formed the main
  bottleneck to date, has begun to make the move from existing analog circuits to the realm of
  broadband networking.
  Early achievement of cutting-edge communications services is a requirement for users to fully
  enjoy PlayOnline's extensive range of visual content in a congenial and low-priced environment.
  To help realize this vision, Square is cooperating with partners such as NTT Communications of
  the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) Group.
  One thing is clear--the creation of a broadband (large-capacity network) environment, in which
  real-time exchange of moving images will become possible at the same level as television
  broadcasts, is no longer a dream of the distant future.  PlayOnline is poised to enter this new

  level of online interactivity.
  PlayOnline, a project into which Square is channeling all of its corporate energy and resources,
  will launch in 2001.



  # # #

Enclosure: Start-up screen of Play Online  cSquare Co., Ltd.


Contact
For North America
Lisa M. Ahern  ([e-mail])
Francine DeMore ([e-mail])
Square Electronic Arts LLC (Costa Mesa, California, U.S.A.)
Phone: [phone]         Fax: [phone]

For Europe/PAL territories
Yuji Shibata ([e-mail])
Square Europe Ltd. (London, England)
Phone:[phone]        Fax:[phone]

For Asia and Foreign correspondents in Japan
        Ayako Kawamoto ([e-mail])
        Square Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)
        Phone: [phone]        Fax: [phone]



FINAL FANTASY is a trademark or registered trademark of Square Co., Ltd.