After the disappointment of Final Fantasy XIII and XIV, fans of the series have a new reason to look forward to future installments of the series. GameMaster UK reported earlier this week that a source has given them new information about Final Fantasy XV. Although the magazine was wrong initially about Final Fantasy XV’s unveiling, they insist that this time their information is the real deal.

Most notably, the source claims that this installment has been in production for over four years, including the concept planning and pre-production stages, and that it entered full production in January 2010. This was a month after the Japanese release of Final Fantasy XIII. Since then, a team of two hundred people has been hard at work developing the game. The game’s director, Hiroyuki Ito, also directed Final Fantasy VI, IX, and XII, some of the most acclaimed titles in the series.

The title is slated to be released on all major current platforms, although it is unclear if this includes the Wii. Previous current generation Final Fantasy games, like XIII and XIV, have been only been released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

The game itself will be very different from XIII, moving away from familiar linear format and instead opting for an open world, reminiscent of the sprawling game environments in XII. The battle system will also be an evolution of XII’s. Now, though, players can target different body parts of the enemy, much like the Squaresoft classic Vagrant Story.

Fans of Western-style role playing games (WRPGs) will also enjoy it. Yoichi Wada, the president of Square Enix, has a vision of the game including more content than Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Those still not excited will be pleased to know he also thinks the game could be more a bigger critical and commercial success than Final Fantasy VII.

As for cities (for the most part absent in XIII), they made the cut, and purportedly rival Assassin Creed’s enormous cities. It is not clear, however, if they will be continuous, sprawling environments or like XII’s: lots of small, divided sections that together make huge game areas.

Overall, the rumored XV sounds a lot like XII, what with its massive areas, only less linear. There would also definitely be plenty of guilds providing side quests, much like Elder Scrolls Travels games.

Is this all just wishful thinking, or could the next Final Fantasy really turn out like this?

If this source has his or her information in order, this game could be just what Square Enix needs. Many complained of XIII’s linearity, and, including spin-offs and side games, Final Fantasy XIV is the lowest rated Final Fantasy game on the game review aggregate site Gamerankings. Final Fantasy XV could not only remedy this recent drop in quality, but also bring in new fans due to its open world.

On the other hand, it addresses so many issues that previous games in the series have been criticized for that it could just be a fan’s wishful thinking. If it does turn out to be a hoax, hopefully it will at least gain enough attention to make Square Enix make a few changes to its flagship series.

More information is available here at Gameranx.

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London, U.K. – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products and Barnstorm Games, announce on May 30, 2012 Mensa Academy, a new brain training game that will give players the ultimate grey matter workout. Mensa Academy will be available from July 27 2012 in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and PAL regions for Nintendo Wii and 3DS, Windows PC platforms, Smartphones and in the near future for HD consoles, Android and iOS.

The game will be packed with a series of fun and stimulating mini-games and challenges, filled with questions endorsed by Mensa, the renowned global high IQ society

“Mensa Academy brings something unique to the brain training game market,” stated Roger Cheung, Head of Acquisitions, Square Enix Europe. “We have teamed up with Barnstorm Games to bring this title, developed in cooperation with Mensa, to market in the UK and PAL regions.

Mensa Academy is the most credible game of its kind to date from the definitive experts in the field of measuring and fostering intelligence. The power of the mind is fascinating, the real challenge is how to best maximise its potential. Mensa Academy tangibly tackles this in a user-friendly way, whilst providing hours of entertainment.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with Square Enix for the release of our Mensa Academy title in the UK and PAL regions,” stated Simon Jeffrey, CEO of Barnstorm Games. “It was important for us to produce a product that exudes the authority of the Mensa brand, whilst providing a vibrant and entertaining environment in which players can train, take the test and challenge their friends.”

Created in collaboration with Mensa, Mensa Academy offers players the ability to determine and improve their score in Play, Coach and Test modes. Play mode challenges players to take on 100+ replayable levels in five disciplines- Numeracy, Language, Logic, Memory, and Visual, packed with questions. For further training, players can use Coach mode to hone their abilities and assess their progress in key disciplines before taking their skills to the next level in taking the Test and discovering their Mensa Academy score; will all that brain training have paid off?

“It’s fantastic to be working with Barnstorm Games and Square Enix to bring Mensa Academy to the market. Said John Stevenage Chief Executive, British Mensa Ltd. Not only does the game encourage brain training and challenge the mind it is a great deal of fun for all age groups.”

For more information, visit Mensa Academy. Mensa Academy is developed by Silverball Studios and Barnstorm Games and published by Square Enix Europe.

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