PSP World

Final Fantasy XIII Release Parties Begin

It is hard to believe, but tomorrow, March 9th, marks the official release of Final Fantasy XIII in North America. The game is launching on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles simultaneously, in both a standalone and bundled package. But of course, the real fun starts tonight at midnight, when fans will be able to buy copies of the game in shops. Final Fantasy XIII is such a huge release that many different venues are hosting parties to commemorate its arrival. How are you planning to celebrate the event?

Probably the most lavish party in honor of Final Fantasy XIII is being hosted by Square Enix itself. In celebration of the release of Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix is hosting two special events on Monday in San Francisco. However, the bash is going to very exclusive: tickets have long since disappeared for both the daytime event and the more private night-time party which follows.

Gamers in London, England will be able to meet Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase on March 9th at HMV in Oxford Circus. They can also meet up with the game's art director Isamu Kamikokuryo at the event. Festivities kick off at 5.30pm at HMV's Oxford Circus store. The first 50 people to show up in cosplay costumes will bag themselves a FFXIII soundtrack, and all attendees will have a chance to win some other cool stuff.

Another way to show your love for Final Fantasy is to line up in front of your favorite retailer in anticipation of a midnight launch. A number of places are allowing fans to grab copies of the game on Monday night, including Gamestop and Best Buy. Shops all over the USA are hosting midnight parties, so call your local retailer to find out what's going on. One Best Buy in York, Pensylvania (2865 Concord Road in Springettsbury Township) will host a free midnight release party for Final Fantasy XIII from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday. There will be a costume contest, and the winner will receive a free copy of "Final Fantasy XIII" on the system of his or her choice. An Xbox 360 console will also be set up so gamers can play prior to its midnight release.

Finally, if you are the bah humbug type, you could always just stay home on the sofa and order the game from Amazon.com

Final Fantasy XIII features all of the pedigree of previous games with a more streamlined engine that puts the focus on ease of play.