Square Enix and Sony announce they are teaming up to release a special edition PS4 Slim console with a Final Fantasy 15 design on it as part of a release day bundle in Japan.
It’s no secret at this point in the game’s life cycle that Square Enix has committed a lot to Final Fantasy 15 in an attempt to ensure its success when it finally releases. After over a decade in development, Final Fantasy 15 has a lot to live up to in the eyes of fans all over the globe, expectations made even greater by the fact that it is the latest instalment in an iconic JRPG series. That’s why Square Enix has pulled out all the stops, even producing a feature-length Final Fantasy 15 movie, Kingsglaive, and showing it in select theatres in the United States and Japan.
There’s an even bigger reason that Square Enix is treating Final Fantasy 15 like it’s the last Final Fantasy that will ever grace a console, though - Final Fantasy 15’s success in Japan could dictate whether or not JRPGs on a console platform are considered viable going forward. In a rather ingenious move, Square has attempted to remedy both the dwindling number of console gamers in Japan and the sales figures for Final Fantasy 15 by announcing that it will be teaming up with Sony to release a special edition Final Fantasy 15 PS4 Slim console.
The console, called the PS4 Slim Luna Edition, was announced by Hajime Tabata during PlayStation’s pre-Tokyo Game Show keynote conference earlier today. According to Tabata, the design is inspired by Noctis, Final Fantasy 15’s main character, looking up at the moon during the road trip travels that will characterize the game’s narrative. The console will be released in Japan for 39, 980 Yen on November 29, 2016, the same day that Final Fantasy 15 will release worldwide.
That price includes a copy of the Kingsglaive Final Fantasy 15 film as well as a copy of Final Fantasy 15 itself. So far, it appears the PS4 Slim Luna Edition will be released only in Japan, although both Square and Sony have yet to comment on whether or not that is true. North American gamers who already own a PS4 or Xbox One console still have the option of purchasing the Final Fantasy 15 Collector’s Edition, however.
While it remains to be seen just how effective the release of the PS4 Slim Luna Edition will be at bolstering Final Fantasy 15’s sales numbers in a console-averse market like Japan, it’s an aggressive decision from Square that illustrates just how much is riding on the success of Final Fantasy 15. Even though Final Fantasy 15’s two month delay was largely met with cynicism from long-time fans, it’s likely the PS4 Slim Luna Edition could not have happened without it, and perhaps that’s something Japanese gamers will be thankful for come late November.
Final Fantasy 15 will be release worldwide on November 29, 2016 for Xbox One and PS4.
Source: 2016 PlayStation Press Conference Japan (via GameSpot)
