Square Soft Teams Up With Toyota for FINAL FANTASY VIII National Pre-Sell Sweepstakes Campaign
6 July 1999
Square Soft Teams Up With Toyota for FINAL FANTASY VIII National Pre-Sell Sweepstakes Campaign
COSTA MESA, Calif.--July 6, 1999--Consumers Can Enter to Win a 2000 Toyota ECHO When Placing Pre-Sell
Orders for FINAL FANTASY VIII; Four Vehicles to be Given Away
Square Electronic Arts(SM) L.L.C. (Square Electronic Arts), the exclusive publisher of all SQUARE SOFT(R) products, today announced that it has partnered with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. for a FINAL FANTASY(R) VIII pre-sell sweepstakes campaign to begin on July 30, 1999 and run through August 31, 1999.
U.S. consumers who pre-order FINAL FANTASY VIII for the PlayStation(R) game console can also register to win a 2000 Toyota ECHO(TM). A total of four vehicles will be given away during the campaign.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is the latest title in the award-winning FINAL FANTASY series, a product line that is heralded by the industry as the benchmark for all role playing games (RPGs). To date, the popular franchise has sold over 22 million units, making the series one of the top-selling video games in the history of the interactive entertainment industry. FINAL FANTASY VIII is scheduled to ship in the U.S. on Sept. 7, 1999.
The Toyota ECHO is a new vehicle designed by Toyota Motor Corporation to meet the specific demands of young, new car buyers. The non-conventional, stylish entry-level sedan is scheduled to arrive at Toyota dealerships this fall.
"Traditionally, pre-sell campaigns have been about avid game players wanting to reserve a game in advance to ensure that they would be one of the first in their circle of friends to have a hot new title," said Jun Iwasaki, president of Square Electronic Arts. "As part of the campaign, consumers would also get a bonus such as a cool t-shirt or ball cap for pre-ordering. With FINAL FANTASY VIII, we have really stepped up the incentive to get on board early by partnering with Toyota. Both FINAL FANTASY VIII and the Toyota ECHO will hit the streets this fall. The opportunity to be one of the people who score both hot products will be high incentive for consumers to place early orders."
Consumers can enter the FINAL FANTASY VIII pre-sell sweepstakes at a number of major retailers nationwide.
"FINAL FANTASY VIII is one of the most highly-anticipated titles of the year," said Doreen McKenzie, director of merchandising, video games for Babbage's Etc. "By raising the ante with the possibility of winning a new Toyota ECHO, the rush of consumers to retail stores to pre-purchase their copy of FINAL FANTASY VIII and enter to win a car is expected to be explosive."
FINAL FANTASY VIII was released in Japan earlier this year and broke industry pre-sell records with more than 2 million units on reserve before the product was available on store shelves. Within the first four days of release, an overwhelming 2.5 million units were sold, and more than 3.3 million units were sold in Japan within the first month. FINAL FANTASY VIII's record sales in Japan have led to a historical phenomenon in the gaming world.
About FINAL FANTASY VIII:
FINAL FANTASY VIII features a compelling story, a mix of action and adventure with an added touch of romance. Squall is a member of an elite combat team engaged in a power struggle with another faction; both are battling to take control. The key question for Squall and his team is whom to trust? Adding to this completely new FINAL FANTASY story line are intriguing characters such as the free spirited young woman, Rinoa Heartilly, the sorceress Edea, Quistis Trepe, the instructor, and Squall's archrival, Seifer. In addition to a riveting storyline, Square's development team has ratcheted up the graphics in this game, with more finely shaped characters that sport detailed expressions and facial movements, and full motion videos that use motion capture technology for more realistic human movements and actions. The title also includes an enhanced magic system for longer, more in-depth gameplay.
Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. and Square Co., Ltd.
Square Co., Ltd. is the leading third-party developer and publisher of home video game console software in Japan with annual sales of more than US $345 million and 1,200 employees worldwide. Square Co., Ltd. became famous for its role playing games, including its world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series, which has sold more than 22 million units to date, and now publishes other titles under the Square Soft brand spanning all genres. Square Co., Ltd. is based in Tokyo and maintains a branch office in Osaka.
In North America, Square Co., Ltd. publishes its Square Soft titles through Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., located in Costa Mesa. Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. is a Limited Liability Company established on May 1, 1998 by Square Soft, Inc. and Electronic Arts(TM) to manage the marketing and distribution of Square Soft products in North America. More information about Square Soft products can be found on the Internet at http://www.squaresoft.com.
Note to Editors: FINAL FANTASY is a trademark or registered trademark of Square Co., Ltd. Square Electronics Arts is a service mark of Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. Square Soft is a registered trademark of Square Co., Ltd. Electronic Arts is a trademark or registered trademark of Electronic Arts or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
