Apologies for dashing hopes, but if you were expecting a simultaneous or near-simultaneous release of Final Fantasy XIII across multiple regions, think again. Speaking to Reuters, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada stated that an overseas launch of the latest FF entry will take place in "April 2010 or later."
This is presumably due to the fact that two versions of the title are being prepped for the North American are European market -- one for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Whereas, in Japan, the game remains a PS3 exclusive. Add in localization time and you have a 2010 date. A Japanese launch, by the way, is still on the cards for late 2009. Those with the ability to decipher moon speak might want to consider importing.
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