(Official Xbox Magazine press release) Playable Beta Disc for Xbox 360 Console to be included with February 2006 Issue
South San Francisco, CA (December 19, 2005)
In a U.S. exclusive, Official Xbox Magazine will be the only place Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft gamers and FINAL FANTASY® fans can go to get a sneak peek of Square Enix’s highly successful FINAL FANTASY XI, a massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG).
Official Xbox Magazine will include the limited edition, playable FINAL FANTASY XI beta disc in the February 2006 issue, hitting newsstands January 17, 2006. The beta disc provided with this issue will have full versions of the Rise of the Zilart® and Chains of Promathia™ expansion packs and will be available both on newsstands across the country and to Official Xbox Magazine subscribers.
FINAL FANTASY XI is the only cross-platform online title in the series from Japanese game developers Square Enix, and the first available for the Xbox 360 platform. The FINAL FANTASY series is said to be the most widely distributed game series of all time, and is Square Enix’s most successful franchise, having sold more than 63 million units worldwide.
Rob Smith, associate publisher of Official Xbox Magazine said, "A massively multiplayer game as huge and popular as FINAL FANTASY XI coming to Xbox 360 is fantastic news for gamers. We're delighted to deliver the beta version, along with a huge preview in the February issue that unveils everything you would want to know about this ground-breaking game."
In addition, Official Xbox Magazine will include an editorial preview section within the issue to accompany the FINAL FANTASY XI beta disc, complete with exclusive tips on how to play the game.
FINAL FANTASY and Xbox 360 fans can pick up the February 2006 issue of Official Xbox Magazine at any of more than 60,000 retail locations, including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, 7-Eleven and specialty game stores.