Is this the least effective pairing of a videogame and a non-videogame-related event ever? Does Michael Jackson's ghost dream of making Moonwalker 2 in HD? Wasn't it cool that one time when Mario and the Black Mage from Final Fantasy had a slam dunk contest?
Please, answer these questions in the comments, and/or hit the jump for the full press release.
NBA ANNOUNCES SQUARE ENIX’S FINAL FANTASY XIII AS PRESENTING PARTNER OF 2010 NBA ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAME
– Partnership with World-Renowned Fantasy Videogame Includes Visibility Throughout the Game and at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas –
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2010 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Square Enix Inc. (Square Enix) today announced a promotional partnership that will make FINAL FANTASY® XIII – the latest in the world-renowned action-packed role-playing videogame series that has shipped more than 92 million units – the presenting partner of the 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
As the presenting partner of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, FINAL FANTASY XIII will have prominent exposure throughout Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, where the game will be played. The role-playing videogame, which features futuristic characters and gameplay, will receive significant presence during the broadcast on ESPN, which will televise the NBA All-Star event for the sixth consecutive year. There will also be a dedicated FINAL FANTASY XIII area at NBA All-Star Jam Session where fans will be able to preview the videogame, which will be available for both PlayStation®3 and the Xbox 360® on March 9, 2010.
“FINAL FANTASY XIII, the next evolution in videogame entertainment, will appeal to first time players and series fans alike,” said John Yamamoto, President and CEO of Square Enix, Inc., “We are delighted to be the presenting partner at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and give fans a chance to experience the most highly anticipated game of the year before it launches on March 9.”
“FINAL FANTASY is a storied brand in the videogame category and this partnership will bring an exciting new element to this year’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game,” said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President of Marketing Partnerships. “A good portion of our fanbase overlaps with the young, videogame-playing audience, so it is a natural fit for us to partner with a leading franchise like FINAL FANTASY around one of our marquee All-Star events.”
The 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by FINAL FANTASY XIII will tip off on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST/ 6:00 p.m. CST from NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas inside the Dallas Convention Center. This year’s celebrity participants will include a cast of players from film, TV, and music who will be outfitted in retro 1986 NBA All-Star uniforms paying tribute to NBA All-Star 1986 in Dallas. The game will also feature former NBA players and current WNBA players.
FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated franchise, bringing the series to multiple high-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. The series is defined by a constant evolution, offering nothing less than the finest creative vision, graphical quality and gameplay system of its generation with every installment, and FINAL FANTASY XIII will be no exception to its legacy.
About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America, and Europe. Square Enix® brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises — FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 92 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 53 million units worldwide — under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.
About NBA All-Star 2010
NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by FINAL FANTASY® XIII, and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas. American Airlines Center will host All-Star Saturday Night, featuring the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars, and Sprite Slam Dunk. The 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 – the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for an eighth consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 25th season of All-Star coverage. This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas. The city also hosted the event in 1986.
Contest:
11:00 PM on 02.10.2010
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Not an event exactly, but this always holds that place for me:
Though, FF + NBA is close.
This is one of those things.
AMIDOINGITRITE?
This is pretty odd. At least they chose the nba over the pro bowl
This was a terrible idea.
I'm starting to wonder if this game is going to sell as well as some may think it will, or if at all.
Maybe Square is thinking the same thing...
However, this is the worst idea since the Burger King games and yes, I've played the Burger King games. Unless this makes, like, the XIII characters unlockable in NBA Jame the new one edition or something, I don't care. And no one else does, Square. If you're going to throw this much money away, ...god, I don't know how you could waste it as effectively. Setting it on fire seems a little tame by comparison.
Maybe they think by advertising to this crowd, they'll get a bigger audience, somehow, I don't think it will, let alone very much....
coincidence? is SE targeting my kind??
Celebrity game? Pass. I may watch the All-Star game, possibly dunk competition if DeRozan is in it. Winter Olympics is starting soon.
From: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
By: Square-Enix
Stranger thing already happened.
No offense to the basketball crowd, but I think this might be a good idea in a way, mostly since from judging the friends I watch basketball with, they will see they game, and say "OOOOOH LOOK AT THE PRETTY GRAPHICS!" The game's graphics look good enough to sell on looks alone to the crowd that would be watching the game, and I think that's what square is going for. Though, I doubt we'll see any form of gameplay at all in any of these commercials they got lined up.
Also, I don't care what ya'll say, Sneak King was AWESOME!
Let's be honest: we're all scratching our heads on this because we think the core FF audience is a bunch of otaku unathletic shut-ins. And THAT is a much bigger problem for S-E than any particular advertising campaign. I can see people who'd watch the NBA also playing CoD, or GTA, or sports games (obviously), so it's not like they refuse to pick up a controller. There's simply been no JRPG (or maybe RPGs in general) with a lot of PR, so who knows if there's an untapped audience out there.
As for whether the actual product will have that kind of mass appeal, I dunno, but it's not like the marketing team made the game.
200 bucks a ticket is outrageous though....
Anyway, I just want to hear some of the reactions to people looking at the posters and whatnot.
"Is that young man riding a cyborg woman, is this the new robocop?"
Best regards, Anna, CEO of ip san iscsi and i tunes