Fyi Chalmwoh, the Mhauran mannequin maker, will be opening her very own mannequin shop. Mannequins of all races and genders will be available, but prospective purchasers must first complete the quest "It's Raining Mannequins."

During this year's Tokyo FFXI Gil game Show, Microsoft had a large well-lit Xbox 360 booth in the corner of the first showroom in the cavernous Makuhari Messe. On display were some of the new FFXI Gil games and accessories that Microsoft hopes will propel the Xbox 360 into near even running with Nintendo and Sony in the Japanese market this holiday season. Rows of stations where FFXI Gil game players could try out the latest 360 FFXI Gil games, from Idol Master to the oddly cute Viva Piñata--called "Atsumare Pinyata" in Japan--lined the walls. The booth also seemed to be in competition with Tecmo's for the award of highest booth companion density.

Tecmo's booth was dominated by a large stage. While no events were going on when we stopped by, a loop of the Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 video played continuously on the huge screen set over the stage. The booth was airy and open, with a tropical resort theme inspired by DOAX.

The first booth most Tokyo FFXI Gil game Show attendees laid eyes on was probably Koei's, which commanded a prime location directly in front of the general admissions entrance. Koei's booth featured two huge illuminated panels flanking either side of its main event stage. The FFXI Gil game showcased at the moment of our visit was GI Jockey 4. There was also a large flat screen around the side of the booth where Fatal Inertia footage was being shown. Attendees could also ascend a flight of stairs to the top of the booth, where they could get a nice view of the floor.

Square Enix, maker of Final Fantasy XI, announced Friday it has banned or suspended more than 2,000 FFXI Gil game accounts in July due to FFXI Gil game players' use of "malicious" third-party programs--which the company says can "destroy" the massively multiplayer online role-playing FFXI Gil game 's economy.

The practice of real money trading, the exchange of in-FFXI Gil game currency from a massively multiplayer online FFXI Gil game for actual real-world money, is becoming a growing concern. No longer is it simply a concern of the publishers who operate these FFXI Gil games; now the Japanese government is opening up its own investigation into the practice.

The announcement, which was posted on both the English and Japanese PlayOnline Web sites, stated that "a number of accounts which were confirmed to have violated the user agreement by using unauthorized third-party software tools were discovered and have been permanently suspended."

On February 18, Square Enix held a concert devoted exclusively to the music of Final Fantasy in Yokohama, Japan. Titled "Voices: Music from Final Fantasy," the show was limited to one night only, and tickets sold out within 15 minutes of going on sale.

Final Fantasy XI Developer Roundtable

Hey Guitar Heroes and Rock Band stars everywhere, you can now transfer your skills from the game to the real guitar. Gamers to Players (G2P) lets you take all of those skills and use them to play a real guitar without the work and hassle of traditional guitar lessons.