FINAL FANTASY XI AND PLAYONLINE REACH MILESTONES WITH ADDITIONAL PLAYERS IN NORTH AMERICA

PlayOnline Registered Users Surpass 500,000 in North America and Japan Combined

LOS ANGELES, Calif., (January 7, 2004) - Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. (“Square Enix U.S.A.”), the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive products in North America, announced today milestones that were reached due to the successful holiday sales of FINAL FANTASY® XI. The PlayOnline™ service has surpassed 500,000 registered users in North America and Japan combined, with the total online community population (number of active characters) of FINAL FANTASY XI at nearly one million characters.

Released on October 28, 2003 in North America, FINAL FANTASY XI for Windows®, the first online title in the world-renowned series has quickly become one of most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) to date. The title has garnered several “Best of 2003” nominations and awards among the enthusiast sites and other outlets. FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system is scheduled for release in March 2004. The first cross-platform, cross-continent MMORPG, FINAL FANTASY XI allows gamers to connect to the same exact world regardless of whether they are playing on a personal computer (PC) or PlayStation 2 and whether they are playing in North America or Japan. In Japan, FINAL FANTASY XI for the PlayStation 2 and for Windows were released in May and November 2002, respectively. Launched in May 2002 in Japan and October 2003 in North America, the PlayOnline service provides a wide range of online services including games, entertainment and communication. PlayOnline serves as a portal to the world of FINAL FANTASY XI and a gateway to several other applications.