Hironobu Sakaguchi to be Honored at E3 (May 2000) 


Hironobu Sakaguchi, the producer of the Final Fantasy series, is to be
inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame at E3. He will be the 3rd game
designer to receive the prestigious award. Past recipients include Sid
Meier (creator of Civilisation), and Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of 
Mario and Zelda).

"I am pleased to accept this award from the Academy of Interactive
Arts and Sciences," said Hironobu Sakaguchi. "With the Final Fantasy
series, the goal of each new title was to surpass its predecessor in
technological advancement while ensuring the most compelling
storytelling and visual experience for our fans. The honor of this 
Hall of Fame Award by the AIAS makes me happy to know that not only
our fans appreciate our work, but our peers do as well. Together, 
the interactive entertainment industry will continue to evolve in
technology and creativity throughout the coming years and far beyond."

The award will be presented to Sakaguchi on May 11, 2000, during
the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). 


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More Info on the Squaresoft Restructuring -- 
Hironobu Sakaguchi Resigned From His Chair As Square's Vice-President
Monday, February 19, 2001
                       

Famitsu comes through with some more
information on an earlier report about the
resignations of three of Square's most powerful
officers:

On Thursday, February 8, Square announced that
their managing director/board chairman Tomoyuki
Takeichi, managing director/vice-president Hironobu
Sakaguchi, and director Masatsugu Hiramatsu, had
submitted their resignations in response to the
recently-announced poor performance of the company.

For the business quarter ending in March, Square
has already forecasted their fall into the red for the first time since its
foundation. In addition, no dividends will be paid on outstanding shares for
the first time since they began offering their stock to the public. The three
executives' resignations were seen as a way to amend for the company's
current problems. Square plans to restore their finances with a
management team of one managing director/president/CEO, one
managing director/CFO, and several outside board members.

Meanwhile, Hironobu Sakaguchi has already concluded an exclusive
contract with Square as an executive producer, meaning Square intends to
continue developing his series' -- including Final Fantasy. Also, Mr. 
Takeichi and Mr. Hiramatsu will continue on with the company as a 
contracted advisor and an executive official, respectively. 

Although it was a sudden announcement, we were assured that Square
hasn't changed any of their game release plans. So keep looking forward to
the titles Mr. Sakaguchi will produce.