The FFVII Mobile Game Initiative (2004-2008 Era)

[Shademp]

Thanks to Tres I now have a template message to send to Japanese sellers over at Yahoo JP Auctions.

どのゲームが携帯にインストールされていますか？ありがとう。

(Translation)

What games are installed on the phone? Thank you.

Feel free to use the above template if you venture into auctions for the same purpose (and if you, like me, can't write your own Japanese sentences ).

I created a Yahoo JP account this morning. Where google translate wasn't enough, I received aid from this YouTube video. The only bit I had trouble with was the postal code and the video shows you the wide range of Japanese postal codes you can pick.

I have thusly sent the inquiry about installed games to plenty of P903i auctions and two P900iV auctions. EDIT: Add numerous P904i and N904i to that list.


As far as my eBay ventures go, questions about what games are on the phone(s) have been met with "I have no idea" a dozen times. Sometimes the seller can't check because the battery is not functional. One time there was a phone with "Mobile Hawk & Black Jack" on it.

(SPOILER)




You'll find a few sellers who like selling mobile phones in bulk and you are pretty much out of luck there. Not only are the sellers unwilling to check each individual phone for games, but the explanation behind the origins of these phones indicate that they don't contain games downloaded by users, since they apparently never entered the market.

Example from such an eBay auction that had the courtesy of including a background explanation:

Seller Notes: “This phone is a overstock in 10/10 New Condition with NO damage, scratches, or defects. Includes (battery, wall charger, etc), not in retail box, without manual. These phones are shipped to us in bulk as individual handsets with lens tape. This phone may have been part of a carrier overstock, discontinued model liquidation sale, or from a large company that may have activated but never used the phones. We package, at our facility, the phone along with new accessories.”

Sketchy origins are sketchy. Either way, they don't have what we're looking for.

[Shademp]

The P900iV manual states that the phone came pre-installed with a port of the original Final Fantasy. There are no specifications about whether this is a complete or incomplete installation. "BombLink" was another pre-installed game.


        

Page 93 wrote:

BombLink

Rotate a bomb, get its fuse fired using flames falling from above at both sides to explode the bomb, and then light a fire. Point the fuse of other bombs to the exploding bomb and the bombs get exploded in a chain. Bombs rise up from the bottom in series. When the bombs are piled up to the top of the display, the game is over.

Thus far the replies from Yahoo JP Auctions, when I ask what games are on the phone, are 7 times out of 8 "The phone has been initialized/reset". *EDIT: In other words, any game that might have been on the phone, pre-installed or not, has been deleted.* One time a seller could not confirm the games present because they don't have a functional battery.

[Shademp]

Mobile games of the pre-smartphone era were based in Java, ergo you need a Java emulator to play them.

- Here is where I downloaded a Java emulator

The download includes the game "Prince of Persia" but that was too boring. I downloaded Sonic Jump and had a great, GREAT time!

Before completing Sonic Jump today I had actually never beaten a Sonic game legitimately!

Desktop dump of me just having beaten the final boss and about to acquire the final Chaos Emerald piece.



I collected all the Chaos Emeralds, completing the game in about 2-3 hours. Once I got past the horribly composed music of Green Hill Zone and found that the soundtrack is actually quite decent, I was even able to forget that I was playing an old mobile game. That is how much fun I had!




Quoting the emulator download page:

Java or Jar games were popular over a decade ago in Nokia and Java phones. These games have a .jar extension and can be played on any Java enabled mobile phone. Since the launch of powerful smartphones platforms like android and iOS these games have now extinct because Java phones are rare today. J2ME is a small platform but we have seen some of the best Java games from Gameloft and Ubisoft like Asphalt, prince of persia, skyforce etc.

This reddit thread passionately talks about the state of J2ME/Java/Jar/Midlet emulation and the limited efforts to preserve the software. Before Crisis is mentioned as an example of a game that risks being lost, if it hasn't already disappeared completely.

imkrut wrote:

J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) is/was a technology that allowed programmers to use the Java programming language and related tools to develop programs for mobile wireless information devices such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants.
In practice it was the dominant programming language for software made for mobile devices for a bast number of years, (I'd say up until Android came out, and even then, it remained for a while since it was so popular).

...

Most software had multiple versions made (to save space) each for a different resolution, and some made specifically for certain phone models.
So for example, Doom RPG had a 176x208, a 208x208 and a 240x320 version, so it would adapt and fit most screen sizes (at the time) but all of them basically being the same game. Had size limitation not been an issue back then, they would have probably all been programmed together and fit into a single .jar file, or maybe it was just a simpler way to program the soft to fit (since there was actually uni-size soft made too)

Remind me to at some point create reddit threads about the FFVII Mobile Game Initiative.


In the Japanese credits to Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode -Final Fantasy VII- there is a bit devoted to the "DoJa Port" staff.

Credits section

DoJa Port

Producer:
Sai Wun Poon


Lead Programmer:
Richard Powell


Programmers:
John Brewer
Christian Dunst
Steven Jeram
Hlynur Johnsen
Brian Pearson
Sean Scaplehorn


Art Support:
Colin Wren



So what does this mean?

Wikipedia wrote:

DoJa profile is a Java application environment specification for DoCoMo's i-mode mobile phone.

Since the English version of Lost Episode was released over two months before the Japanese version, and with the 3D graphics side of things having been handled by Ideaworks 3D rather than Square Enix, it is my conclusion that the Japanese version is in a way a "port" of the English one. Ergo, the Java of the English game was adapted over to the "DoJa" profile, mentioned during the JP ending credits.

Gamespot interview with Kosei Ito, summer 2006 wrote:

Kosei Ito: Dirge of Cerberus is a collaboration between the Square team that worked on Final Fantasy Before Crisis, based in Japan, and Ideaworks 3D in London.

GS: Why the split dev team?

KI: The Japan team has some great knowledge about Java, but when it comes to BREW, it's not quite up to speed. Ideaworks has a strong knowledge of BREW. Also, our team in Japan is great when it comes to working on 2D games, but Ideaworks is experienced working with 3D, especially on the technology front.

GS: Will there be different versions of the game based on territory?

KI: So far, we are planning to distribute the game only in North America. I created this title specifically for the North America market while I was here [based in Seattle].

GS: So it will never get a release in Japan?

KI: It may be released in Japan later on, but no plans have been made so far.

[Shademp]

According to imkrut, creator of the aforementioned reddit thread...

imkrut wrote:

The best end-user experience and compatibility on PC, seems to be KEmulator but other exist (like Microemulator which is Opensource but has some big graphical problems or Midp2Exe )

To play Sonic Jump, I used "KEmulator". So on this, my first day of looking into emulators for old mobile phone games, I now know of four emulators:

- KEmulator
- Midp2Exe
- MicroEmulator
- FreeJ2ME

Som emulators are still being updated, some are not. Excerpt from the FreeJ2ME download page, which was updated seven days ago:

FreeJ2ME is a simple J2ME emulator with a focus on old mobile phone games. It was designed to run on Windows, desktop Linux, and on the Raspberry Pi 3 using Libretro and Retroarch as provided by RetroPie.

It supports some games not playable using MicroEmulator and Kemulat0r, though it does not support every game those play. At the moment, it's best to have all three if you're interested in those types of games.

Some games only run at specific resolutions. Per-game configuration is available from the menu (by pressing esc). Preferences are saved and will automatically load.

Games automatically scale with the window size, making it easy to play games designed for smaller screen sizes.

The reddit thread also seems to show that nobody has extracted or found Japanese .jar files (i.e. ROMs), so there's no precedence that demonstrates if the DoJa profile of games like JP Lost Episode is at all compatible with current Java emulators.

Azurfel wrote:

At this point i think we are pretty much stuck hoping that Japanese emu authors and enthusiasts took preserving Japanese mobile games faaaaaar more seriously than western emu authors and enthusiasts have taken preserving western mobile games, and the results are just being hoarded :/

[Shademp]

eBay wrote:

We didn’t send your message because it looked like it included contact info. We've also restricted your account for 7 days. You won't be able to send any messages until your restriction is over.

I did NOT include contact info in that message! I was trying to inform a person who is selling the P900iV where they might find batteries for the phone but even when I included no website links eBay decided to restrict my account. I've contacted eBay customer support about this unfair restriction.

Interestingly, this seller faced the same issue as Channy did when she bought the P900iV.

ffosarat wrote:

No returns accepted. Item is sold AS IS. Has minor wear and tear (few scratches) and does not come with a battery (as when I purchased it years ago, they would not ship a battery with it overseas).

This prompted me to look up what in the actual heck is going on here...

Years ago, the Japan Post Office banned lithium ion batteries from being shipped (primarily banning shipping by airplane), though there were a few expensive and cumbersome ways to get the batteries shipped.

A comment written four years ago to the article reads...

Since no one commented on it, the article needs to be updated.

We can now ship Lithium batteries from 119 different post offices in Japan.

Here is the PDF link with the list of post offices and the explanations.

http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/use...ction02_en.pdf

If the restrictions in the document still applies, then you can only have the batteries shipped if they are already installed in electronics. You can't ship lithium ion batteries by themselves.

...Well then. The cheapest way to get P900iV batteries then would be to order a phone with the battery already inside it. Unlike in the past, the battery SHOULD not be removed while it's being shipped.


Japan is not alone in their fear of lithium ion batteries on airplanes. The Federal Avian Administration has limitations put on the shipping of such batteries and there are international regulations, put in place last year, that place the same restriction as Japan that the batteries must be shipped while inside electronic equipment.

ups wrote:

Because lithium batteries are designed to provide high levels of power, the electrical energy in these batteries is significant, meaning that such batteries can sometimes generate a great amount of heat if short circuited. In addition, the chemical contents of these batteries may catch fire if damaged or if improperly designed or assembled. For these reasons, there are safety regulations controlling the shipment of these types of batteries. Shippers must conform to the applicable regulations published by IATA and/
or PHMSA.

HOOBOY

[Kionae]

So, I honestly don't know if it's legit, and I'm at work so I'm limited on what the firewall lets me download, but, this site claims to have an .iso of DOC Lost Episode.

http://nycgames.info/download/dirge_...vii__7057.html

[Shademp]

We can safely say that these files are not legit. There is absolutely no reason for the files to be so big, in the ranges of 4.7 to 7.4 gigabytes. I won't even bother downloading them because I don't want my computer infested with the malware and viruses that are sure to come with them. If we find legit Lost Episode download links I expect them to be only a few megabytes in size. Possibly in the .jar format.

Thanks for being on the lookout though Kionae

I've found as many as five download links (one has expired by now though, because it violated the google terms of service) that raise red flags for me. I dare not download these, much less install them. All of these are on google docs.

- One
- Two
- Three
- Four

If you dare look into these files I will take no responsibility for the harm done to your computer or any compromise of your personal info and bank accounts.

[Shademp]

Last night I discovered that the reason the Wayback Machine wasn't working for me was that I had too many cookies and/or I had corrupt cookies. After deleting the cookies I can now re-engage in the archeological digs!

The archived review of Lost Episode by Game industry News stands out because it lists multiple items, and their effects, that aren't described in such detail in any other English source I have found thus far.

While in the option menu you can review your objectives and score as well as use items that you have picked up such as potions which restore 250 HP, Hi-potions which restore 500 HP, X-potions which restore all of your HP, grenades which add explosive damage to your bullets, dazer which stun your enemy, or dragon fang which adds a lightening attack to your guns which makes them more effective against mechanical targets.

You can also see what accessories you have found so far including the Reflect Ring which improves your defense by 10%, Protect Vest which improves your defense by another 10%, Tough Ring which improves your speed by 10%, Chocobo Feather which improves your speed by another 10%, Champion Belt which increases your collected ammunition by 25%, or Sneak Glove which increases your collected ammunition by 25%. You can also adjust the configuration settings including the master volume and turn vibration on and off. Finally you can exit the game from this screen by selecting quit. Items are one use and accessories are your's for the game once you find them.

Holy smokes! This makes the inventory of Lost Episode filled with FAR MORE Final Fantasy VII nostalgia than the PS2 game by a longshot!


The existence of these types of items and accessories is corroborated in the review by PinoyGenius:

Finally, there are a few items and accessories that you can collect in this game. You have your standard healing potions as well as a few items that make Vincent do more damage to the enemy. The accessories allow you to do things like move faster, hold more ammo, and take more damage. Those who played the original FF7 on PS1 will most likely recognized the accessory names in this game.

So in summary, from the Game industry News review...

Items
- Potion: Restores 250 HP.
- Hi-Potion: Restores 500 HP.
- X-Potion: Restores all HP.
- Grenade: Add explosive damage to bullets.
- Dazer: Stuns enemy.
- Dragon Fang: Adds lightning effect to gun. Effective against mechanical foes.

Accessories
- Reflect Ring: Improves defense by 10%.
- Protect Vest: Improves defense by 10%.
- Tough Ring: Improves speed by 10%.
- Chocobo Feather: Improves speed by 10%.
- Champion Belt: Increases collected ammunition by 25%.
- Sneak Glove: Increases collected ammunition by 25%.

EDIT: The review by Games industry News still exists outside of the Internet Archive, it was merely moved.

[The Twilight Mexican]

That's ... a lot more customization than I would have expected this game to have.

[Shademp]

In 2006 on August 18, when Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode -Final Fantasy VII- (boy the full title is such a mouthful) was released on the Amp'd Live game store, Amp'd Mobile had three phones: The Jet, Angel & Hollywood.

- Kyocera KX18 "Jet"
- Kyocera KX18 "Angel"
- Motorola E816 "Hollywood"

No archived variation of the game's product page specify which phones it was compatible with. Whenever a mobile game was limited to this or that phone type, the limitation was worked into the product name, for example:

- Resident Evil: The Missions (Hollywood)
- Resident Evil: The Missions (Jet/Angel)

Since it was part of Amp'd Mobile's strategy to advertise how all their phones were compatible with 3D gaming (in multiplayer and on the 3G network to top it off!), and given that there are no compatibilities listed at all for mobile Dirge of Cerberus, I'm going to assume it was compatible with all these phones.

The compatibility of the Motorola E816 (aka "Hollywood") should come as no surprise, since its predecessor the Motorola E815 was already confirmed compatible with Lost Episode on the Verizon platform.



After Dirge's mobile release, Amp'd would come to release two new cell phones.

- Motorola Razr Amp'd Edition "MOTORAZR" *
- Motorola Q Amp'd Edition "MOTO Q" *

*Nicknames, abbreviations and lower- and upper case for these phones may vary depending on the source.

The Motorola Razr was released only two months or so after Dirge of Cerberus. Advertisements of it also include the classic CG shot of Vincent Valentine.

MOTORAZR & Vincent








It would be pretty weird if this phone wasn't compatible with Lost Episode. The same would hold true for the Motorola Q given Amp'd Mobile's focus on portable 3D gaming, but... Holy smokes this is a weird phone.

MOTO Q and the keypad of death





This looks like a pain in the a$$ to play games on.


I will proceed to add these phones to the list in the opening post but with the disclaimer that Lost Episode's exact compatibilities on the Amp'd platform are more or less speculative.


Amp'd mobile phones are pretty rare on eBay. Probably has something to do with the company existing for less than 2 years. There is one promising-sounding specification from their archived FAQ page though.

Where is my downloaded content stored?

Downloaded content is stored on your Micro SD Memory Card and can be found under MY STUFF in Amp’d Live. Only games are stored on the phone’s memory. Your phone comes standard with a 128 MB card. You can upgrade to a 256 MB or 512 MB card.

If my understanding of the tech is correct, this should increase the likelihood of finding an Amp'd phone with Lost Episode on it.

[Shademp]

Correction to previous post: Lost Episode was released on August 18, not August 22. Though a press release about Lost Episode was also released on the 22nd.

Of course it's not impossible that the release date for Lost Episode was changed: The initial release date for the PS2 game was August 22 but this was later changed to August 15.

August 22 Press Release wrote:

To support the deployment, Amp'd will feature video previews and mobile game highlights of DIRGE of CERBERUS LOST EPISODE within Amp'd branded kiosks at retail outlets nationwide, including independent wireless dealers and Best Buy, recently announced as a core Amp'd Mobile distributor. Fans will also have a chance to participate in a limited online giveaway to receive a highly articulated Vincent Valentine action figure with purchase. Amp'd will also be featuring DIRGE of CERBERUS LOST EPISODE at GamOrz Ball (co-sponsored with mtvU). Lastly, Amp'd will feature DIRGE of CERBERUS LOST EPISODE in Amp'd The Magazine.

All of these advertisements sound quite exciting and I very much wish I could get my hands on them all. I expect most have been lost to time though. There are no video previews for Dirge to be found when searching Amp'd with the Wayback Machine but flash videos for a few other games were preserved.
- Amp'd Live: Four Game Previews


A reference to the "limited online giveaway to receive a highly articulated Vincent Valentine action figure with purchase" can be found via the Wayback Machine.

- Amp'd Main Page: 2006 October 12 capture



Only the above capture includes the advertisement and following the link reveals that the page for the "Final Fantasy Game Package" has not been archived. I have found no more references to this deal, so the details of Amp'd Mobile's FF Game Package and how long it lasted are unknown to us. It is only because of the press release that we can be confident the action figure was that of Vincent Valentine but we don't know the exact model.


After browsing all of Amp'd Mobile's press releases I've confirmed that there are no references to Square Enix or Final Fantasy. Apart from the Dirge of Cerberus product in the games section, the only Square Enix reference I found was in the profile page for Seth Cummings.

Bla bla bla

Seth Cummings has been developing television, Internet and digital entertainment content for over twelve years. As Senior Vice President, Content Development & Programming, he brings a broad mix of experience and creativity to Amp'd Mobile.

Cummings is responsible for developing and managing all aspects of the Amp'd content division, including business affairs, mobile advertising, international content deployments, and the development, production and programming of the Amp'd Live mobile entertainment portal and Amp'd TV network. Cummings also oversees all live broadcasts and original programming development. Additionally, Cummings heads operations at its Los Angeles production studio, including management of the company's video production and editing facilities, outdoor broadcast trucks, and original BREW application development.



Cummings is responsible for closing over 100 content partnerships at Amp'd including NBC, CBS, UPN/CW, ABC, Bravo, Warner Bros, Turner, Adult Swim, E!, Style Network, WE, Oxygen, Soapnet, A&E;, Biography Channel, History Channel, Discovery, The Walt Disney Company, Playboy, Girls Gone Wild, Suicide Girls, AVN, Naked News, Facebook.com, Break.com, CollegeHumor.com, Livejournal.com, TMZ.com, NBA, MLB, ESPN, FOX Sports, Speed, FUEL, CSTV, Sports Illustrated, MotoGP, NASCAR, Primedia, UFC, PBR, Sportsline.com, Danny Sheridan, Oakley, EA, THQ, Gameloft, Taito, Namco, Square Enix, DUB Magazine, Ford Models, MAXIM, FHM, Accuweather, Bunim-Murray, Liveplanet, and a broad content portfolio with MTV Networks. Cummings also services as Executive Producer of over 25 Amp’d original series including “Lil Bush: Resident of the United States”, set to debut in 2007 on Comedy Central.

Etc etc etc

Prior to Amp'd, Cummings was at Boost Mobile where he launched and led Boost Live, its data services and content division. At Boost, Cummings developed youth-focused wireless content while managing all consumer web portals and online marketing efforts. Previously, he founded the wireless division at Eyematic Interfaces - one of the first mobile developers for QUALCOMM's BREW platform - which was subsequently spun off and acquired by Google.

Cummings began his career in television development at Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, working on series such as "The Sopranos", "The Steve Harvey Show", and "Politically Incorrect." He earned his M.B.A. and M.S. in Television Management degrees from Boston University and his B.S. degree in Television Production from Framingham State College. Cummings resides in North Hollywood with his wife and two dogs.

Seth Cummings makes an appearance in an article about Lost Episode and Amp'd Mobile's exclusivity deal with Square Enix. This is also where we find our third reference to the multiplayer and this time specifically in the context of Amp'd, though the information isn't really new and the original source might as well have been the official Square Enix press release.

DIRGE OF CERBERUS: FINAL FANTASY VII: LOST EPISODE / 1 JUN 2006
AMP'D FOR DIRGE OF CERBERUS?
Exclusivity deal keeps the Square Enix FF7 actioner on one carrier this summer.
BY LEVI BUCHANAN

Square Enix and Amp'd Mobile announced a special exclusivity deal for the upcoming action game Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode that keeps the game only on Amp'd handset for a full three months this summer. The 3D action game, based on a side story from the Final Fnatasy VII universe, follows the exploits of Vincent Valentine. The game launches as a single-player game, but a multiplayer component is in the works that allows for head-to-head competition between Amp'd subscribers.

"Launching Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode - Final Fantasy VII with Amp'd mobile is extremely exciting," says Daishiro Okada, President and COO, Square Enix, Inc., "Amp'd Mobile's focus on the youth market and their powerful 3G network make them a great partner for continuing the legacy of Final Fantasy VII."

"We met with Square Enix at last year's QUALCOMM BREW conference and immediately targeted this title as an exclusive on Amp'd," says Seth Cummings, Senior Vice President, Content, Amp'd Mobile. "We're excited to announce deployment of Final Fantasy on Amp'd one year later. Our commitment to deploying only best-of-breed titles is exemplified by our partnership with Square Enix and we look forward to collaborating on future deployments."

[Shademp]

My next post about Amp'd Mobile will have to wait because I just browsed a dope-a$$ link in the Wayback Machine!

- The Official NA Square Enix page for Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode

Going by the captures, the Lost Episode page disappeared at some point between 2011, September 9 and 2015, November 4. Observing when the main hub page for the North American "Square Enix Mobile" page disappeared and when other parts of the site vanished, we can narrow the time of death down to...

2012 April 2 <---> 2013 July 3

With a total of 54 functional captures for the official NA DoC: Lost Episode page we can observe how it changed overtime. Perhaps most usefully, it increases our list of officially compatible phones! The old compatibility list for Verizon phones stemmed around the game's release around November of 2006 and indeed the official NA Square site starts with the same list. By June 11 of 2007, four more phones had been added to the Verizon Wireless list!

- Motorola K1M KRZR
- Motorola L7 SLVR
- Motorola V3C RAZR
- Motorola V3M RAZR

No more phones were added to the list after this point, neither for Amp'd nor for Verizon phones.


The "Key Features" initially (October 17) writes about the planned multiplayer mode, with text copied STRAIGHT from the May 11 press release about Lost Episode.

Deepground Elite (DGE) Mode offers online head-to-head action with other players. This mode allows players to take on the role of a Deepground soldier and battle other players in intense battles over the mobile network.

Indeed you'll recognize that even more text from the press release was copied onto the Key Features section.

Between November 30 and December 20, these two sentences about the multiplayer were removed. However, the question about the multiplayer (read the FAQ section) remained the same throughout all 54 functional captures of the page.

Q. When will the ONLINE BATTLE MODE be available?
A. TBA. Please wait for more information.

The instructions on how to download the game via Amp'd Live starts out like this in the site captures.

To download DIRGE of CERBERUS Lost Episode -FINAL FANTASY VII- to your Amp’d Mobile phone follow these simple steps:

1. Select MENU, use the left navigation key to highlight AMP’D LIVE. Press the OK to proceed to AMP’D LIVE.
2. Select GAMES.
3. Select category and download game. (category TBD).
4. Select Dirge of Cerberus.

Between November 20 and December 30, the third point is FINALLY updated to read:

3. Select the Action category."

The download instructions for Amp'd Live remains at all times, despite all of Amp'd Mobile's services being discontinued by midnight of July 31, 2007.


So what about the Verizon instructions? At some point between December 20, 2006 and February 2, 2007, instructions were added.

To download DIRGE of CERBERUS Lost Episode -FINAL FANTASY VII- to your Verizon Wireless mobile phone follow these simple steps:

1. Select MENU, and then select GET IT NOW. Then scroll down and select Get Fun & Games.
2. Scroll down and select the V CAST Ganes category. Find and select Dirge of Cerberus FFVII.
3. Choose either Subcription or Unlimited download. Continue to begin downloading.
4. Launch the game from the Get It Now menu.

Between May 13 and June 11 of 2007, the instructions for the point 2 changes.

2. Scroll down and select the Action Games category. Find and select Dirge of Cerberus FFVII.

The "V CAST" was Verizon's section and branding for the most recent, hottest content they had available. At some point in 2007, all V CAST references disappear from their website. Ergo, the removal of Dirge of Cerberus from V CAST had nothing to do with the game becoming old news but rather the entire section being removed from their website and marketing.

[Shademp]

With Verizon, we have no clear timeline for Lost Episode's presence on its game store. The game is approximated to have appeared on November 2006 but we have no exact date and we can't even confirm the YEAR that the game disappeared from the online store. It's even difficult to pin down exactly WHEN Verizon Wireless stopped providing games!




With the Amp'd Mobile version, the story is very different. We know Lost Episode was released in the third quarter of August 2006 and that Amp'd Mobile ceased all their services on midnight July 31, 2007 (or midnight August 1, the exact midnight is a little unclear). The newest archived reference to Dirge in the Amp'd Live store is from July 6, 2007. We can pretty confidently say then that Dirge of Cerberus: Lost Episode was available in this online game store for just over 11 months.

There is reason to debate whether the release date was August 18 or August 22, since I noticed just now that the standard practice was for NA Square Enix to have press releases on the DAY a game became available in stores. This would make Lost Episode the odd one out if it wasn't released on August 22, given the press release from that day. Still, that limits us to the third quarter of August and a four-day window.


Browsing the archived Amp'd Mobile homepage was quite the journey. With Amp'd marketing themselves towards 18-35 year-olds and early adopters of tech, the site's marketing became focused on:

- Sports: Motocross, snowboarding, skateboarding, NASCAR, bull riding etc.
- Music: Plenty of rappers and youth bands.
- TV Shows & Movies
- Games in THREEEEEE DEEEEEEEE
- Hot chicks!!! Remember how Seth Cummings helped Amp'd partner up with Playboy, Girls Gone Wild etc.

Just like on Verizon Wireless, two-thirds of marketed mobile games had "3D" in their title. It's humorous but raises nostalgia for how unattractive one found the whole cell phone game market to be at the time.


On June 1, 2007, Amp'd filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy. So what happened?

This article about "12 Epic Financial Failures" describes the end of Amp'd in the most concise, entertaining fashion I could find.

Amp'd Mobile takes the crown for money-burning with $360 million in losses, and being forced to finally file for bankruptcy protection in June 2007. The company’s major problem was that its young customers weren’t able to pay their bills.

When the company started out with Verizon Wireless as its operating partner, chief executive Peter Adderton ignored the standard 30-day waiting period after signup (that customers were given to prove they could pay their bills) and gave them 90 days instead, to attract more customers. Amp’d also created a large-scale marketing campaign that appealed to young people, many of whom had low credit scores. So before too long, they had loads of new customers.

Between November 2006 and February 2007, Amp’d had more people signing up for their service than any other provider had ever experienced. As the company began tallying their profits, they found it to be an amazing idea — at least for the first 90 days. When the 90-day mark rolled around, Amp’d started checking on their clients’ abilities to pay. That’s when they discovered that nearly half of their new customers would not be able to pay their bills — the official report places the number at 80,000 of the company's 175,000 customers.

Rest in peace, Amp'd Mobile. We hardly knew ye.

✝
Q4 2005 - July 31, 2007

EDIT: The sources are a little unclear if the Amp'd services discontinued on the midnight transitioning from July 31 to August 1, or the midnight of August 1 transitioning to August 2

[Shademp]

The official Square Enix NA page for FFVII Snowboarding has not been archived. However, there are pages that temporarily hosted the full information page for advertising purposes. The newest archived information page for FFVII Snowboarding is from September 21, 2005. Only two phones are listed here, with the Audiovox 8940 and Samsung A890 yet to be added. Ergo, the archives won't reveal to us any more compatible phones. Thanks to Marcelo X we have confirmation for a total of four phones.

The main page also advertised FFVII Snowboarding for well over a year, before it was replaced with news about Lost Episode.


Instructions on how to download FFVII Snowboarding:

To download FINAL FANTASY® VII Snowboarding™ to your Get It Now℠ enabled phone follow these simple steps.

● From the mobile phone’s Main Menu, select the Get It Now℠ option.
● Select Get Fun & Games
● Select Get New
● Select V CAST Games
● Select FINAL FANTASY® VII Snowboarding™

I am yet to find an information page on Verizon Wireless for this game and it's not likely that I will find one. Not even the page for Lost Episode has been saved. We only have references to it in archived game lists when it comes to the Verizon archives.


An archived page from Gamespot teases us with a non-archived video of Ichiro Otobe and Kosei Ito being interviewed in the context of FFVII Snowboarding's release. The video is no longer hosted on Gamespot.

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The video probably contained the same general info found in this Gamespot article from that time but it still irks me that it hasn't been saved. I created a topic about this on the Gamespot forums but I expect nothing to come of it.

[The Twilight Mexican]

I didn't even have a phone that could have played shit like this until 2012. How did all this happen in the mid-2000s?