Do You Have to Pay for a Final Fantasy XIII Demo?

In a clever bit of marketing, Square Enix is trying to drum up extra interest in the upcoming Blu-ray release of Advent Children by including a separate disc which houses a rather meaty Final Fantasy XIII demo. The move can be seen as either a touching gift to fans or a shameless attempt to cash in depending on how you look at it, but either way it’s pretty clear that Square Enix is fixing to make a whole lot of money on the combo when it arrives. Now, it’s starting to look like that won’t be enough as Yoichi Wada and company might just need a bit more money to buy that second yacht.

The latest juicy tidbits claim that the company is looking to offer the demo separately, but at a price other than the standard cost, which is "free." I know what you’re thinking, "So Square wants to sell me a demo?" The answer is that’s how it appears.

When given the opportunity to dispel this rumor, Square Enix issued a big no comment, thus leaving us scratching our heads and wondering if there isn’t something to all this after all. We’re all adjusted to the idea of buying a separate product and getting a demo as a bonus; indeed, it’s what Square did with Dragon Quest VIII when they included a demo of Final Fantasy XII. However, trying to pawn off the demo separately just doesn’t sit right. Still, the fact of the matter is that Square Enix knows there are a whole lot of people out there desperate to see Final Fantasy XIII in action, and they’ll likely be willing to shell out a few bucks for the experience. Also, the company’s silence on dispelling the rumor thus far has been quite telling; if they haven’t already decided to sell the demo separately, they’re certainly thinking about it. We’ll see how this one plays out.

TGR Verdict: Rumor Somewhat Likely