Square Enix was at long last able to offer specifics on the Final Fantasy XIII release today. At the DKΣ3713 private event in Harajuku, the company formally announced a 2009 domestic release period for this first entry in the Fabula Nova Crystalis series.

Perhaps bigger than the release period, however, was news of a demo for the game. Square Enix will include a playable demo of FFXIII with the first production run version of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete, the expanded Blu-ray version of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII CG movie. That product is scheduled for release in March and will be available both standalone and as part of a PlayStation 3 bundle.

The FFXIII demo disc will also contain trailer footage for Versus XIII and Agito XIII, two other projects in the Fabula Nova Crystalis series. The latter title now on the way to the PSP.

Although not playable, Final Fantasy XIII had prominent display at the DKΣ3713 event. Shown here, concept artwork for the game that was placed near the entrance.

At the DKΣ3713 event, Square Enix showcased the latest trailer footage of FFXIII. In typical fashion, the new trailer contained a mix of old and new clips. However, closing off the trailer was a sequence that company representatives later confirmed to be real time, showing main character Lightening and the other characters, none of whom have been officially named, engaging in battle on a snowy field.

Final Fantasy XIII products on sale at the DKΣ3713 sales corner.

The company did not officially touch upon the Xbox 360 version of the game, which was announced at E3 as an overseas-only product. However, FFXIII development staffers, including Tetsuya Nomura and Motomu Toriyama, speaking in an informal documentary video aired at the event, reaffirmed past comments from Square Enix higher-ups that work on the 360 version will begin only once the PS3 version is finished.