Square Enix summons Final Fantasy fans to Santa Monica

The second day of the event wrapped up most of the previous day's activities, hosted another developer panel, and concluded with a variety of fan spectacles. The developer panel discussion was largely a recap of the previous day's panels and also touched on the game's economy and the Xbox 360 release.

Above: Naoshi Mizuta and his Star Onions played mellow remixes of everyone's favorite Final Fantasy XI tunes

Following the panel, more contests ensued. After a costume contest and raffle, the Ballista tournament began, deciding the US champions of FFXI's in-game PvP "sport." Wrapping up the evening was a live concert by the Star Onions, a band comprised of Square Enix musicians that play mellow instrumental remixes of FFXI 's score. The Star Onions' albums are available in the US on the iTunes music store.

All in all, the event was a success for the game's dedicated fans and Square Enix. While the outdoor venue (hey, it was a tent!) and general lack of food and drinks at the location were regrettable, the game and the fans' fervor for the game both made strong showings.