http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/07/31/news_6130106.html

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World of Mana spanning multiple platforms
Square Enix's long-absent RPG franchise will be making its return.



CHIBA CITY, Japan--The Mana series, also known as Seiken Densetsu, has been 
one of Square Enix's major franchises since the company's humble beginning. 
Although a new game hasn't been released for nearly five years now, the 
company announced at E3 that it was reviving the series with the launch of a 
new project named "The World of Mana." Square Enix didn't reveal details on 
the project back then, aside from a "polymorphic content strategy" that will 
be used in bringing it to its audience. This refers to a method of taking an 
original concept and developing it simultaneously across multiple media, 
including novelizations, film, games, and other products, such as manga.

During the Square Enix Party in Chiba, we learned that Square Enix also 
plans to expand its new Mana game across multiple platforms and multiple 
genres. A pamphlet provided to the press included a two-page announcement 
for the official launch of the project:

"Our staff are working hard to bring the world of Mana to everyone in 
various genres and platforms. Please look forward to the Mana series from 
now into the future."

This promo material also presented an illustration of a house surrounded by 
nature, and it commented that gamers can expect new stories surrounding the 
Mana tree, which will feature "unique characters, and environments drawn 
with a soft and smooth touch."

Square Enix presented visitors to its event with a short trailer for the 
official announcement of the project's launch, which surprised viewers with 
its dynamic presentation. Running for a short 30 seconds, the trailer 
started with a scene where a flock of red birds is flying above a forest.

"It began long ago when the Mana goddess turned herself into a tree to look 
over the world," read a line of text that appeared on the screen, hinting 
that the new project will inherit the worldview of the series' original GBA 
release.

After the words disappeared, the screen zoomed out from the forest, 
revealing a small area of a colossal tree, which was the tree of Mana. The 
tree then zoomed out of view even more, and its details faded away, turning 
into the official logo for the World of Mana project.

No specific release date was announced for The World of Mana. While you 
wait, however, check out the logo and illustration of the house in the 
game's screen index.

By Hirohiko Niizumi -- GameSpot