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Now that we're officially in the midst of PAX East, it's time for some juicy gaming tidbits to start spilling. First on the docket: Square Enix has officially confirmed that the previously announced Final Fantasy X HD, which everyone knew was coming to PlayStation Vita, will also be hitting the PlayStation 3, and it'll be bundled with a remastered version of Final Fantasy X-2 as well. Also, yes, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a horrible title.

Never since the Street Fighter franchise have we waited so long for the next proper installment in a video game series. Our patience for Kingdom Hearts III has been worn thin of late with each side story, rehash, and side story rehash that's been released after Kingdom Hearts II, further delaying the long awaited closure we've been working toward for the past 11 years -- man, history does repeat itself. It appears as though we may be waiting even longer. Jesse McCartney, the heavenly voice behind Sora's doppelganger Roxas, posted a picture on Instagram showing the inside of the recording studio with the caption: "For all you ‘Kingdom Hearts‘ Fans. Recording the next chapter! #KingdomHearts #Roxas #Gamers." Regrettably, judging by the game footage, this "next chapter" is likely Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and not Kingdom Hearts III. You may now commence your disapproving shake of the head.

Though we certainly can't get enough of them, video games like the Final Fantasy series aren't for everybody -- some people just don't appreciate the obsessive micromanaging that comes with the territory. Probably influenced by the closed-minded few that feel RPGs tediously plod along, Square Enix has just released Final Fantasy: All the Bravest for iOS devices everywhere: A game that brings everything you loved about the 16-bit generation of Final Fantasy games, but pumps it full of near lethal amounts of caffeine and amphetamines.

What Square Enix thinks you need more of in your life -- regardless of the fact that we've made it evidently clear otherwise -- is more Final Fantasy XIII. The trailer for the franchise within a franchise's latest installment, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, was initially posted on GameTrailers this morning before quickly being pulled. Since then, the video has been uploaded on YouTube in spades.

Had enough of your friends constantly flooding your Facebook page with invitations for FarmVille or parties you don't care to attend? Square Enix has a solution: Put a hit out on them! Rather, you could have a few short hours ago before the option to do so was pulled completely from Facebook. In an ill-conceived and terrifying marketing campaign for Hitman: Absolution, users were able to select targets from their friend list and have them wiped out in cold blood for an assortment of colorful, eyebrow-raisin' reasons.

The Hitman series is known first and foremost for giving players the freedom to kill their targets in a variety of ways, ranging from the conventional to the needlessly complex. In Hitman Absolution, those methods can be down-right weird sometimes. If someone can explain why this easter egg involving vultures and an ice cream truck makes any sense, I'd be surprised. Luckily, things don't need to make sense to be funny. Before you watch, you should know that this video contains some mild spoilers for a mission late in the game. If you're playing Hitman Absolution and haven't started a mission called "End of the Road," you might want to avoid watching this. The easter egg is hidden at the very beginning of the mission, so you should be fine as long as you've gotten that far.

Final Fantasy XIV has had a tough life. Panned by critics and released at a time when the traditional subscription-based MMO is on the decline, Square Enix's second online adaptation of the classic RPG franchise undeniably fell flat, even by the relatively low standard set by cult classic Final Fantasy XI. This weekend is the game's so-called "grand finale," where loyal players can sign on and take giant, high-level boss battles before the servers shut down tonight at midnight, Pacific time. In honor of the game's "ending," Square Enix has released an extended cutscene to serve as the game's cinematic climax.

Square Enix has been in something of a rut as of late. The reception for their last couple of flagship video game titles has been mixed leaning toward negative. While both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 seem to be hovering around an 8.0 on Metacritic, Final Fantasy XIV is sitting at a ridiculously low 4.9. Game reviews tend to skew towards the higher end of things, so an 8.0 isn't exactly stellar either. Maybe that's all set to change, though. It's just been publicly confirmed that Square Enix has licensed Unreal Engine 4 from Epic Games, making them the first to do so officially.

What's a company to do when they want to consolidate a few of one of their franchise's titles into a single, high-definition remix, but they're spread across different consoles? This is the boat Square Enix finds themselves in after much clamoring for a Kingdom Hearts HD collection on the PlayStation 3. Well, they've gone ahead and announced Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, which includes Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The weird thing, beyond the title, is that 358/2 might only be represented as a video.

At an event today, Square Enix announced a special Final Fantasy box set for the franchise's 25th anniversary. The most notable inclusion in the box set is not a special art book, or limited DLC, but all thirteen main games included in one box. Don't you worry, Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy XIII-2 are kept out of your awesome anniversary set.

The World Ends With You was a surprisingly well-received title from Square Enix for the Nintendo DS back when it released in 2007, with both positive reviews and commercial success. The company used many of the same team members responsible for the development of the Kingdom Hearts franchise to create a new IP with a similar aesthetic -- and it totally worked. Now, Square Enix has launched a new website that appears to be teasing a new project in the franchise.

Like I said last time, I only write these open letters when I feel the world is in immediate danger, and without real-life heroes sporting hair that towers into the sky but somehow tastelessly hangs over one of their eyes, sometimes I feel open letters are the only option. With the recent news that Square Enix will be cutting back on big in-house productions and with the re-release of a Final Fantasy VII PC version rather than a full-on remake, there's still one game Square Enix can make that will fit into their new smaller in-house production ideology, and still be pretty great.

If you don't already own it, or have only watched your friends play it because you opted to get a Nintendo 64 so you could play Zelda, and also didn't snatch up the digital versions available on the PS3 and PSP, the beloved Final Fantasy VII is headed for a PC re-release sometime soon. Square Enix hasn't given an exact date, but they have divulged where you can snag the re-release, and what extra features it'll boast.

Speaking at GDC Tapei, the director of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, Motomu Toriyama, said that the venerable, though somewhat wavering Square Enix will be moving away from big in-house productions in the future.

A Google cache of what appears to be a development site for Final Fantasy VII PC has the collective nostalgia of the internet in a frenzy. This wouldn't be the first time that Google accidentally revealed an upcoming announcement before the developer was ready for it to be out in the wild. If the cache is to be believed, the newly updated PC version from Square Enix would cost around $12.50 and include a variety of enhancements. Check the jump for details.