LOS ANGELES, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix(TM) interactive entertainment products and services in North America, today announced the appointment of Daishiro Okada, previously president and chief operating officer, to his new role as vice chairman of Square Enix, Inc. Replacing him in the role of president is John Yamamoto, currently head of Square Enix Ltd., the European subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. Yamamoto will be assuming the role of chief executive officer for North America, taking the reigns from Yoichi Wada, head of the Square Enix group, who had also led Square Enix, Inc. as CEO. In addition, Yamamoto serves as executive officer of Square Enix Co., Ltd.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030403/SQUARELOGO )

"We are excited that John will be joining our senior leadership in North America, and we will benefit immensely from his experience," said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of the board of Square Enix Co., Ltd. "John's proven track record as a senior executive and his strong understanding of our industry make him an ideal candidate to help lead our North American initiatives."

After a successful tenure building Square Enix Ltd.'s publishing business in Europe and other PAL territories, Yamamoto will focus on the ever-expanding growth of Square Enix's presence in the North American market, while he retains his role as president and chief executive officer at the European subsidiary. Yamamoto brings his expertise gained nearly 20 years of experience in the interactive entertainment industry.

As vice chairman, Okada will lead the strategic development and implementation of Square Enix, Inc.'s North American corporate initiatives and business development as the company continues to expand its multi-faceted presence in the entertainment industry.

About Square Enix

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY(R), which has sold over 75 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST(R), which has sold over 41 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing, and publishing of Square Enix titles.

Located in London, Square Enix Ltd. handles operations in Europe and other PAL territories including sales, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles.

More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com/.

DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Sonia Im of Square Enix, Inc., +1-310-846-0400,
sim@square-enix-usa.com; or Monica Bouldin, +1-310-248-6114,
monica.bouldin@ogilvypr.com, or Amy Jones, +1-310-550-3271,
amy.jones@ogilvypr.com, both of Ogilvy Public Relations for Square Enix, Inc.

Web site: http://www.square-enix.com/