With the release date of one of the industry's biggest and most anticipated titles drawing ever closer, gamers just can't help but fidget in their seats as they endure the excruciating countdown. Fortunately, there's been a rather huge media blowout this week with plenty of video interviews, previews and the like to satiate the hungry masses.

Interviews with producer Yoshinori Kitase and designer Motomu Toriyama reveal a wealth of information about Final Fantasy's story and gameplay. Many have asked the question if players were only capable of controlling the main character at any given time, but as it turns out, they'll be given the option of who to control as well as who to put in their party. They also speak about the history of Final Fantasy XIII, its technology and the development process which, as Kitase stated, the developer wished they could have "brought the game out a little sooner to players."

The interview about the game's history is particularly interesting as Kitase constantly reminisces about another peculiar game he had worked on, Final Fantasy VII. With the technology back then, the world was just a pre-rendered static background and not a lot could be done cinematically. However, with Final Fantasy XIII and the high-end tech of the PS3 and Xbox 360, the developer can obviously do a lot more, breathing life into the world and its characters. Needless to say, when talking about Final Fantasy VII, Kitase doesn't fail to tease fans saying that he's "really interested in seeing a more complete form of a Final Fantasy VII." What that statement entails is still anyone's guess, Nomura himself said there are currently no plans for a remake.

Either way, there's certainly quite a breath of new media released for the game, check them out at the following locales listed below. There's plenty of hands-on vids, video interviews and screenshots to keep any fan satisfied until the release which is just around the corner on March 9.

GameTrailers - History of Final Fantasy XIII, US Release, Paradigm Shift Interview and Leona Lewis ViDoc
Blog.PlayStation - Final Fantasy XIII, Your Questions Answered
IGN - A Ton of Gameplay Videos and Interviews
Gamespot - Final Fantasy XIII Hands-On
VideoGamer - Hands-On Preview
CVG - 25 Stunning FFXIII Screenshots
The Sixth Axis - New FFXIII Screens Surface