Okay, seriously, how long have gamers been waiting for this announcement?  Forever, that's how long.  Looks like Square Enix is finally done playing games (hrr) and have a solid date for Final Fantasy XIII.

Western audiences -- in North America and Europe -- can expect to get their HD Final Fantasy fix on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next spring, on March 9, 2010.

The announcement trailer takes us behind the scenes with the minds behind the game, building up viewers for the date, which is shown at the very end with a bit of teasing from our sharply-dressed host.  Well, too bad, because we just told you the release date. 

Still, go ahead and enjoy the video, with pretty in-game clips and commentary from producer Yoshinori Kitase, director Motomu Toriyama, art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, battle director Yuji Abe (looks the youngest here), and finally Square Enix head honcho John Yamamoto, who doesn't hesitate to flex his English-speaking skills.

Also note all the Final Fantasy gushing toward the beginning.  Sounds like a Wikipedia entry written by the company: "Final Fantasy is the best thing ever since sliced bread!"  Okay, guy.