Square's stock plunged Friday when a Nikkei report stated that over 1,000 copies of Final Fantasy VIII had been returned because of software errors. A spokesman for Square said that the company has strengthened its customer service lines to deal with any possible complaints by users, and that customers have sent in their memory cards to be inspected for possible errors. But the spokesperson said that the company has not experienced excessive returns with the game.

　　Reading what Square has posted on its Japanese web site, here's what we can tell you - but remember, this may not be an absolute perfect translation: On the third CD, if the player clears a level called Torabia Valley, then goes to the Sentora Ruins and does not win against the boss of that area in a specific amount of time, a message that says "go back to the entrance of the ruins and try again" will appear.

　　To avoid having your game lock up on you, you must clear the Sentora Ruins in a specific amount of time (although it is not clear how much time you have). If you come to the allotted time, you must select "stop/game over." Do not select "go back to the entrance of the ruins and try again." If possible, save before going into the ruins. We hope this helps.

　　So far the game has sold over three million copies in Japan, according to Square. With that many sold, the number of reported complaints has been very small.