Financial stuff

[Roto13]

http://kotaku.com/393195/square-enix...ore-greenbacks

Apparently Squenix didn't do so hot last year. :P They need to release a new Final Fantasy or something. Go!

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I'm not sure if this means they'll actually try to branch out and make more interesting original games like they did during the PS1 era, or whether they'll just try even harder to "play it safe" by developing nearly every title under the Final Fantasy brand. Whatever proves to be more profitable, I'm sure; I just hope that doesn't mean the latter.

[Slothy]

Did they even release any high profile games last year (on the level of an FF or DQ)? I don't recall many, and don't see any really high profile titles listed on Wikipedia, so unless I'm mistaken I'd say those sales results are fairly respectable compared to 2006. A difference of 2.5 million titles isn't actually that large with a lack of big name releases, considering any given FF or DQ game would sell more than that in a month.

Not saying they don't need to do something, but since all of their next-gen (and therefore expensive) titles are still in development, I'm not surprised that there'd be a drop in units sold and that it would hurt them a bit last year. Odds are we'll see stories about a turn around next year (assuming FFXIII makes it out this year). Then again, we probably won't since hearing about how a very large company behind many popular games had a slow year makes for more sensational news.

[Jessweeee♪]

They must make a Threads of Fate sequel or remake.


....OR BOTH.

Remake Threads of Fate and add a little more story to make it a 40 hour game instead of five.

[Roogle]

I am not sure what this will mean for the North American market of Square Enix, Co. Ltd.

I would attribute a majority of the lack of sales in the United States to the lack of new, original titles and the lack of loyalty to certain series. The Mana series, for example, lacks a solid, cohesive fanbase with the exception of Secret of Mana, and Square Enix has failed to capture that fanbase back.

[JKTrix]

...or whether they'll just try even harder to "play it safe" by developing nearly every title under the Final Fantasy brand. Whatever proves to be more profitable, I'm sure; I just hope that doesn't mean the latter.

Kinda looks like that's what they're talking about. President Wada apparently said to 'stop making games that only you (developers) want to play'. I'm not sure this is entirely bad, though. I don't think this really means they'll be cutting back their non-license, non-FF/DQ franchises completely, but rather having a more strict filter system for those games that do branch out. A sort of filter that would stop stuff like the recent Mana games, but still let The World Ends With You slide through.

In fact, I kind of hope they become more like Capcom. I'm cool with the endless rehashing and re-releasing of Street Fighter, Mega Man, ResiEvil etc (though I won't necessarily buy them), as long as I get more things like Zack & Wiki, Dead Rising and Okami from them.

If it does mean that they're going to limit their releases to only 'sure shots' though, that will be terrible. Steps towards 'the death of gaming'.

[Momiji]

Ha. All they need to do is make something that has some or all of these words/phrases/characters somewhere in the game: 'Final Fantasy VII', 'Cloud', 'Sephiroth', 'Aeris', and/or 'Vincent'. Tack a nonsense title on it, and you've got instant money.

That's the most obvious route, though.

[Bolivar]

Well, I guess that FFVII remake is coming sooner than expected....

Seriously though, it's not that big of a surprise when you consider that FFXII was released in 2006 and Dragon Quest VIIII only 1-2 months before that year in the US. After all, 2007 was a year of handheld and more casual games for the company, 200k-sales type titles, so them having a more "average" year was to be expected.

Also, the titles that are going to really bring them in the money (Infinite Undiscovery, Last Remnant, and obviously Final Fantasy XIII) have been in development all that year, so I think they knew what the outcome was going to be also.

President Wada apparently said to 'stop making games that only you (developers) want to play'.

that wasn't in the article, and I seriously hope he did not say that. I think the worst decision they could make would be to go in the FFXII and Last Remnant direction, of making an RPG "appealing to Western audiences" - meaning an attempt to make a western RPG. The people who play WRPG's do not want to buy Square-Enix games, and the SE fans do not want to buy Western-like RPG's. I think the creativity and aesthetics that are not necessarily better, but different than what we come to expect in our culture, is what has made their company so successful in the US.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I don't think "make games with wider appeal" means "make Western-style RPGs."

[Gogo]

I don't think "make games with wider appeal" means "make Western-style RPGs."

It doesn't have to, but it doesn't mean they won't either. Advertising and hype can add to appeal. So can making a Final Fantasy Shoot-'em-up.

I don't mind them making more Western RPGs, but they shouldn't label them with such names as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. There's a reason we like these series. Because they are Japanese RPGs. If we wanted to play more Western-style RPGs, we'd be playing them.

That's why many of us were wary of Final Fantasy XII. By overhauling its battle system, many of us fans felt like something had been stolen from us. Something that had worked for almost twenty years, and something that drew us to the games in the first place.

[Wolf Kanno]

Square usually has slow years when an FF or DQ title isn't released. I'm certain if you did a sales chart of 98 and 99 you would see a major difference, Despite 98 giving us Xenogears and Final Fantasy Tactics I doubt they equaled (at the time) the sheer volume of sales FFVIII did.

I never found XII to be a "western RPG" and offline MMO most certainly but hardly a western style RPG. Of anything it reminded me of FFV. Of anything, I feel XII reintroduces alot of elements that have gone missing in the franchise in the last few years. What I've seen and heard of Last Remnant has never given me the idea of a western RPG either but then again the project doesn't suit my taste to begin with so I know very little about it outside of the fact that a major character is being tailored made for western audiences (the brain dead ones anyway :rolleyes2) so I can't really comment.

Does SE have any major IPs coming out this year? I thought XIII and DQIX were still a year off?

[Karellen]

They're publishing Infinite Undiscovery and releasing DQV DS. The latter will at least do very well in Japan.

[Gogo]

I never found XII to be a "western RPG" and offline MMO most certainly but hardly a western style RPG. Of anything it reminded me of FFV. Of anything, I feel XII reintroduces alot of elements that have gone missing in the franchise in the last few years.

No, no. I didn't mean it to sound like XII was a western RPG.

I meant that it was so different that it seemed they just took a game and slapped the FF name onto it to sell it.

[JKTrix]

President Wada apparently said to 'stop making games that only you (developers) want to play'.

that wasn't in the article...

Oops, put the wrong link in. I edited it, but here's the link again:
Rumor: Square Enix President Laying Down The Law

[Wolf Kanno]

I don't think "make games with wider appeal" means "make Western-style RPGs."

It doesn't have to, but it doesn't mean they won't either. Advertising and hype can add to appeal. So can making a Final Fantasy Shoot-'em-up.

I don't mind them making more Western RPGs, but they shouldn't label them with such names as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. There's a reason we like these series. Because they are Japanese RPGs. If we wanted to play more Western-style RPGs, we'd be playing them.

That's why many of us were wary of Final Fantasy XII. By overhauling its battle system, many of us fans felt like something had been stolen from us. Something that had worked for almost twenty years, and something that drew us to the games in the first place.

I was referring to Bolivar's comment though I understand your feelings about XII being a radical departure from the series. Sorry for the confusion.

DQV will definetly do well but we'll have to wait and see for Last Remnant.