Square-Enix's New Business Strategy
Square-Enix has a new business strategy going as can be seen in this PDF.
In this document they detail three new "initiatives", which are summarized as:
- Increased engagement and interaction with gamers during the design process, as well as a quicker production rate
- Getting serious about putting high-quality games onto smartphones and tablets
- Coming up with a new definition of "blockbuster" games, especially in respects to how different areas of the world view and purchase video games
Thoughts?
Point one could backfire. Just how much should gamers be allowed in on the process? I mean we need to be listened to, sure, but we don't always know whats best for us.
The second points sounds like they will be devoting more time and resources, which frightens me.
I have no thoughts on point three.
Looking at the PDF it looks to me like they are mostly interested in keeping their audience informed on how far along they are in the production process. Although they also mentioned Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight which I found interesting.
Point Two.
WHYYYYYY?!
Is it really too much to ask that they put games on a system which have a decent control setup?
My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.
He can really use a hand with this, and any support you can offer is appreciated.
It's good news in general. They also mentioned they're going to shift their focus away from doing social games too so hopefully we should see less trout like All the Bravest and their various cash grab facebook games.
Increased engagement and interaction with gamers during the design process, as well as a quicker production rate
Sounds good to me, but this could be all talk and no walk very easily.
Getting serious about putting high-quality games onto smartphones and tablets
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Coming up with a new definition of "blockbuster" games, especially in respects to how different areas of the world view and purchase video games
What the smurf does that mean? Sounds like meaningless corporatespeak to me, and trust me I know all about that.
I'll have to read the actual PDF before I respond fully, but those are my initial reactions.
Proud to be the Unofficial Secret Illegal Enforcer of Eyes on Final Fantasy!
When I grow up, I want to go toBovineTrump University! - Ralph Wiggum
Originally Posted by Skyblade
My thoughts too. I can give a smurf about some smartphone and tablet games. We were missing plenty of home console games from them this gen and I can't say this for sure right now as I'm not sure how the next gen systems will turn out, but if they turn out straight focus on making quality games for those within reasonable time. If next gen becomes bad, then I don't know... I have no idea what I'm going to do game-wise now since none of these new systems will have backwards compatibility. I might end up as one of those PC gamers.
Point 1: Sounds like a really good idea and to be fair, SE was already starting to do this with some of the Eidos titles, XIII-2, and FFXIV:ARR so its not surprising that those models have been working out for them and it would be nice if SE could be a little more open about Versus XIII and Type-0.
Point 2: Its to be expected, I know us "hardcore console/PC gamers" think that smartphone /tablet gaming is just some fad but that's also what toy makers said about Atari in the late 70s. I think these type of games are here to stay and they are really popular in some parts of the world. Japan itself is said to have a very strong mobile gaming market, so I don't necessarily see why a company should not devote their funds to every market they can get. Its just good business.
Point 3: This one concerns me quite a bit, because it just sounds to me like SE will start catering more towards regional interest and soon some of the companies titles will not get worldwide release because it's "too Japanese" or "too Western". I'm not sure I really want to see SE suddenly drop some games from coming out here because they feels its too quirky for us non-Japanese. It would be a shame to see a possible sequel to The World Ends With You or TheaterRhythm 2 get left on Japanese shores because SE doesn't feel it fits the gritty/bloody/open world quota we Westerners enjoy so much.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog Where no one notices the contrast of white on white And in between the moon and you, the angels get a better view Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right
Master of the Fork
Cid's Knight
I just have to say, while I hate the whole tablet mobile blahI love
It's addictive. Time consuming. And cute.
So a focus on that stuff isn't so bad the more I think about it. As long as it isn't a cash grab like all the bravest.
Because they're obviously still seeing a great market for them to tap into, given their high profile name. They couldn't give a trout what the controls are like, it's all about the potential in increasing shareholders wealth.
"... and so I close, realizing that perhaps the ending has not yet been written."
Point 1: This sounds potentially promising, but I'll have to see it to believe it first, especially when it comes to quicker production rate. SE has been infamously bad about slow production periods and then not telling us anything for massive stretches of time.
Point 2: Yuck. It could be good if they just focused their mobile resources into fewer, but higher quality, games (instead of the cheap, borderline offensive cash-grabs they've become well known for). But it sounds like they're pushing even more of their resources towards mobile games, which means less for major console games.
Point 3: I have no idea wtf this means or how they plan to implement it. The full PDF doesn't really give any insight as to this point either.
Because they are admitting that FF: ATB was a trout money grabbing attempt and they shouldn't pull that again
Erm, I'm not so sure. They're next big iOS release is Final Fantasy Tactics S, and it looks like more of the same. I can't wait to see how many of the 300 advertised jobs are going to be micro-transaction only.Because they are admitting that FF: ATB was a trout money grabbing attempt and they shouldn't pull that again
My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.
He can really use a hand with this, and any support you can offer is appreciated.
Yeah, we need a tactics 3ds........
Because they are admitting that FF: ATB was a trout money grabbing attempt and they shouldn't pull that again
They "pulled" FF13 again 2 times after fans complained
Last edited by Wolf Kanno; 05-30-2013 at 04:46 AM. Reason: W~Post
Don't watch the Final Fantasy Tactics S trailer. Just don't do it. It'll crush you to see what Square thinks a TRPG is these days.
Yeah, we need a tactics 3ds........
So many good systems which have proven to be able to handle JRPGs and TRPGs (and which have done well financially), and yet Square is not taking advantage of them at all.
My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.
He can really use a hand with this, and any support you can offer is appreciated.
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