Square Enix policy change: dropping exclusives, embracing multiplatform

Thread: Square Enix policy change: dropping exclusives, embracing multiplatform
regawdless

regawdless

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I guess the Sony deals didn't turn out to be that great.

nichegamer.com

Square Enix announces new plan to “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy”

Square Enix has announced a new business plan that will see the company shift away from console exclusives like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XVI. The new strategy will see the company…
nichegamer.com nichegamer.com

Diversify earnings opportunities by strengthening customer contact points

  • Shift to a multiplatform strategy
For HD titles, the Group will aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs. Especially, in regards to major franchises and AAA titles including catalog titles, it will build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles. In addition, it will also devise a platform strategy for SD titles that includes not only iOS and Android, but also the possibility of PC launches.

Furthermore, the Group will strive to maximize the acquisition of new users when launching a title and that of recurring users after starting management of game operation.

  • Building continuous customer contact points of our titles by stepping up digital sales
The Group will strengthen user flow of digital sales of new titles at the time of launch regarding the initiatives of promotion. In addition, it will generate the opportunity of generating revenue in our rich catalog titles' line-up, which leads to strengthen its earnings base by expanding sales of catalog titles. Moreover, the Group will engage in initiatives which focus on the acquisition of PC users.
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They really need to be releasing day 1 on PC, rather than 1-2 years later if they want to capitalize on hype/sales/momentum (if their game is good).

Putting more big games on Switch (or Switch 2?) in some capacity will also help given its huge install base, especially in Japan
 
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JORMBO said:
Release everything on the same day across every platform. This should be common sense.
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This to be honest.

Square-Enix even mentioned having Dragon Quest XII worldwide release, the first time for a Dragon Quest mainline game which is nice except we have had 3 years of silence on it and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.

Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, Tactics Orge Reborn, NEO: World Ends with You, Octopath Traveler II, Star Ocean The Second Story R, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, Sand Land, and likely Visions of Mana do take some of the sting out of the wait. Unicorn Overlord also, though that's by Vanilaware.

Holy shit a Dragon Quest game by Vanilaware would be too amazing to ever happen.
 
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There's almost 60 millions PS5 consoles sold worldwide now. I think it's around 55 last I checked. Rebirth didn't even sell for 10% of these consoles in the first weeks.

If they think it'll be a big change, they're kidding themselves.

This is the problem for devs right now
 
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Mal said:
There's almost 60 millions PS5 consoles sold worldwide now. I think it's around 55 last I checked. Rebirth didn't even sell for 10% of these consoles in the first weeks.

If they think it'll be a big change, they're kidding themselves.

This is the problem for devs right now
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And even if they only sell to 5% of the Xbox players and a small amount of PC gamers, it would still mean many millions of dollars and substantially help with funding their dev studios.
 
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Exclusivity makes perfect sense WHEN the companies you are exclusive with aren't run by smacktards like Jim Ryan or Phil Spencer. If I were running Square, I'd go exclusive with Nintendo if anyone. The least retarded of the bunch and that's no joke. Nintendo still knows what it means to be a video game company and they're going to sell a metric fuckton of hardware in the next decade. It's a no-brainer.
 
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regawdless said:
And even if they only sell to 5% of the Xbox players and a small amount of PC gamers, it would still mean many millions of dollars and substantially help with funding their dev studios.
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It would help but it's not the problem. AAA games just don't sell as much as they did, it's not viable, they will have to rethink and adjust.

I agree that releasing on PC is the thing to do but gaming right now is on decline with sales. Consoles now are just hardware for the kids to play f2p games like fornite. My son has 5 close friends that play strictly fortnite with their ps5s.
 
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Mal said:
It would help but it's not the problem. AAA games just don't sell as much as they did, it's not viable, they will have to rethink and adjust.

I agree that releasing on PC is the thing to do but gaming right now is on decline with sales. Consoles now are just hardware for the kids to play f2p games like fornite. My son has 5 close friends that play strictly fortnite with their ps5s.
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The global economy being flushed down a toilet, and money needing to go towards rent, food, medical, ect instead of 60, 70 dollar games even if they were not also some combination of:

Early access with no telling when if ever they will release with all promoted features

Outright incomplete, lacking basic features (Starfield)

Broken or unoptimized maybe years without a patch (Nier Automata PC for too long, Bloodborne still has no 60 FPS patch)

Former single player with optional multiplayer franchise thats been made to be a online GaaS (Diablo IV)

Remake/Remaster that outright kills the prior title since prior title has been removed and is no longer available for purchase, only the new absolutely broken version is (Warcraft III Reforged)

Absolute garbage copy right laws leading to games like Forza Horizon 2, 3 being delisted likely forever.

Platforms for the political views of crazy people (too many to count) or outright a betrayal to their prior incarnations with disclaimers and censorship like the Tomb Raider Trilogy Remaster.

Not worth the old normal prices of 50, 60 nevermind the new 70.
 
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Zeta Dragoon said:
The global economy being flushed down a toilet, and money needing to go towards rent, food, medical, ect instead of 60, 70 dollar games even if they were not also some combination of:

Early access with no telling when if ever they will release with all promoted features

Outright incomplete, lacking basic featires (Starfield)

Broken maybe years without a patch (Nier Automata PC for too long)

Former single player with optional multiplayer franchise thats been made to be a online GaaS (Diablo IV)

Platforms for the political views of crazy people (too many to count) or outright a betrayal to their prior incarnations with disclaimers and censorship like the Tomb Raider Trilogy Remaster.

Not worth the old normal 50, 60 price, nevermind 70 , ect.
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I agree with some of your points. Lazy developers with poor optimization, crazy political views and drama, same rehashed content, endless open world games with stupid fillers, remakes etc..

The pricing I have a problem with that argument though. 70$ for a good game is still cheap. The hours of entertainment provided for that price tag in this crazy economy is still very good. It's the reasons above that makes this a nonsense.
 
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Mal said:
There's almost 60 millions PS5 consoles sold worldwide now. I think it's around 55 last I checked. Rebirth didn't even sell for 10% of these consoles in the first weeks.

If they think it'll be a big change, they're kidding themselves.

This is the problem for devs right now
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Seems like more of a Sony issue, and frankly nothing they've released has felt like a genuine must-have. I bought Rebirth, and I've enjoyed it although I get the feeling it's going to be best on some later piece of hardware and then will cost more to get an upgrade later or some nonsense.

It's really just shocking that only one game has sold 10 million copies for PS5, but I know it has more to do with the games than anything else. I own Rift Apart and some other stuff, but I kind of wish I didn't. I wish I owned some completely different set of PS5 games that made me feel like owning a PS5 was justified.
 
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Mal said:
There's almost 60 millions PS5 consoles sold worldwide now. I think it's around 55 last I checked. Rebirth didn't even sell for 10% of these consoles in the first weeks.

If they think it'll be a big change, they're kidding themselves.

This is the problem for devs right now
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So much for FFXVI not selling well... it's in the top 5?!
 
They're already pretty much a multiplatform company. I don't see how going more multiplatform is going to help anything. Strangers of Paradise was multiplatform. Octopath II was multiplatform. Infinity Strash was multiplatform. Yet Harvestella, Triangle Strategy, and DQ Monsters were console exclusive and they each found their niche.

Cost controls are the answer. These publishers want to blame anything and everything except their own bloated budgets.
 
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DonDonDonPata said:
They're already pretty much a multiplatform company. I don't see how going more multiplatform is going to help anything. Strangers of Paradise was multiplatform. Octopath II was multiplatform. Infinity Strash was multiplatform. Yet Harvestella, Triangle Strategy, and DQ Monsters were console exclusive and they each found their niche.

Cost controls are the answer. These publishers want to blame anything and everything except their own bloated budgets.
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Yes, but it's the FFXVI and FFVII: Rebirth that were their biggest releases the past couple of years, and both were exclusives. They're basically letting us all know they intend to recant on those agreements at the earliest they can. I expect FFVII Remake and Rebirth will eventually be on Switch 2 provided Sony doesn't pay them big just to prevent it.
 
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p_xavier said:
So much for FFXVI not selling well... it's in the top 5?!
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3 million copies out of 55 millions consoles. Ff15 was the fastest selling game on launch for a ff title, these sales are abysmal. Their stock even plunged because of it
 
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Optimus said:
Seems like more of a Sony issue, and frankly nothing they've released has felt like a genuine must-have. I bought Rebirth, and I've enjoyed it although I get the feeling it's going to be best on some later piece of hardware and then will cost more to get an upgrade later or some nonsense.

It's really just shocking that only one game has sold 10 million copies for PS5, but I know it has more to do with the games than anything else. I own Rift Apart and some other stuff, but I kind of wish I didn't. I wish I owned some completely different set of PS5 games that made me feel like owning a PS5 was justified.
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To be honest out of the 3 platform I own (PC, ps and switch). I think the only platform I feel good about owning for exclusives is the switch. It's a rpg heaven console as well.
 
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Good. Pure business deal-exclusivity sucks for the customer. If they actually took advantage of being exclusive to PlayStation and knocked out some stellar technical showpieces on the level of first-party stuff then it would be another matter, but they don't, and it's clear they are developing with multi-platform in mind from the beginning but just lie to everyone over and over again about there being "no plans" for releases on other platforms.
 
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Square Enix said:
-FF16 sales fell short of expectations. Initial momentum was in line with expectations, but the games failed to reach FY goal as its momentum slowed. No updates from sales number last announced at 3 million
-FF7 Rebirth sales fell short of expectations. Initial momentum didn't reach an internal target. No sales number to share
-Foamstars fell short of expectations. Initial momentum didn't reach an internal target. No sales number to share
-Remains confident FF16 can achieve its goal over the original 18-month sales plan. Also, sales of Rebirth and Foamstars aren't necessarily bad.
-Reorganized develoment team into five console teams, one smartphone game team
-Has been relied too much on an individual's creativity. Will promote sharing game making how-how among teams and will seek best balance of individual creativity and organizational discipline
-DQ12 remains under development.

Investors react:
-sell shares heavily, stocks fell to the day's trading limit
-concerns are pipelines have become too empty, no big titles that can lift up the company's top line over the next couple of years

https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-14/square-enix-shares-tumble-by-most-in-13-years-on-weak-outlook
 
Mal said:
Always the poor peasants that pays for the mayor's stupid decisions. Such a shame
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It's hard to lead a company and always make good decisions. It's often about finding the least bad ones. Of course it always hits the weakest ones, but "poor peasants" would very likely not be any better at management.
 
regawdless said:
It's hard to lead a company and always make good decisions. It's often about finding the least bad ones. Of course it always hits the weakest ones, but "poor peasants" would very likely not be any better at management.
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But these days they do anything besides taking good and obvious decisions. They're pandering to their smallest market most often.

Oh well, they'll hit a wall and hopefully there will be a change
 
IrishWhiskey said:
They really need to be releasing day 1 on PC, rather than 1-2 years later if they want to capitalize on hype/sales/momentum (if their game is good).

Putting more big games on Switch (or Switch 2?) in some capacity will also help given its huge install base, especially in Japan
Click to expand...

Indeed Gabes Super Yacht Collection isn't going to buy itself.

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Come to Gaben SE
 
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