Square Enix CEO resigns after major losses, Square announces "no more social games".

[Redmage]

Recent financial reports show square enix has recently lost over 10 billion yen (~$106million USD), in light of this news Yoichi Wada is stepping down as CEO of Square Enix and is being replaced by Yosuke Matsuda, Square's former financial director.

The losses are attributed to two major causes: the titanic failure of Squares recent FF14 MMO (as well as the money they've been sinking into the games reboot) and the fact that square hasn't produced a successful RPG in some time, or really a proper RPG at all.

Square seems to realize this as they have also recently announced "no more social games!" Square admits to the past few games being quick cash-grabs that have tarnished the reputations of their major IPs, namely Final Fantasy and the Mana series.

In their new game plan Square vows to make "epic and famous" consumer games and RPGS. Do you think they will live up to this promise? Could this be the comeback of one the greatest RPG developers of all time?

[Deleted]

I want to believe.

[Redmage]

I for one admire the balls it takes for a video game company to admit that their recent games were cash-grabs. Gives me hope that we are dealing with a new and improves Square Enix.

[Kathandira]

I want to believe.

Me too!

I wrote off the FF series after FFX That was the last great FF game imo.

The Mana Series Died after Legend of Mana for me, but that is mostly due to the next Mana game I played was Dawn of Mana, and that was basically just Kingdom Hearts in a Mana World (Game Play wise)

I really really hope to see some worthy single player RPG's out of them again.

[Maelle]

I want to believe.

I think this sums up my feelings too, I will always have a soft spot for Square, but lately they have not made games that speak to me really. I got my fingers burned with FF14 (hoping the reboot is better) and didn't like the "actiony" feel of FF13

Leave social games to those endless quiz / time management / cash shop grab developers, who churn out these crappy offerings by the hundred :<

[Remilia]

Well, it's nice to know that they themselves admit that they were cash grabs.

Dedication to a project and quality > cash grabs as it improves your general reputation with your target audience and I'm hoping that's what they learn.
In gaming industry (and most industries really), your reputation is a great asset and helps with your overall potential sales and such.

[Redmage]

In the statement Takehiro Ando, one of Square's lead developers, specifically expressed his dislike of card-based games as being cheap cop-out. Could this mean a proper Kingdoms Hearts sequel?

[unholytestament]

Now if only they would deny the existence of PE 3rd Birthday and make a proper Parasite Eve sequel...

Don't expect me to care until then.

[Redmage]

Well, it's nice to know that they themselves admit that they were cash grabs.

Dedication to a project and quality > cash grabs as it improves your general reputation with your target audience and I'm hoping that's what they learn.
In gaming industry (and most industries really), your reputation is a great asset and helps with your overall potential sales and such.

According to their statements they claim that games like that leave their hardcore fans in the cold, which is a primary reason for wanting to move away from them.

[Chaoslux]

When Final Fantasy: Spirit Withins flopped, losing the company $100Millions, they forced the Father Of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, to resign. The last game Sakaguchi worked on was FFX, the last known good rpg from Square.
After that Sakaguchi founded his own company and released new RPGs which have been seen in great positive reviews ive heard.

Square just shot themselves in the foot when they made him resign.

[Anjerith]

The Problem with Square Enix wasn't that they have been putting out remastered versions of old games, and cheap Final Fantasy sequels. The problem is that they toss boatloads of money at new projects and give no project completion goals, they just keep developing the engines forever.

Look at the engine demo they did last year, it's never going to make it into a game, it's just something they did because it looked cool. Look at FFVersusXIII.

The best stuff the company has put out lately has all been as a publisher (Tomb Raider) not a developer. This is, sadly, probably going to be their direction once they finally figure out that people want actual Final Fantasy games, no remakes and not CGfests.

[THE Bigzoman]

Well, FF13 was fun while it lasted.

Im sure ff13 versus is never coming out. Shame really.

FF14 a realm reborn looks like WoW + Guild wars+FF11

Looks amazing.

(I think this thread will be a break from the DOMA one. As i am a huge SE fan im glad you bought it up. Thanks friend.

[Lethey Alexandros]

Makes me wonder if ff14 a realm reborn will become a proper online RPG. It has potential if they can put an engageing story into it like they did with their final fantasy games prior to 12.

[Redmage]

The Problem with Square Enix wasn't that they have been putting out remastered versions of old games, and cheap Final Fantasy sequels. The problem is that they toss boatloads of money at new projects and give no project completion goals, they just keep developing the engines forever.

Look at the engine demo they did last year, it's never going to make it into a game, it's just something they did because it looked cool. Look at FFVersusXIII.

The best stuff the company has put out lately has all been as a publisher (Tomb Raider) not a developer. This is, sadly, probably going to be their direction once they finally figure out that people want actual Final Fantasy games, no remakes and not CGfests.

I appreciate a healthy dose of cynicism but if their statements are to be believed they want to make games that are "epic and famous" and they also want to stop ruining the reputations of their most famous titles. If you combine these two goals (and they stick to their word) we could end up with some great new games.

But again, that's only if they really mean all of this and can pull it off

[Jewster925]

FF14 was a steaming cauldron of post-enchilada crap. Reborn looks promising though, but I'm sure many people won't buy it simply because of the horrible taste in their mouths from the original release of FF14.

They need to make a NEW Final Fantasy game and whoever works at Squenix that has a hard-on for Lightning needs to break up with her and let them develop a new FF game with a new story and everything already.

[THE Bigzoman]

FF14 was a steaming cauldron of post-enchilada crap. Reborn looks promising though, but I'm sure many people won't buy it simply because of the horrible taste in their mouths from the original release of FF14.

They need to make a NEW Final Fantasy game and whoever works at Squenix that has a hard-on for Lightning needs to break up with her and let them develop a new FF game with a new story and everything already.

ff13 and 13-2 were awesome. Lighting returns looks like the icing on the cake.

[Lethey Alexandros]

I honestly dont see the appeal in FF13, the characters where all shallow in both story and development. Essentialy it felt like a gender swapped FF8 with a fraction of the depth.

[Redmage]

ff13 and 13-2 were awesome. Lighting returns looks like the icing on the cake.

13 is probably one of the most controversial games they have released, some people like it some people hate it.

Personally I didn't "hate it" but thought it fell flat. Honestly at this point they need to come out with lightning returns and make it the last game in the series. Just wrap up the story to make fans of the game happy but move on to something else because a lot of people don't like it.

[Wolfbear]

It seems their strength lies in the games they publish, not the games they develop these days. I loved Hitman Absolution, Deus Ex Human Revolution and Tomb Raider.

[Redmage]

It seems their strength lies in the games they publish, not the games they develop these days. I loved Hitman Absolution, Deus Ex Human Revolution and Tomb Raider.

Dungeon Siege 3 was an abomination though.