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For as long as we can remember, Square Enix has always aligned its flagship titles with Sony’s PlayStation consoles, for instance this year with FinalFantasy 7 Rebirth, leaving only franchise spin-offs, MMO titles, and remasters for other platforms.
So, consider us surprised when the company’s very own Naoki Hamaguchi mentioned that the day when Square Enix goes fully multiplatform may be closer than anyone might have initially guessed, a change fueled by shifting industry trends and internal challenges.
Hamaguchi WantsFinal Fantasyto Be Enjoyed by Everyone Once More
So, Hamaguchi, who helms theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeseries at the moment, has made no secret of bringing the series to as many players as possible. Speaking in an interview withGamesRadar, he mentioned how, as the industry continues to evolve, it is his desire that Square’s games get to be played by everyone:
“In terms of Final Fantasy 7, there’s nothing really we can say at the moment, but certainly, I do want to bring Final Fantasy 7 and the Remake series to as many players out there as possible, so we want to create that situation, that environment, where more players can play the games in future, and we want to look in that direction.”
Of course, what the guy is actually talking about is the company’s move to a more multiplatform approach with its titles, a path it already seems to be treading with some of its newer titles.
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Looking back on how the industry has changed, Hamaguchi also mentioned how there was once a time when you could simply publish a game on one platform, and most would flock to said platform to play that game, which is simply not the case anymore. Elaborating on this, he said:
“It’s so much more diversified now, so I think that’s that’s probably why our CEO, Mr. [Takashi] Kiryu, made that decision to move more in the direction of multiplatform – that’s just the way that the industry is going.”
For a publisher that once dominated the industry, regaining that momentum by going multiplatform could be a great step towards revitalizing its past level of reach and popularity.
Yet, even with Hamaguchi’s optimistic stance,broader access toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand similar titlesremains more aspiration than reality—at least, for now.
There Are, of Course, Bigger Reasons Behind Square Enix’s Ambitions
Sure, giving everyone a chance to playFinal Fantasyis a commendable decision on the company’s part. Still, most of us are probably already aware that Square’s recent track record tells a somewhat different story.
For starters, financial reports from earlier this year revealed that blockbuster releases likeFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7Rebirth didn’t perform as expected, with sales failing to meet the company’s expectations.
Many hopes were carried onFinal Fantasy 16’sPC port, but that, too, didn’t seem to have performed as well either, seeing a modest peak of just 27,000 concurrent players on Steam. Not that concurrent player count is the most accurate representative of sales, but it does paint a rather rough but dire picture for the company.
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More concerning is the fact that Square’s release schedule has caused an unintended dilution of attention towards its catalog, meaning that people are favoring one game’s release over another. As Takashi Kiryu, the company’s CEO, puts it within thereport, this seems to have led to “cannibalization within its portfolio. “
That said, whilecutting operational costs, internal restructuring, and slowly going multiplatformhave stabilized profits, all this suggests that Square Enix is still in the phase of hitting a reset rather than experiencing an active turnaround.
So, keeping that in mind, do you think the shift toward multiplatform will help Square Enix recover or is the company’s reliance on a few franchises likeFinal Fantasyspreading it too thin? Let us know in the comments below!
Akshit Dangi
Writer - Gaming
Articles Published :266
Akshit is a supposed human being and gaming writer who lurks in different corners of the internet in search of fascinating rabbit holes. Outside of that, though, you’ll most likely find him staring at a piece of art for days or completing another playthrough of Silent Hill.
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Final Fantasy 16final fantasy 7 rebirthSquare Enix
