[31/03] Square Enix to Refocus on JRPGs After Bravely Default Success

[AuronX]

Square Enix is set to concentrate once more on creating core JRPG titles following the surprise success of 3DS title Bravely Default.

Company president Yosuke Matsuda spoke to Nikkei Trendy (translated by Siliconera) to acknowledge the company had "lost its focus" in the past, and was now planning to rectify this. Matsuda admitted that this was necessary in light of the fact numerous titles had lower than expected sales figures.

"If you focus too much on the global aspect, you might lose sight of who you're actually making the game for," Matsuda said. "For example, if you look back at 2013, we've had some home console games made for a global audience that struggled."

He went on to say that, thanks to Bravely Default, the company has been shown that even niche Japanese-focused titles can enjoy international acclaim. As a result, the company wants to take this information and re-examine how it's been working on projects, starting with the new Hitman title in development for PS4 and Xbox One. Matsuda explained pressure to appeal to the mass market caused serious problems with Hitman: Absolution's development.

"The development team for Hitman: Absolution really struggled in this regard," he said. "They implemented a vast amount of 'elements for the mass' instead of for the core fans, as a way to try getting as many new players possible.

"It was a strategy to gain mass appeal. However, what makes the Hitman series good is its appeal to core gamers, and many fans felt the lack of focus in that regard, which ended up making it struggle in sales.

"So, as for the AAA titles we're currently developing for series, we basically want to go back to their roots and focus on the core audience, while working hard on content that can have fans say things like 'this is the Hitman we know'. I believe that is the best way for our development studios to display their strengths.

"In the past," Matsuda continued, "when we developed console games with a worldwide premise, we lost our focus, and not only did they end up being games that weren't for the Japanese, but they ended up being incomplete titles that weren't even fit for a global audience.

"On the other hand, there are games like the JRPG we made for the Japanese audience with the proper elements, Bravely Default, which ended up selling well all around the world."

The last year has seen a period of major transition for Square Enix, beginning with changes in philosophy and reshuffles. Since then, the company has slowly been gaining traction, with Final Fantasy XIV's successful relaunch expected to return the company to profit by the end of the financial year.

Square Enix is currently developing new titles in the Final Fantasy, Deus Ex, Hitman and Tomb Raider series.

[Source: IGN]

Sounds like SE may finally be getting what certain groups of fans have been arguing for ages. What say you? Do you think SE will turn a new (old) leaf and return to form?

 

[Mystical_Gaming]

Good. I think it's important they cater to the fans who stuck with FF all these years and realize the older formula still works and is desired by many. I enjoyed games like FFXIII but I also don't mind turn based RPG's either. I think it would be a win/win for everyone if they went back to the roots and focused on creating a good story and setting for a future the games with some of the aspects that so many love from the previous games.

Making FF more 'western' friendly just confuses me. Why would I want to buy a game I feel is all too familiar? Much rather play something that is very different than what most game companies in America make. Don' get me wrong they make some pretty fun ones but that is where FF draws it's strength, it has the other spectrum of gaming covered. They don't need to dip into the other side to be successful.

 

[8ther]

Square Enix seemed to went a bit far off with the Final fantasy games now a days, and Bravely Default seems to be a good example why it SHOULD return to it's roots, good to see that their finally acknowledging that.

 

[Shaissa]

Something tells me this will only be on the handheld/mobile side of gaming... I'm guessing that as far as the PS4/Xbox One/Wii-U and maybe PC is concerned, we will be getting more action based than anything...

 

[spoonyrogdrumps]

Are......are my eyes and ears deceiving me...
Do they finally understand...does everyone understand that didn't already?
Something tells me April fools but with various articles from multiple sources suggests the conceivability of truth....
Have they surely escaped the paradox on their philosophy of mass market acceptance. Undoubtedly some of their intelligent octogenarians of game development would have this knowledge.
I do not speak of Hitman or Tomb Raider as I have enjoyed those games for what they were, though mindless and easy even on so called harder settings, but in regard to JRPG's for what they were and what made them great in the first place. I'm not saying don't have action elements in JRPG's...but if they take said course of action returning to the roots of JRPG game-play and narrative storytelling it will confirm my suggested hypothesis on what should be their business theology in cohesion to the JRPG...correct, which I have stated numerous times though met with some hostility...
Here's hoping that the narratives and game-play of the JRPG goes back to it's roots which is what made them popular in the first place.
I now suggest a moment of silence for their years of stupidity.........

 

[Linnaete]

So he's basically denouncing Wada's old vision of global appeal that ended up leading to the creation of alienating stinkers such as this and this, canned attempts like this, as well as needlessly ordering Cavia to make two slightly different versions of Nier - one with a rugged, muscle-bound peroxide man for the west and a younger, more conventional hero for Japan. And that's good. Suits in Tokyo thinking they know what ticks with the west so they try and copy it to appeal to them while alienating Japan, hahahahahahahaha.

But talk is cheap, Matsuda. You say this, but then you will change your tune later on anyway without ever having properly followed up on your words in any major way. Results is all I'm interested in when it comes to Square-Enix, not words. I can say anything myself, just to at least appease fans and stockholders for five minutes, until they all punish me in the end for not having delivered it.

Matsuda previously talked about shifting to plenty of console-quality mobile games. There's only Deus Ex: The Fall I can think of (which has since been released on PC and has been slaughtered for being anything but "console-quality"). He talked about the need to be more TRANSPARENT when it comes to game development and so far all it has amounted to is "yeah, Game X is still in development. Please look forward to seeing more". He said new entries in game franchises would come out in a much more timelier fashion, which is perhaps true only of Eidos, but still a horror story on the Japanese front...unless direct sequels and trilogies of mainline Final Fantasy games really do become the norm. More commitment to F2P/service online games championed, but only Nosgoth has come out of that.

The man has no consistent long-term vision for the company and at the drop of a hat if something seems popular/unpopular he seems to be a man who quickly does a "OHHH well, yes, we shall do THAT then/not do that then". But you can't please everyone with the resources you have, which suggests to me that with these conflicting goals and audiences in mind, only piecemeal little things can be offered for some of them before our accountant CEO notices the wind changing course and deciding to do something entirely different yet again. This is a pragmatist accountant trying to appease as many conflicting audiences and interests as he can while FERVENTLY watching the company's bank balance and resource allocation. Wada was visionary in comparison, for good or bad.

So forgive me if I think that these words, as encouraging as they sound, don't sound convincingly like any shift in company philosophy to me that they will stick to. Matsuda has said plenty of things. Results have shown them to have been barely halfheartedly followed up on, though to be fair he's still relatively new to the CEO job. Come back to me when you have results, Square, not words.

 

[spoonyrogdrumps]

So he's basically denouncing Wada's old vision of global appeal that ended up leading to the creation of alienating stinkers such as this and this, canned attempts like this, as well as needlessly ordering Cavia to make two slightly different versions of Nier - one with a rugged, muscle-bound peroxide man for the west and a younger, more conventional hero for Japan. And that's good. Suits in Tokyo thinking they know what ticks with the west so they try and copy it to appeal to them while alienating Japan, hahahahahahahaha.

But talk is cheap, Matsuda. You say this, but then you will change your tune later on anyway without ever having properly followed up on your words in any major way. Results is all I'm interested in when it comes to Square-Enix, not words. I can say anything myself, just to at least appease fans and stockholders for five minutes, until they all punish me in the end for not having delivered it.

Matsuda previously talked about shifting to plenty of console-quality mobile games. There's only Deus Ex: The Fall I can think of (which has since been released on PC and has been slaughtered for being anything but "console-quality"). He talked about the need to be more TRANSPARENT when it comes to game development and so far all it has amounted to is "yeah, Game X is still in development. Please look forward to seeing more". He said new entries in game franchises would come out in a much more timelier fashion, which is perhaps true only of Eidos, but still a horror story on the Japanese front...unless direct sequels and trilogies of mainline Final Fantasy games really do become the norm. More commitment to F2P/service online games championed, but only Nosgoth has come out of that.

The man has no consistent long-term vision for the company and at the drop of a hat if something seems popular/unpopular he seems to be a man who quickly does a "OHHH well, yes, we shall do THAT then/not do that then". But you can't please everyone with the resources you have, which suggests to me that with these conflicting goals and audiences in mind, only piecemeal little things can be offered for some of them before our accountant CEO notices the wind changing course and deciding to do something entirely different yet again. This is a pragmatist accountant trying to appease as many conflicting audiences and interests as he can while FERVENTLY watching the company's bank balance and resource allocation. Wada was visionary in comparison, for good or bad.

So forgive me if I think that these words, as encouraging as they sound, don't sound convincingly like any shift in company philosophy to me that they will stick to. Matsuda has said plenty of things. Results have shown them to have been barely halfheartedly followed up on, though to be fair he's still relatively new to the CEO job. Come back to me when you have results, Square, not words.

Couldn't agree with you more.
Actions always speak louder than words.
We shouldn't hold our breath.