Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu confirms plans to change development structures and slim down game lineups to ensure higher quality.

[Gamernyc78]

Q: Has the way that your development function has spread to cover so many bases made controlling your development efforts more difficult?
A: It has less to do with our development function and more to do with the numerous entries in our lineup. I want to structure
our development function so that we are able to ensure higher quality from each title by slimming down our lineup.
Click to shrink...

Q: Why have you been unable to slim down your lineup until now?
A: As our customers' needs and the types of devices available have diversified, we have tried to produce hits by developing a
wide variety of titles rather than by focusing only on certain ones. I believe that this has resulted in the splintering of our
resource pool. Meanwhile, there have been clear winners and losers among the major titles released recently in the gaming
market, and it has become possible for even indies titles to make their presence felt. The market is increasingly polarized
between blockbuster and indies titles, but I feel that we have developed many titles that fell somewhere in the middle. I want
to make clearer distinctions going forward.
Click to shrink...

https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/ir/pdf/24q2outline.pdf

 

[Evilnemesis8]

Meanwhile, there have been clear winners and losers among the major titles released recently in the gaming
market, and it has become possible for even indies titles to make their presence felt. The market is increasingly polarized
between blockbuster and indies titles, but I feel that we have developed many titles that fell somewhere in the middle. I want
to make clearer distinctions going forward.

It makes sense. These sort of AA titles that Square Enix released(particularly in 2022) did not have the presentation levels or the polish required to appeal to the general audience. Only the core audience would buy that. At the same time, these games were not THAT cheap to make that they could be a good return on investment with the hardcore.

Increasingly in the market you've got to pick one: Are you truly going budget(relative to your own size and portfolio as a company) or are you making a "Premium" game?

 

[Zzero]

Yeah, they released a bunch of "small" JRPGs with limited marketing and then had them all compete with eachother. They aren't going to do that again. Too bad though, if even one of them had broken out it would have paid for the others.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Is it the first time he opened his mouth and didn't talk about NFTs?

 

[Gamernyc78]

I hope in saying this thy focus more on detail and make grander games!

 

[John Elden Ring]

According to Bloomberg, Square Enix director and president Takashi Kiryu told analysts this week that the company’s new structure will be announced by spring 2024 and put in place in time for the start of April, and aims to improve the quality of the company’s games.

In its financial results for the nine months ending December 2023, Square Enix's sales were essentially flat, with sales from its digital entertainment business actually down 4.7%. This is a somewhat surprising result given the release of Final Fantasy 16 in June.

via IGN

 

[Nhomnhom]

FFXVI had so many good qualities but the idea of injecting so many MMO elements and limiting the player to a single character really held the game back.

The initial set up, tone of the story and world building was great, if the game was able to keep up with the quality of the demo it would've been one of the strongest contenders for GoTY.