Square Enix Moving Towards More AAA Games
Square Enix could give Final Fantasy more focus and less to games like Octopath Traveler.
Over the last few years, Square Enix has offered a fairly diverse line-up of games, with a focus on both major releases like Final Fantasy XVI, as well as smaller options like Octopath Traveler II. However, it seems that the publisher will be shifting focus over the next few years, putting less emphasis on "mid-sized" titles and more on "larger AAA console games." That reporting comes from MST Financial's David Gibson (via @Genki_JPN). However, it's noted that this "will take several years to impact," so it could be a while before fans of the publisher see a change.
It will be interesting to see what impact this might have on some of Square Enix's franchises. Many fans have been hoping to see Square Enix's abandoned franchises getting more focus, but now it looks like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest could get a majority of the publisher's attention. There's already some concern about what this might mean for Octopath Traveler, and additional HD-2D games like Live a Live. Those games might not have sold as many copies as games like Final Fantasy VII Remake, but they also require considerably less in terms of investment.
There's a much bigger gamble associated with mainline Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games, but the potential ceiling is much higher in terms of sales; as of 2022, Final Fantasy XV sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, while Octopath Traveler sold just over 3 million. Of course, that doesn't always pan out, as Square Enix lost a significant amount of money on Marvel's Avengers, eventually leading the company to sell off Crystal Dynamics.
Hopefully Square Enix will manage to focus on fewer releases throughout the year, without completely abandoning some of its smaller franchises. Given the development cycles that surround AAA releases, it would be quite difficult for the publisher to completely abandon smaller games; instead, we'll likely just see less of them. Companies like Nintendo and Capcom have found a lot of success balancing AAA and mid-sized games, and it's possible Square Enix could do the same. For now, fans of the company will just have to wait to see what the future might hold.
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