Japanese gaming giant, Square Enix has made a big strategic shift: it will actively pursue a multi-platform release strategy for its main franchises and AAA projects. This move represents a break from the company’s past strategy, which frequently featured platform exclusivity agreements, particularly with Sony’s PlayStation consoles.
The decision was announced in Square Enix’s latest earnings report, in which the company stated its aim to “build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles” by releasing major games on numerous platforms such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs.
This shift in strategy is in reaction to several factors including the sales performance of recent platform-exclusive titles and the rising need for accessibility across several gaming ecosystems.
Games like Final Fantasy 16 and Forspoken, which were previously exclusive to the PlayStation 5, did not fulfill the publisher’s sales targets, possibly due to Sony’s latest console’s comparatively slow adoption rate.
Additionally, Square Enix cited its desire to cater to a broader audience and leverage the popularity of its iconic franchises, such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, across all major platforms. This approach aligns with the industry’s broader trend towards increased cross-platform availability and accessibility.
Takashi Kiryu, the company’s new president, has been a driving factor behind this strategy move, lately declaring a desire to expand Square Enix’s game offerings to other platforms, including Xbox.
The move aligns with Microsoft’s efforts to improve its partnership with the Japanese publisher, as indicated by the recent release of the popular MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 for Xbox consoles.
All in all, the majority of players will certainly welcome this news, especially those who didn’t have the opportunity to play Square Enix’s games due to exclusive deals with the platform they don’t own.
NEWS SOURCE: altchar
