[STEAM][PRESS]Final Fantasy Maker Square Enix Will Aggressively Pursue a Multiplatform Strategy After Profits Tumble

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Square Enix has announced a significant company reboot amid tumbling profits.

Reporting its financial performance for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, sales in the Digital Entertainment segment, which includes video games, rose by 2.6% but profit fell by 15.8%. This despite the ***** of

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, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster,

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, and

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. Specifically on HD games, the subcategory Square Enix uses to encompass all the above games, the company saw a significant operating loss of ¥8.1 billion (approximately $51.9 million).

Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth both launched as PlayStation 5 exclusives, and while Square Enix has announced a sales figure for Final Fantasy 16, it has yet to do so for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game in the company’s trilogy of Final Fantasy 7 remakes. In its financial report, all Square Enix would say is it has suffered from an “incomplete journey to better profitability in HD game development”, and that it had “launched many titles but some ******* to live up to profit expectations, especially outsourced titles and some AAA titles.” It seems likely Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, at least, is included in that.

In response to the tumbling profits, Square Enix announced what it calls “Square Enix Reboots, and Awakens”, a three-year plan for rebooting for long-term growth. This involves a rethink across all parts of the business, but the highlight is a “shift to a multiplatform strategy." Square Enix said it will “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs.” Note the wording here of “Nintendo platforms”, with

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.

As part of this multiplatform push, Square Enix said it will "build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles in regards to major franchises and AAA titles including catalog titles." The suggestion in all this is mainline Final Fantasy games will ditch PlayStation exclusivity going forward, although Square Enix has yet to announce specifics beyond Final Fantasy 16's upcoming launch on PC.

There’s also a shift from quantity to quality, Square Enix said, and a bid to deliver “ensured fun.” Square Enix has been accused of pumping out too many Final Fantasy games in too short a timeframe, so perhaps this means the release of major Final Fantasy games will be spaced out a bit more.

Overall, it’s a tough time for Square Enix,

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. Square Enix did not name the canceled or rescoped in-development titles.

Looking ahead,

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, the expansion for ongoing MMO Final Fantasy 14, launches in late June. Square Enix also has

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, the third game in the Final Fantasy remake trilogy, and

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in the works.

In February, Square Enix director and president Takashi Kiryu reportedly told analysts about

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following falling sales in its digital entertainment business, despite the release of Final Fantasy 16 in June. Square Enix said

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during launch week. A PC port is in the works. In January, Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida said

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.

Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on

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at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld.

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