Surreal: Square Enix admit they were wrong, will return to JRPG AAA series roots.

Adamantium · 05-04-2014 8:52pm #1

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/square-enix-rethinks-its-bid-to-appeal-to-the-mass-market-after-bravely-default-success/1100-6418665/

Square Enix president Matsuda wants company to focus on core gamers and “heavy JRPGs”

Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has expressed his desire to see the company focusing on core gamers and titles moving forward. He has cited the success of Bravely Default as inspiration for the change, and has suggested that attempts to make Hitman: Absolution more globally appealing is what caused developer IO Interactive to struggle.

Speaking with Nikkei Trendy, Matsuda said, “n the past, 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 success of Silicon Studio’s Bravely Default has inspired Matsuda to look at the core fan base and the appeal of globally-minded releases once more. He went on, “Due to having split [the development mindset] according to regions around the world, we weren’t able to see this clearly up until now, but fans of JRPGs are really spread around the world.

“Through the means of various networks, the latest information that is announced in Japan is instantaneously being spread across fans throughout the world. Whether it’s North America, Europe, or South America. There really isn’t much of a gap [in the relay of information].

“With that in mind, and all of the collective fans, there’s a sense of mass, which loses the image of a niche market. For the new games we’ll be developing from this point on, while this may sound a bit extreme, we’ve been talking about making them as heavy JRPGs. I believe that way, we can better focus on our target, which will also bring better results.”

Matsuda admitted that through 2013, Square Enix released some games that struggled, perhaps as a result of attempts to make them more universally appealing, while turning backs to the core. Hitman: Absolution – he felt – was one of those games.

“The development team for Hitman: Absolution really struggled in this regard,” he recalled. “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.”

This is the first thing off Square I've heard in years, that didn't make me roll my eyes.

Gamers have been shouting this for YEARS. Square since joining Enix have always come across as a bit thick.
Didn't Bravely Default sell 3 times the amount of all the XIII series titles combined

I wonder if this will change upcoming plans for in the pipe I'm sure, FFXVI?

No reason turn based can't sell nowadays, that's been disproven by the FFX/X2 remasters, BD, and South Park Stick of Truth.

Maybe, NOW the series can recover some ****ing integrity after been pounded to near death?

“If you focus too much on the global aspect, you might lose sight of who you’re actually making the game for,”

First smart thing I've heard SE say in nearly a decade...

RobbingBandit · 05-04-2014 8:53pm

Get rid of Enix then, bring back Squaresoft.

Adamantium · 05-04-2014 8:58pm

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Get rid of Enix then, bring back Squaresoft.

Truth is, Squaresoft would have known this years ago, without an entire fanbase yelling at them.

Love the comments:

Aww, how cute. It's like watching a child figuring out maths.

Translation from PR bull****e to real meaning:

“If you focus too much on the global aspect, you might lose sight of who you’re actually making the game for,”

- We wanted to make as much money as possible and didn't give a **** about the gamer's that cemented us in this industry in the first place.

“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"

- Our tactic of focusing on the money didn't workout and most of our games sells like ****e. Now were focusing on hardcore audience cause thats where the moneys at!!

I've been saying for YEARS that if Square Enix made another big budget, turn-based RPG it would sell like gangbusters.

What's most amazing about this is the the ONLY people surprised that a GOOD turn-based RPG is selling well is the company that published it. What a bunch of losers.

took them long enough to learn this lesson,it's good to hear and i look forward to what they will make next.

Retr0gamer · 06-04-2014 2:46am

Don't read too much into this. It's PR spin to try and appease the loud mouth fanboys that think Square has gone to the dogs.

Lets face it, other than FFXIII the rest of Squares output has been pretty damn great yet all a lot of people think Square is is just Final Fantasy.

Also the enix merger has nothing to do with Squares so called lack of quality most of the original staff are still there.

As for going back to turn based... eh FFXIII was turn based (and the superb battle system was the best thing about it).

snausages · 08-04-2014 7:32pm

It's so weird logging into Steam and the like and seeing a 'Square-Enix' sale but where every game is stuff like Hitman or Tomb Raider or Deus Ex. Keep forgetting that it's Square-Enix-Eidos now.

seraphimvc · 09-04-2014 10:21am

Enix has nothing to do with what SquareEnix has done to us since FF12. Enix studio people are in fact smartasses that they asked for full control of their studio making future titles while the 'new Squaresoft' went nuts and destroyed everything that what the fans love for.

If only they could bring back the old Squaresoft but we all know it is impossible to bring back the core people now to make another proper FF.

I never fcking understand (see how mad i still am using all the swear words in this post) their obsession on making action-based rpg, From Brave Fencer Musashi to Kingdom hearts to FF13, I never fully enjoy the action-based elements in all of them compared to the previous FFs. Mana series is ARPG too but somehow they didn't occur to me as an ARPG when i played the game, maybe that is how ARPG when it is done right.

While I still believe that SquareEnix is trying to use action-based system to lower the production cost: develop a good action-based system and let it run through the whole game, use the same background/graphics for everything, done; compared to the extra effort that you need to develop separate graphics for the background and battle scenes. Well it is just a wild guess for me, I bet it won't have much cost differences nowadays but again is just their weird obsession...

All in all, SquareEnix has other more fundamental problems as well. The mess of FF13/s and the decision was made to produce 2 other FF13s, were mind blowing. And then they were surprised that Bravely Default did (too) well.

Are the people in current SquareEnix on some sort of voodoo that they are constantly hallucinating/cant tell what the real world really wants anymore.

Aurongroove · 10-04-2014 2:21pm

SE are going to have to have a Mass kull of all the "executive types" in the business, Like Pixar did.

Too many business men telling people who make games what people who play games want to play.

Sieghardt · 11-04-2014 9:05am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Don't read too much into this. It's PR spin to try and appease the loud mouth fanboys that think Square has gone to the dogs.

Lets face it, other than FFXIII the rest of Squares output has been pretty damn great yet all a lot of people think Square is is just Final Fantasy.

Also the enix merger has nothing to do with Squares so called lack of quality most of the original staff are still there.

As for going back to turn based... eh FFXIII was turn based (and the superb battle system was the best thing about it).

yeah sure dude, they totally did a great job with Front Mission and The 3rd birthday is well written and true to the characters

Aurongroove · 11-04-2014 4:29pm

Yeah a lot of people tend to gloss over the fact that the battle system of XIII was ATB and was probably the best thing about the game.

I especially loved how buffs and debuffs worked, I hate the way the more traditional RPGs (and FFX and earlier is very guilty of this) basically have stat attacks that become redundant, as every enemy slowly become immune to everything.

why make attacks that do not work?

The only "mistake" in XIII was how under powered the Eidolons became (compared to the abilities of the party) during the second half of the game.
A bit like XII, past the half way part of the game you were basically sacrificing TB (or MP bars in XII) to drastically weaken your offensive and defensive capabilities.

Retr0gamer · 11-04-2014 10:37pm

I was never a fan of ATB except in 4 but they finally managed to make it work in 13.

Irelandcool · 27-06-2014 9:58pm

Ironic thing is they didn't need bravely default to prove that. Xenoblade chronicles, the last story, and pandoras tower not to mention the tales of and persona series all prove JRPGS even on home consoles are still very popular.

J_E · 06-07-2014 1:18am

I genuinely doubt SE will ever make a decent FF game again. The last few games (i.e FF13, FF13 2,3,4,5,6) have lost the magic of older titles. I truly believe FFX was the last 'great' Final Fantasy. I'm tired of the cyberpunk super-modern setting that they've been using over and over

Maybe they'll prove me wrong though.

Retr0gamer · 06-07-2014 4:09am

They made Bravely Default though which was a fine game and pretty much a final fantasy.

cynicaljam · 20-10-2014 7:50pm

Final Fantasy XV won't be as good as the PR makes it out to be. I can promise you that it's just hype. It took this long to come out and as soon as Tetsuya moved back onto Kingdom Hearts III all the characters got new designs, check the before and after. It won't be as good and the target audience doesn't even give a rats anymore. It isn't even worth a next-gen console and it isn't getting an instant-PC port because it would just be pirated like mad.

Also the next-gen consoles aren't as advance as people think they are so don't be expecting wide open maps like Fallout 3, expect those horrible little maps you seen in Final Fantasy XIII-2 especially since it's linked with the Fabula Nova series. Which is the black sheep of Final Fantasy (even the fandom agrees, most of the time) and I think the only thing that the fandom finds redeemable about XIII is that it had a female lead that wasn't half naked, then her sister was. Yep. Square Enix aren't going to drop this steam-punk future era because apparently games with RPG settings and Deus Ex looking worlds are what's in this era.

It'll be done to death and the only decent looking "Fantasy" type RPGs of Final Fantasy you're gonna see are the old DS releases and the iOS and Android ports and the MMOs.

Kiss that dream goodbye of a Final Fantasy game that really does focus on the Crystal stories that is actually good. I suppose we'll see when Final Fantasy Explorers comes out but apparently that's just a Monster Hunter game with "Final Fantasy" slapped on the box with Fantasy Life graphics.

Most people say they want a remake of Final Fantasy VII but to be honest I'd love to see remakes in Fabula Nova graphics of Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy VI

That would honestly make Square Enix rich in minutes. Why don't they just do that though? Where could you go wrong? If people don't like it, release a port for the next-gen consoles of the older games as Anniversary Editions to make up for the losses if the remakes don't catch on. Win, win.

Retr0gamer · 20-10-2014 8:00pm

Tetsuya Nomura leaving FFXV was the best thing to happen to the project. They replaced him with someone that has delivered some fine games and shown some real flare for creating great action RPG systems. Hell he even managed to make a Kingdom Hearts game that wasn't utter **** with Birth by Sleep.

Also you are overestimating the market for remakes. The market is much smaller than for new games and we only hear a lot about them because of a vocal minority asking for them.

cynicaljam · 20-10-2014 8:41pm

Yeah I'm kind of on and off there, technically Anniversary Editions and re-releases count as remakes because they're abridged or altered in one way or other, so we actually have Final Fantasy VII on the PC, twice. Who asked for it when it was already available? It got re-released with achievements. Nobody asked for it. It got released anyway. It now exists on PC, twice.

So most remakes, re-releases or anniversary editions aren't entirely based on fan request, but most usually are so you still stand to make a point. But not all of them are, but most.

Square Enix are like the bus time tables to be honest, no real regulation or structure to go by and they're almost just on the ball but never quite there.

But yeah, in my opinion; seeing Final Fantasy I and II and V in graphics even like Dissidia (which I just label as the CC engine) would do just fine. Square Enix could remake all the classic titles on PlayStation Vita with Dissidia graphics if they really wanted to. But they don't want to. Even though they should. People will buy anything.

Retr0gamer · 20-10-2014 8:51pm

Once the DS and PSP went the chances of seeing that went out the window. It costs too much now to make a game up to the levels people expect now that it's not really worth it.

As for Square Enix being disorganised, well they were. They had awful management problems with FFXIII which was a disaster in terms of development and FFXV is a total joke that it took so long. At least the new guy in charge can and has delivered finished games and has a more organised approach to development informed by western styles. Square are taking chances on their new talent and so far it has been working with the likes of FFXIV being saved from being the worst financial disaster in their history by a relative newbie and Tabata working his way through the ranks to FFXV. Their handheld stuff has been very good and they are giving Matrix Software a lot of work, a studio that is made up of old Squaresoft talent.

Surreal: Square Enix admit they were wrong, will return to JRPG AAA series roots.

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