Square Enix might be squashing creativity

by Candace Savino { May 27th 2008 at 5:00PM }

Gamers like innovation when it's implemented well and creatively. Take a look, for example, at the positive critical reception (from gamers, bloggers, and journalists alike) for Square Enix's The World Ends With You. Such a refreshing break from Square's usual sequels and remakes might be a thing of the past, though, after the company's profits for fiscal year 2007 dropped 21% from the previous year's earnings.

According to Kotaku rumor, Square Enix higher ups were lashing out at developers in a meeting last month, claiming that the company's games are falling away from the mainstream crowd. Employees who continue to steer the company in this direction are apparently in danger of being fired.

As this is a rumor based on hearsay, don't take it as fact just yet. Still, if it's true, then we can't help but worry that this might scare developers from coming up with original ideas like TWEWY and Sigma Harmonics. After all, we like seeing things other than sequels and remakes from the company.

Tags: business, fiscal-year, its-a-wonderful-world, itsawonderfulworld, profits, square-enix, the-world-ends-with-you, wewy, world-ends-with-you

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Trinian @ May 27th 2008 5:53PM

Memo from On High - We at Square Enix hate innovation. Cut it out. Or else...

Yeah, that rumor just screams "totally plausible". :P

SephFinale @ May 27th 2008 8:04PM

No wait, it would go like this: "Memo from On High - We at Square Enix hate innovation. Cut it out. Or face erasure."

ichaBuNni @ May 27th 2008 6:42PM

that's silly. the final fantasy franchise has pretty much gone downhill since FFIX (and FFVII has been sucked dry with all the sequels). i have high hopes for the FFIV remake, but TWEWY was such a nice change!!

Mr Khan @ May 27th 2008 7:16PM

I could see this being true. The big Japanese development houses have been having financial troubles lately

It's called Square-Enix, and not Squaresoft for a reason.

Although they'd make more money off of Final Fantasy if they actually, you know, released FF XIII

elsng @ May 27th 2008 8:38PM

Money and Square-Enix screams FF VII

Frastoglegnia @ May 28th 2008 2:14AM

I suppose this means Square-Enix won't be considering my proposal for an historical RPG/otolaryngology sim called Sniffles of Skuld III: Rage of Nordic Mucous.

Flint @ May 28th 2008 8:10AM

The World Ends with You is Square Enix's best game in a long time and it's beyond brilliant that it's a completely new and original creation.

If this rumour is true (which I doubt, to be honest) and we just end up with even more endless FF spin-offs in place of creative, new unique games (Sigma Harmonics and Nanashi no Game being two other examples) then I'll probably stop buying Square Enix games altogether. I do actually like the FF series, but even I have my limit.

neaux @ May 28th 2008 1:02PM

I'd like to know the sales for TWEWY here in the U.S. Since its seemingly impossible to find.. backordered at EBgames and Amazon. I'd say their sales are probably pretty darn good.

BlueS @ May 28th 2008 1:12PM

But how could TWEWY be not profitable? It is such a good game in itself, not looking at the fact that it has a good story, maybe even some kind of a message. I, for example, imported it for a friend, as well. That's two pieces bought from a country where it's not even out yet. And if it will be, it would be sold at a price which could easily produce surplus for Square Enix, except that it goes mainly to the bandits who run their shamelessly stealing shops in my country.
But the main thing is: the game is superb, how can it be unprofitable?

KamenRiderTakoyaki @ May 28th 2008 2:44PM

Nah, it's more like forcing creativity, because a lot of recent Square Enix games feature emo metrosexuals with complicated gameplay. The World Ends with You could be considered a breath of fresh air, but it's too much of a SE game with all the crazy fashion and the like.