Unknown Soldier
Member
None, what happened with FFXIV is basically the first true turnaround of a failed MMO in the short history of the genre.
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Square Enix's FY15: $368 million mobile, $369 console/hand/PC, $194 MMO, profit +49%
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
None, what happened with FFXIV is basically the first true turnaround of a failed MMO in the short history of the genre.
texhnolyze
Banned
These games are actually the real money makers for SE. FFXV, KH3, and many other future SE games won't probably exist if they didn't resort to mobile and mmo games. Console games just don't cut it anymore to bring profit to SE, so they're resorting to other means of money making products.
Perhaps each one of us should've bought a couple or more for each of their 'real' game so they won't need to fund their games from mobile and mmo games?
If they see that 'real' games making money just fine, they wouldn't need to make mobile and mmo games anymore, right?
We should be grateful that they're still making 'real' games despite the huge success of mobile and mmos.
Edge_Maverick
Member
The results are fine. Better than 2010 in terms of Net Income (without doing a conversion to dollars). Not completely sure but it seems to be their biggest year since 2007 (again talking about actual profit).
Still, it's strange to see no mention of DQH, Type-0 HD or even Life is Strange.
Also, their cash went down, but they have a lot more in production.
Still, it's strange to see no mention of DQH, Type-0 HD or even Life is Strange.
Also, their cash went down, but they have a lot more in production.
T
thepotatoman
Unconfirmed Member
That might be true, but it could also just be that they don't have anything else to diversify into. What if mobile gaming turns out to be a fad that busts in the next few years? Konami can just continue its gambling business, but what could Square Enix do?
That's not predicting a mobile game bust, but you still risk a lot to move a company as big as SE fully into a market that's only 5 years old. It could even stay a hugely growing market, while SE fails to keep up with the moving trends thanks to their lack of history in that market.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
What other MMO had the mandate to support a multinational corporation like FFXIV did? It was "too big to fail" in the 2008 parlance of big banks in the recession.
I actually almost mentioned that in my post... I think the amount of TLC that XIV received would have saved any number of MMOs. They threw resources at it until it was good. I'm not impressed by that.
I'm not want to heap praise onto XIV's turnaround because it completely soaked up the resources of Square Enix and it came at a huge cost.
That's a good point, actually.
The dynamic of "what will sell in the future" is inherently personality-driven, not by numbers on the page. The numbers on the page tell you what sells now (or sold in the last quarter)... "what sells in the future" is always a human guess...
Notor!ousG
Member
I'm so glad the West is still a console/PC area.
Imagine we shift towards mobile too... My gaming days would be over.
For the record, I have nothing against mobile, it can have its own market. But I really don't like the business model of it. Alot of vaporware, shallow gameplay, microtransactions, ...
Imagine we shift towards mobile too... My gaming days would be over.
For the record, I have nothing against mobile, it can have its own market. But I really don't like the business model of it. Alot of vaporware, shallow gameplay, microtransactions, ...
Eh... mobile is huge in the west as well and still growing.
It's just that people like their consoles as well while it seems the japanese interest in them decreased by a lot, that's not an entirely new phenomenon either, before mobile it was handhelds that were the big spotlight.
Notor!ousG
Member
I know, that's why I said that I don't have issues with mobile either. It's like TV and radio, they both have their own market.
As long as consoles/PC stays relevant, I'm a happy gamer.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Agreed completely. A world where mobile exists alongside full console experiences is the ideal.
The fact that some markets have gone entirely mobile-focused is a bit sad. I don't think people changed, so much as mobile became the largest market of easy money. It made the non-AAA console market into a smaller niche, that didn't so much not want it, as it was they were 'cut off' when they became the lesser target segment.
The course correction is recognizing the (very large) market of discerning console gamers, and learning how the industry can adjust to cater to them.
I don't need the people who make Tranformers movies to make indie movies, for example. I want a very healthy smaller/indie movement that lives alongside the mega-productions. That can and will happen. I think we've seen the further development of it today, through projects like Bloodstained.
Not surprised. Fortunately for us, Square still is an important player in the traditional gaming industry, in comparison to their Japanese counterparts.
As far as Mobile is concerned, it's going to continue its ascension as it's becoming more lucrative for publishers and is overall more convenient for the Japanese market.
As far as Mobile is concerned, it's going to continue its ascension as it's becoming more lucrative for publishers and is overall more convenient for the Japanese market.
lazybones18
Banned
there's a raid carry joke to be made. just can't think of a good one
Phat Michael
Banned
How do they know this tho? When did they ever release anything we actually wanted?
Secret of Mana 1 + 2
Chronotrigger
Illusion of Time
Terranigma
Damn...just release those as remasters...not a huge resource drain by any means. Instead, they release FF 13/2/Lightning - seriously?
PoweredByHentai
Member
Isn't FF14 the only successful revival of a failed MMO to date? I can't think of any other MMOs that had such a terrible launch and then had a massive facelift that actually saved the game.
nckillthegrimace
Member
Excited to see what profoundly obvious thing their CEO has discovered this time.
SliceSabre
Banned
This just confirms to me to ignore the idiots proclaiming how FFXIV isn't doing all that great.
Palette Swap
Member
As long as this finances my retail single player console games, I'm fine with it. Not sure this is a sustainable status quo though.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Yeah, that's what I just said. I guess you're agreeing with me. :3
Necromanti
Member
I mean, they've been close enough to it for a long while now.Mobile only SE is the...
Smelly Tramp
Member
i actually envy that optimism.
more like when 2 mmo's or cheap mobile games generate more revenue than multiple console games combined why bother with expensive console games anymore?
Rising_Hei
Member
They haven't released any big AAA console game in last fiscal year.... just rehashes, HD ports or less expensive games, so it's not fair to compare
It should be done when KH3 & FFXV get released
Yeah and if those games underperform I can see SE getting out of AAA games. Well at least the Japanese branch.
They don't disclose their subs numbers. SE probably dosen't want to be compared to WoW or I don't know.
Is it? DQ X may be doing so as well.
Anyway, SE certainly knows their market. Let's just see that translate to some great console games.
GoonerTRON
Banned
Put FF7 out on iPad please.
Acquiescence
Member
Mobile games and MMOs... my kryptonite.
Oh well, whatever makes them money I guess.
Oh well, whatever makes them money I guess.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
Where is this hyperbole coming from? They have tons of huge AAA games coming
Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Just Cause 3, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts 3, Star Ocean 5. They almost certainly are developing a new Dragon Quest game, and probably a Hitman game.
They arent going to just stop unless all of those (good looking) games just completely flop. (highly unlikely).
*edit* just saw you said dead to "me" i thought you just said "Dead" period. my bad.
thekiddfran
Member
FF 14 is such a great game, it deserves every cent it earns!
To think when this game launched first it was a failure, now look at it
To think when this game launched first it was a failure, now look at it
Troubled Bat
Member
Damn. Goodbye, Square, it was nice knowing you.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Sales expectations on GAF for DQH as a PS4 system seller in Japan were fairly strong
EndcatOmega
Unconfirmed Member
Anarchy Online is somehow still around despite not working for about the entire first year of its service, I gotta give it props for that.
PirateKing
Junior Member
Did I go back a decade old?
Lol I know right? D3 was miracle in itself.
Is it? It seems tiny compared to the numbers from EA, King, Activ, etc.
Suzushiiro
Banned
If anything it seems like Japanese companies are going back to consoles after realizing that mobile isn't a sure thing.
Also keep in mind that most of Squeenix's mobile games (most of their more successful ones, I'd guess) are spinoffs or ports of their console franchises and the main audience for them is probably current and former consumers of their console franchises. They're eventually going to run out of old games to port, so that revenue stream will dry up, and spoinoffs require something to spin off of to work. It will probably remain their biggest revenue stream for a while, but I don't think abandoning consoles would be the best long-term strategy, and they don't seem to think so either, considering that they greenlit SO5.