Support NeoGAF

[a multicultural team of v]

People forget that in the US, SCEA published Square's first PlayStation games:

Tobal No. 1
Bushido Blade
Final Fantasy VII
Einhander
Final Fantasy Tactics
SaGa Frontier

They also at one point owned 18% of Square, back when they were in bad shape from the movie failure. Sold out of it in 2012.

 

[Reallink]

4 billion dollars on Bungie, but 300 million for all of Square's Western IP and developer talent was a non starter deal killer. Ok.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Yes. Those poor suffering MCU movies that just can't rub two nickels together. The inevitable Fantastic Four/X-Men movies are just DoA at this point. /s

. . .honestly, if you legitimately believe that SONY getting their hands on FF and DQ (and other properties) and refocusing their usage in games, would have zero impact or change on the industry, then maybe you just don't understand the industry.

Stop using impact...I said change. Games exclusive to the console remain exclusive. Xbox /switch isnt losing anything they dont already have.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Seems logical imo. Keep switch getting there games and just make the mainline ff games on Sony consoles.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

If this were to take place in the near future, do we believe Sony would allow Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts to continue releasing on non PlayStation consoles? I personally don't believe so.

 

[Jormatar]

Makes sense.

 

[Punished Miku]

If this were to take place in the near future, do we believe Sony would allow Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts to continue releasing on non PlayStation consoles? I personally don't believe so.

Maybe the rumored MLB the Show x FF cross over. But that's about it.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Recall someone showing that Square would offer the best value for Sony if they're to buy another 3rd party.

They churn out massive revenues for such a low market capitalisation and are integrated in many different sectors of interest to Sony.

This gen already we are getting: FF16, FF7 Rebirth, FF7 part 3, KH4, DQ12, so at least 5 AAA games, probably a few more to be announced. Then dozens of low to mid budget games already released or releasing. Not to forget the FF14 MMO megabucks and the next MMO.

They are getting back closer to their best and are very efficient when compared to other major publishers. Makes sense they are sought after.

 

[STARSBarry]

It wouldn't dethrone Nintendo in any way, whatsoever. That's a fantasy.

A final fantasy if you will.

 

[FStubbs]

If they really do acquire them, it doesn't honestly impact Xbox that much. It's a loss for Nintendo though, who gets a lot of great smaller AA titles.

Nintendo should consider letting Monolith put out some smaller AA games and add a new team or something. And a lot of those games are made by studios outside SQEX that Nintendo might look into a closer relationship with. Acquire, Artdink, etc.

Which would be why Sony would be interested in acquiring Square-Enix.

They're already getting FF exclusive, it's about preventing the Switch from getting Dragon Quest and the AA games it currently gets.

 

[ANDS]

Stop using impact...I said change. Games exclusive to the console remain exclusive. Xbox /switch isnt losing anything they dont already have.

Note the "or" in my message.

. . .and getting their hands on SE IP's isn't just about keeping the games off MS and Nintendo platforms. It's about bring people to there's with games that aren't just shat out from a developer who really doesn't know what to do with the property (FF:SiP and FFXVI as an example).

 

[crunchyBiscuits]

They bought Bungie to help Square make live service games

 

[El Pistolero]

If this were to take place in the near future, do we believe Sony would allow Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts to continue releasing on non PlayStation consoles? I personally don't believe so.

On Switch and PC? Yeah, they would: A lot of money to be made off of those. They would not, however, port them to the Xbox.

 

[balls of snow]

When your dev studio is not planning to release a game that year yet you want them to make a profit by years end. Real nani the fuck there square.

 

[Calverz]

Yes please. And keep the dumpster fire of the final fantasy series on PlayStation.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

When your dev studio is not planning to release a game that year yet you want them to make a profit by years end. Real nani the fuck there square.

As soon as those tomb raider reboot sales were considered disappointing we knew something was up, for sure.

Funny how they never complained publicly about the money spent through the final fantasy xv project and how disappointed they were with the final product when it originally released

 

[Black_Stride]

Yeah but not at the budget we are used to under square. Talk about a real money furnace with these ip's.

Square gave their north american studios peanuts.
Embracer is more likely to give any of these studios a big budget.
People forget that Embracer and its investors have alot more money than Square and they want to become a household name.
If a project is greenlit its getting tons of dough.

 

[DerivedDataCache]

Source article of all this information
Games Industry.biz

A nice tidbit in the source article, is that D'astous said that he believed SE was always blaming non Japanese games for under-performance. I remember when Tomb Raider first launched it sold 5 million copies (initially) on a reboot of a supposed burned out franchise (14.5 million todate), and SE went on record saying it under-performed. Yet Final Fantasy 15 sells 10 million copies of a game that took over 6 years to make and not a word of disappointment.

1. I think SE has a non-Japanese culture bias towards any foreign holding. It is not the first time they have thrown non Japanese studios under a bus. Especially when their own Japanese IPs under-perform and yet are never mentioned in the same breath as other IPs they own.
2. I think D'Astoous is on the right path believing SE wants to sell their soul to Sony and are willing to do anything to get that.

I assumed it was well known, especially on gaf with so many japanese game fans, the history of japan.
They have never been conquered, barely let foreigners in. So yes, that turns them xenophobic.
Im not surpised they liked to kick Eidos all the time.

 

[Knightime_X]

If Sony ends up owning Final Fantasy would they play nice and allow that IP on other platforms like how other companies allow certain ips to be on a sony platform?

 

[Black_Stride]

If Sony ends up owning Final Fantasy would they play nice and allow that IP on other platforms like how other companies allow certain ips to be on a sony platform?

Almost certainly not when they already buy exclusivity for Final Fantasy as is.
If they owned it, thats a Playstation game outright.....and PC of course.

 

[Lady Jane]

SE definitely had a hate boner for Tomb Raider. It was weird.

 

[Ansphn]

If they really do acquire them, it doesn't honestly impact Xbox that much. It's a loss for Nintendo though, who gets a lot of great smaller AA titles.

Nintendo should consider letting Monolith put out some smaller AA games and add a new team or something. And a lot of those games are made by studios outside SQEX that Nintendo might look into a closer relationship with. Acquire, Artdink, etc.

Will be similar to the Bungie deal. No way Sony want to lose that Nintendo money. The Final Fantasies will stay exclusive to Playstation and PC though.

 

[Knightime_X]

Almost certainly not when they already buy exclusivity for Final Fantasy as is.
If they owned it, thats a Playstation game outright.....and PC of course.

That's fine, I guess.
Maybe MS should hold call of duty ransom, sony's highest grossing game.
It's only fair.

 

[Punished Miku]

Will be similar to the Bungie deal. No way Sony want to lose that Nintendo money. The Final Fantasies will stay exclusive to Playstation and PC though.

I'd be fine with that. I don't think Nintendo is that much of a direct competitor. But Sony doesn't have a history of sharing much. I don't expect that they'd put stuff on Switch. SQEX is into mobile, and Sony makes their own TVs and can do streaming.

 

[FStubbs]

Will be similar to the Bungie deal. No way Sony want to lose that Nintendo money. The Final Fantasies will stay exclusive to Playstation and PC though.

All Square Enix games being Sony exclusive would sell more PS5s and be a huge blow to Nintendo and especially the Switch's successor. They have every reason to go exclusive.

 

[graywolf323]

All the North American studios and IPs were sold to Embracer.

Deus Ex, Tomb Raider will come back under Embracer

not all, they didn’t sell the Just Cause IP for example

 

[Chukhopops]

If Sony owns Dragon Quest, it's going to be hard for Nintendo to hold on to the top spot in Japan.

Dragon Quest XI sold 6.5M on three platforms over several years including digital. It’s an established and famous series but it being exclusive won’t threaten Nintendo more than Final Fantasy.

It would be a waste of money acquiring some of the most talented Japanese game designers and commercially successful IPs? What?

Even if you agree with this very dubious claim, the relevant SE games are already exclusive to Sony.

What would Nintendo miss over the past years if SE had been bought years ago? Bravely Default 2? Triangle Strategy? Chrono Cross Remaster?

Nothing significant.

 

[LordCBH]

It would be a waste of money acquiring some of the most talented Japanese game designers and commercially successful IPs? What?

As well as FF14, which has been printing money for like 4 or 5 years now

 

[Black_Stride]

All Square Enix games being Sony exclusive would sell more PS5s and be a huge blow to Nintendo and especially the Switch's successor. They have every reason to go exclusive.

It would likely be a net loss for them NOT publishing games that do well on Switch.
If a game isnt "traditionally" a home console game it will still sell badly on PS5.
You expect Bravely Default 3 to be a title that moves PS5s in any meaningful way?
All the mobile work that Square does would be in the toilet.

Sony would/should be smart about it, games that work on Switch keep on Switch, Games that work on mobile keep making.
Locking Square to a single console would almost certain mean Square would downsize within 5 years.

not all, they didn’t sell the Just Cause IP for example

Studios and IPs - In more clear english, The Studios and IPs that said studios had.

 

[009EspadaSageJay]

Square isnt selling to sony Square makes way much more money going multi platform to consider cutting off nintendo, pc and xbox all the people who keep saying BUT BUT ff7 yes FF7 the game sony paid x10 the price so they would have something worth while to sell on the ps1. Half of the people who keep bring up ff7 dont even play jrpgs or japanese games in general like that and are more just shills for sony.

 

[Skifi28]

What about Sega? Maybe we'll know tomorrow.

 

[009EspadaSageJay]

People forget that in the US, SCEA published Square's first PlayStation games:

Tobal No. 1
Bushido Blade
Final Fantasy VII
Einhander
Final Fantasy Tactics
SaGa Frontier

yea games from 15+ years ago LOL

 

[009EspadaSageJay]

If Sony owns Dragon Quest, it's going to be hard for Nintendo to hold on to the top spot in Japan.

every DQ games except 8 and 11 has been on a nintendo or pc platform again 0 chance the fans or people in japan want a sony DQ game.

 

[FStubbs]

It would likely be a net loss for them NOT publishing games that do well on Switch.
If a game isnt "traditionally" a home console game it will still sell badly on PS5.
You expect Bravely Default 3 to be a title that moves PS5s in any meaningful way?
All the mobile work that Square does would be in the toilet.

Sony would/should be smart about it, games that work on Switch keep on Switch, Games that work on mobile keep making.
Locking Square to a single console would almost certain mean Square would downsize within 5 years.


Studios and IPs - In more clear english, The Studios and IPs that said studios had.

There are a significant number of people who play Square Enix's A-AA offerings on Switch. Moving those games to PS5 moves those gamers from Switch (and more importantly its successor) to PS5.

 

[SkylineRKR]

This sounds plausible actually. Square is clearly on good terms with Sony, with FFVII R and FFXVI being console exclusive on PS5. With getting rid of ballast like Eidos they could eye a Sony acquisition. They wouldn't be a bad get. FF and DQ are sellers, and FFXIV is an ongoing money maker.

If Sony owns Dragon Quest, it's going to be hard for Nintendo to hold on to the top spot in Japan.

I figure Sony will give DQ the Destiny treatment, it will likely still appear elsewhere.

 

[009EspadaSageJay]

Final Fantasy has already been locked in on Sony since FFVII. It's not much of a big change. FF doesn't have any big games on Xbox. Not much of a big change.

SQEX has lots of great AA games on Switch though. That's about the only major change in my opinion. PS is already a SQEX box, and has been since it launched.

Final Fantasy has already been locked in on Sony since FFVII

Nope not even 1-6 were on the NES, Famicom, 7,8,9,10 got ported to every system in existence in 2010,2011,2012, FF13 went multi plat + its -2,3 and JP phone game, 14,debuted on PC then got ported down from consoles, 15 multi plat, Type 0, Crisis core, and everything else got ported elsewhere, 12HD and X got the best versions on xbox because they actually use the international JP version and not the US version.

 

[Topher]

Next Wednesday?

I searched the page for "wednesday". Was not disappointed.

 

[StealthGoblin]

If they really do acquire them, it doesn't honestly impact Xbox that much. It's a loss for Nintendo though, who gets a lot of great smaller AA titles.

Nintendo should consider letting Monolith put out some smaller AA games and add a new team or something. And a lot of those games are made by studios outside SQEX that Nintendo might look into a closer relationship with. Acquire, Artdink, etc.

I’d they do buy them, I don’t think those titles will be affected. Games being on Switch of that scale don’t hurt PlayStation.
If they had a viable handheld that would be a different story.

I expect it to be akin to Bethesda. Games available MP on a case by case basis, but main line FF and DQ games will be exclusive.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

I want to know whats the rest.

 

[Black_Stride]

There are a significant number of people who play Square Enix's A-AA offerings on Switch. Moving those games to PS5 moves those gamers from Switch (and more importantly its successor) to PS5.

They arent moving.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

All Square Enix games being Sony exclusive would sell more PS5s and be a huge blow to Nintendo and especially the Switch's successor. They have every reason to go exclusive.

Having one of the biggest jrpgs machines in the world (square Enix) would do wonders for Sony in Japan for sure.
Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, etc are still huge IPs.

 

[Ansphn]

All Square Enix games being Sony exclusive would sell more PS5s and be a huge blow to Nintendo and especially the Switch's successor. They have every reason to go exclusive.

This is not true due to established bases that would not buy a whole console to play their games. Why lose out money from the sales on the already established bases that will 100% buy the came rather than hope the same people get a PS5? The Bungie deal has already showed that Sony is open to keeping established franchise all consoles instead of making them exclusive.

 

[Nautilus]

FUCK
NO.

 

[Ansphn]

I'd be fine with that. I don't think Nintendo is that much of a direct competitor. But Sony doesn't have a history of sharing much. I don't expect that they'd put stuff on Switch. SQEX is into mobile, and Sony makes their own TVs and can do streaming.

Just look at Bungie. Sony/PlayStation is not the same anymore. They're already showed us a glimpse of their future strategies.

 

[AmuroChan]

This is not true due to established bases that would not buy a whole console to play their games. Why lose out money from the sales on the already established bases that will 100% buy the came rather than hope the same people get a PS5? The Bungie deal has already showed that Sony is open to keeping established franchise all consoles instead of making them exclusive.

True, but Bungie is the exception and not the rule. They were not going to accept the offer unless Sony allowed them to remain a multiplatform entity. Sony was obviously desperate enough for Bungie's live service expertise to accept those terms. Square is not in that same boat. They've already shown that they don't care if their games are exclusive. They'll take any moneyhat $$$ out there.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Just look at Bungie. Sony/PlayStation is not the same anymore. They're already showed us a glimpse of their future strategies.

We've yet to actually see anything from the bungie acquisition beyond nice words

 

[Thirty7ven]

Lock ‘em up

 

[TGO]

People forget that in the US, SCEA published Square's first PlayStation games:

Tobal No. 1
Bushido Blade
Final Fantasy VII
Einhander
Final Fantasy Tactics
SaGa Frontier

SCEE also published those titles in Europe also.
People will stay it's nothing until it actually happens.
Then the threads and meltdowns will start.

 

[IllegalLemon]

So who is part of SE Tokyo? The FF teams?

I will be ok with that.

Luminous Studio & Tokyo RPG Factory are the only subsidiaries of Square Enix that I'm aware of that are Japanese.