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New interview with Square Enix CEO: upcoming JRPGs, episodic games, Dragon Quest

Zanasea

Member
French website Gamekult has just posted an interview with Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda, who visited London and Paris recently. It has a few hints regarding some future announcements from the publisher.

You can find the original interview (In French) here: http://www.gamekult.com/actu/les-projets-de-yosuke-matsuda-pdg-de-square-enix-A144311.html

Here are the juicy bits:

- Apparently Life is Strange episode 1 is selling quite well. Matsuda gave Dontnod a visit to congratulate them.
- Some of their upcoming RPGs might be episodic. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest are unlikely to go episodic, as Matsuda says fans of these series are used to full-fledged titles and they are now more and more expecting "open world" types of games, but it seems they are investigating this option for more linear kinds of JRPGs.
- The difference between Dive In and Shinra Technologies is that Dive In is used simply to provide older and upcoming games through the cloud technology, while Shinra is meant to investigate what kind of games can be made specifically using that new tech. Matsuda promises Dive In won't remain exclusive to Japan. However, he can't comment on what Shinra is trying to achieve because they are too early in development.
- He says it is "counterproductive" to force their developers to use one specific engine, which is the reason why they are now using Luminous for FFXV only and the KH3 team switched to UE4.
- They are not planning to offer their in-house engines to other publishers/developers because they are made specifically for their games.
- Regarding f2p/mobile games, Matsuda says their goal is to go multiplatform, for example mobile titles would be released also on PS Vita or PS4. Their (mobile) teams are using Unity more and more, which should make it easier.
- Matsuda acknowledges a number of Dragon Quest titles were not released in France (in the West, if you prefer, heh) but he and the DQ team are aware of the demand. He says he thinks they (the DQ team) have some ideas on how to make the franchise successful in the West, and asks us to look forward to upcoming announcements and to a "bright future" for the series.
- When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.
 
- Matsuda acknowledges a number of Dragon Quest titles were not released in France (in the West, if you prefer, heh) but he and the DQ team are aware of the demand. He says he thinks they (the DQ team) have some ideas on how to make the franchise successful in the West, and asks us to look forward to upcoming announcements and to a "bright future" for the series.

I want to believe. Announce DQ7 3DS and DQ Heroes and all will be forgiven
- When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.
Thank god
 

Zukuu

Banned
- When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.
Am I missing something, or wasn't that always the case? Are they telling me Lightning crapology was 'western focused'?!
 
- When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.
God bless this CEO. I like what he thinks.
 

Exentryk

Member
Am I missing something, or wasn't that always the case? Are they telling me Lightning crapology was 'western focused'?!

Toriyama on FFXIII

Here's how that relates to Call of Duty, in Toriyama's mind.

"In that sense it's more similar to an FPS genre, like Call of Duty," he said. "That's not to say it's an action shooting game at all, so Final Fantasy XIII takes some different aspects of different genres, transcending different types of games."
 

Demonfang

Banned
"Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced."

Hmmmm im excited damn. Wheres that bravely second announcement too.
 

Zanasea

Member
I actually think he is referring to experiments such as The Last Remnant or the Gestalt version of Nier, Japanese games more or less targeted at Western audience.
 

Hex

Banned
- Matsuda acknowledges a number of Dragon Quest titles were not released in France (in the West, if you prefer, heh) but he and the DQ team are aware of the demand. He says he thinks they (the DQ team) have some ideas on how to make the franchise successful in the West, and asks us to look forward to upcoming announcements and to a "bright future" for the series.

1Re4oIj.jpg

Please?
 

Zukuu

Banned
It absolutely was western focused. Did you avoid interviews with Toriyama talking about the western influences?
I still don't see it. It's filled with japanese tropes, archetypes and confusing mess of a story. If 'western focused' means 'cinematic experience', then okay, but otherwise, just nope.

I wish they would actually return to the ingenious days of older FFs, where they were neither Japanese nor western focused and had just an all around great diverse cast.
 

Kyoufu

Member
Matsuda acknowledges a number of Dragon Quest titles were not released in France (in the West, if you prefer, heh) but he and the DQ team are aware of the demand. He says he thinks they (the DQ team) have some ideas on how to make the franchise successful in the West, and asks us to look forward to upcoming announcements and to a "bright future" for the series.

Yes, I look forward to these announcements!
 
I still don't see it. It's filled with japanese tropes, archetypes and confusing mess of a story. If 'western focused' means 'cinematic experience', then okay, but otherwise, just nope.

I wish they would actually return to the ingenious days of older FFs, where they were neither Japanese nor western focused and had just an all around great diverse cast.

As Exentryk pointed out, Toriyama was obsessed with CoD while directing XIII and later became obsessed with Skyrim.
 

Arthea

Member
- They are not planning to offer their in-house engines to other publishers/developers because they are made specifically for their games.
I don't get it, why they can't share their own engine with their own studios, that makes no sense, never made

edited: I like how they make an engine exclusively for FF, it's making a car for one street only.
the Last Remnant surely would have benefited from using different engine, especially one that FF13 uses.
 
I still don't see it. It's filled with japanese tropes, archetypes and confusing mess of a story. If 'western focused' means 'cinematic experience', then okay, but otherwise, just nope.

I wish they would actually return to the ingenious days of older FFs, where they were neither Japanese nor western focused and had just an all around great diverse cast.
Well... have you missed FF XIV?

If you are talking about FF XV. then you should know that it is basically FF VXIII and that was Nomura's baby, who wanted the whole "fantasy based on reality".

I am quite sure that with FF XVI, we might go back to seeing a diverse cast.
 
Oh boy oh boy. Perhaps DQ Heroes coming to the West. Maybe that Chaos Rings Trilogy for Vita can head to the west too. I know the Vita population is not huge in the West, but the games have already been translated for the West for iOS and Android, just use those translations on the Vita trilogy.
 

Eolz

Member
This sounds like we'll never get DQ7 in the west, and probably not X as well. What a shame.

Nice interview otherwise.
 

GunBR

Member
- Regarding f2p/mobile games, Matsuda says their goal is to go multiplatform, for example mobile titles would be released also on PS Vita or PS4. Their (mobile) teams are using Unity more and more, which should make it easier.

I'm fine with that. Just give me the old Dragon Quest games for the PS4

- When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.
I'm the only one who read "targeted at japanese audience" as "games that we will not bring to the west"? (even with him talking about potential in the overseas markets)
 

Steel

Banned
- Regarding f2p/mobile games, Matsuda says their goal is to go multiplatform, for example mobile titles would be released also on PS Vita or PS4. Their (mobile) teams are using Unity more and more, which should make it easier

This sounds like market testing to me, which is doomed to fail because mobile games on PS4 won't sell, and mobile games on vita won't sell particularly well either. Then I expect them to use that as an excuse to make more games mobile only in the future.

Am I missing something, or wasn't that always the case? Are they telling me Lightning crapology was 'western focused'?!

I remember them saying that FF 13 was an attempt to appeal to the west(in the most hamfisted way possible).
 

Links_fantasy

Junior Member
Thank god for France having great tastes in games compared to the U.S, UK etc and actually buying jrpg's to the point it might help us get the Dragon Quest games.
 
Some of their upcoming RPGs might be episodic. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest are unlikely to go episodic, as Matsuda says fans of these series are used to full-fledged titles and they are now more and more expecting "open world" types of games, but it seems they are investigating this option for more linear kinds of JRPGs.
I am actually ok with this. Bravely Default would have been nicer if I only had to pay for half of it.

Matsuda acknowledges a number of Dragon Quest titles were not released in France (in the West, if you prefer, heh) but he and the DQ team are aware of the demand. He says he thinks they (the DQ team) have some ideas on how to make the franchise successful in the West, and asks us to look forward to upcoming announcements and to a "bright future" for the series.
So pretty much confirms no DQ games recently released (VII, X, Heroes) will be localized. Kind of figured.
 

Ryuuga

Banned
Those are some of the best responses I've seen from a heavy-hitter in the Japanese gaming industry in quite some time.
 
It's counterproductive to use one engine, specifically the one they built themselves?

KH3's development was apparently lagging because Luminous is still in development. By going with UE4 it allows them to speed up development rather than waiting for Luminous to complete. DICE actually did the same thing with Mirror's Edge. Frostbite was still in development while they were working on Battlefield: Bad Company, so another team decided to adopt UE3 so that they could hit the ground running with ME.
 

koutoru

Member
It makes sense to keep Luminous an exclusive engine to themselves.
At least they've learned that from their past experiences with the Crystal Tools engine.

Also, I'm certain that Dragon Quest Heroes and DQ XI will make its way to the west eventually, the huge western install base is just to lucrative.
 

TheTux

Member
I don't get it, why they can't share their own engine with their own studios, that makes no sense, never made

edited: I like how they make an engine exclusively for FF, it's making a car for one street only.
the Last Remnant surely would have benefited from using different engine, especially one that FF13 uses.

They never said they would use their engines only once..
 
ITT: People who desperately want anything dragon quest related. I don't believe square gives a shit. If they did then VII would have come to the west.
 
I want to believe. Announce DQ7 3DS and DQ Heroes and all will be forgiven

Thank god
Not for me, tired of playing tiny screen DQ. Something announced for consoles and and some HD ports and I'd be happy. Haven't enjoyed a DQ game the same way since DQ7 on PS2 -_-
 
Not for me, tired of playing tiny screen DQ. Something announced for consoles and and some HD ports and I'd be happy. Haven't enjoyed a DQ game the same way since DQ7 on PS2 -_-

DQ Heroes is on PS4. I'd love to see something that follows what DQ8 did but I'll take what I can get and not expect unreasonable things for now.
 
"Regarding f2p/mobile games, Matsuda says their goal is to go multiplatform, for example mobile titles would be released also on PS Vita or PS4. Their (mobile) teams are using Unity more and more, which should make it easier."

Please give me all the mobile versions of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
 
DQ Heroes is on PS4. I'd love to see something that follows what DQ8 did but I'll take what I can get and not expect unreasonable things for now.

I'd love to see Level 5 do a console DQ again. I still think DQ8 is actually their best, and most consistent game. Usually, I feel like they start strong and then turn into grindfests with terrible pacing in the back half.
 
Some of their upcoming RPGs might be episodic
Why the hell they can't understand that "episodic" only works for specific kind of games... NOT all of them!?

I want to experience my JRPG games as a whole and I decide when to stop playing and take a break... not to get pause and wait for the next episode a week or a month or even more :\

The hell with "episodic".
 

Thoraxes

Member
When asked about the popularity of JRPGs in France, Matsuda reiterates they have recently changed their focus regarding JRPG production: their current goal is to move away from Western influences and to focus on more "traditional" experiences, targeted at Japanese audience but with a strong potential on some overseas markets like France. He then adds he hopes these upcoming titles will catch our interest when they are announced.

Please.
 
Why the hell they can't understand that "episodic" only works for specific kind of games... NOT all of them!?

I want to experience my JRPG games as a whole and I decide when to stop playing and take a break... not to get pause and wait for the next episode a week or a month or even more :

The hell with "episodic".
Yeah, as great as the other stuff he said sounds, I'll agree that I'd rather not ever have my JRPGs episodic.
 

RPGCrazied

Member
I'll believe it when I see it, about that Dragon Quest quote. In a perfect world it would mean releasing DQ VII on 3DS and VIII HD on consoles. Localize Dragon Quest Heroes wouldn't hurt either. Pick one.
 
I still don't see it. It's filled with japanese tropes, archetypes and confusing mess of a story. If 'western focused' means 'cinematic experience', then okay, but otherwise, just nope.

I wish they would actually return to the ingenious days of older FFs, where they were neither Japanese nor western focused and had just an all around great diverse cast.

they used LEONA LEWIS in the western version....instead of THIS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQWOreArKbs


Isnt that enough for you
 
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