#Square video games series#

Look at Sega's approach to its Sonic the Hedgehog games. What comes next - While there's no guarantee that the black hole of video game IP known as the Embracer Group will treat these franchises any better than their former owner, there is some room for optimism here. Sonic Mania shows a possible alternate path for classic video game franchises, but it’s unclear if the big companies will take it. The addition of a grindy loot system (complete with microtransactions) to Marvel's Avengers without the aggressive content schedule of a true live game like Destiny 2 demonstrates this disconnect quite well. The publisher also pushed its developers to maximize the scale and audience of any game it green-lit, which often demolished the unique elements that made the game successful in the first place, as we saw with Thief. SE's European branch seemed unwilling to pursue projects that offered something truly original or groundbreaking, resigning themselves to imitate other players in the industry. However, the company's stewardship of its Western franchises has always been a bit suspect. Or maybe not, as the president of the company keeps saying that he wants to invest in NFTs, which he calls 'the future of gaming.' Good luck with that, Squeenix.Īs a long-time Final Fantasy fan, I have a lot of respect for Square Enix. Still, I get the sense that SE was just sick and tired of dealing with the vicissitudes of the global gaming market, and they want to stick to their core competencies as a publisher.

#Square video games series#

Despite the fact that these blockbuster games are based on some of the strongest IPs out there, neither Marvel's Avengersnor the recent Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy lived up to sales expectations.ĭespite these recent flops, when you consider the lifetime value of the Tomb Raider series alone, it's hard to believe that these three studios (and dump truck of IP) are only worth a paltry $300 million. Super zero - From a more objective perspective, this deal seems like the direct result of Square Enix's ill-fated dalliance with Marvel. It's hard to believe that these three studios (and dump truck of IP) are only worth a paltry $300 million. However, when Climax Studios' unannounced reboot Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun failed to impress after three years of development, Square Enix canceled it. When Final Fantasy games have development issues, such as Final Fantasy Versus XIII - which took more than a decade to emerge as XV - SE has infinite patience. To be fair to Square Enix, the company has published many acclaimed games in the intervening years, including the Final Fantasy XIII series, Nier: Automata, and its MMO moneymaker, Final Fantasy XIV. and Electronic Arts.Thief fans are still making custom levels for the game via The Dark Mod, but they don’t talk about Thief 4, and for good reason. When Square merged with Enix in 2003, they bought back EA's 30% of the company and folded the operation into Square Enix U.S.A., Inc.įollowing the announcement of the merger between Square and former competitor Enix, Square purchased back Electronic Arts' stake in Square EA, and folded it back into Square Soft, Inc.Ĭompany established as a joint venture between Square Co., Ltd. As part of the same agreement a counterpart company Electronic Arts Square was created in Japan.

Square EA's purpose was to localize, publish, and market Square's Japanese games for a North American audience.

A joint venture begun in 1998, Square Electronic Arts was 70% owned by Square Co., Ltd.