Square Enix‘s Visions of Mana may be coming to Xbox Game Pass.
18.01.2024 - 19:43 / gameranx.com
Square Enix is a big name in the video game industry. They have all kinds of incredible IPs that they deliver into the marketplace. The biggest of which is Final Fantasy. However, the company has attempted to bring out some smaller titles. With more players and devices available to enjoy games, the folks at Square Enix have tried to cover all their bases. Some have worked incredibly well, while others fell short of becoming that big blockbuster hit.
Today, we’re finding out that Square Enix is trying to restructure their development process. In a new financial results briefing, the CEO Takashi Kiryu spoke to some of the questions presented. For instance, a question asked whether the development function being spread across many bases makes development efforts difficult. That is when the CEO spoke on ensuring they are slimming down their lineup in order to produce higher-quality titles.
It has less to do with our development function and more to do with the numerous entries in our lineup. I want to structure our development function so that we are able to ensure higher quality from each title by slimming down our lineup.
It was then asked why Square Enix had taken so long to slim down their lineup. The comments offered by the CEO suggested that the teams were still looking to meet their customer’s needs, from the different types of games to the devices they were being played on. But it’s become clear that the team is trying to use its resources to focus on fewer titles, which can deliver a more quality product. Of course, that doesn’t mean the company hasn’t had success with the smaller titles released.
As our customers’ needs and the types of devices available have diversified, we have tried to produce hits by developing a wide variety of titles rather than by focusing only on certain ones. I believe that this has resulted in the splintering of our resource pool. Meanwhile, there have been clear winners and losers among the major titles released recently in the gaming market, and it has become possible for even indies titles to make their presence felt. The market is increasingly polarized between blockbuster and indies titles, but I feel that we have developed many titles that fell somewhere in the middle. I want to make clearer distinctions going forward.
Even the CEO mentioned earlier in the Q&A portion of their briefing that Powerwash Simulator was a hit released as a suitable title for the casual gamer. We just don’t know yet what franchises will get left behind in this new restructuring. Those of you who enjoyed the more niche title releases from Square Enix may soon find those titles slowly being tossed into the Square Enix vault. On the flip side of all this, we should see fewer title
Square Enix‘s Visions of Mana may be coming to Xbox Game Pass.
A recent update to Microsoft's website suggests that Square-Enix's upcoming Visions of Mana may be headed to Xbox Game Pass alongside its release. Square-Enix first announced the newest entry in the long-running RPG franchise during the 2023 Game Awards, surprising fans with the reveal of the newest Mana game. The RPG is set to arrive as the first brand-new main-series entry in the franchise in nearly two decades, with Mana's recent releases coming as remakes of older titles. Now, the newest Square-Enix game may be coming to Game Pass as well.
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Outriders and Bulletstorm developer People Can Fly has joined the long list of developers and companies in the games industry that have been hit with layoffs, less than a month into 2024. As per a report by Kotaku, the studio has laid off over 30 people.
People Can Fly has reportedly laid off over 30 developers working on an unannounced Square Enix game.
President Takashi Kiryu has shared his plans to slim down Square Enix's lineup of titles.
Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu believes the company needs to diversify its gaming output, but also focus on fewer releases.
The president of Japanese publishing giant Square Enix, Takashi Kiryu, has said he wants his company's output to be more diverse.
Square Enix recently revealed during the Xbox Developer Direct that Visions of Mana will be released for Xbox during the upcoming summer. During the event, Microsoft unveiled more information about the upcoming Indiana Jones game developed by MachineGames, and details about Avowed and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. However, the appearance of Visions of Mana was the biggest surprise of Xbox Developer Direct.
Square Enix appears to be on the verge of shaking up its development portfolio. According to its president, we may soon see fewer titles, but a more diverse array of genres coming out of a developer and publisher traditionally known for its massive RPG franchises.
Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu says he wants to diversify the studio's lineup of games by relying less on "strong IPs" like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
Yesterday, Square Enix announced that its party shooter Foamstars would launch on February 6th for PS4 and PS5. Despite comparisons to Splatoon, it’s received praise for doing different things. Since it’s also out on day one for PlayStation Plus subscribers, it’s almost guaranteed to have a healthy player base initially.