Square Enix Financials Fall Through the Floor
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
Well, I think tightening their game selection process is not a good thing, any way you look at it titles a lot of people like are doubtlessly going to be lost, as Square-Enix gives up creativity in favor of milking what amounts to the same old thing. While I don't think it was a resounding success, and not one of my personal favorites (given that I'm not a huge shooter fan) look at say "Just Cause 2", that seems like the kind of game that is going to get canned under their new strategy.
To be painfully blunt, I think they need to just suck it up. Sure they had a bad quarter and lost like $150 million, but it's one quarter with some extreme factors. If they haven't been idiots with the profits they were making beforehand, they shouldn't have to be making any real changes to their operations, and just take the hit and move on, I mean right now it's obvious that there were factors beyond their control involved, as opposed to bad business desicians on their part. I think they are kind of milking this as an excuse to become even more ruthlessly corperate and try and limit the fan backlash to things they probably wanted to do anyway.
I find it darkly amusing when large companies have a bad quarter or simply don't meet predicted growth and run around screaming how the sky is falling. I mean if your losing big bucks every quarter that's one thing, but stuff happens, and if you take a loss here and there it's part of being in business. The bigger you are, the bigger the numbers are, and at least here Square knows it's not really anything they did. As I said, extreme action on their part isn't exactly justified. With the amount of money they have made, this just means skimming a few bucks off the top of that giant mountain of billions to cover losses for once, and get on with life.
To be painfully blunt, I think they need to just suck it up. Sure they had a bad quarter and lost like $150 million, but it's one quarter with some extreme factors. If they haven't been idiots with the profits they were making beforehand, they shouldn't have to be making any real changes to their operations, and just take the hit and move on, I mean right now it's obvious that there were factors beyond their control involved, as opposed to bad business desicians on their part. I think they are kind of milking this as an excuse to become even more ruthlessly corperate and try and limit the fan backlash to things they probably wanted to do anyway.
I find it darkly amusing when large companies have a bad quarter or simply don't meet predicted growth and run around screaming how the sky is falling. I mean if your losing big bucks every quarter that's one thing, but stuff happens, and if you take a loss here and there it's part of being in business. The bigger you are, the bigger the numbers are, and at least here Square knows it's not really anything they did. As I said, extreme action on their part isn't exactly justified. With the amount of money they have made, this just means skimming a few bucks off the top of that giant mountain of billions to cover losses for once, and get on with life.
A remake of FFVII would be extremely expensive and time consuming and it wouldn't really deliver anything new. We all know how it goes and how it ends.
Well, unless they drastically altered the story in which case is it a remake?
I loved FFVII back in the day, but I wouldn't even look at a remake. I've already played that game.
Well, unless they drastically altered the story in which case is it a remake?
I loved FFVII back in the day, but I wouldn't even look at a remake. I've already played that game.
FF12-14 were disasters. Neir was fluff,
12 was the first FF I had no interest in playing and I even LIKED X2.
Also they need to fire the dragonball z art guy because his style totally did not fit the gameplay of dragonquest or chrono trigger.
And finally even though nobody will play it but me.....remake Einhander.
12 was the first FF I had no interest in playing and I even LIKED X2.
Also they need to fire the dragonball z art guy because his style totally did not fit the gameplay of dragonquest or chrono trigger.
And finally even though nobody will play it but me.....remake Einhander.
Kingdom Hearts! Kingdom Hearts! Kingdom Hearts!
Actually, I would totally play another game in the Chrono series without a second thought.
As for just releasing re-makes? Make the PS2 games available on the PSN store along with some more of the classics then actually do some marketing for that. I didn't even know some of the classics were on the PSN store until I looked through bored one day.
Actually, I would totally play another game in the Chrono series without a second thought.
As for just releasing re-makes? Make the PS2 games available on the PSN store along with some more of the classics then actually do some marketing for that. I didn't even know some of the classics were on the PSN store until I looked through bored one day.
Yep. New Hitman as well.HankMan said:
Really, Square Enix should also be exploiting the Edios back catalogue. Put Hitman Blood Money on XBL and PSN if they hadn't already, for example.
Really, if you believe you're the only one who'd want to see a sequel to FF8, don't make it a milestone for them. They're in enough trouble as is.Sniper Team 4 said:Time to call in the back up plans for guaranteed money.
1) Release Kingdom Hearts 3.
2) Release Final Fantasy XIII Versus or whatever we're calling it now.
3) Release Final Fantasy XV--and make it good, it will sell three times as much.
4) Release sequel to Final FantasyVIII9 or 6 or something.
5) Release a new Chrono game.
6) Remake Final Fantasy VII on the PS3.
Follow these steps, and the company will be back in black immediately.
I loved Einhander.rembrandtqeinstein said:
I'd enjoy reading something that contrasted the success of these games in the West vs the East. Square does the same thing over and over again, and there has to be a really good reason for it.
I know culturally, what flops here can be successful in Japan, and vice versa. Did you know Metroid isn't that popular in Japan? Or rather, Nintendos least valued property of their big ones. It's extremely well received here. Just illustrating how something so good for us can be off-putting for them. I used Metroid as an example because I know about that one.
I have no idea about the SE properties.
You might be missing some of the humor.mjc0961 said:
One of the core reasons people cite FF7 being a good idea (pre-disaster) is that it would generate tons of cash, which is what SE needs right now. Those same people, myself included remember the FF7 guys (can't remember his name right now) stating in an interview that an endeavor would be extremely expensive and time consuming. We all know it won't work. But we're gonna crack wise anyway. Because that's what you do when you're nervous one of the pillars of the JRPG kingdom is about to come crashing down in bankruptcy; you try to defuse the situation with humor.
Well the new Deus Ex and Hitman are being published by Square Enix so I'll be giving them a fair share of my money.
You know, I can just barely see it too. Can't make out anything definitive, but there's something there!Onyx Oblivion said:
OT: Ah, Square - how fondly I remember thee. How you used to make good quality games. Secret of Evermore. Secret of Mana. The first Final Fantasy. Hope you recover so the rest of us can see if your company lives to pull its creative head out of it arse.
Around the time Final Fantasy 3, now known as 6, came out stateside I joked to my friends that I had sold my soul to Square. The PSX games cemented them in my heart. Sure 7 was VASTLY overrated and would have been better had they finished the thing, and 8 was mechanically trash and the story line dried up around the point where the whole orphanage thing happened, but they have me Xenogears, Tactics and FF9.
Square has more spots on my top 10 list than any other company.
1. Xenogears
2. Final Fantasy IV
3. Final Fantasy Tactics
4. Metroid Prime
5. Final Fantasy VI
6. Resident Evil 4
7. Crono Trigger
8. Final Fantasy 9
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee
10. Final Fantasy
As you can see 70% of my top ten list comes from Square. It was with 4 that I realized that I was a gamer. It was with 6 that I realized I could truly care about characters and it was with Xenogears that I learned that a video game could match or surpass the emotion that a movie, book or television show could give.
FFX made me realize that blind faith to Square (now Square Enix) was misplaced. The story was crap and the voice acting poorly done. FFX-2 cemented it. This time I joked that I asked for my soul back.
Since then Square Enix has not released a game that I truly enjoyed other than a few ports to the DS or PSP. The Final Fantasy line grew weaker and weaker with each game. Tactics went from being a game aimed to young adults at the earliest dealing with themes of politics, corruption, families fighting over power internally, religious indoctrination and many, many more complex issues including hinting at rape to being a rip-off of "The Never Ending Story" and honestly a crappy one at that.
The Crono line is dead, they sold off the Xeno line yet kept enough of the rights to make Monolith have to change a boatload of the mythology which ended up hurting the story. The Enix properties did not fair any better. Dragon Quest 8 was a masterpiece, I will give them that, but 9 was pretty weak and besides rehashes of the old games and a few crappy offshoots the series has gone nowhere.
Don't get me started on the Star Ocean franchise. SO2 ranks number 11 on my all time favorites, SO: Til the End of Time paled in comparison and The Last Hope took it out back and shot it in the head "Old Yeller" style. Watching the 19 year old alien elf guy mack on the toddler was just wrong. Very rarely does a video game disgust me sexually, the only other thing I can think that did was the old Sega S&M game... thing and "Custer's Last Stand" where you rape Pocahontas.
I for one care little that Square dug themselves into a hole and natural disaster might be the final nail in the coffin. Blaming the Earthquake and Tsunami that followed only showcases how far from reality they are. Crappy titles, poor business choices, dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into CG and trying to break into Hollywood killed them.
Maybe they can crawl out. Maybe one day the Final Fantasy series will be something other than Nostalgia. Maybe they will succeed at creating a new franchise that sells well, is fun to play, and not panned by every critic over the age of 16 and not on their payroll.
And maybe my poop will sell for $300 an ounce.
Square has more spots on my top 10 list than any other company.
1. Xenogears
2. Final Fantasy IV
3. Final Fantasy Tactics
4. Metroid Prime
5. Final Fantasy VI
6. Resident Evil 4
7. Crono Trigger
8. Final Fantasy 9
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee
10. Final Fantasy
As you can see 70% of my top ten list comes from Square. It was with 4 that I realized that I was a gamer. It was with 6 that I realized I could truly care about characters and it was with Xenogears that I learned that a video game could match or surpass the emotion that a movie, book or television show could give.
FFX made me realize that blind faith to Square (now Square Enix) was misplaced. The story was crap and the voice acting poorly done. FFX-2 cemented it. This time I joked that I asked for my soul back.
Since then Square Enix has not released a game that I truly enjoyed other than a few ports to the DS or PSP. The Final Fantasy line grew weaker and weaker with each game. Tactics went from being a game aimed to young adults at the earliest dealing with themes of politics, corruption, families fighting over power internally, religious indoctrination and many, many more complex issues including hinting at rape to being a rip-off of "The Never Ending Story" and honestly a crappy one at that.
The Crono line is dead, they sold off the Xeno line yet kept enough of the rights to make Monolith have to change a boatload of the mythology which ended up hurting the story. The Enix properties did not fair any better. Dragon Quest 8 was a masterpiece, I will give them that, but 9 was pretty weak and besides rehashes of the old games and a few crappy offshoots the series has gone nowhere.
Don't get me started on the Star Ocean franchise. SO2 ranks number 11 on my all time favorites, SO: Til the End of Time paled in comparison and The Last Hope took it out back and shot it in the head "Old Yeller" style. Watching the 19 year old alien elf guy mack on the toddler was just wrong. Very rarely does a video game disgust me sexually, the only other thing I can think that did was the old Sega S&M game... thing and "Custer's Last Stand" where you rape Pocahontas.
I for one care little that Square dug themselves into a hole and natural disaster might be the final nail in the coffin. Blaming the Earthquake and Tsunami that followed only showcases how far from reality they are. Crappy titles, poor business choices, dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into CG and trying to break into Hollywood killed them.
Maybe they can crawl out. Maybe one day the Final Fantasy series will be something other than Nostalgia. Maybe they will succeed at creating a new franchise that sells well, is fun to play, and not panned by every critic over the age of 16 and not on their payroll.
And maybe my poop will sell for $300 an ounce.
Nah... Next up, is the "The Final Fantasy." But, as a precursor... fill in the blank.Rex Dark said:
OT: Re-releasing some of their old games wouldn't be a bad idea. They can cut some corners, and these games have some good size fanbases along with staying power. It's not like the money is that huge of an issue. I mean, I can't see the top dogs going:
"What do you mean we're not taking in a profit."
"Oh, we were... but now we're not."
"Earthquake, yeah... tsunami, I gotcha... FFXIII and FFXIV, ouch!"
"But we were making money, right?"
*some guy nods yes*
"I mean, the business model was working?
*some guy nods yes*
"Fuck it, lock the damn doors!"
That damn earthquake, it's screwed up everything really, even just saw that Toyota's profits are down 77% for this quarter too.
I feel sorry for Japanese companies right now, massive losses through this major disaster rather than bad products or executives pissing money up the walls. At a time when finances are squeezed bad enough too.
I feel sorry for Japanese companies right now, massive losses through this major disaster rather than bad products or executives pissing money up the walls. At a time when finances are squeezed bad enough too.
