Square Enix Wants Another Ten Years of Deus Ex

[Logan Westbrook]

Square Enix Wants Another Ten Years of Deus Ex

Deus Ex is a "key IP" to Square Enix, says CEO Yoichi Wada, on a par with Final Fantasy.

The Deus Ex series has already spanned ten years - although admittedly it took a lengthy rest after the release of Invisible War [http://www.amazon.com/Deus-Ex-Invisible-War-Xbox/dp/B00009M7Q8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1287879279&sr=1-2] in 2003 - and new owners Square Enix thinks it'll be another ten years before the series runs out of steam.

Wada hoped that Deus Ex: Human Revolution [http://www.amazon.com/Deus-Ex-Human-Revolution-Pc/dp/B002I0HKRQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1287877939&sr=1-1], the third game in the series, would revive the franchise, and said that Square Enix wanted to be pulling in profit from Human Revolution and its successors for the next decade. He seemed to put Deus Ex on an equal footing with Square Enix's flagship RPG series, Final Fantasy, calling it a "key IP" that Square Enix was looking to expand.


While the word "profit" is probably ringing a few alarm bells in people's heads, Eidos Montreal seems to be trying very hard to make Human Revolution a worthy addition to the Deus Ex series, and Square Enix's acquisition of Eidos early last year doesn't seem to have altered that goal at all. It would appear that Square Enix's plan to make a profit on Deus Ex is to make the games really, really good, which can only be a good thing for fans and newcomers alike.

Source: MCV [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/41462/Square-Enix-Deus-Ex-IP-will-last-us-a-decade]


Permalink

 

[bojac6]

And because the first one was so good, I will buy them. Even if the next nine years of Deus Ex games suck, I will buy the one that comes out in the tenth year.

Does that make me a consumer whore?

 

[JediMB]

I still haven't made it very far in the original game, since I forgot to save for a good while before accidentally killing myself. I didn't really feel like replaying that bit at the time.

I will get to the game at some point, though. When I don't have dozens of other games to complete as well.

...

Or maybe I should play less games and get myself a fucking life. Bah.

 

[Master Taffer]

Nah, just means you're supporting a series you enjoy regardless of quality.

As long as they don't stagnate the series with annual releases, I'm find with future games. Human Revolution is shaping up rather well from what I've seen.

Ultimately, what will result in more games is sales.

 

[Rad Party God]

Well, Deus Ex is in better hands with SquEnix than with Eidos alone.

At least it's better than having Activision raping the franchise over and over for the next decade. Until it turns into another FFXIII.

 

[Ranooth]

I think we all want another decade of Deus Ex goodness.

 

[Serenegoose]

Why would you even admit that?!

I mean really, whilst I commend their honesty, why would you announce to the people who are interested in your game, that you see it as a decade long cash cow?

Do car companies happily announce how the transmission will get all rubbishy after a year, every year, suckering you into paying for constant repairs the whole time?

Does someone selling you a house gleefully proclaim that the plumbing will freeze up every winter?

But game companies will joyously inform us that they see what should be art as little more than a Bovine ATM, that they'll be withdrawing from for a decade?

What's with that?

 

[Kurokami]

Well, Deus Ex is in better hands with SquEnix than with Eidos alone.

At least it's better than having Activision raping the franchise over and over for the next decade. Until it turns into another FFXIII.

I disagree, I love SquareEnix for FF, but the idea of having them supply more than money for DuesEx concerns me a bit. We'll see though.

 

[Acidwell]

As long as they don't stagnate the series with annual releases...

Hmm, well.

Anyone recall how they've been treating Final Fantasy lately?

You can hardly call the ff releases annual though can you?

OT: Well so many series have lasted that long with only quality games in them, Final fantasy lasted 20 years before anyone really started having problems with them.
It would be a different matter if they said they wanted to make 10 games in the ip, then the bells wouldnt shut up

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Why would you even admit that?!

I mean really, whilst I commend their honesty, why would you announce to the people who are interested in your game, that you see it as a decade long cash cow?

What's with that?

To be fair to Wada, he's a businessman talking to a business site, and you're putting words in his mouth when you say "cash cow." Not every CEO is Bobby Kotick, and profit isn't a dirty word.

 

[Echo136]

I love Deus Ex, but this sounds too much like milking a franchise before they even know if itll do well.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

Do car companies happily announce how the transmission will get all rubbishy after a year, every year, suckering you into paying for constant repairs the whole time?

No, but they do boast about their cars being top-selling.

He's basically saying that he hopes the same thing will happen with the Deus Ex franchise.

 

[Weaver]

Here's the deal Squeenie: if the game is good I'll buy it, simple as that.

 

[Serenegoose]

Why would you even admit that?!

I mean really, whilst I commend their honesty, why would you announce to the people who are interested in your game, that you see it as a decade long cash cow?

What's with that?

To be fair to Wada, he's a businessman talking to a business site, and you're putting words in his mouth when you say "cash cow." Not every CEO is Bobby Kotick, and profit isn't a dirty word.

Well of course he's not going to say that. And I get that he's saying it to a business website. I'm aware that not every CEO is Bobby Kotick, because it's not much of a stretch to believe Bobby Kotick WOULD refer to franchises as cash cows. That said, it's basically my belief that corporations have to prove that whenever they talk about long running franchises, they are NOT talking about turning them into cash cows. Activision and EA (EA sports in particular) may have played a large part in informing that belief, but given this statement is coming from Squeenix (of final fantasy 48,000 fame) I hardly feel it's an inappropriate judgement. So yeah, I get that he might be reassuring shareholders, I'm just saying that most other people selling us stuff are a little more savvy than that, and it's surprising that so many game publishers will openly brag about this. I remember the peeps making unreal tournament bragging about how they were going to release a UT game every year (many years back), so it's not an isolated thing.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

So we can look forward to a few core titles for the main platforms and a shitpot of spinoff titles for handhelds? Wow. I can't wait.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I think we all want another decade of Deus Ex goodness.

The key word being 'goodness'.

If they can produce a decade of good deus ex titles, that's a win for everyone.

If they spend a decade shitting out mediocre pap and slapping the Deus Ex name on it, it'd be better off if they just took the old fella out behind the barn and gave it a double barrelled retired.

 

[Sean Strife]

I never thought I'd see Deus Ex being held to that sort of standard, but hey... Final Fantasy has basically stagnated into a BARELY interactive movie, so there needs to be a new big player for Square to enter the arena with.

 

[theSovietConnection]

I love how everyone equates what he's saying to "another game every year, on the year". To me, it sounds more like he just wants whatever games come out to still be making money ten years from now. Hell, For all he says, they could release only Human Revolution and then a sequel five years down the road. Way too many people putting words in his mouth.

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

And because the first one was so good, I will buy them. Even if the next nine years of Deus Ex games suck, I will buy the one that comes out in the tenth year.

Does that make me a consumer whore?

Since you're the one who's paying to get fucked, I believe that makes you the John...[/joke]

On topic: yeah, I can see this being a good franchise to milk out for a decade. I mean, Halo's pretty much done, Mass Effect's only got one more game left, Castlevania tanked, and Final Fantasy needs some long term therapy before it stages it's comeback. And, like the post I quoted, I will buy it, as I even enjoyed Invisible War.