Square Enix has been heralded for making iconic franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, so it’s odd hearing the company say they don’t want to rely on them anymore. Takashi Kiryu, the company’s president, has said that he wants the company to be more diverse and not rely on the same old games.
During a Q&A published by the company (via GamesRadar), Kiryu revealed that he wants the company to have a more diverse lineup and not rely on these two titles. The company will still make games for this franchise, but it seems they also want to succeed with newer properties in the future.
"Because we possess strong IPs like the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy franchises, I believe that we have tended to be overly reliant on certain gameplay styles or genres," Kiryu said in the Q&A. "Meanwhile, the tastes of customers in the gaming market have diversified, and customers have come to enjoy content from a variety of genres."
It is funny to hear this from Square Enix, the same company that’s publishing next month’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and its upcoming sequel. Not helping their case is that they just published Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Price, which has managed to sell over a million copies.
To be fair, Square has published several new IPs in recent years, some of which ended up becoming smash hits. Powerwash Simulator might be one of their biggest surprises, as fans love how cozy and relaxing the game is. Fans are also excited to see their multiplayer shooter Foamstars in action, even if it uses AI art in some parts of the game.
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Regardless, it seems that Square Enix will continue to release strong games in the future, even if some of them aren’t Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. That doesn’t mean they’re going to stop making these games, as fans are still waiting for Dragon Quest 12 and the inevitable Final Fantasy 17 to come out.