Square Enix CEO Resigns; FFX Fans Rejoice

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Square Enix has been kind of lousy for a while now, but finally the company’s CEO Yoichi Wada is stepping down. He’s been steering the company for over a decade, and in my opinion Square/Square Enix was much better off with Hironobu Sakaguchi back in the day, but things change, and Square Enix is in trouble. So what brought about this sudden resignation and what are Final Fantasy X fans so excited about?

Is there Hope for Square Enix?

wadaSo the main reason that Yoichi Wada is resigning is because Square Enix has had a really crappy time this generation. Their previous fiscal year was reported as an extraordinary loss. That’s bad.

Final Fantasy XIV was a massive failure, FFXIII sold well but had a generally mixed to poor reception, and the same goes for XIII’s sequel. Even my last hope for the company, Dragon Quest, is starting to crap out with DQX which is a MMO for NO RAISIN. FFXI and FFXIV were lousy! Square Enix! Stop making MMOs! You’re not good at it!

To be fair, it was announced in 2012 that FFXI had become the most profitable title in the Final Fantasy series. While that may be true given that monthly subscriptions really add up fast, it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t like the game and view it as the depressing turning point for the series.

final_fantasy_xiii_2

Needless to say, the company’s long overdue for a major change. They’ve lost much if not all of their former glory. Instead of releasing great titles and classics like the old Final Fantasy games, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve, etc – they’re dribbling out poorly selling games like Sleeping Dogs, XIII-2, and Hitman: Absolution.

Sure, some games of theirs end up being highly rated and doing well, but I just feel like Square Enix has lost their identity somewhere along the way. Sure, the latest Tomb Raider looks like a cool game and seems to be doing well so far, but that game is only under the Square Enix name because they acquired Eidos, the company that originally published Tomb Raider. Square Enix was even responsible for publishing Call of Duty: Black Ops II in Japan (what?). I know, I was surprised too. This company is all over the place.

Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-2

Anyway, they need to overhaul the company and refocus and reprioritize and all that other good business stuff. Synergy. Good news is that they are doing just that. Only bad part is that by making all of these restructure changes they’ll be losing about 10 billion yen (over $107 million). That’s a lot of cash.

To make matters worse, Japanese RPG developers in general have been catching some flak for not keeping up with the times and modernizing for a worldwide audience. Stuff like this is part of the reasons that Japanese RPGs don’t make it to America like they used to. Games such as Dark Souls and Monster Hunter are exceptions to the rule here, but on the whole JRPGs are not received as they once were.

You’ve Changed, Final Fantasy… You’ve Changed

ffxiv-is-bad“I never realized… how bad of a game we are…”

The Final Fantasy series in particular has taken a plunge. The games are selling less and less copies and Square Enix has been having trouble getting them out in a timely manner. FF Versus XIII was unveiled over 6 years ago and there’s not even a demo yet. FF Type-0 was released in Japan about a year and a half ago but still has yet to see an international release.

For some unknown reason, Square Enix plans to relaunch FFXIV as Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn. JUST LET THE GAME DIE, SQUARE ENIX. Seriously. I’m tired of it clinging to what little life it has. They’re also coming out with another FFXIII sequel called Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13. Again, I have no idea why. The other FFXIII sequel was pretty mediocre, why continue down that road? Not enough people like these games for them to keep releasing sequels and spinoffs.

New CEO = New Hope?

HopeNeedless to say, the new CEO, Yosuke Matsuda has his work cut out for him. I know next to nothing about him other than he was the company’s representative director before, but hopefully he’s up to the task. He’s got a long hard road ahead of him.

In my opinion, Square/Square Enix started to crap out around the time Hironobu Sakaguchi left the company and around the time Wada became CEO. How much blame should go where and all that is anyone’s guess. Is Wada solely responsible for Square Enix’s troubles? Probably not, but he was the figurehead and he’d lost face as the leader.

ffxi

Final Fantasy X was the last FF game that I really, truly enjoyed. It was the last FF game released under the Square name before they became Square Enix, and I choose that game as the last reminder of Hironobu Sakaguchi in an attempt to forget that he was mainly responsible for FFXI being a MMO *shudder*

So why are FFX fans rejoicing as I mentioned in the title? Well, some might be holding out hope that with the CEO stepping down, Square Enix might return to the glory days it enjoyed leading up to FFX – but there is another reason FFX fans are happy. FFX is getting an HD makeover.

Aw Yiss, FFX in HD

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev5HrygFUYM']

Since most of this post has been kind of a depressing rant (sorry), I thought I’d leave you with some much happier news. Final Fantasy X is getting a rework. While not everyone likes FFX, I know I do, and I am definitely looking forward to playing it again with some smoothed up visuals.

FFX was the first Final Fantasy on the PS2, the first with significant amounts of voice acting, and also the first to warrant a direct sequel, even if the sequel wasn’t all that impressive (FFX-2 is getting a rework too btw). The HD remaster will be released on both PS3 and PS Vita, many thinking it will come out around June or so. I for one can’t wait to get my hands on it.

So tell me, are you excited for an HD remaster of FFX/X-2? What do you think about Square Enix’s current situation and Yoichi Wada stepping down? Do you see a bright future ahead for the company? Let us know in the comments!

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  • bigwonk

    This is interesting. Square pays super top dollar. About double what the #2 developer, Sony, pays if you trust a survey done last year.

    http://nensyu-labo.com/gyousyu_game.htm

    If you’ve got to balance the books, it’s easiest to do while not investing in new IP thus churning out sequels & re-releases is an easy way to keep cash flowing while more significant restructuring is done.
    Over the long term, perhaps we’ll see a new creative Square or new independent developers but if the payroll story is even half right, Square has a tough future ahead of them but the new leader provides good opportunity to change course.

  • http://twitter.com/Naochwan Tina

    Actually my fav FF is Type-0.:D

  • John

    Hmm, I guess I’ll have to look into it.

  • John

    Hey different people like different things – I’m jealous that you got to enjoy XI – I really wish I could, haha.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lynn-Johnson/521266442 Lynn Johnson

    I rather liked FFXI… it is far from the worst in the series. If I had to pick a “worst”, I’d pick XIII or VII, to be honest. VII had the most convoluted story on the planet, and they needed to make a whole other game (FFVII: Crisis Core) before it made sense or was enjoyable. FFXIII was a game made up of (essentially) pre-programmed FFXII guests. Don’t get me wrong, Larsa came in handy, but I don’t want a whole damn game of them! lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lynn-Johnson/521266442 Lynn Johnson

    SHOMEBODY! ANYBODY!!! SHAVE ME!!!

    ^^^Totally made FFX-2 worth it. lol I mean, I loved the game, but that is by far one of my favorite lines in the game. XD

  • John

    XIII is my least favorite out of all the main games. I haven’t played XIV yet, but I imagine upon its initial release it was much worse than XIII.

  • Jon

    I enjoyed FFXIII-2, but the ending made me go, “Are you #$%# kidding me?!” Seriously, it’s like they were trying to troll their players or something.

    I’m also eagerly awaiting FF Versus XIII. If it’s really as awesome as it looks, I’d seriously consider getting a PS3 (or 4) to play it. But if it’s not, then. . . (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ︵ ┻━┻

    Seriously, 6 years and still no demo better make that game better than any other game they’ve made.

  • Flora

    I’ve never played a FF game in my life, but I can kinda see what you’re talking about. The games look BEAUTIFUL, but I’ve yet to have found a single game that actually looks enjoyable & worth the money.

    But I wasn’t aware SE was in such trouble – what happened to all that Kingdom Hearts money? I thought that was their new cash cow.

  • Adrian

    Shame on you for dissing 7. Seven had an amazing story.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1474670498 Stacey Audrey Mannuel

    YESH! FFX was one of my favorites and honestly the first one that actually got me interested in the entire FF series. Played To Zanarkand on the piano a little too much. Needless to say, I tried out some of the newer FF series. Though the graphics and characters were pretty and all, I thought the story was not as “oomph”-y as FFX or FFVII. The plot was a little bit too cheesy for my taste, and voice acting was omg -_-. (Most memorable chara for me is Vanille, who I found incredibly agitating.) Though I have to admit I like the real-time turn-based system of FFXIII (despite the overly elaborate cartwheels and double flips and stuff)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lynn-Johnson/521266442 Lynn Johnson

    Shame on you for being a mindless fanboy/fangirl/whatever. I simply disliked it. There is nothing wrong with that.

  • Adrian

    Double shame on your for promoting this stupid fanboy/fangirl culture. Seven is a great and beautiful game that has its place in video game history. It’s a shame you can’t appreciate it.

  • http://twitter.com/shollum Shollum

    FFX is getting a remake huh… I’ll stick with the PS2 version if only because I’ve clocked over eighty hours on it.

    I hope the company really turns around. I really miss Square’s old style of ‘Make everything awesome!’ instead of SquareEnix’s style of ‘Oh, just slap Final Fantasy on it and give it pretty graphics and it’ll sell’. Heck, I wouldn’t mind the company going back to releasing 16-bit games just so that they can focus on how to make the game great without using the latest graphical engines. Besides, 16-bit (well, sprites in general) looks better anyway.

    For proof that sprites still hold up, just take a look at Terraria and 洞窟物語 (Cave Story); those games are great and the timeless sprite graphics allow the game to look great without costing millions or billions of dollars and requiring a large number of man-hours to create and animate. I’m not saying all games should be like this, but that doesn’t mean that sprites are dead.

    Ah, somehow I went from Final Fantasy and SquareEnix to sprites…

  • http://twitter.com/shollum Shollum

    I liked VII, but honestly it’s not the best Final Fantasy. I think it just hits a big nostalgia bone for people. Personally, I preferred IV, V, and X over VII; maybe for the same reason that a lot of people think VII is the greatest. There’s nothing wrong with having the opinion that VII isn’t very good. Just like how most people say VIII is horrible (I personally thought it was okay, except those awful, painful graphics).

  • http://twitter.com/shollum Shollum

    Square doesn’t exist anymore. Square ate Enix, but Enix ended up being like the elder Toguro* and they pretty much took over, killed Square, and made the world worse (well, except for DQ fans).

    Note: That’s probably not how it actually happened, but you never know…
    * If you get this reference… Well, come up with something. I’m too lazy to finish the sentence.

  • http://twitter.com/shollum Shollum

    Remastering IV, V, or VI would be blasphemy! Oh wait, they already did IV… Twice…

    Anyway, those don’t need to be remastered. They just wouldn’t work well with polygons. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I think games that used sprites should stay games that used sprites.

    Oh, and a VII remaster would only be what every single fan of VII has been asking for for the past decade! It would be madness for them to actually do something that people actually asked for.

  • http://twitter.com/shollum Shollum

    The original phrase is “I couldn’t care less”, just so you know. I’m assuming that too many people started to leave out the n’t when they said it so now everyone thinks that it’s “I could care less”.

  • katkitoshi

    I’m hoping with a new CEO comes renewed hope. I love Square’s JRPGs and maybe what they need is a new perspective. It’d be a shame to watch them go completely since they have made some amazing stuff (aside from FF I also LOVE Star Ocean and the Mana games), but some huge revamps definitely needs to happen. No more syphoning off the successes of games past. Focus on something new and different? Maybe even start a new series that ISN’T Final Fantasy?

  • Nictwist

    i think there’s an indie company making an online version of it, i think the company’s called razingbird, hope it turns out good

  • Adrian

    My favorites are probably american 2 and 3 AKA japanese 4 and 6. I liked them all though. Even 12 which bugged me and had an uninteresting story and characters. 13 is likely my least favorite…unless I look it as a NON final fantasy. Then it’s slightly better. 7 is somewhere in the middle after 2, 3 and X.

  • http://www.waitforvsync.fav.cc/ Chris

    Well, keep in mind that even in Square’s RPG halcyon days they had a handful of pretty awesome non-RPGs like Einhander, Bushido Blade, and Ehrgeiz. Also, despite bad reviews I heard Driving Emotion Type-S was pretty good. Also also, I loved The Bouncer, though admittedly I may be in a very small minority there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AzureHellBunny David Alvarado

    PS3 and VITA?
    Dang! Why not 360?
    I would be buying it even if it’s 3 discs like XIII (which, personaly I enjoyed)

    That was the best PS2 FF game I ever played. (XII was not that good.)

  • johnydony

    So bloody sorry man…
    …though its kind of koichi’s fault because since i saw the video in which he says “what a kawaii morning” it’s like i’ve been rick rolled but with koichi. i see him everywhere. maybe if you put on a blond wig, u’ll overwrite his image on my brain. -0-
    (btw great blog guys :))

  • http://www.facebook.com/Little.Mochi.Fish Ageha Mochizuki

    Sleeping dogs was one if the most high rates games for its release when it came out. I don’t know why your calling it crap. 9 was the last good one I wish they would redo it… But I am a fan of how tidus dies at the end (only to be brought back in X2 but still)

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    oh gosh, my childhood can come back!

  • EspadaKiller

    FFX is my favorite FF as well. Definitely excited about it, together with FFX-2 (which I found it really good as well btw).

    Good thing that Wada steps down though, hope that Versus has at least a gameplay demo in the upcoming E3 or TGS, or at least a freaking release date. Heard there’s a rumor stating that it’s gonna be renamed to FFXV and releasing for the PS4 or next gen consoles though >_>

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lynn-Johnson/521266442 Lynn Johnson

    HAHA! I’m actually a fangirl to the core… just more over Whovian stuff. :p

  • Taka Koe

    I think that only Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu team ups can make a perfect game
    The Games ive enjoyed most is Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy X
    I dun really think that a Chrono Cross 2 would be good and to me Chrono Cross hav been an excellent game. Ive really loved what Yasunori Mitsuda has done. Lately i din feel what Square Enix to be Square Enix. They are losing compared to Bandai Namco
    Square Enix was a success in its own time. Hoping For Chrono Cross HD ^^

  • ElectricPrism

    When I grow up I want to be a blitzball!

  • Nick

    Lol you said the game was bad because you didn’t like it. What a bad article.

  • wudlaff

    can’t wait to see that awkward laughing scene in HD

  • Rochelle

    Excited for the FFX HD remake, and also for what new FF or other original game they’ll do now. The CEO shift explains the same changes I saw, so thanks for taking the time to do that. Great artwork up at the top, there, too, Tofugu artist person. :)

    I don’t care for FFX-2, but I like to have a copy around because I enjoy playing Spherebreak.

  • Gower

    Tidus: They said Seymour went to Macarena Temple.

    Wakka: “Macalania” Temple.

    Tidus: Aye!

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