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Square Enix ditches social games, decides to focus on “epic and famous” consumer games instead By Erren Van Duine on March 6, 2013 at 7:44 PM

In recent times, Square Enix has latched onto the social game craze – a move that many fans have come to disagree with.

2012 saw the company release a wide variety of social games under the banner of established IPs – many of them free to play and on browser or smartphone platforms. Square Enix took to promoting these releases through vague countdowns and eventually a weekly blog on Famitsu’s App corner featuring mobile division producer Takehiro Ando.

Ando has already worked on a variety of Square Enix mobile projects, including the revised Final Fantasy Tactics for both iOS and Android. Through his Famitsu blog, he would often announce new details for titles like Drakerider or Crystal Defenders.

“Goodbye Social Games” is the title of Ando’s latest entry, and in it he discusses a variety of things including Square’s first social game and how nearly all social games seem to ape the same reskinned concepts such as card collecting and gashapon games. He admits that SE is quite guilty of this as well, dragging down their own franchises such as Final Fantasy and World of Mana for the sake of catching a quick profit. While these titles have drawn in people who might not normally engage in video games, Ando notes that the hardcore gamers – the ones used to console and dedicated handhelds – are being left out in the cold. As a result, there is a plan to shy away from social games and focus more on higher quality games that long-time gamers can enjoy.

The move away from social games will signal an important transition for 2013: Square Enix is planning to release internally developed “epic and famous” consumer games, one after another.

Via: NeoGAF.

Posted in Square Enix.
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  • TMSixela

    I am a bit confused. Are they talking about the many web browser/MMO/mobile/card games? And just focusing on the mainstream ones like Versus XIII, Type-0 localization, Lightning Returns? And what about this “one after another” comment I keep reading but can’t find?

  • http://www.facebook.com/valefor.sanfran Valefor SanFran

    “The move away from social games will signal an important transition for 2013: Square Enix is planning to release internally developed ‘epic and famous’ consumer games, one after another.”
    It’s in the last paragraph my friend.

  • TMSixela

    Whoops! Missed that XD Don’t know how but thanks anyway!

  • Billy Jackson

    Please no… They will no doubt have a game that looks as good as that. But the world in the tech Demo does not seem like some place I would want to explore too much.

  • Cerberuswaltz

    This sounds fantastic! I am glad that they are going to spend more of their time and resources on platform games; should make things go a little faster and such. However, I hope Dimensions gets pulled into a platform or so… I love the art and ideas, it would be fun.

    For most people commenting on Lightning Returns, remember; the crew and team are totally different from Versus XIII. Nomura is working on Versus. I can’t recall the guy for LR, but he/she is the same one who worked on XIII and XIII-2, which I enjoyed myself.

    They did say they were going to make another title on the PS4, SO hopefully it will be a good one (I’d love Agni’s Philosphy. Strong female leads always intrigue me). SO, yay Square Enix for taking a step that most game companies don’t!

  • Cerberuswaltz

    I would adore Bravely Default coming to the West (and no doubt, Type-0). Let’s hope they use that work power for that!

  • YamiNoBahamut

    Tbh, thank fuck for that.

  • Oerba

    Oh yes, bring us more FFXIII action “RPGs”. I do welcome this news, but I’m not really expecting much, considering how much they’re milking XIII (or more specifically, the obsession with Lightning). SE has lost their touch as of late, and I’ve been replaying some of the older FF titles which has only made me lose even more interest in the upcoming titles. That being said, I hope they will at least try to entertain those of us who prefer the older games.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Cyborg1985 Joshua Anderson

    I would think that they are referring to Kingdom Hearts 3. The KH fanbase has only been waiting for 8 YEARS for it. Plus the hidden release year within KH dream drop distance of 2014 can only refer to KH 3.

  • http://www.facebook.com/gouken.gassenarl Gouken Gassenarl

    YEHEEY!! THESE NEWS BRING HARMONY TO MY EARS! No longer will I see Square-Enix games that even fools dare to rant about blindly.

    …I do hope though…that someday, they’d place Theatrhythm on the VITA too…

  • HPN

    Bravo for having some balls against a tsunami of derivative shite.

  • jeka69

    Eh I heard vXIII is going to be renamed into XV though. Prolly just a rumor, but interesting rumor nonetheless.
    http://gematsu.com/2013/03/ff-versus-xiii-outfit-designer-lists-game-as-final-fantasy-15

  • http://www.facebook.com/smcada17 Sean Mcadam

    Not gonna insult anyone’s opinion I just wish they would return to their roots a little. I haven’t liked any final fantasy after X I understand that 13 and that have a huge fan base but me preferably would like a new old style game

  • http://twitter.com/jade_jmbtf Ink Scratchers

    Personally I’ve enjoyed most of the FF games. My first was VI, but I got really into them after VIII and since then I have played them all except their second online game XIV, I really enjoyed XI (their first online game) and played it non-stop for about four years and will be starting again soon. I think an MMO with similar gameplay to XI but better graphics would be the way forward.

  • disqus_yhuO8sqWWb

    April 26th – Square Enix has announced a new social game titled Final Fantasy Tactics S.

    /facepalm

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