Square Enix Loses Nearly $2 Billion in Value Since Final Fantasy 16

[LittleImp]

https://www.ign.com/articles/square-...nal-fantasy-16

Uh oh.
I guess that's the definitive word on the debated success of FFXVI.

Hopefully Kiryu's fondness for FFXIV means it will be a significant part of their described pivot towards focusing on their bigger games.

The root of the problem, sources told Bloomberg, is that producers were given “full reign” over the scope and direction of projects, whose goals can shift “without warning”. The upshot of this is volatility in the quality of the final product.

This is probably mostly referring to things like Balan Wonderworld, Forespoken and Marvel's Avengers, but is still.. interesting to say the least.

[BRVV]

Didn't they brag having 50% of unused maps for FFXIII?

They changed a lot about FFXV.

Changing a lot about a game in development and throwing away (completed) work has been an issue of SE for a long time.

[ZephyrMenodora]

Thought about posting this earlier, but figured I'd wait for someone else to do it as I didn't feel like writing an intro lol.

Seems like XIV is one of their few products not losing them money these days. I guess we'll see how 7Remake-Part 2 turns out. They really need a big win financially after the past few years outside EW.

[EgilTheStressedMage]

TF2 mercs say it best.

[GaiaBell]

14 carries the company so it will never get canceled dont worry bud

[CaptainLagbeard]

Having to wait until 2024 to be able to possibly buy FF XVI isn't helping it as they do have that 6 month exclusivity for the PS5 and I dunno how long it'll take them to actually make a port of it...

[Noumenon]

https://archive.ph/20230913031124/ht...n-market-value

“Square Enix has problems with their games output,” said Serkan Toto, a Tokyo-based industry consultant, who said too many of the company’s games are “kind of conventional” and don’t aspire to become blockbusters. “These titles get a 70% rating on Metacritic, are kind of OK and are just very forgettable.”

I wonder...

[Noumenon]

Having to wait until 2024 to be able to possibly buy FF XVI isn't helping it as they do have that 6 month exclusivity for the PS5 and I dunno how long it'll take them to actually make a port of it...

It's pure copium to think the PC port will help matters. FF16 is an extremely mediocre game in the sea of great games that released lately like BG3.

Of course, many people will disagree and claim that FF16 is awesome. But neutral, logically-minded analysts have this to say:

The company has begun overhauling how it assigns producers, one of the contractors said. While game quality management remains a risk, the studio can bank on its legacy franchises for the time being, according to MST Financial analyst David Gibson. Square Enix has a loyal following of fans for its established titles and it can keep churning those out across new platforms to maintain sales for a while, Gibson said.

That's right: SE churns out mediocre or even garbage quality games and bank on its charmed and enraptured loyal fanbase to carry them over. It's much like Pokemon: garbage after garbage but it does fine because its fans hate themselves and dare not question their god.

[CNitsah]

14 carries the company so it will never get canceled dont worry bud

Honestly with the lack of attention it had recently, and how people will blame FFXVI relative failure (if it's really one, I have no opinion on that, but from that article, it seems at least disappointing) on Yoshida, the game might not be cancelled, but I would not be surprised if it suffered big changes, and maybe not for the better. SE is not known for his strategic choices, and the president coming from the strategic division, I have a lot of doubts on his capacity to deal with the problem. SE is the Capcom from 15 years ago.

Having to wait until 2024 to be able to possibly buy FF XVI isn't helping it as they do have that 6 month exclusivity for the PS5 and I dunno how long it'll take them to actually make a port of it...

That too. This was probably their worst mistake. FFXIV players were probably the most easy player to convert into FFXVI sales, and despite FFXIV being mainly played on PC outside Japan, they chose to cut that part of the playerbase. Now that the reception is out and opinion on the game are divided, I'm not sure the sales on PC will be as high as they would have if it was a simultaneous or a one month separated release. The window of intersest is closed, and the FFXVI pc Sales will probably follow those of XV, serve as the platform for long time sales of the game, but I doubt there will be any big peak.

[Darkobra]

Having to wait until 2024 to be able to possibly buy FF XVI isn't helping it as they do have that 6 month exclusivity for the PS5 and I dunno how long it'll take them to actually make a port of it...

They've started making the port now and it'll come with the DLC. WHEN it will come out, we don't know.