Ben-DutkaSo Wada is out and Square Enix plans to spend around $100 million for the sake of necessary restructuring. Well…yay?
So obviously, big changes are afoot at one of the industry's largest publishers. But what do you think will change? Do you see any significant shifts or alterations in the company's approach to the gaming business? Do you believe Wada has been partly or even mostly to blame for the downward trajectory of the company this past generation?
It'll be interesting to see what happens. On the one hand, it's clear that most all Japanese game makers and producers are obsessed with creating games that are appealing on a global scale. And rightly so. They've been falling behind for years and if they wish to remain viable, they really do have to accept that video games have indeed become a worldwide phenomenon. So it's perfectly understandable that they'd wish to adopt Western traits because after all, many of the most popular games in the world are made by Western designers. It's quite rational.
However, some of Square Enix's decisions have been anything but rational, as many Final Fantasy fans will tell you. It's odd: Games with Square Enix's name on the box actually have been pretty darn good; Tomb Raider , Sleeping Dogs , Hitman: Absolution , Deus Ex: Human Revolution , etc. It's only when they make their own games – ala Final Fantasy – where everyone starts to get confused. So the question is, will this management restructuring allow Square Enix to finally find their groove again? The upcoming Lightning Returns is just one giant cry for help, as far as I'm concerned; it's like a desperate scream- "We have no idea what we're doing, we have no idea what the fans really want, and all we know is that we have to get Westerners to buy it." It's just so sad.
But maybe things will just keep getting worse. Unfortunately, if they didn't get it before, why should they start to get it now, just because we've got new executives in charge?
