Bravely Default’s Success In The West Is Making Square Enix Rethink Their JRPGs

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Crystal Power

Keyblade Master
Nov 29, 2013
712
243
United States
#1
I wasn't sure where this topic should be posted seeing as it regarded Square Enix and JRPG's so I thought this would be the correct section, but it's also highlighting Hitman. Anyhow, I was was wondering what other people think of this news. If Square stuck with this mentality can we expect Final Fantasy XVI to be more of a "traditional" Final Fantasy game??? Thoughts please.

Siliconera News said:
Square Enix are still known for classic JRPGs such as Chrono Trigger and various Final Fantasy titles that defined their “golden age,” but lately, they’ve been focusing on trying to establish a more global appeal with their games. Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda recently talked to Nikkei Trendyon the matter of shifting the company’s focus back to JRPGs and their core audiences.

During the interview, Nikkei asked if Square Enix have any global titles for smartphones in the mix of all their upcoming new games.

“Not just limited to games for smartphone or console, but we do have some global titles lined up,” Matsuda replied. “However, regardless of whether they’re for smartphone or console, there’s a difficult element to developing global titles, so we’ll be making them without focusing too much on the ‘global’ aspect.”

“For example, in the past, when we developed console games with a worldwide premise, we lost our focus, and not only did they end up being games that weren’t for the Japanese, but they ended up being incomplete titles that weren’t even fit for a global audience.”

Matsuda continues, “On the other hand, there are games like the JRPG we made for the Japanese audience with the proper elements, Bravely Default, which ended up selling well all around the world.”

Bravely Default, as you may recall, was published by Nintendo in North America and Europe. In North America, the game sold over 200,000 copies in its first three weeks. Following its release in Europe, producer Tomoya Asano expressed surprise at how well the game was being received.

“Due to having split [the development mindset] according to regions around the world, we weren’t able to see this clearly up until now, but fans of JRPGs are really spread around the world,” emphasizes Matsuda. “Through the means of various networks, the latest information that is announced in Japan is instantaneously being spread across fans throughout the world. Whether it’s North America, Europe, or South America. There really isn’t much of a gap [in the relay of information].”

“With that in mind, and all of the collective fans, there’s a sense of mass, which loses the image of a niche market,” continues Matsuda. “For the new games we’ll be developing from this point on, while this may sound a bit extreme, we’ve been talking about making them as heavy JRPGs. I believe that way, we can better focus on our target, which will also bring better results.”

“If you focus too much on the global aspect, you might lose sight of who you’re actually making the game for,” explains Matsuda. “For example, if you look back at 2013, we’ve had some home console games made for a global audience that struggled.”

“The development team for Hitman: Absolution really struggled in this regard. They implemented a vast amount of ‘elements for the mass’ instead of for the core fans, as a way to try getting as many new players possible. It was a strategy to gain mass appeal. However, what makes the Hitman series good is its appeal to core gamers, and many fans felt the lack of focus in that regard, which ended up making it struggle in sales.”

“So, as for the AAA titles we’re currently developing for series, we basically want to go back to their roots and focus on the core audience, while working hard on content that can have fans say things like ‘this is the Hitman, we know’. I believe that is the best way for our development studios to display their strengths.”
Source: http://www.siliconera.com/2014/03/31/bravely-defaults-success-west-making-square-enix-rethink-jrpgs/
 

Nikolasvanitas

Chocobo Knight
Sep 27, 2013
198
76
Greece
www.youtube.com
#2
I would like to see Square try5ng to bring turn based jrpgs for the playstation/xbox consoles

Just a silly idea, but maybe they could create a subseries called FF legends or something and have traditional features of the series like turn based battle system,jobs system,open world and all the classic themes of the earlier final fantasies but without the high quality graphics and production costs that the mainline Final Fantasies require

For example you can have FF XV and FF XVI being the high budget main titles and then the FF subseries having all the traditional features and low production cost
just a silly idea:rolleyes:
 
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Squirrel Emperor

Nuts
Moderator
Sep 26, 2013
1,612
626
#3
Matsuda changing strategies like that suggests he has no clear vision and doesn't know how to lead the company. Don't think he knows what he is doing.

Saying what long time fans have wanted to hear is one thing. Taking action and actually making those type of products is another.

I'll believe it when I see it.
 

Jenova

Keyblade Master
Oct 28, 2013
729
583
#4
Square-Enix needs to find and acquire a balance. Traditional is all well and good. However, innovation is needed as well. While subject to polarizing opinions. the Lightning Saga had quite a bit of innovative elements within its games. Unfortunately, SE sacrificed many traditional elements that people enjoyed from past instalments in the process. I'm personally hoping that Final Fantasy XV will be able to achieve more of a harmony between tradition and creativity. While also putting Square-Enix back on the map in the JRPG genre.