Square Enix looks to be wholly intent on going multiplatform with their games, per Final Fantasy's Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida's comments, starting off with Fantasian Neo Dimension.
Square Enix Shift Aways From Platform Exclusivity
Fantasian Neo Dimension Lands on Xbox as Square Enix Titles Gradually Launch Multiplatform
Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida has given further confirmation that Square Enix is dead set on pushing through with their multiplatform strategy. Speaking in an interview with 4Gamer, Yoshi-P revealed that Square Enix is shifting away from platform exclusivity, meaning that players can expect Square Enix titles to be "released simultaneously on different platforms more and more."
Meanwhile, in relation to the upcoming release of Fantasian Neo Dimension by developer Mistwalker, Yoshi-P confirmed that Square Enix intends for the game to be played on "many other platforms as well," as the game was previously announced as an iOS-exclusive.
"Of course, we hope that many people will play the game on other platforms as well. This time, we are releasing the Xbox Series X|S version at the same time," Yoshi-P told 4Gamer. Yoshi-P remarked that while they are very grateful to Mistwalker for their hard work on Fantasian Neo Dimension, the fact that the game is "being released simultaneously on so many platforms is in itself a boost" to the the game's hype.
"We plan to release more Square Enix titles simultaneously on each platform in the future, and this is the first of many such releases, so we hope that Xbox users will enjoy the game as well," he added.
With Square Enix's previous financial report indicating approximately 141 million USD profit losses from the previous year, partly attributed to losses from canceled game projects that did not align with its new strategy, the company has remarked that it is pursuing a multiplatform strategy for game releases. Company president Takashi Kiryu said that Square Enix is making 17 billion Yen (approximately 109.1 million USD) less than projected in operating income, prompting the change in strategy.
Square Enix's new approach will include "aggressively pursuing a multiplatform strategy," including its flagship titles," such as Final Fantasy, as well as a revamp of its "internal development process to bring more capabilities in-house' instead of outsourcing to third parties."
Moreover, Square Enix titles such as Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, Trials of Mana, and Legend of Mana, were announced to be available on Xbox during the Xbox showcase at Tokyo Game Show 2024.
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［インタビュー］坂口博信氏と吉田直樹氏が語る“王道の魅力”とは。「FANTASIAN Neo Dimension」は，RPGに必要なものが全部詰まった作品だ
