Square-Enix Wants To Keep Current

Switching from cleverly ranty to the outright cantankerous, word on the street has it that someone has pissed in Square Enix management’s Corn Flakes. Apparently the 2007 numbers for the company didn’t exactly meet with the approval (Duh. 20% less profit and a tanking N. American marketshare?) of studio head Yoichi Wada.

Wada, stated concerns mirrored by many in the Japanese gaming industry, namely that Western development studios were becoming more and more successful as the world market grew more and more accessible. He proclaimed a need for his company to “go beyond traditional”, whether that meant a “business alliance” or “taking a stake in others”. Additionally, as Kotaku reports, rumour has it that there have been some serious internal pressures applied as well. Company insiders have snitched about a meeting that occured where Wada threatened to start making cuts to the staff roster if the development team didn’t (my interpretation here) start reacting to the shifting demands of a global economy. As Kotaku put it, to “stop making games that only they wanted to play”.

Strong words, and relevant ones, considering the company’s portfolio polarity. The juxtaposition uber-niche nerd games and mass appeal flog-a-dead-horse-a-thons leaves Square Enix with a huge gaping void where diversity should be.

Trouble in the hen house or will the lumbering giant steer clear of being pigeonholed?