I will close this 2022 with an opinion, perhaps unpopular. But Square Enix is perhaps the company that generates the most rejection in the entire industry. And look, it has some serious rivals, but its treatment of Xbox elevates it to Top 1 on my worst video game publisher podium.
Today, I come to talk to you about the treatment reserved for the Microsoft platform for years. It’s obvious that there is a special feeling between Sony and the company led by Yosuke Matsuda. And I’m sticking to Xbox, but we could widen the spectrum to mobiles and PCs, where they seem to live far from reality in terms of price, with mobile games that are 30 or 40 euro SNES ports.
Square Enix turns its back on the Xbox
The fact is that with Xbox they are “special”. Because they have been systematically ignoring the platform since 2013. And yes, the situation has improved over time, but it is far from a normal relationship. And I am convinced that this improvement translates into dollars paid by Microsoft. Square Enix is doing no favors, and if it can try its luck on Xbox, it’s doing so bluntly. You do not believe me? Ha, innocent.
Fast forward to 2015 when Square Enix pushed Microsoft to reveal how long Rise of The Tomb Raider would be exclusive to Xbox. Have you seen this happen on another platform? That. But it is that, in addition, it adds the number of games that the Japanese continue to ignore on the American console. 90% of the games that arrived did so under Microsoft’s financial umbrella, and as additional information I will tell you that they have all arrived in Game Pass. Microsoft pays to bring its games to the service. It’s not that Nier or Dragon Quest XI arrived because Square thought it was good, they arrived because Spencer took the VISA for a ride.
I know what you’re going to say, and yes, you’re right. Each company is (pardon the expression) free to release its games wherever it sees fit. But then why introduce me to a character like Zack Fair in a remaster like Crisis Core that’s part of the Final Fantasy VII universe, if you’re not going to bring the rest of the games? What does this mean? What does it cost them to bring back outrageously priced HD roms like the new Final Fantasy Pixel Editions?
And let’s see, Stranger of Paradise is suitable for anyone who wants to do some sort of penance. But then again… what’s the coherent reason to bring this thing, but to make Final Fantasy XVI exclusive? What makes Square Enix think that Xbox users will want Forspoken in a few years and not a game from their most successful franchise? Really, who makes these decisions and who eats breakfast in the morning? Gin with Lemon Fanta?… Of course, that doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me.
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Square being Square
Then we have the case of physical editions. That it hardly exists anymore. I can understand it, really, the Xbox user consumes a lot more digital… But are there really independents who find a physical market and Square Enix which has its own distribution, right?
I know I’m not going to make many friends with this text. And honestly, I don’t care. But I’ve always been of the opinion that things should be called by their name, and the Japanese company’s treatment of Xbox literally stinks. It stinks. It’s like a fish that has been rotting in the sun for days.. I don’t see many excuses for this treatment of the platform.
And I say this with great regret, because unlike many colleagues, I care about the games these people make. But of course frontline games, random smoked bags don’t interest me at all.
Someone at Square thought we wanted this, not a Final Fantasy VII.
PS: If someone from Square reads me. With love, but Babylon’s Fall you can save it.
