Square Enix Announces Renewed Focus On Mobile Games, Claims Consoles Are Too Competitive

Most gaming fans know developer Square Enix for its “Final Fantasy” console games, particularly the ones in the PS One era, where titles like “Final Fantasy 7” flourished and still remain in the hearts and minds of gamers today. Though the company has also found success with modern consoles, thanks to games like “Tomb Raider” and “Hitman,” it seems like the company’s focus has changed. After looking at their sales charts, Square Enix has announced a renewed focus on mobile games.

The move was decided after Square Enix found out their mobile games helped increase the company’s net income by an impressive 49 percent, as reported by Touch Arcade. Specific successes include the nostalgic “Final Fantasy Record Keeper” and “School Girl Strikers” amongst others that have helped increase the company’s revenue.

Square Enix's MMO Games have also lead to more success for the company, as Pocket Gamer stated that their online multiplayer games like “Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn” and the Japanese-only “Dragon Quest X” were also quite helpful in the company’s success. The company has put plenty of effort in “Final Fantasy 14,” continuously releasing updates and expansions, making the game bigger and more accessible.

Also stated in the company’s report was the fact that smartphones and tablets have been spreading like wildfire, while consoles are almost always in competitive struggles against one another. Square Enix had originally been exclusive to Sony and Nintendo consoles, but that changed when most of their games started appearing in Microft platforms sometime after the release of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

While the company’s new focus on mobile games can be considered startling, there was no news regarding the status of their two big console games; “Final Fantasy 15” and “Kingdom Hearts 3.” Considering all the hype behind the aforementioned games, one can assume that they are still in development.

Now that Square Enix has renewed its focus on mobile gaming, it will be interesting to see what kind of mobile titles the company will be releasing in the near future for iOS and Android devices. A “Kingdom Hearts” MMO game called “Kingdom Hearts X[chi] was recently announced by Siliconera for Japanese mobile devices, combining the company’s biggest successes in one game.

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Final Fantasy: Record Keeper Official Trailer (Credit: YouTube/IGN)