Industry News | Square Enix Searching for Western Partner

By Jorge Ba-oh 24.09.2007 9

Square Enix has announced a hunt for a partner in the US and Europe to help raise the company's sales to 50% of overall revenue within the next 3 years.

Michihiro Sasaki, senior vice-president, told the Financial Times an increased share of the US gaming market was need to balance the company's dominance in Japan, with only 10-20% of income coming from outside the country.

"We need to seek co-operation with a US publisher

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charwiimario is offline. charwiimario 24.09.2007#1

"only 10-20% of income coming from outside the country."

Wow, I imagined it would be more considering their huge FF fan base. But this can only be good news, I guess, since it'd mean more Square Enix titles coming to American (and probably Europe too).

And I think RPGs and Fantasy games are popular everywhere, or not? I guess not as popular as sports games in the US...

----
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Galvanizer is offline. Galvanizer 24.09.2007#2

Seems they might buy a western developer...

 
Laurelin is offline. Laurelin 24.09.2007#3

Easy, Squenix: Just make Final Fantasy for Wii. Would be possible to get three flies with one flapper as Germans say: widen userbase with Wii-user, expanding sales on foreign market and dump PS3, whose poor sales strenthens your concern...
Since FF12 looks astounding on PS2, it would be nowhere difficult to do even better ones on Wii, without throwing 50 million out the window to built hidef content. Only take 20 and do one great FF14 on Wii. Maybe FF13, it's not too late!

I find your lack of faith disturbing!
 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 24.09.2007#4

Make FFVII - XIII on Wii plz!

Oh yeah, & merge with Lucas or something. Lucas need more stuff. Or Nintendo of America. Smilie

( Edited on 24.09.2007 09:46 by SuperLink )

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Mandown is offline. Mandown 24.09.2007#5

I am very surprised by how low that percentage is surely they are doing better than that. I am trying to think of puplishing house that would be ideal but cannot think of one Smilie. Nintendo of America would be great for Nintendo titles, and SCEE for their games. I think that would be the best solution for all.

 
Buffy the Fanboy Slayer 24.09.2007#6

What about EA in America or Ubisoft in Europe. Can't see any problems with thatSmilie

Final Fantasy Playground.

Final Fantasyz.

Yep, sounds great.Smilie

Temporarily banned until further notice.
 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 24.09.2007#7

oldschool said:
What about EA in America or Ubisoft in Europe. Cant see any problems with thatSmilieFinal Fantasy Playground.Final Fantasyz.Yep, sounds great.Smilie
I think I'd stop liking Square if they married EA or Ubisoft.

Nintendo + All exclusive Nintendo games plz. Smilie

As in, Square be 2nd party. I'd be so chuffed :3 & SEGA too.

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patjuan32 is offline. patjuan32 24.09.2007#8

oldschool,

Square and EA already had a partnership by in the 90's and lasted until Square and Enix joined together.

Square Electronic Arts (US)published Square's games in North America.

link:

http://games.ign.com/objects/025/025580.html


What Square-Enix is looking to do is contract some publisher who will handle the publishing, distribution, and marketing of all of their games in the west.
This could be EA, again, Activision, Ubisoft or some other company like Disney.

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 24.09.2007#9

EA may have published Square's games, but that doesn't mean they were partners. A lot of Japanese developers have no western publishers so they just wait for a western publisher to decide etc. Marvelous/Natsume had no publisher in UK, & they usually relied on Ubisoft to publish for them, but they sometimes didn't, so they got Rising Star for that.

Square Enix do publish there own games these days, so I don't know why it's a problem. Maybe they'd just prefer another company to publish them.

Please not Ubisoft though. As with what happened for Marvelous, Ubisoft aren't to be trusted, they'll just stop publishing when the feel like it.

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