is a Japanese
multinational holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'', ''
Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...
'', ''
Star Ocean
is a franchise of action role-playing video games developed by the Japanese company tri-Ace and published and owned by Square Enix (formerly Enix).
Development History
The series is also known for being some of the earliest action RPGs to allo ...
'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
''
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
franchises, among numerous others. Outside of video game publishing and development, it is also in the business of
merchandise
Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more i ...
,
arcade facilities, and
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
publication under its
Gangan Comics brand.
The original Square Enix Co., Ltd. was formed in April 2003 from a
merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
between
Square and
Enix
was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games.
The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...
, with the latter as the surviving company. Each share of Square's
common stock was
exchanged for 0.85 shares of Enix's common stock. At the time, 80% of Square Enix staff were made up of former Square employees. As part of the merger, former Square president
Yoichi Wada
is a former president and representative director of the Japanese video game and publishing company Square Enix as well as its subsidiary Taito. He is also the former chairman of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), the fo ...
was appointed the president of the new corporation, while former Enix president Keiji Honda was named vice president. Yasuhiro Fukushima, the largest
shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal own ...
of the combined corporation and founder of Enix, became chairman. In October 2008, Square Enix conducted a company split between its corporate business and video game operations, reorganizing itself as the
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., while its internally domestic video game operations were formed under the subsidiary Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Several of Square Enix's franchises have sold over 10 million copies worldwide after 2020, with ''Final Fantasy'' selling 173 million, ''Dragon Quest'' selling 85 million, and ''Kingdom Hearts'' shipping 36 million. In 2005, Square Enix acquired arcade corporation
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
. In 2009, Square Enix acquired British game publisher
Eidos Interactive
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
, which was later absorbed into
Square Enix Europe
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
. Square Enix is headquartered at the Shinjuku Eastside Square Building in
Shinjuku
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
, Tokyo, and has over 5,000 employees worldwide through its base operations and subsidiaries.
Corporate history
Origins and pre-merger (1975–2003)
Enix (1975–2003)
Enix was founded on September 22, 1975, as Eidansha Boshu Service Center by Japanese architect-turned-entrepreneur Yasuhiro Fukushima.
Enix focused on publishing games, often by companies who exclusively partnered with the company, and is perhaps most famous for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of console games developed by
Chunsoft. Key members of the developer's staff consisted of director
Koichi Nakamura
is a Japanese video game designer. A programming prodigy, Nakamura gained fame while still in high school; in 1982, he entered Enix's first national programming contest and claimed runner-up prize with his entry, ''Door Door''. In 1984, he found ...
, writer
Yuji Horii
(also written as Yuuji Horii; born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing games, supervising and writing the scenario for ''Chrono Trigger' ...
, artist
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series ''Dr. Slump'', before going on to create ''Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character design ...
, and composer
Koichi Sugiyama
was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing the music for the '' Dragon Quest'' franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, and television shows. Classically trained, Sugiyama was ...
, among others.
The first game,
Dragon Warrior
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio ( Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publ ...
, in the Famicom-based RPG series, was released in 1986 and would eventually sell 1.5 million copies in Japan, establishing ''Dragon Quest'' as the company's most profitable franchise.
Despite the announcement that Enix's long-time competitor Square would develop exclusively for
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, Enix announced in January 1997 that it would release games for both Nintendo and Sony consoles. This caused a significant rise in stock for both Enix and Sony. By November 1999, Enix was listed in the
Tokyo Stock Exchange
The , abbreviated as Tosho () or TSE/TYO, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies, and the largest in Asia. It had 2,292 listed co ...
's first section, indicating it as a "large company".
Square (1983–2003)
Square was started in October 1983 by
Masafumi Miyamoto
is a Japanese investor and businessman best known as the founder of the video game developer Square. Miyamoto graduated from Waseda University in 1983, and joined his father's electric power conglomerate, Den-Yu-Sha as a programmer in their soft ...
as a computer game software division of Den-Yu-Sha, a
power line construction company owned by his father. While at the time, game development was usually conducted —by only one programmer, Miyamoto believed that it would be more efficient to have graphic designers, programmers and professional story writers working together.
In September 1986, the division was spun off into an independent company led by Miyamoto, officially named Square Co., Ltd.
After releasing several unsuccessful games for the
Famicom, Square relocated to
Ueno, Tokyo in 1987 and developed a
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
titled ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'', which was inspired by
Enix
was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games.
The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...
's success in the genre with the 1986 ''
Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...
''.
''Final Fantasy'' was a success with over 400,000 copies sold, and it became Square's leading franchise, spawning dozens of games in a series that continues to the present.
Buoyed by the success of their ''Final Fantasy'' franchise, Square developed notable games and franchises such as ''
Chrono
Chrono may refer to:
Prefix
''chrono-'' a Greek combining form relating to time
* chronometry, science of the measurement of time
*"chrono", colloquialism for chronograph in watch and clock collectors' language
Games
* ''Chrono'' (series), a Ja ...
,'' ''
Mana'', ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' (in collaboration with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
), and ''
Super Mario RPG'' (under the guidance of
Super Mario
(also known as and ) is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every m ...
creator
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...
).
By late 1994 they had developed a reputation as a producer of high-quality role-playing video games. Square was one of the many companies that had planned to develop and publish their games for the
Nintendo 64, but with the cheaper costs associated with developing games on CD-based consoles such as the
Sega Saturn
The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
and the
Sony PlayStation, Square decided to develop titles for the latter system. ''
Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
'' was one of these games, and it sold 9.8 million copies, making it the second-best-selling game for the PlayStation.
Merger (2003)
A merger between Square and Enix was considered since at least 2000; the financial failure in 2001 of Square's first movie, ''
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'', made Enix reluctant to proceed while Square was losing money.
With the company facing its second year of financial losses, Square approached Sony for a capital injection, and on October 8, 2001, Sony Corp purchased an 18.6% stake in Square. Following the success of both ''Final Fantasy X'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'', the company's finances stabilized, and it recorded the highest operating margin in its history in the fiscal year 2002. It was announced on November 25, 2002, that Square and Enix's previous plans to merge were to officially proceed, intending to decrease development costs and to compete with foreign developers.
As described by Square's president and CEO Yoichi Wada: "Square has also fully recovered, meaning this merger is occurring at a time when both companies are at their height."
Some shareholders expressed concerns about the merger, notably Miyamoto (the founder and largest shareholder of Square), who would find himself holding a significantly smaller percentage of the combined companies. Other criticism came from Takashi Oya of Deutsche Securities, who expressed doubts about the benefits of such a merger: "Enix outsources game development and has few in-house creators, while Square does everything by itself. The combination of the two provides no negative factors but would bring little in the way of operational synergies." Miyamoto's concerns were eventually resolved by altering the exchange ratio of the merger so that each Square share would be exchanged for 0.85 Enix shares rather than 0.81 shares, and the merger was greenlit. The merger was set for April 1, 2003, on which date the newly merged entity Square Enix came into being.
At the time of the merger, 80% of Square Enix staff were made up of former Square employees. As part of the merger, former Square president Yoichi Wada was appointed the president of the new corporation, while former Enix president Keiji Honda became its vice president. The founder of Enix and the largest
shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal own ...
of the newly combined corporation, Yasuhiro Fukushima, was made its honorary chairman.
As a result of the merger, Enix was the surviving company and Square Co., Ltd. was dissolved.
In July of that year, the Square Enix headquarters were moved to Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, to help combine the two companies.
Post-merger and acquisitions (2003–2013)
To strengthen its wireless market, Square Enix acquired mobile application developer UIEvolution in March 2004, which was sold in December 2007, and the company instead founded its own Square Enix MobileStudio in January 2008 to focus on mobile products.
In January 2005, Square Enix founded Square Enix China, expanding their interests in the People's Republic of China.
In September 2005, Square Enix bought the gaming developer and publisher
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
, renowned for their arcade hits such as ''
Space Invaders'' and the ''
Bubble Bobble'' series; Taito's home and portable console games divisions were merged into Square Enix itself by March 2010. In August 2008, Square Enix made plans for a similar expansion by way of a friendly takeover of video game developer
Tecmo by purchasing shares at a 30 percent premium, but Tecmo rejected the proposed takeover. Tecmo would later merge with
Koei
Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...
in April 2009 to form
Koei Tecmo. In April 2007, Square Enix Ltd. CEO John Yamamoto also became CEO of Square Enix, Inc. In 2008–2009, Square Enix was reportedly working with
Grin on a Final Fantasy spin-off codenamed
Fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
. The project was allegedly canceled by Square Enix after introducing seemingly impossible milestones and without payments made, resulting in Grin declaring bankruptcy and its co-founders blaming Square Enix for being "betrayed".
In February 2009, Square Enix announced a takeover deal for Eidos plc, the
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
for
Eidos Interactive
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
, the UK-based publisher of the ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'', ''
Hitman
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
'', ''
Deus Ex'', ''
Thief'' and ''
Legacy of Kain'' franchises, along with its multiple subsidiary development studios that developed the games The acquisition of Eidos was completed in April 2009, and in November the publisher was merged with Square Enix's European publishing organization to form
Square Enix Europe
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
.
In April 2010, a new Japanese label for Western games bearing
CERO restrictions called ''Square Enix Extreme Edges'' was announced. In July 2010, Mike Fischer was appointed CEO of Square Enix, Inc.
In March 2011, Square Enix founded the mobile development studio Hippos Lab
and
Square Enix Montréal
Square Enix Montréal was a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal. It created the ''Go'' series of turn-based puzzle games for mobile devices based on former Eidos Interactive intellectual properties.
Square Enix Montréal was found ...
in 2012.
In July 2011, it was reported that Square Enix closed their Los Angeles Studio. In January 2012, Square Enix North American office could pursue smaller niche, mobile and social media games due to its existing revenue streams. In October 2012, Square Enix was perceived as a "force in mobile" games by
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
. The price of Final Fantasy Dimensions and Demons' Score, $30 and $44 respectively, was criticized.
Restructuring (2013)
On March 26, 2013, citing sluggish sales of major Western games, Square Enix announced major restructuring, expected loss of ¥10 billion and resignation of President Yoichi Wada, whom Yosuke Matsuda replaced.
Phil Rogers was elected as a new Director, among others.
With the restructuring, Square Enix of America CEO Mike Fischer left the company in May, with former Square Enix Europe CEO Phil Rogers becoming CEO of Americas and Europe. Further executive changes at Square Enix Western studios were mentioned in a statement. With the consolidation of Square Enix Western divisions around 2015, Square Enix Ltd. and Square Enix Inc. are collectively referred to as Square Enix West.
It said with the fiscal year report in March 2013, sales of ''Tomb Raider'' (2013) and ''Hitman: Absolution'' were weak, despite critical acclaim. The North American sales force was said to be ineffective as the game sold two-thirds the number of units it did in Europe. Price pressure was intense, which forced spending additional channel costs such as price protection. Matsuda noted the long development time of their important games and said they need to shift to a business model with frequent customer interactions, noting
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
as an example, and finally, make sure games meet customer expectations.
Post-restructuring (2013–present)
In March 2013, Square Enix India opened in Mumbai; however the studio was closed in April 2014 and later reopened five years later. As well as Square Enix Latin America in Mexico, which was closed in 2015. A mobile studio called Smileworks was founded in Indonesia in June 2013; however it was closed in January 2015.
In 2014, Square Enix signed a
strategic alliance with French video game company
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
; it has served as the Japanese publisher of video games since 2009. In March 2014, following the success of ''
Bravely Default'', Square Enix said it will "go back to their roots" and focus on creating content that will appeal to their core audience. In 2015, Square created a new studio known as
Tokyo RPG Factory
is a Japanese video game developer and subsidiary of Square Enix, a company known for its work in the role-playing genre. The company was founded in 2014 under the name "Tokyo Dream Factory" by Yosuke Matsuda, who became president of Square En ...
to develop what was then dubbed ''
Project Setsuna.''
On February 21, 2017, the formation of a new studio Studio Istolia was announced. The studio, headed by
Hideo Baba
is a Japanese video game producer and president of the game development company, Studio Istolia. He formerly worked at Namco Bandai Studios where he was hired by them before their merge to be primarily involved with the production of the '' Tales ...
, would be working on the new RPG ''Project Prelude Rune''. Baba departed the studio in early 2019, and shortly after this, Studio Istolia was closed, and ''Project Prelude Rune'' cancelled following an assessment of the project, with its staff being reassigned to different projects within the company.
In 2019, Square Enix opened an Indian office again, now in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
which expanded into publishing mobile games for the Indian market in 2021.
In March 2021, Forever Entertainment, a Polish studio, was reported to be working to bring several of Square Enix's properties to modern systems.
On May 1, 2022, Square Enix announced that it would sell several assets of their
Square Enix Europe
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
subsidiary to the Swedish holding company
Embracer Group for $300 million. This included studios
Crystal Dynamics,
Eidos-Montréal, and
Square Enix Montreal, IPs ''
Deus Ex'', ''
Legacy of Kain'', ''
Thief'' and ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'' and rights to "over 50 games". Square Enix stated that the sale will further help it in investment into
blockchain
A blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that consists of growing lists of records, called ''blocks'', that are securely linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a ...
and other technologies, and to "assist the company in adapting to the changes underway in the global business environment by establishing a more efficient allocation of resources". Square Enix also stated that it would remain publisher for the ''
Life Is Strange
''Life Is Strange'' (abbreviated ''LIS'') is a series of primarily episodic graphic adventure games published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the series debuted with the eponymous first installment, ...
'', ''
Outriders'' and ''
Just Cause'' franchises, implying that they are not included in the sale. However, during the Japanese publisher's full-year financial results briefing on May 13, president Yosuke Matsuda clarified the past statement and said the money from the sale will be used to strengthen the company's core games business. “Rather than using the proceeds from the divestiture in new investment domains such as NFT and blockchain, we intend to use them primarily to fund our efforts to foster solid IP and to enhance our development capabilities in our core Digital Entertainment segment,” he said.
In the company's financial statement for the following quarter, released in September 2022, Matsuda said they were moving away from outright owning studios due to rising costs of development, but were looking at means to invest in studios such as joint ventures or investment opportunities.
Corporate structure
On October 1, 2008, Square Enix transformed into a
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
and was renamed Square Enix Holdings. At the same time, the gaming and publishing businesses were transferred to a spin-off named Square Enix, sharing the same corporate leadership and offices with the holding company.
The primary offices for Square Enix and Square Enix Holdings are in the Shinjuku Eastside Square Building in
Shinjuku
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
, Tokyo.
Development organization
After the merger in 2003, Square Enix's development department was organized into eight Square and two Enix , each focused on different groupings of games.
The divisions were spread around different offices; for example, Product Development Division 5 had offices both in Osaka and Tokyo.
According to Yoichi Wada, the development department was reorganized away from the Product Development Division System by March 2007 into a project-based system. Until 2013, the teams in charge of the ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' series were still collectively referred to as the .
The 1st Production Department was formed from the fall 2010 combination of Square Enix's Tokyo and Osaka development studios, with
Shinji Hashimoto
is a Japanese former game producer at Square Enix and currently Senior Advisor at Sony Music Entertainment Japan and a board member at Forwardworks. He served as the ''Final Fantasy'' series Brand Manager for over a decade, was an Executive Offic ...
as its corporate executive.
In December 2013, Square Enix's development was restructured into 12 Business Divisions. In 2017, Business Division 9 was merged into Business Division 8, while Business Divisions 11 and 12 merged to become the new Business Division 9, while a new Business Division 11 was created with some staff from Business Division 6.
In 2019, Square Enix announced that their eleven Business Divisions would be consolidated into four units by 2020 with a new title, Creative Business Unit.
Naoki Yoshida
, also known by the nickname Yoshi-P'','' is a Japanese video game producer, director and designer working for Square Enix. He is best known for his work on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), mainly as director and produc ...
, who was previously the head of Business Division 5, became the head of Creative Business Unit III.
The current structure for the development and production division called Creative Business Unit is as follows:
* Creative Business Unit I is led by
Yoshinori Kitase, who was the head of Business Division 1 and focuses on ''Final Fantasy'' single-player titles, spin-offs, ''SaGa'' and ''Kingdom Hearts''. The department comprises the former Business Division 1 (Mainline single-player ''Final Fantasy'' such as ''
Final Fantasy XIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...
'' and ''
Final Fantasy VII Remake
is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game '' Final Fantasy VII''. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, playe ...
''), Business Division 3 (''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'', ''Final Fantasy'' spin-offs, ''
The World Ends with You'', ''
SaGa
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
'' series), and Business Division 4 (''Final Fantasy'' spin-offs produced with external companies, e.g., ''
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
is a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.
The game is a follow-up to ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' and ''Dissidia 012 Final Fan ...
'', ''
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
''Theatrhythm Final Fantasy'' is a Rhythm game, rhythm video game, developed by indieszero and published by Square Enix for Nintendo 3DS and iOS. Based on the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise, the game involves using the touch screen in time ...
'', ''
Final Fantasy Record Keeper
is a free-to-play role-playing gacha game developed and published by DeNA for iOS and Android. The game features original characters and stories interacting with characters, scenarios, and battles from other games in the ''Final Fantasy'' serie ...
'').
* Creative Business Unit II is led by Yuu Miyake, who was the head of Business Division 6 and focuses on the ''Dragon Quest'', ''Nier'' and ''Bravely'' series, as well as arcade games. The department comprises the former Business Division 6 (''
Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...
'' series, ''
Nier
''Nier'' is an action role-playing video game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2010. In Japan, the game was released as for the PlayStation 3 with a younger main character, while an a ...
'' series), Business Division 7 (''
Lord of Vermilion
is an arcade-based fantasy collectible card game developed by Think Garage and distributed by Square Enix in which players control combat cards on an arcade play surface. The objective of the game is to destroy the enemy team's Arcana Stones and e ...
'', ''
Gunslinger Stratos
is a series of third-person hero shooter video games, developed by Byking and Taito, and published by Square Enix. It debuted in arcades on July 12, 2012, with the scenario provided by Norimitsu Kaihō (from Nitroplus) based on a concept by ...
'') and Business Division 11 aka "Team Asano" (''
Bravely'' series, ''
Octopath Traveler
''Octopath Traveler'' is a role-playing video game developed by Square Enix, in collaboration with Acquire. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch in July 2018, for Microsoft Windows in June 2019, for Stadia in April 2020, and for Xbox ...
'' series).
* Creative Business Unit III is led by
Naoki Yoshida
, also known by the nickname Yoshi-P'','' is a Japanese video game producer, director and designer working for Square Enix. He is best known for his work on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), mainly as director and produc ...
, who was the head of Business Division 5 and focused primarily on
MMORPG
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
s, transitioning in 2020 to the single-player ''
Final Fantasy XVI
is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The sixteenth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it is scheduled for release on June 22, 2023 for the PlayStation 5 as a timed exclusive. The game wi ...
''. It mainly comprises the former Business Division 5 (''
Final Fantasy XI
also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...
'', ''
Final Fantasy XIV'', ''
Dragon Quest Builders
''Dragon Quest Builders'' is a sandbox action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Android and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch.
The game is set in Al ...
'' series).
* Creative Business Unit IV is led by Hirokazu Nishikado and focuses on the ''
Mana'' series, along with co-development and production of remasters and ports. It comprises the former Business Division 8 (''
Mana'' series, along with remasters and ports of different franchises), Business Division 9 (''
Schoolgirl Strikers
is a Japanese social network game developed and published by Square Enix.
Plot
The newly established private high school for girls, Goryoukan Academy, has a hidden face that people on the outside don't know about. The world you know is unde ...
'', ''
Grimms Notes
is an online free-to-play role-playing game developed by Genki and published by Square Enix. It was released in Japan on January 21, 2016 for Android and iOS devices. The game was released worldwide on March 2, 2018 in South Korea, China, ...
''), and Business Division 10 (''
Million Arthur
is a Japanese media franchise created by Square Enix, consisting primarily of a series of video games. The first release was an online free-to-play card battle game titled , which was released for iOS and Android in 2012. A sequel ga ...
'' series, ''
Chaos Rings
''Chaos Rings'' is a role-playing video game series released primarily on mobile platforms. It is developed by Media.Vision and published by Square Enix. The eponymous first game in the series was released for iOS in 2010, then later ported to ...
'' series).
In those four departments, most of the development is done outside of Square Enix under outsourced development studios, while Creative Business Unit produce and supervise those developers. Most of the internal development done by Creative Business Units are for AAA titles such as mainline Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and other series with AAA investment, while their mid-size titles have the development outsourced to other companies for most of the cases such as "Team Asano", a team of producers from Creative Business II who had
Artdink and Netchubiyori developing
Triangle Strategy
is a 2022 tactical role-playing game co-developed by Square Enix and Artdink for Nintendo Switch. The game was published by Square Enix in Japan and Nintendo internationally for the Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022. The Microsoft Windows vers ...
or Historia developing the remake of
Live A Live
''Live A Live'' is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. A remake for Nintendo Switch was released in July 2022, published by Square Enix in Japan and Nintendo worldwide. The game follows seven d ...
.
Business model
The
business model
A business model describes how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value,''Business Model Generation'', Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Alan Smith, and 470 practitioners from 45 countries, self-published, 2010 in economic, social, ...
of post-merger Square Enix is centered on the idea of "polymorphic content", which consists of developing franchises on multiple potential media rather than being restricted by a single gaming platform. An early example of this strategy is Enix's ''
Fullmetal Alchemist'' manga series, which has been adapted into two anime television series, two movies, and several novels and video games. Other polymorphic projects include the ''
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
The ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'' is a metaseries produced by Square Enix. A subseries stemming from the main ''Final Fantasy'' series, it is a collection of video games, animated features and short stories based in the world and contin ...
'', ''
Code Age
is a 2005 multimedia franchise developed and published by Square Enix. It was created by Yusuke Naora and split between three projects; the manga ''Code Age Archives'', the mobile role-playing video game '' Code Age Brawls'', and the PlayStat ...
'', ''
World of Mana
The ''Mana'' series, known in Japan as , is a high fantasy action role-playing game series created by Koichi Ishii, with development formerly from Square (video game company), Square, and is currently owned by Square Enix. The series began in 19 ...
'', ''
Ivalice Alliance
is a fictional universe Setting (narrative), setting primarily appearing in the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series. The world was created by Yasumi Matsuno and has since been expanded upon by several games as the ''Ivalice Alliance'' series. Ival ...
'' and ''
Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy
''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' is a series of games within the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise. It was primarily developed by series creator and developer Square Enix, which also acted as publisher for all titles. While featurin ...
'' subseries. According to
Yoichi Wada
is a former president and representative director of the Japanese video game and publishing company Square Enix as well as its subsidiary Taito. He is also the former chairman of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), the fo ...
, "It's very difficult to hit the jackpot, as it were. Once we've hit it, we have to get all the juice possible out of it". Similar to Sony's
Greatest Hits program, Square Enix also re-releases their best selling games at a reduced price under a label designated "Ultimate Hits".
The standard game design model Square Enix employs is to establish the plot, characters, and art of the game first.
[ Battle systems, field maps, and cutscenes are created next.][ According to ]Taku Murata is a video game programmer working for Square Enix (formerly Square), as well as the general manager of the research and development division of the company. He was born in 1965 and joined Square in 1991. He is most notable as the main programme ...
, this process became the company's model for development after the success of Square's ''Final Fantasy VII'' in 1997. The team size for ''Final Fantasy XIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...
'' peaked at 180 artists, 30 programmers, and 36 game designers, but analysis and restructuring were done to outsource large-scale development in the future.
Business
Video games and franchises
Square Enix's primary concentration is on video gaming, and it is primarily known for its role-playing video game franchises. Of its properties, the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise, begun in 1987, is the best-selling, with a total worldwide sales of over 173 million units as of March 2022. The ''Dragon Quest'' franchise, begun in 1986, is also high-selling; it is considered one of the most popular game series in Japan and new installments regularly outsell other games at the times of their release, with a total worldwide sales of over 85 million units. More recently, the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series (developed in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
beginning in 2002) has become popular, with 36 million units shipped as of March 2022. Other popular series developed by Square Enix include the ''SaGa'' series with nearly 10 million copies sold since 1989, the ''Mana'' series with over 6 million sales since 1991, and the ''Chrono
Chrono may refer to:
Prefix
''chrono-'' a Greek combining form relating to time
* chronometry, science of the measurement of time
*"chrono", colloquialism for chronograph in watch and clock collectors' language
Games
* ''Chrono'' (series), a Ja ...
'' series with over 5 million sold since 1995. In addition to their sales numbers, many Square Enix games have been highly reviewed; 27 Square Enix games were included in ''Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' magazine's 2006 "Top 100 Games Ever", with 7 in the top 10 and ''Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Originally released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, the game was re-released as ''Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster'' for PlayStat ...
'' claiming the number 1 position. The company also won IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's award for Best Developer of 2006 for the PlayStation 2.
Square and Enix initially targeted Nintendo home consoles with their games, but Square Enix currently develops games for a wide variety of systems. In the seventh generation of video game consoles, Square Enix released new installments from its major series across all three major systems, including ''Final Fantasy XIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...
'' on both the PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and ''Dragon Quest X
''Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Walkers Online'', also known as is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. It is the tenth mainline entry in the '' Dragon Quest'' series. It was ...
'' on the Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
. Square Enix has also developed titles for handheld game console
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
s, including the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
, PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
, Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
, and PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
. Also, they have published games for Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
-based personal computers and various models of mobile phones and modern smartphones. Square Enix mobile phone games became available in 2004 on the Vodafone
Vodafone Group Public limited company, plc () is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Telephone company, telecommunications company. Its registered office and Headquarters, global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It ...
network in some European countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.
Before its launch, Michihiro Sasaki, senior vice president of Square Enix, spoke about the PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, saying, "We don't want the PlayStation 3 to be the overwhelming loser, so we want to support them, but we don't want them to be the overwhelming winner either, so we can't support them too much." Square Enix continued to reiterate their devotion to multi-platform publishing in 2007, promising more support for the North American and European gaming markets where console pluralism is generally more prevalent than in Japan. Their interest in multi-platform development was made evident in 2008 when the previously PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
-exclusive game ''Final Fantasy XIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...
'' was announced for release on the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
.
In 2008, Square Enix released their first game for the iPod
The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...
, '' Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes''. Square Enix made a new brand for younger children gaming that same year, known as Pure Dreams.[ Pure Dreams' first two games, '' Snoopy DS: Let's Go Meet Snoopy and His Friends!'' and ''Pingu's Wonderful Carnival'', were released that year.] After acquiring Eidos in 2009, Square Enix combined it with its European publishing wing to create Square Enix Europe
Square Enix Limited (formerly Domark Limited and Eidos Interactive Limited) is a British subsidiary of the Japanese video game company Square Enix, acting as their European publishing arm. The company formerly owned ''Tomb Raider'', which was in ...
, which continues to publish Eidos franchises such as ''Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'' (88 million sales), '' Deus Ex'' (4 million), '' Thief'' and '' Legacy of Kain'' (3.5 million). In November 2017, Square Enix stopped publishing the ''Hitman'' franchise and sold the IP to game developer IO Interactive. Square Enix has also served as the Japanese publisher for Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
games since 2009.
Square Enix owned franchises and games include:
* former Square franchises, such as '' Seiken Densetsu (Mana)'';
* former Enix franchises, such as ''Star Ocean
is a franchise of action role-playing video games developed by the Japanese company tri-Ace and published and owned by Square Enix (formerly Enix).
Development History
The series is also known for being some of the earliest action RPGs to allo ...
'';
* Square Enix created franchises, such as ''Drakengard
''Drakengard'', known in Japan as is a series of action role-playing video games created by Yoko Taro. The eponymous first game in the series was released in 2003 on the PlayStation 2, and has since been followed by a sequel, a prequel and se ...
'';
* Taito franchises, such as '' Space Invaders'';
* post-acquisition Taito franchises, such as '' Groove Coaster;''
*Square Enix America created games, such as Quantum Conundrum
''Quantum Conundrum'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. It was directed by Kim Swift, who formerly worked at Valve Corporation, Valve as a lead designer on ''Portal (video game), Portal''. The g ...
, Motley Blocks;
* former Eidos franchises, such as '' Gex'', '' Legacy of Kain'';
* Square Enix Europe created franchises, such as ''Life Is Strange
''Life Is Strange'' (abbreviated ''LIS'') is a series of primarily episodic graphic adventure games published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the series debuted with the eponymous first installment, ...
''.
In 2022, Square Enix invested in seven business strategic cooperations in the blockchain
A blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that consists of growing lists of records, called ''blocks'', that are securely linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a ...
and cloud services
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed computing, ...
such as Zebedee (United States), Blocklords (Estonia), Cross The Ages (France), Blacknut (France), Animoca Brands-owned The Sandbox (Australia and Hong Kong), and Ubitus (Japan).
Game engines
In 2004, Square Enix began to work on a "common 3D format" that would allow the entire company to develop titles without being restricted to a specific platform: this led to the creation of a game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
named Crystal Tools
Crystal Tools is a game engine created and used internally by the Japanese company Square Enix. It combines standard libraries for elements such as graphics, sound and artificial intelligence while providing game developers with various authori ...
, which is compatible with the PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
-based PCs
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or techn ...
and to some extent the Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
. It was first shown off at a tech demo shown off at E3 2005 and was later used for ''Final Fantasy XIII'' based on the demo's reception. Crystal Tools was also used for ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII'' before its re-branding as '' Final Fantasy XV'' and its shift onto next-gen platforms. Refinement of the engine continued through the development of ''Final Fantasy XIII-2'', and it underwent a major overhaul for '' Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII''. Since that release, no new titles have been announced using Crystal Tools, and it is believed that the development of the engine has halted permanently.
Luminous Engine
, originally called , is a multi-platform game engine developed and used internally by Square Enix and later on by Luminous Productions. The engine was developed for and targeted at eighth-generation hardware and DirectX 11-compatible platforms ...
was originally intended for eighth-generation consoles
The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012, and consists of four home video game consoles: the Wii U released in 2012, the PlayStation 4 family in 2013, the Xbox One family in 2013, and the Nintendo Switch family in 2017.
The g ...
and unveiled at E3 2012 through a tech demo titled ''Agni's Philosophy''. The first major console title to be developed with Luminous Engine was ''Final Fantasy XV''; the engine's development was done in tandem with the game, and the game's development helped the programming team optimize the engine.
In addition to Luminous Engine and custom engines made for individual games and platforms before and since Square Enix often uses other companies' engines and programming languages for their video game properties. Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, M ...
' Unreal Engine 3 was used for games such as ''The Last Remnant
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. It was released worldwide for Xbox 360 in November 2008 and for Microsoft Windows in March 2009. A PlayStation 3 version was originally announced as well, but this version was ...
'', and more recently, Unreal Engine 4 has been used for projects including ''Dragon Quest XI
''Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age'' is a role-playing video game by Square Enix. The eleventh entry in the long-running ''Dragon Quest'' video game series, it was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 in July 2017 an ...
'', ''Kingdom Hearts III
is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...
'' and the most recent ''Final Fantasy VII Remake
is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game '' Final Fantasy VII''. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, playe ...
''. Unity
Unity may refer to:
Buildings
* Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building
* Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper
* Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England
* Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...
has also been used internally for titles including ''I Am Setsuna
''I Am Setsuna'' is a 2016 role-playing video game (RPG) developed by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by parent company Square Enix for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. A version for Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 ...
'', ''Lost Sphear
is a Japanese role-playing video game developed by Tokyo RPG Factory and published by Square Enix. The game is the second to be developed by Tokyo RPG Factory, and considered a spiritual successor to their first title, ''I Am Setsuna''. It was ...
'' and '' SaGa: Scarlet Grace''. The Squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
language had also been used for the WiiWare
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii S ...
title '' Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King''.
Online gaming
Before the merger, Enix published its first online game ''Cross Gate
is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, developed by Dwango and published by Square Enix (formerly Enix). It has been released in Japan, Taiwan, and Chinese Mainland since 2001.
On June 27, 2007, Square Enix announced that service ...
'' in Japan, mainland China, and Taiwan in 2001, and Square released ''Final Fantasy XI
also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...
'' in Japan in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and later the personal computer. With the huge success of ''Final Fantasy XI'', the game was ported to the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
two years later and was the first MMORPG
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
on the console. All versions of the game used PlayOnline, a cross-platform internet gaming platform and internet service developed by Square Enix. The platform was used as the online service for many games Square Enix developed and published throughout the decade. Due to the success of their MMORPG
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
, Square Enix began a new project called '' Fantasy Earth: The Ring of Dominion''. GamePot, a Japanese game portal, received the license to publish ''Fantasy Earth'' in Japan, and it was released in Japan as "Fantasy Earth ZERO." In 2006, however, Square Enix dropped the ''Fantasy Earth Zero'' project and sold it to GamePot. Square Enix released '' Concerto Gate'', the sequel to ''Cross Gate'', in 2007.
A next-gen MMORPG code named ''Rapture'' was developed by the ''Final Fantasy XI
also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantasy ...
'' team using the company's Crystal Tools
Crystal Tools is a game engine created and used internally by the Japanese company Square Enix. It combines standard libraries for elements such as graphics, sound and artificial intelligence while providing game developers with various authori ...
engine. It was unveiled at E3 2009 as '' Final Fantasy XIV'' for PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows and would be released on September 30, 2010. ''Dragon Quest X
''Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Walkers Online'', also known as is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. It is the tenth mainline entry in the '' Dragon Quest'' series. It was ...
'' was announced in September 2011 as an MMORPG being developed for Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
's Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
and Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
consoles, which released on August 2, 2012, and March 30, 2013, respectively. Like ''XIV'', it used Crystal Tools.
Square Enix also made browser games and Facebook games, like ''Legend World'', '' Chocobo's Crystal Tower'' and ''Knights of the Crystals'', and online games for Yahoo! Japan, such as ''Monster x Dragon'', ''Sengoku Ixa'', ''Bravely Default: Praying Brage'', ''Star Galaxy'', and ''Crystal Conquest''.
Cloud gaming
In 2013, Dragon Quest X was brought to iOS and Android in Japan using NTT DoCoMo as the release platform and Ubitus for the streaming technology. In 2014, it was also brought to 3DS in Japan using Ubitus.
On May 8, 2012, Square Enix announced a collaboration with Bigpoint Games to create a free-to-play Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or gaming-as-a-service or game streaming, is a type of online gaming that runs video games on remote servers and streams them directly to a user's device, or more colloquially, playing a game rem ...
platform that "throws players into 'limitless game worlds' directly through their web browser". The service was launched under the name ''CoreOnline'' in August 2012. Stating "limited commercial take-up", the service was cancelled on November 29, 2013.
In September 2014, a cloud gaming company called Shinra Technologies (previously Project Flare) was created; however, it was closed in January 2016. On October 9, 2014, Square Enix launched another online game service in Japan called ''Dive In'', which allowed players to stream console games to their iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
or Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
devices. The service was monetized by the amount of time the players spent playing, with each game offered for free for thirty minutes. The service was cancelled on September 13, 2015.[ Some Square Enix games are available in Japan on the G-cluster streaming service.
]
Arcade/Amusement
With the merger of Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
businesses into Square Enix, the company gained possession of Taito's arcade infrastructure and facilities and entered the arcade market in 2005. In 2010 Taito revealed NESiCAxLive, a cloud-based system of storing games and changing them through the internet instead of acquiring physical copies. This system was added to its many arcade gaming locations.[ The company continues to cater to the arcade audience in Japan with arcade-only titles, with game producers in 2015 stating that Square Enix has a loyal fan base that values the arcade gaming experience.] In November 2019, Square Enix announced a "Ninja Tower Tokyo" theme park by its newly established ''Live Interactive Works'' division.
Film
The company has made three forays into the film industry. The first, '' Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' (2001), was produced by Square subsidiary Square Pictures
(also known under its American brand name SquareSoft) was a Japanese video game development studio and publisher. It was founded in 1986 by Masafumi Miyamoto, who spun off part of his father's electronics company Den-Yu-Sha. Among its early emp ...
before the Enix merger; Square Pictures is now a consolidated subsidiary of Square Enix. Its box-office failure caused Enix to delay the merger, which was already under consideration before the creation of the film until Square became profitable once again. In 2005, Square Enix released '' Final Fantasy VII Advent Children'', a CGI-animation film based on the PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
game ''Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
'', set two years after the events of the game. A '' Deus Ex'' film was in pre-production in 2012 and, as of 2014, was undergoing rewrites. In 2016 Square Enix revealed a film called '' Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV'' based in the world of '' Final Fantasy XV'' and a new web series released on YouTube and Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
entitled '' Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV''.
Manga
The company has a manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
publishing division in Japan (originally from Enix) called Gangan Comics, which publishes content for the Japanese market only.[ In 2010, however, Square Enix launched a digital manga store for North American audiences via its Members services, which contains several notable series published in Gangan anthologies.] Titles published by Gangan Comics include '' Fullmetal Alchemist'', '' Soul Eater'', and many others.[ Other titles include manga adaptations of various Square Enix games, like '']Dragon Quest
previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a franchise of Japanese role-playing video games created by Armor Project (Yuji Horii), Bird Studio (Akira Toriyama) and Sugiyama Kobo (Koichi Sugiyama) to its publi ...
'', ''Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' and ''Star Ocean
is a franchise of action role-playing video games developed by the Japanese company tri-Ace and published and owned by Square Enix (formerly Enix).
Development History
The series is also known for being some of the earliest action RPGs to allo ...
''. Some of these titles have also been adapted into anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series. ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' is the most successful title of Square Enix's manga branch, with more than 64 million volumes sold worldwide. It is licensed in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
, while its two anime adaptations were licensed by Funimation (now known as Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
) in North America. Starting in Q4 2019, Square Enix began publishing some of its manga series in English.
Merchandise
Square Enix has created merchandise for virtually all of their video game franchises, many items are available only in Japan. Starting in 2000, Square Enix's former online gaming portal PlayOnline sold merchandise from game franchises including ''Parasite Eve Parasite Eve may refer to:
* ''Parasite Eve'' (novel), a 1995 Japanese science fiction horror novel by Hideaki Sena
* ''Parasite Eve'' (film), a 1997 Japanese science fiction film based on the novel
* ''Parasite Eve'' (video game), a 1998 action ...
'', '' Vagrant Story'', ''Chocobo Racing
''Chocobo Racing'', known in Japan as , is a racing game developed by Square Co. for the PlayStation. The game was released in Japan in March 1999, followed by North America and Europe in August and October, respectively. The game's star and nam ...
'', ''Front Mission
is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square (video game company), Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed withi ...
'', ''Chrono Cross
is a 1999 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is set in the same world as ''Chrono Trigger'', which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. ''Chrono C ...
'', and ''Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
''. Mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
s from game franchises are a popular focus for merchandise, such as the Chocobo from ''Final Fantasy'', which has been seen as a rubber duck
A rubber duck or a rubber duckie is a toy shaped like a stylized duck, generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic. Rubber ducks were invented in the late 1800s when it became poss ...
, a plush baby Chocobo, and on coffee mug
A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Typically, a mug holds approximately of liquid. A mug is a ...
s. Square Enix also designed a Chocobo character costume for the release of '' Chocobo Tales''. The Slime
Slime may refer to:
Biology
* Slime mold, a broad term often referring to roughly six groups of Eukaryotes
* Biofilm, an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other and/or to a surface
* Slimy (fish), also known as the pony ...
character from ''Dragon Quest'' has also been frequently used in Square Enix merchandise, especially in Japan. On the Japanese Square Enix shopping website, there is also a Slime-focused section called "Smile Slime". Slime merchandise includes plush toys, pencil cases, keychains, game controllers, a stylus
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
, and several board games, including one titled ''Dragon Quest Slime Racing''. In Japan, pork-filled steam buns shaped like slimes have been sold in 2010. For ''Dragon Quest's'' 25th anniversary, special items were sold, including business cards, tote bags, and crystal figurines.[ Rabites from the ''Mana'' series have appeared in several pieces of Square Enix merchandise, including plush dolls, cushions, lighters, mousepads, straps, telephone cards, and T-shirts. Square Enix has also made merchandise for third party series, including figures '' Mass Effect'' and '' Halo'' in 2012. Beginning in 2012, it has shops called "Square Enix Cafe" in Tokyo, Osaka and Shanghai, which display and sell merchandise, as well as serve café food.]
Subsidiaries
Current subsidiaries
Former subsidiaries
Notes
References
External links
*
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