Square Enix - The Next Generation?

Thanks to GameSpot for its feature regarding a Square Enix analyst's attempts to grow the company into the online and mobile arenas. This new strategy "...has two main themes - one that recognizes the limitations of the current-console platforms and one that acknowledges the fascination consumers have with online gameplay." The analyst, Ichiro Otobe, discusses the importance of community above all: "You need to have something like a Final Fantasy XI that can attract a certain community of people. In a way, our content is more a kind of bait to attract strong community, and the actual content is offered through the communication with these communities [of players]", and also has interesting theories on the perceived decline of the Japanese games market, suggesting it's "...actually a shift of users' interests. Most of the people spend time and money for mobile content, but most of the money is actually going to packet fees, which, in turn, go to network carriers."

Comments

Re:So in other words...

[thryllkill]

"Basicly meaning that console MMORPGs will eventually mimic and merge with PC MMORPGs"

Final Fantasy XI already did that. When I am logged on my PC playing that game, not only do I play with Americans playing it on their PC, I play with Ameraicans playing on thier PS2 and Japanese people playing it on their PCs and PS2s.