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Square Enix Considering Next-Gen Xbox Development?

Posted by simoniker on from the kingdom-of-hearts dept.

Thanks to GamesIndustry.biz for its article discussing an interview with Square Enix president Yoichi Wada, as he discusses a perceived "evolution in the thinking" at Microsoft, and "said that his company... would consider working on Xbox 2." The analysis, which uses as its base a GameSpot interview conducted during E3, has Wada mentioning of Microsoft's Xbox Live service: "The attempt was to create a closed network in a closed environment. That is completely contrary to our concept of networked business", and ends by suggesting: "Reading between the lines of Wada's comments, it seems likely that [more 'open' online] concessions could be integrated into the standard terms of the online service on Xbox 2... making the Xbox into a much more attractive platform for companies such as EA and Square Enix."

2 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. Who wins here? by hords · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seems to me that Microsoft would benefit from this more than Square/Enix. Especially if they made a game exclusive to the X-Box 2. It would be a great foot in the door to those Japanese gamers. But at the same time it would be a risk for Square/Enix compared to releasing it on a console made in Japan. If I were Microsoft I would pay Square to make a Final Fantasy exclusive (at least on launch) for the X-Box. Any way it goes, I'll be interested.

  2. Missing the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think we all know Square is a mercenary developer and will go to whereever they will make money (good old Yamauchi has words for those kinds of people). As far as Xbox 2 having a more open network, who knows? I don't think Microsoft is anywhere near thinking about that because "Live2" will probably run on the same infrastructure as Live and right now Live is completely closed. That's a feature, not a bug.

    What's unsaid is that the next gen consoles are all based on technologies from almost the same companies and will all be released almost at the same time. There will be very little difference in the installed user base and the hardware performance initially. Therefore, Square Enix might be justified in putting a game on the Xbox2 if the market demographic is more receptive to it. Hell, because they will be so similar they may develop a standard in-house middleware for all three systems and release cross platform. They have said that they are targeting an online audience and need to "transcend hardware."

    There will not be much incentive to pick one platform over another in the next console wars and unless something is done it will be very bloody. Sony and Microsoft will bleed a lot of cash to buy up strong 2nd party developers and exclusive agreements. Nintendo may be at an automatic advantage because it has primarily relied on exclusive titles all along.

    There is the possibility some in-box hardware features could give someone an advantage but typically Nintendo's perhiperals have been unsuccessfull while Sony and Microsoft have already decided they will react to whatever the other does.