Square Enix released its financial results for the 2018 fiscal year, and it includes plans the publisher has for the future. Part of that strategy involves the release of new franchises and one-off titles. Square Enix has said it intends to “aggressively invest in new IP on an ongoing basis.”
Of course, as these are brand new titles, we can’t tell exactly what kinds of ideas Square has up its sleeves. The financial report also mentions that it is planning on “regular releases of AAA titles,” so we should expect Square to invest heavily in at least some of these new brands.
2018 saw the release of some new IP, though it was a mixed bag. Sqaure Enix released Octopath Traveler in the Summer of 2018, and though it’s a Nintendo Switch exclusive, it was a massive sales success. While a PC port of Octopath Traveler is on its way, there is no indication it will be making its way to the PlayStation 4, though it remains a possibility. The new IP that did release on the PlayStation 4, however, were not as successful. That includes The Quiet Man and Left Alive, neither of which exactly received glowing reviews (though our reviewer happened to like Left Alive).
While Square Enix plans to invest more in original titles, the past fiscal year saw new entires in many of its long-running franchises. These include Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Just Cause 4, Dragon Quest XI, and of course, Kingdom Hearts III. And Square plans on creating more “user engagement” by “offering various contents of major existing IP.” We know that the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake is still on its way, but could we see more franchises reemerge?
E3 2019 is fast on its way, and this one could be be one of the biggest yet for Square Enix. That’s as good of a place of any to reveal a new IP, but we’ll have to wait and see what the famed publisher is planning.
[Source: Square Enix]
