Square Enix has announced a brand-new business plan that will see the Japanese publisher shift to a multiplatform strategy.
This comes from the the company's latest financial report, which details its "Square Enix Reboots, and Awakens - 3-years of Foundation-Laying for Long-term Growth" plan, where it explains it will "aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox, and PCs" that will cover the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 through the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027.
It's confirmed that this will apply to major franchises and AAA titles including catalog titles with Square Enix stating that it will "build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles", as well as "devise a platform strategy for SD titles that includes not only iOS and Android, but also the possibility of PC launches."
Square Enix said that the previous fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 through the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 "saw some achievements" in its portfolio, as well as the "expansion of the MMO sub-segment" - which refers to the recent Xbox launch of Final Fantasy 14.
However, the period also "highlighted some major challenges, including low profitability at the HD Games" and a "slowdown in the Games for Smart Devices/PC Browser (SD) sub-segment, insufficient franchise by-franchise portfolio management, and some gaps in the Group’s management infrastructure."
The mention of profitability challenges with HD games aligns with reports of lack of sale for Final Fantasy 16, along with this year's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, two of its most recent PlayStation 5 exclusive titles.
Square Enix's acknowledgment of its "catalog titles" underperforming suggests that that previously exclusive games could soon see the jump to other platforms noted in its three-year plan.
Although the company didn't reveal the sales figures for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it also inferred that it suffered from an "incomplete journey to better profitability in HD game development”, adding that it “launched many titles but some failed to live up to profit expectations, especially outsourced titles and some AAA titles.”
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