Rumor: Square Enix Japan axes 200-300 positions
by Ben Gilbert 
{ Sep 28th 2009 at 3:00PM }
Kotaku heard that the Japanese publisher will supposedly be making cuts to its Japanese branches, leaving the recently acquired Eidos studios untouched. This rumor comes just days after Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune declared, "Japan is over. We're done. Our game industry is finished."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FFAngelLightning10 @ Sep 28th 2009 3:06PM
[I've been banned but I keep coming back!]
Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 28th 2009 3:11PM
Most likely it was staff that had nothing to do with FFXIII. Square Enix has more than one franchise...
Massmass @ Sep 28th 2009 3:37PM
Or even more likely...
It was part of the very staff that created FFXIII. Game companies like to hire extra people for big, important projects and then dump them once said project is done.
It makes business sense to a degree, but damned if it isn't heartless.
TC @ Sep 28th 2009 3:53PM
Quick, Phoenix Down!!!!!!!!!
RKN @ Sep 28th 2009 4:54PM
Looks like good old simian Sprinkles used Phoenix Down itself eh?
Ridgecity @ Sep 28th 2009 6:02PM
The only explanation is they are planning to try to continue in black numbers, without victories, you gotta cut the army.
ugg.tryptophan @ Sep 29th 2009 2:16AM
crap, more competition for that position at Naoh's down the street...
BunnySlapper @ Sep 28th 2009 3:10PM
Laying off 200-300 when they have two highly anticipated FF games upcoming in the next year?
Sure the economic issues could very well be a factor, but SE makes boatloads of money on FF. It's hard to imagine them being in this much of a bind right now...
Snakku @ Sep 28th 2009 3:30PM
I dunno about boatloads of money. their games rpgs usually, have a longer gameplay time, therefore already increasing their costs in development as compared to Halo 3 ODST's measly 4-6 hrs. graphically tehy are almost the game (with ff13 being alot better) and you have a huge expense bill that needs to be paid. halo odst...what a $50 piece of shit..give it to me as dlc and we'll talk
Mr Khan @ Sep 28th 2009 7:17PM
Three, really. XIII, Agito XIII, and TCB
From reports out of the private theatre, i doubt we'll see Versus XIII before 2010 is out.
[ArchiGamer] [Live from Omicron Persei 8] @ Sep 28th 2009 3:10PM
Isn't this more people trying to make something over nothing; soon or later we will probably hear other BS rumors just because of what Keiji said at TGS.
Sensationalism at its best.
Massmass @ Sep 28th 2009 3:39PM
I think it's more tongue in cheek than "sensationalism"...
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 3:14PM
I'm sure Inafune knows more about it than I do, but nearly all the games I buy are developed by Japanese companies so if he's right and they are going the way of the Dino, then that's really upsetting. It's amazing to me though that they're not doing so well with Pokemon, Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Rancher, Street Fighter, Castlevania, Metal Gear, Sonic, and I could go on. I mean what are the American developers doing? Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and Madden? lol. It saddens me to think that's what's popular now...
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Sep 28th 2009 3:21PM
Including Sonic automatically makes your statement void. Then again, I guess people buy it... Why you would is beyond me.
AsherR [Planeteer | Power of The Hoff] @ Sep 28th 2009 3:34PM
Look, I love Japanese games, but I also love Western games. That's a very narrow subset that you mentioned. "Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and Madden"?
As far as popular goes, there is also Bioshock, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Alan Wake, Dragon Age, Brutal Legend and I could go on. (I do know that several of those games haven't been released yet, so their sales aren't proven. However, they are at least popular on gaming blogs.) In my personal opinion, this is what Inafune was getting at. Look at the list you gave. Lots of popular franchises that have been around for a LONG time. While they make some gameplay modifications, the best selling things are normally an existing property.
While the same can be said for our huge sellers (Halo, COD), Assassin's Creed is a newish IP, as is Bioshock, and Alan Wake. While they don't sell as much as Halo and COD, they are still huge games in their own rights. A lot of Japanese games that have been coming out are sequels or franchises that have been going on for a LONG time. I'm not saying they are bad (I'll be buying FFXIII day 1), they aren't doing a lot to innovate and stay up to date.
This is all just my opinion, so feel free to disagree...
NaeemTHM @ Sep 28th 2009 3:36PM
Your video game list makes me sad. Pokemon, Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Rancher, Street Fighter....all these games are EXACTLY what's wrong with the Japanese game industry.
People keep buying the same crap with a fresh coat of paint.
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 3:40PM
I was mentioning top sellers of American companies and Japanese companies. Assassins Creed is Ubisoft which are French, and Remedy does Alan Wake which is Finland. I overlooked Bioshock, my bad, but I also wouldn't call Dragon Age or Brutal Legend huge sellers like Pokemon, Mario, and Dragon Quest.
And my view isn't narrow, I play all those games too. Just looking at it face value it's hard to imagine Japanese companies are doing so poorly. But like I said, Inafune probably knows more about it than I do.
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 3:45PM
"People keep buying the same crap with a fresh coat of paint."
Really, so when Gears of War 5, and Call of Duty 10 come out you'll still call American game companies innovative? lol. Every game company rides the success train, I highly doubt that's the fault of Japanese developers specifically. At least with Japanese companies they don't poop out sequels yearly like American companies do, they take time in developing the next Final Fantasy or Mario game.
Although, maybe that's the problem. Activision poops out Call of Duties so fast they keep getting returns whereas Square spends 4 years floating on the last big sale they made.
rickjamess04 @ Sep 28th 2009 3:48PM
list WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
AsherR [Planeteer | Power of The Hoff] @ Sep 28th 2009 3:52PM
Yes, I know you said American developers, but I wanted to just throw AC and AW in their because we were talking about the sales of games. Though I feel that European game development is similar to American development.
And like I was trying to get at, I think Inafune is trying to get that Japanese development isn't evolving. Many of the most popular games in Japan come from the same set of developers.
Also, I know that Dragon Age and Brutal Legends won't necessarily be huge hits, but I really want for them to be. Especially Dragon Age. :) *bit of a Bioware fanboy*
Anyway as I said, I do like a lot of the games you mentioned, but I would like to see Japanese Developers take more risks. Like with No More Heroes.
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 3:54PM
It's not a list war, I'm just trying to understand where Inafune gets his doom and gloom woes. Is it not fair to say Japanese companies make great games that do sell well? That's my whole point, so I listed some popular games to back up what I say. I don't even play all those, I haven't bought a Sonic in a while, and have never played Monster Rancher but they (well maybe just Monster Rancher) sell very well.
NaeemTHM @ Sep 28th 2009 3:55PM
"Really, so when Gears of War 5, and Call of Duty 10 come out you'll still call American game companies innovative?"
I don't play those games so...your point is moot.
"At least with Japanese companies they don't poop out sequels yearly like American companies do, they take time in developing the next Final Fantasy or Mario game."
No instead they flood the market with 400 side games branded with the Mario, Final Fantasy, Pokemon name.
Look I'm not in anyway saying Japanese games are bad, hell my current favorite developer is Atlus. However you have to admit Japan relies heavily on tried and true game mechanics. Keita Takahashi and Suda are the only people I can think of that are trying something different. All other Japanese dev's are making Western appealing games.
AsherR [Planeteer | Power of The Hoff] @ Sep 28th 2009 3:58PM
Oh, also just one thing to mention. Yes, Activision publishes a new COD each year. However, lets not forget that each game dev gets like 2 years to make the next COD. And Infinity Wards entries into the series aren't "pooped out", in my opinion. :)
And SE hardly floats on their last big sale for four years. DQ, KH, and FF all in one year, if I'm correct. :D
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 4:08PM
"All other Japanese dev's are making Western appealing games."
They make Western appealing games because our game market is bigger so they get more money, I'm sure you know that anyway. But you call the Japanese development stale, what does the American game development offer other than the next FPS? Granted they have made really interesting strides in RPG's like what Bioware does, but the bulk of it, like the bulk of Japanese development is rehashing the same formulas. You can cherry pick from each country noted exclusions, but I still can't see where Japanese companies are failing instead of not harping to the Western market ENOUGH, lol. And mentioning America's most popular games doesn't make my point moot, it only enhances it since we're not discussing your personal game choice. The fact that they rehash CoD's every year is the exact same perceived problem from the Japanese market right? Rehashing games? I'll agree though, Japanese companies have a worse method of whoring out their titles like you mentioned with the billion Mario spin offs, but the fact is American companies are riding down the same road with pumping out endless sequels are they not? So what then is the problem?
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 4:10PM
"And SE hardly floats on their last big sale for four years. DQ, KH, and FF all in one year, if I'm correct. :D"
Yeah that's true, lol.
tuunicopapi @ Sep 28th 2009 5:55PM
@ NaeemTHM
"I don't play those games so...your point is moot. "
how in the world is his point "moot"? your over here running your mouth about people "buying the same games with a fresh coat of paint" and yet you say his point is moot? you OBVIOUSLY missed his point. what he's trying to say is that if Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Rancher and Street Fighter are all the same game's but with a "fresh coat of paint" then so is COD as well as upcoming COD titles and upcoming GOW (Gears Of War).
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Sep 28th 2009 3:19PM
Man, shit sucks. Imma 'bout to be fired, at least it's an easy to get job, can't imagine beig fired from a big company like Square Enix.
Preston @ Sep 28th 2009 3:20PM
For a company as big as Squenix 200-300 doesn't seem that much. Don't they have that many in just temps?
LokeSTL @ Sep 28th 2009 3:28PM
I said it on Kotaku, and I'll say it again here. They wouldn't need to lay anyone off if they would just start making smart decisions.
1) Releasing all of their PSone classics on the PSN worldwide.
2) Port the games released on the 360 to the PS3.
3) Consolidate country by country releases into one International release.
4) Get rid of Yoichi Wada. He is the king of poor decision making this gen.
sourvideogame @ Sep 28th 2009 3:36PM
daim this sukx. Im going to college to get into the video game industry. it sukx when i hear cuts are being made.
BunnySlapper @ Sep 28th 2009 3:40PM
I hope you take an English course or twenty.
NaeemTHM @ Sep 28th 2009 3:41PM
"daim this sukx"
"Im going to college"
DOES NOT COMPUTE.
sourvideogame @ Sep 28th 2009 3:43PM
Actually I am good with English. But since spelling and grammar doesn't really matter here why should i use it?
[ArchiGamer] [Live from Omicron Persei 8] @ Sep 28th 2009 3:44PM
Why is it that I feel you are one of those people who have shirts that say "I is kollege stoodent"?
NaeemTHM @ Sep 28th 2009 3:46PM
Sour, you should uses proper grammar or people will think you're a ninny...like we currently do.
sourvideogame @ Sep 28th 2009 3:49PM
Speaking about grammar:
'you should "uses" proper grammar'??
sourvideogame @ Sep 28th 2009 3:51PM
actually it doesn't have to do with grammar, its spelling.
lol. i got burnt. u guys win. XP
BunnySlapper @ Sep 28th 2009 3:53PM
It's always important to use good grammar and spelling, especially when others don't.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com @ Sep 28th 2009 5:25PM
I've been in the game industry a while and right now has been pretty rough on studios. Lots and lots of lay offs over the last few years, but I've managed to hang on when they downsized at my work. Either I'm doing something right or I'm lucky. :)
makimak22 @ Sep 28th 2009 3:42PM
I don't believe it is true.... especially since SE has so many titles under development, and recently started doing localisation for Western games (Call of Duty etc.)
acefondu @ Sep 28th 2009 4:08PM
"All other Japanese dev's are making Western appealing games."
They make Western appealing games because our game market is bigger so they get more money, I'm sure you know that anyway. But you call the Japanese development stale, what does the American game development offer other than the next FPS? Granted they have made really interesting strides in RPG's like what Bioware does, but the bulk of it, like the bulk of Japanese development is rehashing the same formulas. You can cherry pick from each country noted exclusions, but I still can't see where Japanese companies are failing instead of not harping to the Western market ENOUGH, lol. And mentioning America's most popular games doesn't make my point moot, it only enhances it since we're not discussing your personal game choice. The fact that they rehash CoD's every year is the exact same perceived problem from the Japanese market right? Rehashing games? I'll agree though, Japanese companies have a worse method of whoring out their titles like you mentioned with the billion Mario spin offs, but the fact is American companies are riding down the same road with pumping out endless sequels are they not? So what then is the problem?
jojo biscuits @ Sep 28th 2009 6:00PM
Maybe Square should listen to what fans want and release a Final Fantasy VII remake for the current generation and put out a new new Chrono game...
Diogenes @ Sep 28th 2009 6:44PM
Square Enix's problems are many. Their new IP's have all bombed hard. Their 360 development has done poorly and their close ties to Sony have hurt them this generation as Sony's marketshare ebbed. Rampant PSP piracy undercut Crisis Core sales and FFXIII is clearly delayed because of porting to the 360 hurting their financials.
Square-Enixes main problem is that its home market is getting much older in terms of demographics and that means fewer new gamers coming into the woodwork.
Overseas, competition is red hot with ubisoft and epic especially making large inroads into the video game market in the last few years and the popularity of the 360 has not translated well into Square Enix sales as that demographic has preferred Square Enix's rpg's much less than their american counterparts.
Square Enix needs to focus its business, have better R&D for new innovative IP's that can sell (ala Assasin's Creed or Gears of War), and develop its core, cash-making titles (i.e. Final Fantasy and Dragon's Quest) at a much faster clip (think yearly).
Al Jenkins @ Sep 28th 2009 8:44PM
@Diognenes
oh ok, so Square should become like EA and Activision and release Call of Duty 2010, Guitar Hero 50 and so on? Come on. Activision is especially guilty of this with these yearly installments. Yearly installments does nothing but get people sick of the same thing over and over - especially when theres little or no improvements or innovation. Look at World At War - it's Modern Warfare with dogs and WW1 guns.
I'm a huge fan of FF myself, and I would NEVER want to see yearly installments. In fact, I think we see enough as it is. Theres now Crystal Chronicles installments, series sequals (IV: The After Years). During the SNES era there were times were you had to wait a YEAR for ANYTHING from Square to come out - but they were QUALITY games with improvements on every title.
6souls @ Sep 29th 2009 12:06AM
Over the past five years I've played FFXI and reading countless interviews, I've learned that SE will never give a straight answer unless it benefits them in one way or another. SE saying "We have no idea" is much like their Global Online Producer's, Sage Sundi, legendary quote "I don't know" when asked about game mechanics.
Diogenes @ Sep 29th 2009 2:34AM
My comment was not about what was best for gamers but what was best for Square's bottom line. I would wholeheartedly agree that EA produces tons of rushed crap, but the fact of the matter is, they have huge revenues and have had huge success with their business model.
Clearly quality would suffer but they would still make more money than they have been with only one FF every 3-4 years.
EA's motto is better to sell 3 million games each year rather than get it right by extending the development cycle to 3-4 years and only selling 5 million.
Sadly it is a business model that works.