Recent reports suggest a considerable drop in Square Enix' value, with a loss of nearly $2 billion since the launch of Final Fantasy XVI in June.
This situation can be linked to the company's unique approach to managing its game development, specifically the strategy of assigning each game to a single producer. This method, described as being "a single producer's fiefdom", has been highlighted as a potential issue. These producers have full control over the scope and direction of their projects. But this can lead to a lack of proper documentation and structure within the development teams.
Moreover, project goals can shift without warning, leading to an uncertain development process. This issue was brought to light by current and former employees of Square Enix, who chose to remain anonymous.
The company's stock value has seen a nearly 30% plunge since the release of Final Fantasy XVI. Despite selling three million copies during its launch week, the game's sales have slowed considerably since then. This slowdown in sales, combined with the disappointing performance of other Square Enix games like Forspoken and Marvel’s Avengers, have contributed to the company's current situation.
In response to these challenges, Square Enix's new CEO, Takashi Kiryu, plans to focus more on big-budget games which have a higher chance of impacting the company's bottom line positively. However, implementing these changes will take time. For now, Square Enix fans can look forward to upcoming games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Final Fantasy XIV expansion Dawntrail.
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