Square Enix is a company that knows it’s lost some of the consumer confidence it used to have in recent years. There was a time when their product were hotly anticipated and set the bar for quality in the RPG genre. Nowadays, even the most ardent SE fans are skeptical about their output while at the same time hoping they regain their former glory. Square Enix has begun the climb back to prominence in recent years, however. In addition to the successful releases of titles such as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (now at 4 million subscribers) and Bravely Default, a 3DS title widely regarded as a return to form, SE has put out a ‘Player Survey‘ to see what else they can do to continue improving.
But Square Enix’s efforts aren’t stopping there. To keep people excited and optimistic about what they’re doing these days, SE’s president Yosuke Matsuda recently spoke to popular Japanese trade magazine Nikkei Trendy about some of the things they have lined up for the coming year. The article discusses many of SE’s important titles both currently in release and forthcoming, including Dragon Quest Heroes, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Final Fantasy XV, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Just Cause 3, Nosgoth, Lord of Vermillion Arena and Gunslinger Stratos Reloaded. But perhaps the most interesting tidbit to come from the Nikkei Trendy piece concerns the announcement of a ‘surprise Japanese RPG’ for home consoles. Matsuda stated that they intend to create and expand awareness through a series of surprise announcements that will, no doubt, have the fans and the industry talking and clamoring for information. In Matsuda’s own words, a ‘box of surprises.’
Obviously, Matsuda isn’t going to give the details on the new release any time soon. There are still plenty of titles on the way to build hype over. Still, one can’t help but wonder what the surprise is going to be and when we’ll learn more about it. Perhaps the Square Enix is finally back on a course for the greatness once synonymous with their name. Only time will tell.
