Which doesn't really explain it too well, so let's allow his Imperial Hotness to elaborate.

"In the near future, the rate of convergence between video games and other digital entertainment content will only continue to accelerate", Wada said in the statement. "It is for that reason we will make 2010 a year of taking root, in which we use this environment of change as an opportunity for establishing a strong foothold with which to lead the global entertainment industry".

"Taking root" doesn't really capture the scale of that goal, does it? He's not saying "in 2010 we'll make more games", he's saying "in 2010 we want to start moving towards competing with movie studios".

You reach for those stars, Wada!

In case you're wondering whether this comes out of the blue or something, no, it does not; it's custom in Japan to send New Year's cards like Westerners send Christmas cards, containing news, updates and goals for the future. Japanese companies are no different, only instead of cards, they send out "statements".

That's not going to stop Square Enix boss Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada from taking a crack, though. Asked by Develop what he thought Final Fantasy XIV's chances were of challenging WoW, he says "WoW is a tough competitor, but whether you are talking about EverQuest, Ultima or Lineage there has never been a company that has a continuously successful number one and two MMO".

As in, the sequel to a big MMO has never been as big as the original.

Taking that to heart, Wada believes that, despite WoW being "tough competition", Final Fantasy XIV could definitely become a "serious rival" to Blizzard's juggernaut.

And why not! It's always the second game in a series that tanks, not the 14th!

Final Fantasy XIV a serious WoW rival, says Wada [Develop]

"But let's say in ten years time what we traditionally call 'console games' simply won't exist," Wada told Develop. "The exact timing at which it will go away is hard to determine, but somewhere around 2005 the console manufacturers' strategy shifted."

In the past, he continues, the platform was hardware, but now it is network. "So a time will come when the hardware isn't even needed any more."

But won't this hurt game companies and platform holders? "First of all the distributors and sales firms will see a big negative impact," said Wada. "But as I say the format holders knew that this shift was coming."

Square Enix is currently branching out to focus on PC browser games, which Wada sees as potentially big market especially in Asia.

Yoichi Wada's online vision [Develop]

"In ten years' time a lot of what we call ‘console games' won't exist", Square Enix boss Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada told MCV in an interview.

"In the past the platform was hardware, but it has switched to the network. A time will come when the hardware isn't even needed anymore."

"With that, any kind of terminal becomes a potential platform on which games can be played – that's exponential growth in the potential of gaming. The potential size of the market is enormous."

So, while you may think FFXIII is the bees knees, Square are probably more interested about the performance of FFXIV.

Square Enix: Consoles set for extinction [MCV]

In an interview with Ars Technica, Square boss Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada has said that in the future, post-FFXIII world, Square games will be much more timely when making the jump from Japan to the West.

"For the last three years, we have worked very hard to close the gap between Japanese release timing and North American and European release timing," he said. "We tried to go for the global, simultaneous release [of FFXIII] but that was something that was inconceivable, in a sense. But we have been able to close that release window gap to three months. For us, it was a very big step forward."

So big that Wada says future Square Enix games will be held back until all versions are ready, unlike the company's current plan which is "launch in Japan first, everyone else later".

A flat world: Ars interviews Square-Enix CEO Yoichi Wada [Ars Technica]

Speaking with GI.biz, Wada said "We've completed the master of the Japanese version, and for the US and European versions we're just adding the final touches.

"The last stage of development has gone very smoothly this time".

Excellent news! Then again, this game has been in development for nearly four years already..."final touches" could be a relative term in Square Enix lingo.

Square Enix hoping for "long platform cycle" [GI.biz]

"What's going to be important for the next five years is not going to be the innovations in the specifications of the hardware or software," Wada said, "But the billing ... the revenue model and how this can be firmly rooted among the users — that's when the next breakthrough will come."

The Square-Enix chief is high on the prospect of paid network games. The executives on the panel, which included the top men at Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Konami, discussed many aspects of gaming's present and near future. None proposed the perfect new payment model that Wada is seeking.

The executives did note that there is a challenge billing for full games that are sold digitally. Namco Bandai president Shin Unozawa said "it is inconceivable" to think people will pay full price — $59 U.S. — to download games. That needs to be figured out, he said. "There is a fear there... It's quite frightening to think about changing to a different model." He said that the profits in digital downloads are not there to support the today's scale of big-game development. That said, he referenced his company's successful practice of selling Pac-Man on mobile platforms for low prices.

"There doesn't have to be one title, one price," Wada said, saying that some consumers might be willing to pay smaller fees to play games for set amounts of time, rather than paying a full price for a full game."

Spinning off all of the pricing comments, Shuhei Yoshida, head of worldwide studios for Sony Computer Entertainment, said that he, at least, has seen small signs of success. He cited the financial and creative successes of small development teams creating and selling games through the Sony PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii.

"From students there may be people coming up with several hundred thousand hits [sales] per title."
The proliferation of the App store and Facebook in 2009 was also impactful, Yoshida said. It connected more people and allowed gaming and non-gaming experiences to become more of a service to users.

Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto said that he likes that it is easy for fans of mobile games to show them to each other. He likes the idea of word of mouth making a game popular. So, he was asked, is Monster Hunter is it possible on iPhone? "Let's pass that question," he said.

Both Square-Enix chief Wada and Namco Bandai president Namco's Unozawa denied that the global economic crisis was hurting the gaming business or any other sector of the gaming industry. Hasuhiro Tsujimoto agreed, saying that, like the music industry, success is based on the quality of a new release.

Wada also raised a concern about demographics. He said that the Japanese market needs to address the sense that it isn't cool for adults in his country to play video games. He believes that gaming while you're older is seen as cool in the West, but not in Japan.

The future? The future.

The PS3 already has motion controls with the SIXAXIS, but will be getting more exact motion controls with the wand-like controller. Microsoft's answer to motion controls is Natal.

Square Enix's Wada thinks the impact of motion controls might be "small". In an interview with The Financial Times, the exec said, "Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine. Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small. They are an extension of the gaming function."

This being said, Wada calls Natal's user interface "fantastic" and he thinks it will become standard.

According to Wada, the machine that started the recent motion controller craze, the Wii, will be getting a new version in 2011 with more PS3 and Xbox 360 and possibility a new controller — we're thinking this new controller with combine the traditional Wii Remote with Wii MotionPlus into a single controller.

Games groups eye next level [FT]

The businessman claims to have spent 30 hours over the course of four days after Dragon Quest IX was released this past July. But for Wada, it's not simply a matter of "I like videos games". The exec wants to see how gaming and game play has changed, what makes a hit and to think about how titles are made.

That means besides willingly taking a pay cut, Yoichi Wada claims to actually play the games. So imperial. So hot.

スクエニ和田洋一社長「ドラゴンクエスト９、発売日から4日間で約30時間を費やした。」 [オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃]

According to Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada, the cheaper US$299 PS3 will spur game sales, but not enough for the company to revise this year's financial forecast.

"In terms of the impact (the PS3 cut) will have on this financial year's earnings, I don't think there will be a major difference," explained Wada. "But I expect there to be a big impact from next year."

Next year being when Final Fantasy XIII is released exclusively on the PS3 in Japan?

UPDATE 2-Square Enix sees big impact from PS3 cut next year [Reuters]

When asked how the game's creators felt about that, Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada offered this, "Because it's the internet, well, that's the internet for ya. We were telling the game creators 'Don't worry about that.'" Take that, internet!

"Regarding likes and dislikes, there are good opinions and bad opinions," Wada continued. There's no choice but to separate them. It's not so simple as getting horrible reviews means horrible sales or getting great reviews means great sales. Customers are calmly looking at this from above and making their decision."

売れ続ける「ドラクエIX」　Amazonの不評は「そういうもんでしょう」と和田社長 [IT Media] [Pic]

A few weeks would put this announcement either close to the Tokyo Game Show or at the Tokyo Game Show. Previously, Square Enix gave the eagerly anticipated role-playing game a vague release window of "Winter 2009". Only the PS3 version of the multi-platform game has been announced for Japan.

We do not expect to hear street date info for the Western version. That, and we're just happy Square Enix didn't make an online countdown clock for this announcement of an announcement. Well, yet at least!

The Square Enix exec also stated that "Development [of FFXIII] has been going favorably."

「FF XIII」開発は「順調」　発売月は「あと数週間で発表」 [IT Media]

But Square Enix isn't stopping there.

Square Enix president Yoichi Wada told the Japanese press, "We're look at reaching over 5 million copies of Dragon Quest IX shipped." Wada went on to say that he hopes this will correspond to breathing life into the entire Japanese game industry.

In spring 2008, the exec hinted that it was possible to ship ten million copies of DQIX.

オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃:スクウェア・エニックス和田社長 『ドラゴンクエスト９』 の出荷は５００万本以上に達する見通し [オレ的ゲーム情報]

So the name "Eidos", which has long been associated with brands like Tomb Raider and Hitman, will no longer be used for publishing. It's a part of history. The brand will live on for games developed by Eidos, but if the game's being published by the British company, it's now being published by Square Enix Europe.

In addition to the cuts being made to company names, cuts are also being made to company jobs, Eidos Chief Executive Phil Rogers saying "Unfortunately we are expecting some jobs to be impacted directly by this in both Europe and North America. We are hoping to minimise this wherever possible and offer support and advice to any employees directly affected".

Square Enix Europe born [MCV]

Speaking with Gamasutra, Square boss Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada says the two firms "are going to be creating a new IP together", which will be the result of "a mutual understanding of each of the quarters" of both companies.

Not adapted IP, not modified IP, new IP. So...a bald teenager in tiny shorts carrying an enormous sword?

Square Enix, Eidos To Embark On IP Collaboration [Gamasutra]

The reason for this, he continues, is that the customer base has been increasing. "I think some people say it's leveled off," Wada explains, "because they believe this growth has almost reached its limit."

For Square Enix, this is the foundation for the "second stage of growth" as this proves video games are an established worldwide genre of entertainment. Wada lays out the game plan:

How will we be able to contribute to this second stage of growth in the game industry? This is expressed in our corporate philosophy statement: To spread happiness across the globe by providing unforgettable experiences.

Starting with games, all the contents we provide are the ingredients for our customers' happiness. The key is a deep understanding of each and every one of our customers. And when it comes down to it, our competitiveness depends on the quality of our contents and service.

You know what would make customers happy? Faster game development and timely releases.

Interview [Square Enix]

Addressing shareholders following Square's purchase of Eidos, Square Enix boss Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada told of the company's success in creating a "number of deliverables from one worldview" for their franchises. Which is corporate speak for "we make a fuckton of money from Final Fantasy spin-offs, anime and toys".

He then said this was something that Eidos - another company with strong internal IP - had been lacking. But no more! With franchises like Tomb Raider, Hitman and...Kane & Lynch now a part of the Square Enix marketing juggernaut, Wada says "we are considering creating synergy by diversifying revenue sources for each Eidos IP, applying our approach".

"Our approach" being, you guessed it, an endless stream of Tomb Raider toys, cartoons, mobile games, WiiWare games, and iPhone games.

As you can see, it was sort of an "off" year (the fiscal year running from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009) for the company, with only the DS re-release of Dragon Quest V managing to move more than a million units over that 12-month period (this chart only includes sales for that fiscal year, not lifetime sales). Its sales of 1.35 mil place it ahead of Dissidia, which moved 930,000 units for the year.

Before anyone remarks at how poor those Star Ocean 4 sales are, remember, the game still isn't out in Europe yet.

Company honcho Yoichi Wada did stress that FFXIII sales were implied in the Square Enix financial forecasts. According to Japanese site Inside Games, when Wada was asked whether the PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIII will be released in this financial term, Wada reportedly replied, "Lord knows... That's not true." He then chuckled and added, "We'll do our best!"

Seems like a rather off-handed remark, so we're not sure how much to read into it. Though, Square Enix has had difficulty getting its big titles out on time...

『DQ9』『FF13』の発売日はどうなる・・・? スクエニ決算説明会 [Inside Games]

Eidos titles like Batman and Kane and Lynch 2 are expected to be million sellers. Overseas sales are expected increase significantly as well. Taito, another Square Enix possession, will see the opening of 10 to 20 new arcades — suggesting that the game center business is not as bad as previously thought.

Square Enix also assured folks that Dragon Quest IX is on track for July. After that game is released, the emphasis, the company pointed out, would be getting Final Fantasy XIII out the door. The game has been dated as Winter 2009.