"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]

At a recent financial briefing in which Square Enix announced that sales were up 33.2 percent and profits dropped 55.7 percent, Square Enix Yoichi Wada stated "progress is good" on the international version of FFXIII. Currently, it is possible to get the multi-platform game out this financial year, which ends in April 2010. Of course, this is not dependent merely on the game's development and there will be an official announcement at a later date.

No clarification on whether Wada was discussing both the North American and European version or not.

スクウェア・エニックス、「2010年3月期 第2四半期決算説明会」を開催 [GAME Watch]

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]

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]

While middling critical reception of The Last Remnant may imply that PlayStation 3 owners aren't missing out, we're sure some die hard RPG fans are still looking forward to some turn-based action, Square Enix style. But company president Yoichi Wada cast doubt on the third version of the game ever arriving yesterday, speaking at a shareholders meeting and discussing The Last Remnant's fate.

According to a recounting of that event, via Andriasang, Square Enix's concerns about profitability may curtail the PS3 port. He reportedly said that the span of time between the Xbox 360/PC and PS3 releases may have an impact on the publisher's decision to get the PlayStation-bound version out the door. The success (or lack thereof) of the original release is also a factor.

Square Enix didn't show The Last Remnant for the PlayStation 3 at E3 2009 this year, a pretty good indicator that the company won't release the title in 2009. While neither of these things is confirmation that the PS3 iteration has been shelved, neither bodes well for a forthcoming release.

We've contacted the publisher to get official comment, but have yet to hear back from PR representatives.

Last Remnant PS3 Prospects Not Looking Good [Andriasang]

Know: The brackets and capitalized words have been added by us. The email was original sent in Japanese and English where noted.

from SOME DUDE
to kotaku
subject [in English] Please send to Yoichi wada!!! Onegaiii i need your help please.

[in broken Japanese] I name SOME DUDE livelihood in SOME COUNTRY my dream grape to be successful. But second daughter ticket forearm. You are able to be built?

I apologize armory's Japanese don't understand.

[in English] it can be translated to SOME DUDE'S LANGUAGE

I await response.

[in Japanese] Thank you vory mach.

In February, both Square Enix and Eidos came to an agreement for the takeover, and the following month, Eidos shareholders overwhemingly approved of the action.

Eidos issued this statement earlier today: "The Board of Eidos is pleased to announce that the Court sanctioned the Scheme at the Court Hearing held today and that it also confirmed the associated Capital Reduction at that hearing."

"As previously announced, the Scheme is expected to become effective on 22 April 2009 following the delivery of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies and the registration by him of such Court Order."

The London Stock Exchange suspended trading Eidos shares. On April 23, the Stock Exchange will cancel trading Eidos shares. The takeover will bring not only Tomb Raider, but also Deus Ex and Hitman into Square Enix's franchise portfolio.

Court sanctions Square's Eidos takeover [CVG]

While some other execs might pass the buck and make cuts everywhere except for their own salaries, Square Enix's Yoichi Wada is not some other exec.

In a recently released briefing from last month, Wada explained, "In recognition of the latest results, we're cutting the remuneration of three executive directors by 15 percent. The three directors are myself, our Vice-President Keiji Honda, and Director and Chief Financial Officer Yosuke Matsuda. This reduction is for an indefinite period. In the meantime, we intend to stand up straight and push ahead with reforms."

Sure, Wada makes gobs of money. Even with the 15 percent cut, he still probably makes gobs of money — just percent less gobs. But seeing an exec stand up and show he's willing to take a hit for the company does offer fuzzy feelings. Imperial Hot? No, Imperial Heart.

Square Enix president Yoichi Wada explained, "The next term's schedule has been fixed yet. Presently, I cannot say what kind of effect we will experience from moving the Dragon Quest IX launch from March to July. I cannot say there won't be an effect."

According to Japanese news site IT Media, Wada added, "There is a possibility that Dragon Quest IX delay could effect Final Fantasy XIII." Wada, however, did not explain how it could affect the-long-in-development and eagerly awaited FFXIII.

ドラクエIX発売延期、FF新作「XIII」に影響も [IT Media]

Riding the Current

Season's Greetings to everyone and a Happy New Year.

This year has begun with a torrent of economic difficulty.

A continuous cycle of recession will accelerate the process of selection.
Stagnation will be swept away and only the genuine will survive.
Ordinarily, an accepted approach might be to plant one's feet and brace against the current's pull.

However, this situation is an exception.
This is a powerful current that will erode the shores, shift the river floor, and change the landscape
entirely. Simply strengthening our business foundations will not be a enough.
We must not seek to avoid being swept away but rather to harness the momentum of this current.

The global video game market is expected to maintain remarkable growth.
Our challenge will be to take advantage of our position and leap boldly into the flow.

We will make this year one in which we are grateful for such a rare opportunity.

Well, at least there's no "fire/desire" rhyme. This would probably sound better in Japanese — and if Imperial Hot himself read it to us. Everything sounds better from Imperial Hot. Everything.

“We see great opportunities in European and North American markets, both of which are expected to be maintaining sustainable growth over these coming years,” said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of Square Enix Co., Ltd. “Therefore, it is crucial we create alliances with proven developers such as Gas Powered Games in order to serve these significant markets better by providing products and services in tune with customer tastes.”

Wada had previously voiced his concerns over the growth of the Western games industry, most recently at the Tokyo Game Show, where he proposed an alliance of Japanese devs and publishers. I suppose this is an example of the old 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em' strategy.

SQUARE ENIX, INC. AND GAS POWERED GAMES ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Development Begins on Real-time Strategy Game SUPREME COMMANDER 2

London (12th November 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories (Square Enix), today announces that Square Enix, Inc., a U.S. sister company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and development house Gas Powered Games Corp., a U.S. company headquartered in Redmond, Washington (Gas Powered Games) have formed a strategic partnership. With the commencement of this strategic partnership, development has begun on SUPREME COMMANDER® 2, a sequel to the award-winning real-time strategy series.

This strategic partnership represents one of the first steps Square Enix Co., Ltd., a sister company of Square Enix headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and its affiliates (collectively, Square Enix Group) are taking towards their goal of increasing western development efforts aimed for the global markets. Square Enix Group has previously worked exclusively with Japanese development companies, so the decision to form strategic partnerships with developers located outside of Japan serves as a new cornerstone of its strategy to create games targeted primarily at consumers in Europe and North America. Additionally, Square Enix Group’s foray into the real-time strategy genre is a significant expansion of its product lineup, largely known for its leadership role in the genre of role-playing games.

“We see great opportunities in European and North American markets, both of which are expected to be maintaining sustainable growth over these coming years,” said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of Square Enix Co., Ltd. “Therefore, it is crucial we create alliances with proven developers such as Gas Powered Games in order to serve these significant markets better by providing products and services in tune with customer tastes.”

“Gas Powered Games is an accomplished development house that has demonstrated its ability to successfully create and develop intellectual properties,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix and Square Enix, Inc.. “We are extremely excited to begin working with Gas Powered Games’ talented personnel and see this strategic partnership as a significant step in our efforts to bring Square Enix titles to a broader global audience.”

Creator of hit titles such as Dungeon Siege®, and Supreme Commander, Gas Powered Games® was founded in 1998 by one of the game industry’s most imaginative and dynamic visionaries Chris Taylor, who serves as chief executive officer. "It is truly a great honour to join forces with as renowned a developer and publisher as Square Enix, Inc." said Taylor: "Everyone at Gas Powered Games is thrilled about this collaboration, and the results will surely delight video game fans around the world.”

Details on SUPREME COMMANDER 2 including gameplay features, platform(s) and release date will be available at a later time.

As imperial hot company president Yoichi Wada explains in Asashi Shimbun piece on the remake boom: "The price of games is high, and consumers tend to be wary of buying games they are unfamiliar with. Now, it's possible for consumers to learn a great deal about the content of new titles through the internet." Hooray for the internet! Not only can it help you find pornography, but also inform about new video games. Oh, the marvels of modern technology.

Remake Boom [Asahi]

To remain competitive, Wada says, "Therefore, we should consider some sort of 'Japan Alliance'." More medium to small-sized companies will need to realign — case in point, Tecmo and Koei. "Individuality is important," Wada adds. "It's not forcing everything into a single corporate brand. The ideal is a holding company under which several companies and brands can hang." Though, who would head up this alliance? Square Enix? Wada? He did come up with the idea...

世界市場の活況に潜む“日の丸ゲーム”の危機〜ゲームが破る閉塞（最終回） [NB Online via my game news flash]

The Latest Dragon Quest On Sale During New Year's Period = Tecmo Purchase "We Will Decide What To Do" — Square Enix President

On the 18th, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada responded in an interview that the latest entry in the popular game series Dragon Quest will go on sale during the New Year's period.

The Japanese New Year's period is January 1st to January 4th, but the original text doesn't get any more specific than "Early January" or "New Year's". Though, maybe he means around New Year's, who knows. And what's more, it's not explicitly clear that Wada is referring to DQIX, though Square Enix has stated several times that the still yet-to-be-dated game will be out this financial year — which ends in March. And what's this about Square Enix deciding what do to about the Tecmo buyout? Thought that Square Enix had rescinded its offer.

ドラクエ最新作、年明け発売へ＝テクモ買収は「今後判断」—スク・エニ社長 [Yahoo! News Japan]

According to Wada, there have been discussions since May with former Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda and Tecmo Chairman of the Board (and current president) Yasuharu Kakihara. Yasuda has recently resigned in wake of a slew of labor dispute legal trouble with Team Ninja and Dead or Alive member Tomonobu Itagaki. Wada admits that he was "concerned" what would happen regarding those discussions when Yasuda resigned.

This, said Wada, is the same as when Square and Enix merged, adding: "In entertainment, games are the equal of the film and television industry, and growth is strong. But, now the Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor that it did previously... This is a worldwide battle."

As we broke earlier, the Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4th to approve the offer. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). But if Tecmo does accept the offer, what will happen to Tecmo? It will fall under a holding company umbrella, said the exec. But regarding the actual Tecmo brand, Wada stated, "To either be affiliated and losing the brand or possibly merging with Taito, that's the big difference." Square Enix acquired Taito in 2005.

Wada was keen to point out how important (and attractive) Tecmo's IPs were. Not only that, he praised the company's ability to produce top quality titles — most notably Tecmo's fighting and action games. Wada also lauded the company's success abroad. The Square Enix exec pointed out that talented teams are needed to make games. "While it looks like the games are made by a single, talented genius, games are made by teams," said Wada. When asked about the Itagaki labor dispute, Wada replied: "I don't know anything of the concrete details of this particular case."

"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Wada. "I hope."

和田氏「TOBはこれから。目的はグループとして一緒にやっていくこと」 [Game Watch Impress]

So rational, normal humans shouldn't have as much trouble digesting these words from Squeenix boss Yoichi Wada, who knows which way the current generation's winds are blowing:

We're now in the age of the multi-platform, but depending on age and territory, users have different tastes. Therefore it's very difficult to just deal with one company or one hardware platform - in order to offer our product to the vast majority of gamers we need to deal with multiple companies and platforms.

In other words, when Final Fantasy XIV is announced for PSP & iPhone, try to keep your squealing to a minimum, OK?

Turning Fantasy into Reality [GI.biz] [Pic]