Final Fantasy is one of the longest-running series in the games industry, and one of its most successful series as well. Over the years, the formula of Final Fantasy has evolved and branched out in the name of modernity. What’s not changed over the years is the series is often tied down to a PlayStation console as the result of an exclusivity deal between PlayStation and Square Enix. It sounds like this won’t be the standard going forward though.
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According to Square Enix producer, Yoshinori Kitase, the Japanese games maker is satisfied with how recent Final Fantasy games — Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Final Fantasy 16 — have performed on PlayStation consoles. However at the same time, they also think it is “clear” that the future is not exclusivity but rather offering their games to as many players as possible.
“Although we’re confident and satisfied that we’re reaching a certain level of sales, it’s clear that, with the modernity of games, we can’t be exclusive to a single platform,” said the producer. “I think we need to offer the game to as many players as possible.”
There’s a good chance Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is already accounted for in a PlayStation exclusivity deal. But Final Fantasy 17 — the rumored Final Fantasy 9 Remake — are probably going to be multi-platform based on this new comment from Kitase.
Of course, Square Enix isn’t just making Final Fantasy games exclusive to PlayStation or Nintendo just because it likes the companies. It gets paid, upfront to do this. It offsets the commercial risk of AAA video game development. However, it limits IP growth, or at least it can. While there are perks to being synonymous with brands like PlayStation or Nintendo, there are also perks to reaching new audiences. And Square Enix clearly thinks these perks outweigh any of the perks of making exclusive games.
For more Final Fantasy coverage — including all of the latest Final Fantasy news, all of the latest Final Fantasy rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Final Fantasy deals — click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Do you think this is the right call from Square Enix?
