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The console wars of this generation has seemingly rested on the winning side of Sony thus far. With AAA exclusives likeSpider-Man,The Last of Us, and even Square Enix’s 2023 venture,Final Fantasy 16.But if this month has taught us anything, it’s that the gaming industry is now turning more volatile than ever. With studio closures and even many games seeing the door, gamers aren’t even cautiously optimistic anymore.
Which might be the case now for Sony’s fanboys as well. When a big name like Square Enix says they’re going multi-platform, it’s bound to raise eyebrows. What may be PlayStation’s loss could just be Xbox’s, nay, the gaming community’s win.
Square Enix just parachuted out of Sony’s tower
Labelled a new strategy, Square Enix is looking to shift from quantity to quality, as is obvious from their recentConsolidated Financial Results. And it would be a welcome move for them as much as it is for most gamers since fans of theFinal Fantasyfranchise have been itching to get their hands on this PlayStation exclusive. It seems the developer/publisher has taken a beating in their revenues.
“In the HD (High-Definition) sub-segment, consolidated net sales for the fiscal year ended August 03, 2025 increased compared with the previous fiscal year due to the release of titles including “FINAL FANTASY XVI,” “FINAL FANTASY PIXEL REMASTER,” “DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince,” and “FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH.” However, operating losses grew due to higher development cost amortization and advertising expenses, as well as higher content valuation losses versus the previous fiscal year.”
With even Sony’s console exclusives opening up to PC releases (albeit, real slow), Square Enix’s move is a terrific strategy for them. Xbox’s Game Pass has been the biggest draw to many publishers and gamers alike, and to have their covetedFinal Fantasyseries hit Microsoft’s library, this could be their way ofrighting some wrongsin players’ books.
Square Enix Announce Decision to ‘be more selective’ Over Game Development – Does This Spell Trouble for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3?
While it is unknown if the developer has anything new in the pipeline, it would be the cherry on top for them to have their older titles embrace the new multi-platform way. Withrumors of Final Fantasy 16 hitting Xbox soon, this might be a wake-up call for Sony.
Final Fantasy 16– A ‘Womp-Womp’ moment for Sony and Square Enix
FF XVIfailed to hit the mark, not just financially, but even for gamers. The reviews were mixed, at best, and the complaints kept pouring in. While the dialogue and plot weren’t as horrific asForspoken, many criticizedFF XVIfor itspoor pacingand awkward dialogue.
The very essence of the franchise seemed to be dead as well.FF‘s turn-based combat was the go-to for years and players loved that. So, the change to action-oriented system didn’t sit right with the community. While it seems very surface level for a gameplay mechanic, players quickly began to see that the entirety of this new system was pointless- You could barely even get a combo out before being turned to pulp, especially when you were still a lower level.
Well, Square Enix may redo this game years from now, given the “remake” saga, but for now they have us all excited to see their games potentially hit other platforms. And with theNintendo Switch 2 coming soon, they might be looking at a whole new playerbase with their games on a portable device.
Divyashree Shashidhar
Editor/Reviewer
Articles Published :38
A lover of all things anime, gaming, comics, and food, Divyashree (or Denji, as they’d prefer) is re-kindling their fire for writing and editing all things pop culture as a Content Editor at FandomWire/Animated Times. While they’re not hard at work, you’ll find them petting their adorable cats, and cocooned in bed.
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