Gaming Square and Enix merge!

[Posthumous]

Here's the news.

Enix and Square to merge, form new company -- Square Enix Inc.
Japanese RPG giants Enix and Square announced plans on Tuesday to merge operations on April 1st, bringing two of Japan's biggest selling franchises -- Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy -- under one roof: Square Enix Inc.

The deal calls for Square to be absorbed into Enix, with 0.81 shares in Enix being traded for each share in Square. The companies said the move was a bid to strengthen profitability amid stiff competition. What this means is that although the company is named Square Enix Inc., the surviving partner is seemingly Enix. How this will affect day to day operations of Square in Japan, or of Square's U.S. subsidiary, Square Electronic Arts, is uncertain, but Yoichi Wada, the president of Square Japan, is posied to helm the new merger.

When contacted for confirmation, a Square representative was unable to provide confirmation, stating that details would be released in the morning. Enix U.S. was also unable to offer insight to the groundbreaking deal.

What does this mean for the gaming world? It means that the two mightiest RPG powerhouses in the industry are now one, bigger RPG goliath. Dragon Quest VII was the biggest-selling game in Japan in 2001 (over 4 million copies sold), while that Final Fantasy series has been known to move a few units. Pessimists might suggest that anyone else with an RPG on the burner should just pack it in. More intriguingly, where that leaves Nintendo's contribution (in partnership with Square), which rides besides Sony's infusement (into Square), which tickles Electronic Art's distribution agreement (with Square) is anybody's guess.

A news conference in Japan is scheduled with an official announcement only a couple hours from now. Stay tuned for more details as we get them.

-Source-[URL=http://www.gamers.com]Gamers.com[/URL]

[Mist]

[color=crimson][size=1] That's absolutely amazing...just...scary. I don't know though; I never was a big fan of Dragon Quest.I think that the merge might benefit each, but not very much.

Basically, they shouldn't merge in my opinion.[/color][/size]

[Semjaza]

I don't see why so many people suddenly care about this news. Enix fans seem rare around here (meaning most of the internet, not just OB) as it is. I already talked to some people about this, and I know my fears are unwarrented... This isn't something I'm exactly ecstatic about right now, regardless of the future outcomes.

I figure it gives both of them more resousces which is always good... I'm also glad Enix owns the controlling share of the two companies, regardless of a Square employee being the President. Oh well.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]I'm just wondering if this will mean more or less RPGs by those two companies coming to the GBA and GCN. Hopefully more, and hopefully we'll see some FF games in the main series coming to GCN.[/color]

[Valen]

Final Fantasy.... on GCN? That would be pretty cool... who knows what this merger will bring... hopefully good stuff from both developers... I'm against the merger, but it's already been decided, so oh well... I'll just sit here and wait to see what they come up with...

[Guest Zeh]

[COLOR=royalblue]Don't tell me you missed the big deal, Valen? Square and Nintendo are back together again...

I thought this was pretty good news actually, at first atleast.

Enix is good at producing games that are remarkably like the old-school ones, they have most of the same characteristics. The story's aren't the best, but they are pretty good, but the chatacter depth was one of the only things that ruined Enix RPG's.

Square, well need i say more? Square rules.... they may benefit from Enix's good old school gaming style, but hey, who can tell? I'm eagar to see what one of their RPG's would look like.... [/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

Character depth depends on the Enix game. Just like Square's -- it depends on the game. Star Ocean 2 would have benefitted from a better translation which messed up a lot of the story, but it still had good characters. I still think Valkyrie Profile has an incredibly good story (mostly based on the characters themselves) that actually makes it seem like you're making it as you go.

The more I read about this, the less I think any of it's really going to matter. It sounds as if the companies are going to keep almost all of their development seperate like it currently is.

[spike speigel]

Square and Enix merge! that's great! Both good companies, if you ask me. I wonder if they'll come out with a new game series?

[Flash]

Final Dragon Fantasy Quest XLVIII... Heck, I'd buy it.

[Gavin]

[color=royalblue]Hmm I've never actually played any of the Dragon Quest games but they are supposed to be good, the fact that Square and Enix have merged should mean that there will be saome very high quality PRGs entering the market sometime soon.

As for the fact the Nintendo and a Sqaure based company are producing a game called Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles which will be a great addition to Nintendo's RPG line up[/color]

[Mako]

Yup. Crystal Chronicles was announced earlier as a GCN title. :)

I'm looking forward to it, although it won't be as much of a final fantasy as some of us would expect. I have an article about it in one of my gamepro/egm's, i'll look for it if anybody's interested.

[SIZE=1][COLOR=royalblue]If you're looking to talk about Crystal Chronicles, go [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=15322][color=royalblue]here[/color][/URL]. - Tasis [/COLOR] [/SIZE]

[Bandit Joeykuba]

Now that I have a GC, I'm most definately getting FF: CC.

Now... ENIX AND SQUARE?!?!?! OH HAPPY DAY! I can see it now, Dragon Warrior Monsters (one of my fav. GBC games) meets FFVII(overall fav PS1 game). I'm in love! *faints*

[Semjaza]

If Dragon Quest ever is touched by anything FF, I will kill someone.

[Desbreko]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i]
[B]If Dragon Quest ever is touched by anything FF, I will kill someone. [/B][/QUOTE]
[color=indigo]*makes a note of that, so as I can be far, far away if that ever happens*

I really can't see the FF and Dragon Quest series really having much to do with each other, though, other than a cameo appearance here or there. I mean, the two series have gotten pretty different from each other over the years. I don't think it'd turn out well if they took bits from both series and made them into a game.[/color]