Square Enix can no longer rely on singe-platform exclusivity, according to game producer Yoshinori Kitase.
During an interview with IGN Brazil, Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the franchise and director of the original Final Fantasy VII, addressed concerns surrounding lacking sales of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the latest chapter in the Remake trilogy from Square Enix. Back in September, the publisher held a briefing during which it shared its financial results, stating that profits did not meet the company’s expectations despite releasing multiple new titles, including the likes of Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
To put sales expectations into perspective, Kitase pointed towards the recent PlayStation Partners Awards held by Sony Interactive Entertainment in Japan, specifically the Grand Award category, which awarded the three best-selling games of the year. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was ranked among those games, alongside Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Being recognized in terms of sales assured him that the game succeeded in reaching a certain level.
However, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth producer clarified that, while he is confident and happy that the game reached a certain level of sales, it is clear that, due to the nature of modern games (likely referring to increasing development budgets), exclusivity to a single platform is no longer feasible for Square Enix. He believes that the publisher needs to offer Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to as many players as possible.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy has been a timed exclusive on PlayStation, with the first part arriving a year-and-a-half later on PC. With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the duration of timed exclusivity has narrowed, and the PC version is set to be released next month on January 23, 2024. Kitase is likely looking to have both games be available on the Nintendo Switch successor and Xbox Series consoles in addition to expecting the third and final part in the trilogy to be released simultaneously across as many platforms as possible.
