Square Enix Will Reportedly Double Down On PlayStation Exclusive Deals

Square Enix will be doubling down on exclusive deals with Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation, based on the latest report.

Gaming enthusiast forum Reset Era member Head on the Block, formerly known as the credible leaker Im a Hero Too, has stated that exclusive partnerships between Square Enix and PlayStation are going to get “much, much worse” in the future.

The Reset Era member further explained that these exclusivity deals between Square Enix and PlayStation are fundamentally about the bottom line i.e. money. They added that Microsoft has a larger array of development studios, while Sony, on the other hand, will work towards getting a larger number of exclusive partnerships and building on its existing brand loyalty.

While platform exclusivity is generally frowned upon by the fan base, 30% of the income on all sales coming from such titles makes money for the platform holder. Therefore, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s strategy is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The only other alternative is more acquisitions, which is also something the console maker will look to explore in future.

One such timed exclusivity deal between Square Enix and PlayStation is for the upcoming action role-playing title, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Recently, an interview with producer Yoshinori Kitase revealed fresh details regarding the game’s characters and gameplay. Speaking in response to a question regarding Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s open world, Kitase stated that it is not referred to as an open world internally by the development team.

Kitase explained that Midgar, the setting of the previous game, was a closed terrain, so no matter who played, everyone followed the same story. However, for Rebirth, the development team wanted players to choose which quests or side activities to take on. The catch here is that in order to move from one area to the next, the main story is preserved by having the player meet the necessary prerequisites, such as passing through a specific dungeon or obtaining a new vehicle.