Square Enix, that blessed company that brought us the Final Fantasy franchise, may be having an internal dispute. Rumor has it that big boss Yoichi Wada is threatening to axe employees if they don't start becoming more mainstream with their games. Story in the full article.

Square Enix is planning to expand its reach, but will its current setback - a slumping fiscal year 2007 - get in the way of everybody's favorite RPG factory? We'll know in the near future, or at least when we see the results of fiscal year 2008. More details in the full article.

Final Fantasy 7 flower girl Aeris always did want world peace. And amidst all the complaints of how Japan would nearly always get things first - *cough* Crisis Core *cough* - Yoichi Wada is now trying to make ends meet. The Square Enix CEO expressed his desire of aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases from now on. Follow the lifestream and flow into the full article for more details.

Square Enix is spreading its reach farther as they unveil their plans of acquiring some more local and foreign companies. It's a tried and tested formula to cash in more of that valuable green paper, and there isn't a reason why they shouldn't do it.

Check out what their gameplan is over at the full article.

When Final Fantasy XIII was announced to be in the works, Square Enix was the subject of a lot of speculation on whether their latest game will become multiplatform. Square's Yoichi Wada recently gave the studio's current position on Microsoft in an interview with Nikkei. Details of the interview in the full article.

Other gaming companies have their own Western studios, like Sega and its Sega Racing Studio. What about Square Enix? It looks like the top RPG making company is about to take the same approach as well. Read about it in the full article!

Nowadays, we just can't help but think only about Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest whenever we hear the name Square Enix. But Square Enix's president Yoichi Wada wants gamers to know that they do not depend on those two chart-topping franchises alone. More details in the full article.

After news about Square Enix looking for western business partners came out earlier this week, the company has released a statement to clarify its position on overseas business development.

While previous reports quoted Square Enix senior VP Michihiko Sasaki as saying that the company is currently making only 10 to 20 percent of its total annual sales, president and representative director Yoichi Wada states that the company's games revenue in overseas markets actually accounts for 50 percent of the total revenue in this segment.

Wada went on to say that the company's initial goal within a time frame of three to five years is to "raise [its] foreign sales ratio for console and handheld games from its current 50% level to approximately 75%". To achieve this, Wada outlined Square Enix's two-fold strategy:

Our strategy to seize such opportunities is two-fold; (i) strengthen our own distribution channels developed by our local subsidiaries in these geographic areas, and (ii) diversify our content in accordance with user preferences in each area.

Wada further stated that they shall continue their efforts to better serve overseas markets.

 

We've previously reported that contrary to rumor, this year's TGS is not canceled, and in fact, will receive an extra day. Well folks, here is an update regarding that issue.

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association of Japan has recently given the details regarding the expansion to their Tokyo Game Show in a press event held in Central Tokyo. Japanese videogame news site Game Watch informs that, Square Enix president and acting CESA chairman, Yoichi Wada, was there to announce that in addition to the extra day, up to 160 companies will be in attendance, up from the recorded 143 last year. Other expectations about the even include a total attendance of 180,000 people and 1,550 booth units.

With the recent "changes" to E3, Wada emphasized that it is very important for this years TGS to cater to foreign press, whose numbers reached 1,380 in 2006, up from 1,050 the previous year. There will be an effort to translate press materials available found on CESA's Japanese website, and more importantly directional signs in the convention center will now be multi-lingual.

There will be a Kid's Corner and a Retro Corner set up to cater to their respective audiences. There will also be a Video Game Museum that will give older attendees a chance to appreciate video game history.

This year's TGS is scheduled for September 20th through the 23rd. The 20th and the 21st will be dedicated to press, while the 22nd and the 23rd will be general admission days. As always, the event will be held at the now legendary Chiba Makuhari Messe at the convention center in Chiba.

In the second half of his two-part interview with Nikkei Business Online, Yoichi Wada, the president of Square Enix and chairman of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), hinted that Square Enix might be gearing up for an entry into the hardware biz.

In the interview, Wada said that in talks between Square Enix and Taito, the possibility of releasing actual physical hardware has come up. Taito, a company that produces physical hardware (along with arcade hits like Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble), was acquired by Square Enix in August 2005.

While Wada refrained from disclosing more information about the company's plans, his reference to the Nintendo DS and the iPod during the interview leads us to believe that if Square Enix were to make a move into the hardware market, the company would be aiming for a new handheld gaming device. Releasing a new console is far too risky and would lead to friction between Square Enix and established console manufacturers that hold exclusive rights to their big-name franchises.

This is an interesting development, though. If it pushes through, the ripples that will spread throughout the videogames industry will no doubt be pretty darn big.

Opinions? Thoughts? Leave a comment.