Square Enix gets serious
Japanese RPG maker joins hands with educational book publisher to establish subsidiary for development and sales of "serious games."
TOKYO--Square Enix is taking a step out of the entertainment business. Today, the company held a press conference with textbook publisher Gakken to announce the establishment of a joint subsidiary on May 1. Dubbed SG Lab, the company will specialize in the development and distribution of what's generally known as "serious games," interactive programs designed to train or educate users. Aside from creating serious games for educational facilities, SG Lab will also make them for public facilities, industries, and professional training purposes.
Square Enix is the first major Japanese publisher to announce its entrance into the serious games market. While still growing, the market has traditionally been much stronger in North America, where there's already a Serious Games Summit established as an annual event.
SG Lab will start off with a capital fund of 10 million yen (approximately $100,000), of which 60 percent is from Square Enix and 40 percent is from Gakken. SG Lab doesn't have any projects underway yet, and it will start off its business by accepting orders for custom-designed software.
During the press conference, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada explained that the serious-games market is a great business opportunity because of its potential audience, which would cover both genders and range from children to seniors. But in entering the market, Square Enix needed a business partner with a knowledge base vastly different from its own. Thus, the company teamed up with Gakken, which also sees Square Enix as its best-fit partner. The textbook company has a long history in creating educational aids but doesn't have much experience working with technology or creating software.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
Dragon Age: Origins Interview with Ray Muzyka
We chat with Ray Muzyka about some of the features in Dragon Age: Origins. Full Story
- Posted Jul 8, 2009 4:06 pm PT
-
Left 4 Dead 2 Doug Lombardi Interview
We talk to Doug Lombardi about Left 4 Dead 2 at a recent preview event in London. Full Story
- Posted Jul 3, 2009 4:42 pm PT
Featured Stories
-
Sony dismisses Activision threats, PS3 price cut rumors
Sony Corp. CEO Sir Howard Stringer brands third-party publisher's comments as "noise," SCEA CEO Jack Tretton says other consoles don't deliver the same value. Full Story
- Posted Jul 8, 2009 1:15 pm PT
- 960 Comments
-
PS3 MGS4/Killzone 2 bundle now available
Best Buy begins offering rumored $400 retail configuration, which packs in 80GB console with nearly $90 of top-rated games. Full Story
- Posted Jul 7, 2009 11:19 am PT
- 481 Comments
-
Battlefield 1943 suffers server snafu
EA Dice's multiplayer-only downloadable shooter experiencing matchmaking technical difficulties after Xbox 360 launch this morning. Full Story
- Posted Jul 8, 2009 12:48 pm PT
- 142 Comments
-
Blizzard: Free-to-play WOW 'possible'
Lead designer Tom Chilton says the multiplatinum MMORPG champion could abolish monthly subscription plan by adopting microtransaction system. Full Story
- Posted Jul 7, 2009 12:43 pm PT
- 342 Comments
-
Square Enix retires Eidos publishing label
Japanese pub consolidates operations in Europe and NA, confirming some headcount reduction; British company's name will live on through dev studios. Full Story
- Posted Jul 7, 2009 11:15 am PT
- 138 Comments
Recent News
Site Blogs
-
Sony gets Netflix streaming...for Bravia HDTVs
Ever since Netflix video streaming came to the Xbox 360, Microsoft has been touting it as a major advantage over its competing consoles....




28 Comments