Square Enix gets serious

  • By Hirohiko Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:13 pm PT

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.

28 Comments

  • gamemaker08

    Posted Mar 26, 2006 9:07 pm PT

    Serious Games = Educational games, from what i understand.

    SE....that's totally weak.

  • aimmy79

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 7:34 pm PT

    SquareEnix making serious games? I can't imagine what they're going to make, and for whom.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 7:32 am PT

    If Squeenix gets into the fray of Serious Games, it could be very interesting indeed... although I still find "Serious Games" go be an oxymoron.

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Mar 23, 2006 6:31 am PT

    Square Enix does make serious games

  • pyth0n13

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 8:18 pm PT

    i lked games better when they were fun

  • ultimate_zero

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 6:46 pm PT

    This Sounds Serious!

  • pdykstra600

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 6:11 pm PT

    i already gave one example on the first page. and as for all of the people whining that you don't want educational games or serious games, its not going to matter for you anyway. These games arn't going to be available at your local best buy or game crazy. These are "games" intended for an entirely different purpose.

  • dusteater

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:43 pm PT

    Serious means 'Drama". I think Square-Enix meant games with more drama and suspense!

  • glitchgeeman

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:39 pm PT

    Okay... Well whatever, that's the kinda thing I would expect Nintendo to do. They made Brain Training after all.

  • Shingo

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:26 pm PT

    Serious games? Whats a couple examples? I don't fully get it.

  • Eclipse_ShinRa

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:25 pm PT

    Good..sounds good..ONLY if they would get serious''and start making good RPGs again.AND stop with this FFVII spin offs''XD

  • Dafdiego777

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:24 pm PT

    This could be usefull.

  • joeamis

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 5:06 pm PT

    good to hear! one day this software will become commonplace in all walks of life. way to be forward thinking SE.

  • ace244

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:58 pm PT

    serious games? im seriously about to puke

  • faxekondi3

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:54 pm PT

    I want RPG games NOT EDUCATIONAL games

  • Kaos-Angel

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:52 pm PT

    Kenshin23
    this is old news imo, square has been educating people how to save the world from total annihilation, with nothing more than a sword and spikey hair, for more than a decade

    Haha, cute! But seriously, I can't wait until they teach me how to ride Chocobos and how to summon Carbuncle! ZOMG! I want one and then I could show it off to by bf. ^___^ I WUB U SQUARE!

  • Kenshin23

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:48 pm PT

    this is old news imo, square has been educating people how to save the world from total annihilation, with nothing more than a sword and spikey hair, for more than a decade

  • FirstNameLast

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:47 pm PT

    I want to see more companies jumping on this, it's a natural evolution of gaming, getting into regular lives. Imagine a Namco or SCEI designed Auto Road Test at your local DMV. Maybe we'll soon see some bank machines with RPG-like menus too.

  • pdykstra600

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:46 pm PT

    serious games means games that are intended for educational/business training as opposed to for entertainment purposes. think of a realistic flight simulator used for training real life flight pilots.

  • -o-o-o-o-o-o-ox

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:41 pm PT

    i hope Capcom makes serious games

  • solid_sticz

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:35 pm PT

    MattRorie said,
    And here I thought that this meant they'd be publishing Serious Sam in Japan. Good one

  • RenegadeZero

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    I think by 'serious' games, they mean 'educational' games.

  • DarKaoZ

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    So that means we will be expecting Alcohol, Sexual content and other "Serious" subjects in the future Square Enix Games for the sake of Education?

    Is still confusion all this about the Serious Games.

  • Kaos-Angel

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:23 pm PT

    Sweet, Square owns all!

    So ready for this! Can't wait to buy!

  • frankeyser

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:20 pm PT

    good market for square to go into i think it will help them raise profits.

  • FPSSteve

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • MattRorie Works for a game publisher or developer

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    And here I thought that this meant they'd be publishing Serious Sam in Japan.

  • FPSSteve

    Posted Mar 22, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    Serious Games? I still don't get it.

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