@Pedro: I'm pretty sure Hi-Fi Rush is a "better game.”

I'm pretty sure Hi-Fi Rush is a "better game".

I hope more people will actually buy games instead of playing on GP if they want to support the devs.

The recent closures of Tango and Arkane Austin, as well as numerous indie devs, have already made it clear that Game Pass won't help them as much financially unless people actually buy their games.

Ninja Theory in particular has many worried.

Well, remember back in 2015 when FF7Remake was announced? People said "they finally hit the panic button".

They had been struggling to make FF15 for years. Likewise, DQ11 and KH3 were still in development hell. FF14 and other mobile games were not yet generating the steady revenue they are now. Their stock price was even more critical than it is now.

They even had to set a financial safety net by signing a timed exclusivity deal with MS for Rise of the Tomb Raider. Why? Because they could not take big risks under those circumstances.

If you think about it, it is quite reasonable to assume that one of the main reasons they were able to take big risks on the FF7R trilogy project back then was because of their exclusive deal with Sony, that is their financial backing. I don't think there's anything baffling about it. (FF16 might be a different situation, though.)

Well, to be clear, I am not saying that Sony took a publisher-like position and ”fully funded” the FF7 remake project.

What I am saying is that Sony helped Square Enix fund the project through a console exclusivity deal, and together they increased the budget so that the remake project, which would have been difficult, much smaller, or never come to light if it had been done by Square Enix alone, could be done on the scale that it is now. This is mutually beneficial, as long as Sony boosting console sales and Square Enix securing a large AAA budget.

You don't necessarily have to be a publisher when funding through a console exclusivity deal. For example, MS paid Square Enix a huge amount of money back in 2014 to give Rise of Tomb Raider a timed exclusive on the Xbox One. It helped fund and develop the game, but MS is not its publisher. Something similar apparently happened on a larger scale with the FF7 remake project between Sony and Square Enix is my point.

@Pedro:

Well, I wouldn't say it was the "sole reason", but it's obvious that Square Enix signed a console exclusivity deal with Sony when they greenlit the FF7remake project. Even if the amount isn't disclosed, it's self-evident that Sony's financial support was one of the major factors in getting Square Enix on board for such a huge undertaking and making it possible to the extent that it is. But if you say otherwise, feel free to share a "link" to it.

This is the only UBI game I've been looking forward to in recent years. I hope they get it right.

I read a rumor that the main character may be modeled after “Yasuke”, a black samurai from the US who actually existed in history. If the rumor is true, it could be the late 16th century Sengoku period when he was in Japan.

Well, actually, I welcome the fact that their franchises, including FF, are being played by more players. In fact, I remember making comments welcoming the expansion of FF14 to the Xbox community, for example. (but I doubt if Xbox will still be around when FF17 comes out, haha).

However, I disagree with some narratives that are quick to assume that this decision is the result of the exclusivity deal with Sony being a failure.

First of all, it was Sony's financial support that made a big project like the FF7 remake trilogy possible. Without it, it would not have been possible at all, at least not on such a large scale.

When FF7Remake came out in 2020 and sold like hotcakes, it helped Square Enix to have one of the most profitable years of their finances.

Also, according to their financial reports, the decrease in profits is also due to the large losses from game cancellations and other segments such as MMOs and mobile. If anything, FF16 and FF7Rebirth made up for that loss by contributing to sales and still turning a profit. So to call them a flop is factually incorrect.

That being said, it is quite conceivable that they will gain more profit and audience by going multi-platform (in fact, they have already done so with most of the major franchises, such as DQ, KH, Nier, LIS, etc.). Also, FF16 and FF7Rebirth are great games and it would be nice to see them enjoyed by a wider audience.

Not a bad game, but not very memorable to me and not the quality of what I would call a classic.

I'm much more excited about the MGS3 remake (even though Kojima isn't involved) than I am about the Splinter Cell remake.

The string of unfortunate layoffs/studio closures at MS reminds me of the scene where Cell, once attaining its perfect form by absorbing other Andorids, is cornered and spits out Android 17. Wonder how long it takes it to eventually self-destruct, haha.

All joking aside, as someone who really enjoyed Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo (I missed Hi-Fi Rush at launch, but will be playing it on PS5), I sincerely hope these talented creators find new jobs as soon as possible.

Well, Nintendo has recently expanded its major franchises far beyond the traditional game console(s) into a variety of entertainment areas, including movies, theme parks, mobile, and other forms of IP licensing, all with great success.

In a broad sense, Nintendo is one of the most aggressive publishers in terms of breaking out of their traditional video game mold and expanding their audience.

However, there is no indication that their current CEO has expressed any interest in getting into PC gaming. Perhaps movies, theme parks, mobile, and other forms of entertainment are more appealing to Nintendo that would expand their IPs and increase their revenues.