Square-Enix's chief executive Yoichi Wada commented on the state of the video game industry in an interview with the Financial Times, where he made the claim that handhelds drive the market and have the most diverse audience.
In the past, Wada explained, it was entirely feasible to make a profit developing for the Playstation and Game Boy, but that is no longer a feasible route, as other platforms have risen to new levels of popularity. In fact, Dragon Quest IX is being exclusively developed for the DS for one reason only, says Wada. The DS has the largest market, including many people new to gaming. Square-Enix is a company looking for profit, and they believe developing for the DS is the best choice for achieving that goal.
Square-Enix intends to develop software for all kinds of people, including those new to gaming. No examples were given, but Square-Enix did announce their own batch of "non-games" not so long ago, including DS Yoga Lessons You Can Start Today, Flower-Blooming DS Gardening Lite, and Why Not Listen to Classical Music On DS? (developed by iNiS, more commonly known as the home of Elite Beat Agents), as well as a line of travel guide software based on the Japanese travel guide World Walking.
Wada also commented that "certain next-generation consoles" are too powerful for their time and too demanding of the user with the need for a high-definition TV, broadband internet, and gaming knowledge. In a year or two Wada believes they will be doing better, but for now, developing exclusively for a console like the PS3 is risky business.
Wada made no specific comments about development for the Wii, but it does notably lack some of the aspects he believes are holding back the other consoles, namely HD and a requirement to be a hardcore gamer. Wii has also seen much more support from Square-Enix than the GameCube, even this early in its lifespan. For now, though, expect to see more offerings from Square-Enix on the DS.
In the past, Wada explained, it was entirely feasible to make a profit developing for the Playstation and Game Boy, but that is no longer a feasible route, as other platforms have risen to new levels of popularity. In fact, Dragon Quest IX is being exclusively developed for the DS for one reason only, says Wada. The DS has the largest market, including many people new to gaming. Square-Enix is a company looking for profit, and they believe developing for the DS is the best choice for achieving that goal.
Square-Enix intends to develop software for all kinds of people, including those new to gaming. No examples were given, but Square-Enix did announce their own batch of "non-games" not so long ago, including DS Yoga Lessons You Can Start Today, Flower-Blooming DS Gardening Lite, and Why Not Listen to Classical Music On DS? (developed by iNiS, more commonly known as the home of Elite Beat Agents), as well as a line of travel guide software based on the Japanese travel guide World Walking.
Wada also commented that "certain next-generation consoles" are too powerful for their time and too demanding of the user with the need for a high-definition TV, broadband internet, and gaming knowledge. In a year or two Wada believes they will be doing better, but for now, developing exclusively for a console like the PS3 is risky business.
Wada made no specific comments about development for the Wii, but it does notably lack some of the aspects he believes are holding back the other consoles, namely HD and a requirement to be a hardcore gamer. Wii has also seen much more support from Square-Enix than the GameCube, even this early in its lifespan. For now, though, expect to see more offerings from Square-Enix on the DS.