Square Enix ain't no can of tuna, but neither was Taito once—now Square's got them, munched up along with a hot few titles, only a handful of which most western gamers will likely even recognize: Arkanoid, Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Renegade?
Tecmo, now, which has fallen on almost comically bad times in the last several months despite Ninja Gaiden II hitting a million just a few days ago, finds themselves in an unenviable position: targeted for takeover by Square Enix, with the only question being whether Square will "merge" with Tecmo, or just acquire their IP.
"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Square Enix pres Yoichi Wada. "I hope."
And why wouldn't he hope? In today's gaming economy where franchise is increasingly everything and games like Square Enix's recent Taito-branded offerings of Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme are handheld gems but not as destined for super-stardom as they might have been in the past, what else can a mega-company do but acquire what has already been established?
Before we go barking corporate greed, consider the release climate: just days ago, it was announced that EA and Activision had something like a couple dozen games coming out in the same time frame that niche companies like NIS and Atlus had just a handful. Nintendo, I'm sure, sits ironically atop their pile of money and giggles. That is not to say that Square Enix isn't big, but in a firmly 21st century multi-national gaming industry, it isn't just about being big in Japan. As Wada so carefully stated in his press conference the other day: "The Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor... This is a worldwide battle." A battle for Japan's superiority in game design? Publishing?
Square Enix's real enemies are our western conglomerates, crafters of the Guitar Heros and World of Warcrafts and Grand Theft Auto IVs and Madden 2009s. Japan's gaming industry fights for our dollar! What a modern idea!
Really, it can only be a good thing, right? We will play Ninja Gaiden III-2, Tecmo Super Bobble Bubble Bowl, Dead or Alive Extreme Final Fantasy Ladies Edition (memories of PSM's jesting about "Final Fantasy XXX" back in the FFVIII days seem all-too-near), and Tomonobu Itagaki will be hired back on as special consultant to add that "special touch" to all primarily curved surfaces.
Yet I can't help but think of the game industry's transformation from tiny darling to massive megalomaniac. We're on our way to striking a balance between big publishers and indie studios (richly helped along by supreme services like Xbox Live Arcade and PSN), but what about everything that came before us? Will once-itty-bitty Bungie end up buying out Square-Enix some day? Will some kid on his computer with a handful of college course knowledge found a studio that could one day inherit Halo (then looked back upon fondly with hope for updated portable re-releases)?
I am reminded of all the little companies from the past that were once fresh young upstarts with five employee teams, hobbyist computers and dreams, and now get to see their work gobbled up by some group that was once just like they were.
I can only believe that Square Enix Taito Tecmo will do the work they are inheriting some justice. Even if it is just Bubble Bobble and not Guitar Hero. I hope.
Tecmo, now, which has fallen on almost comically bad times in the last several months despite Ninja Gaiden II hitting a million just a few days ago, finds themselves in an unenviable position: targeted for takeover by Square Enix, with the only question being whether Square will "merge" with Tecmo, or just acquire their IP.
"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Square Enix pres Yoichi Wada. "I hope."
And why wouldn't he hope? In today's gaming economy where franchise is increasingly everything and games like Square Enix's recent Taito-branded offerings of Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme are handheld gems but not as destined for super-stardom as they might have been in the past, what else can a mega-company do but acquire what has already been established?
Before we go barking corporate greed, consider the release climate: just days ago, it was announced that EA and Activision had something like a couple dozen games coming out in the same time frame that niche companies like NIS and Atlus had just a handful. Nintendo, I'm sure, sits ironically atop their pile of money and giggles. That is not to say that Square Enix isn't big, but in a firmly 21st century multi-national gaming industry, it isn't just about being big in Japan. As Wada so carefully stated in his press conference the other day: "The Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor... This is a worldwide battle." A battle for Japan's superiority in game design? Publishing?
Square Enix's real enemies are our western conglomerates, crafters of the Guitar Heros and World of Warcrafts and Grand Theft Auto IVs and Madden 2009s. Japan's gaming industry fights for our dollar! What a modern idea!
Really, it can only be a good thing, right? We will play Ninja Gaiden III-2, Tecmo Super Bobble Bubble Bowl, Dead or Alive Extreme Final Fantasy Ladies Edition (memories of PSM's jesting about "Final Fantasy XXX" back in the FFVIII days seem all-too-near), and Tomonobu Itagaki will be hired back on as special consultant to add that "special touch" to all primarily curved surfaces.
Yet I can't help but think of the game industry's transformation from tiny darling to massive megalomaniac. We're on our way to striking a balance between big publishers and indie studios (richly helped along by supreme services like Xbox Live Arcade and PSN), but what about everything that came before us? Will once-itty-bitty Bungie end up buying out Square-Enix some day? Will some kid on his computer with a handful of college course knowledge found a studio that could one day inherit Halo (then looked back upon fondly with hope for updated portable re-releases)?
I am reminded of all the little companies from the past that were once fresh young upstarts with five employee teams, hobbyist computers and dreams, and now get to see their work gobbled up by some group that was once just like they were.
I can only believe that Square Enix Taito Tecmo will do the work they are inheriting some justice. Even if it is just Bubble Bobble and not Guitar Hero. I hope.