Doubtless you have heard of Final Fantasy. Welcome to the world of SQUARENIX. It is a powerhouse of video game development. SQUARENIX is not just about games. It’s a story of mergers acquisitions and global expansion.
SQUARENIX’s story began long before it adopted its current name. It started with two companies. They were Enix and Square. Enix focused on publishing. Square was a game development division.
Enix was founded in 1975 by Yasuhiro Fukushima. He was an architect. Enix initially published games from partner companies. Dragon Quest became its most profitable franchise in the 1980s.
Square started in 1983. Masafumi Miyamoto founded it. He wanted teams of designers programmers and writers. Final Fantasy inspired by Dragon Quest launched Square to stardom in 1987.
A merger was considered for years. Square faced financial struggles. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within flopped. Enix hesitated but successes like Final Fantasy X changed the equation. In 2003 Square and Enix officially merged. Enix was the surviving company. Yoichi Wada became president. Yasuhiro Fukushima became chairman of SQUARENIX.
The newly formed SQUARENIX acquired other companies. Taito joined in 2005. It brought arcade classics like Space Invaders. Eidos plc joined in 2009. It added Tomb Raider Hitman and Deus Ex.
SQUARENIX expanded globally. It established branches in North America Europe and China. Despite successes SQUARENIX faced challenges. Restructuring occurred in 2013. Yoichi Wada resigned. Yosuke Matsuda took over as president.
SQUARENIX has created many popular games. Final Fantasy has sold over 173 million units. Dragon Quest has sold over 85 million. Kingdom Hearts has shipped 36 million.
SQUARENIX also publishes manga. Its Gangan Comics brand is well-known in Japan. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of their most successful manga series.
SQUARENIX uses various game engines. Crystal Tools and Luminous Engine were developed in-house. They also use Unreal Engine and Unity. These assist in game creation.
The company also has a unique business model. It’s called polymorphic content. Franchises are developed across multiple media. This includes games anime and movies.
Today SQUARENIX stands as a giant in the entertainment world. From humble beginnings to global recognition SQUARENIX continues to shape the landscape of gaming and entertainment. Its headquarters are located in this very Shinjuku Eastside Square Building. That is an impressive feat of business acumen. SQUARENIX remains a vital force in the industry.