Square Enix has reportedly confirmed it’s ‘looking to sell stakes’ in its studios

From VGC: "Square Enix wants to sell stakes in some of its development studios to “improve capital efficiency”, it’s reported.

The publisher held a conference call on Friday to discuss its most recent financial results, and following the call Japan-based analyst David Gibson took to Twitter to summarise its plans.

According to Gibson, the sale of Crystal Dynamics and Eidos to Embracer Group was phase 1 of Square Enix’s plans, and phase 2 will be “diversification of studio capital structure”."

[shinoff2183]

Come on sony before something stupid happens.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Something stupid like what?

[TeamIcoFan]

Microsoft buying them up and making them do nothing but gamepass filler maybe?

[HardKnockKid24]

@TeamIcoFan, which games are game pass filler so far?

[awiseman]

@TeamIcoFan Sony has its own Gamepads now.

[Godmars290]

@awiseman:

Not FF14 by all counts. That's the money maker.

Or looser, if made to give up its own sub, be made exclusive with a showdown or loss of content updates to boot.

[brewin]

@TeamIco

Cut that BS Gamepass filler crap out! Such a false narrative, just stop. Forza and Halo blow Sony's FPS and Racing games out of the water and those are on GP. Theres a ton of both AAA and indie in there. Enough with the trolling. Gamepass so good that Sony had to copy it. I knew the trolls wouldn't stop even after that 🤦🤮

[HardKnockKid24]

@Activision, you are trolling right?

[Lionsguard]

Aside from Microsoft, the last thing I want to see is Google, Tencent or Apple snatch them whole hog.

[SimpleSlave]

Like making Final Fantasy 8 and 9 remakes 10 part each, mayhaps?

[Profchaos]

@brewin as someone who has gamepass and ps plus there's a ton of filler on both services.

Yea there's big games but I'd say its only forza and gear pushing quality releases onto gamepass lately

halo infinite was fairly underwhelming a statement echod by its own community and looking at recent statements from internal devs it seems that many within 343 echo that they just did not get afforded enough time and had to cut the scope short.

infinite was meant to be way bigger and have more environmental differences across the map also many areas of the map were meant to have more content and random encounters like you.would see in something like rdr 2 but shipping the game on 4 console skus and pc I assume made life difficult and next gen hardware the team were not familiar with meant the game.suffered in the end. But hopefully they will drop a decent expansion that meets these original goals since we apparently are not going to see a sequel for 10 years all future halo will build on top of infinite.

For me personally I thought it was a good game but I didn't like the open world all the interior stuff was perfect but after 2 hours of exploring the open world it became a thing to bypass on my way to blow up gate x or find interior y

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I don't think Microsoft can buy them because of the way the Japanese are with company take overs (they like to keep it within the country).

[Stanjara]

Like Crash and Spyro gone to Activision, now in Microsoft and dead in future development.

[shinoff2183]

Ms buying them is what i meant by something stupid. Ms has bought enough stuff

[Name Last Name]

Seems like they’re not selling everything. Maybe Nomura’s studio but not Creative Business Unit III since it’s a cash cow with FF14 (and 16 soon).

[TeamIcoFan]

Yeah, there's no way in hell they're selling the studio in charge of FF14.
Thing's a money printing machine at this point.

[darthv72]

I feel it will be Tencent that will buy up the shares.

[DogJosha]

What shares? Did you bother reading what was happening? Part 1 was studio sales, and that is already decided, not something they are looking into. Part 2 is capital management, aka doing stuff like having other companies help fund their non-central studios, aka western studios. That means having them do stuff like joint ventures. Other companies might get some new IP's out of this, but not shares.

[F0XHOUND]

Stupid? I don't care who buy them tbh. Be it sony, Microsoft or f$cking Pornhub.... If it means we get solid investment and allow the devs to work on titles like final fantasy (and many others) until they feel its fit for release and not rush them to a deadline (how ea work with bioware) then its gg as far as I'm concerned :) The only slight downside to Microsoft is maybe they don't do too much and just throw titles on to gamepass day 1 for the hype and day/week 1 appeal.

[Sephiroushin]

Deadline huh, well MS likes deadline you know, they hate when dev has to delay games and they would just cancel them if a game is on development hell, even if it would be for couple of months, reason why some dev dont deal with them, specially japanese ones like Level 5

[Antnee534]

Pornhub should buy a studio maybe Sega and put out normal Games and maybe even adult if they want to dabble into it. But I would lose my shit to see on store shelf super monkey ball made by Sega published by p-hub xD

[Profchaos]

Tencent turning then into mobile game

[gamer7804]

Lens flares and censorship no thanks. I’d rather them stay independent

[MadLad]

Stakes.
Not the company.

I don't know why so many are held up on Sony acquiring them.
If Sony wanted them, they would have when the western studios were still there. That has been the focus for Sony for a good long while now.
I think Sony is happy just paying to keep FF off of Xbox. It has worked for them so far.

[Name Last Name]

Depends on how many shares are up for sale. Even if Sony didn’t want them, they want MS (or others) acquiring a big stake in SE even less. At the very least it would mean the end of those exclusivity partnerships.

[Vengeance1138]

It was specifically said that Sony had no interest in the western studios. SE got rid of them to please Sony.

[Pocahontas]

Source?

[kindi_boy]

That's why Sony dissolved Japan Studio you think?

[-Foxtrot]

I’ve thought the same

Getting Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy would have been great for them since people used to associate those franchises to the PS1 where they become even more popular (Tomb Raider I - III & FFVII)

[Shane Kim]

Don't think Sony cares much for tomb raider. It's not the name it used to be and Uncharted is the new king of treasure hunting games since the past 10 years.

[-Foxtrot]

For you guys mentioning Tomb Raider

Why is it they can't have both Tomb Raider and Uncharted?

Seriously, one is more about shooting / gun fights and the other is more about puzzles or navigating dangerous levels

Sony could have both and cycle the releases so we are not over saturated with just one franchise.

@Sensorchip

" The comments in here are totally off the mark "

He says. acting like he's the only one who REALLY knows what's going on 100%