Two years ago, Microsoft announced their intention to purchase Activision Blizzard. Since then, Sony has responded to this massive acquisition of studios by signing more exclusive deals with other game studios to counter Microsoft. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI and the Final Fantasy VII remake Trilogy to become Playstation exclusives. However, Square Enix has decided to leave the exclusive partnership. Sony attempted a deal with Sega, but they declined.
Tactics During Tough Times
As the saying goes, “When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game,” and this is something that Sega seems to understand well. Sega saw an increase in profit from the last quarter. Their strategy is mostly credited to their heavy-hitting titles like Yakuza, Persona, and Shinigami Tensei becoming available on other platforms. It’s undeniable how well their games sell across all consoles by avoiding exclusive deals. Why abandon a strategy that’s working? But it’s also likely that they are aware of the danger that awaits making exclusive deals at the wrong time.
People are not eager to buy consoles thanks to rising prices and inflation. Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo have all seen a recent decline in console sales according to reports. This presents a red flag for developers to make their next AAA games exclusive and Square Enix is just now realizing it. Sega, on the other hand, has much skin in the game. It kept its doors open to appeal to a wider base so all its fans from different platforms could enjoy its games.
Who’s Dodging a Bullet Here, Exactly?
The company is using a strategy that works, but it would also be right to assume that Sony, unknowingly could have been making a mistake. Sega doesn’t have many top-shelf games to offer outside their current franchises, Like Persona and Yakuza. The company also notoriously made poor decisions that resulted in them bowing out of the console industry.
What Sony needs now, is more new, exclusive titles to continue competing with Microsoft and many people are saying, “This ain’t it, Chief.” Aside from Sega’s history, it’s not the lifeline you’re looking for because their most successful franchises are too huge to make exclusive. It wouldn’t be beneficial for Sega to make any of their IP exclusive to Sony for the same reason. Neither company benefits when the market is doing poorly and the games are already selling well across multiple platforms. This is where Sega may have gotten its cue from Square Enix.
Unlike Sega, Square Enix decided to take a chance with Sony and make the Final Fantasy XVI and VII trilogy exclusive for a nostalgic niche. The tactic didn’t pay off as well as Square Enix had hoped despite a decent profit being made. These days Final Fantasy is just too huge a series to make exclusive, and delegating it to one console during rough financial times is an uphill battle.
Staying Open For All Platforms
The question isn’t whether Sega took its cue from Square Enix to reject Sony, or whether Square Enix took its cue from Sega to become open to other platforms. Both Sega and Square Enix seem now to understand that their huge and popular franchises are better off being available on all platforms. This is especially true during this general decline in console sales where games and hardware are becoming more expensive also. Sometimes deciding to go exclusive is smart, but that decision must be made wisely with the correct knowledge and awareness.
Taste and timing should be carefully considered when choosing to go exclusive. Some series have a niche when exclusive on one console, while others that appeal to a wider audience do better on multiple platforms. Sony and Square Enix saw this distinction, which led them to tell Sony, “Read the room!”.
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