As we welcome in the New Year, it is a time for each of us to look back and reflect on our past successes and failures. Here at Square Enix, this has been an especially meaningful year. We have seen many tremendous triumphs, but we have also faced significant challenges.
As we enter 2021, I wanted to take a moment to pause and look back, as well as look forward to the brighter future that is ahead of us.
A New Year’s Letter from the President
As we welcome in 2021, I wish all our colleagues, friends, and fans a happy and safe New Year. Last year was full of uncertainties and changes as the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, at Square Enix, we were also impacted by these changes. Still, I am proud to say that we met them head-on and showed resilience in keeping our business running smoothly and finding ways to remain connected with all of you.
The year ahead will be full of challenges yet opportunities, but with your continued support and passion for our products, games, stories and services I am confident it will be a great one for Square Enix. We are grateful for all the feedback you have provided us over the years on how to further enhance our entertainment offerings. Moreover, together with an expanding global network of partners at established publishers and new players from different market segments worldwide, we intend to connect even more gamers with titles that can bring them joy no matter where they are in life.
The next year is likely to bring both success and adversity – something everyone at Square Enix is prepared for – and no matter how it turns out for us or you personally I hope that together we can find new ways to enjoy gaming as well as make new memories with friends both old and new.
Reflection on 2020
2020 has been an unprecedented year for all of us and there are many things we can look back on. Yet, despite the difficulties, we managed to make it through, and I am proud to say that Square Enix has weathered this storm.
This new year’s letter reflects our successes and achievements in 2020, and a look ahead to the upcoming year with all the possibilities it brings.
Achievements
2020 has certainly been a remarkable year, with some big successes and challenges for Square Enix. Despite the unprecedented disruption caused by the global pandemic, we have been able to further develop our business and products. Here are some of the key achievements of 2020:
• Growing our global market presence with successful launches of our latest titles across multiple platforms and increasing demand from casual gamers;
• Further strengthening partnerships with media, entertainment and consumer products companies to expand our offerings;
• Achieving record-breaking success for certain small-scale business lines that allowed us to reach out to more players;
• Reaching milestones in terms of employee engagement by introducing new welfare and health benefits for employees;
• Increasing investment in digital transformation initiatives, such as cloud technologies and digital services, led to higher customer satisfaction.
These successes motivate us as we look ahead into 2021, as we continue to work towards creating experiences and stories that leave both players and fans feeling engaged.
Challenges
As we look ahead into the New Year, Square Enix will face various challenges that need to be overcome to continue their success. These include managing and mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and ensuring that their products remain up-to-date in line with consumer trends. In particular, Square Enix needs to stay ahead of the curve regarding new technologies and take advantage of opportunities posed by emerging markets.
Additionally, Square Enix must also consider how they can leverage the power of their current franchises to create new products which will draw a wider audience. This means creating connections between different platforms so that established fans have a platform for conversation and ensuring that new content is easy to access even for those new to the franchises. They must also find ways to cultivate relationships with existing fans by engaging them directly, hosting events, and providing an array of rewards or bonuses.
Finally, another challenge will continue into 2021 is overcoming piracy online via illegal pirated copies or bootlegs circulated online. Steps must be taken now to not affect future product sales negatively as players opt for free options instead of investing money in licensed content officially endorsed by Square Enix.
Goals for 2021
As we enter 2021, the Square Enix team is excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming year. We look forward to taking on new challenges as we strive to create unique and enjoyable experiences for long-time fans and newcomers alike.
In this New Year’s letter from the President, I will outline our goals for 2021 and discuss our vision for the company going forward.
Expansion into new markets
As part of Square Enix’s goal for 2021, the company is making a concerted effort to expand its reach into new markets. This includes increasing the customer base, diversifying its product lineup in existing countries, and expanding into select markets across the globe.
Square Enix strives to provide customers with a truly engaging online and offline experience. This includes investing in developing new titles across multiple platforms such as PCs, consoles, mobile devices and wearables. As part of this initiative, the company aims to develop innovative IPs (Intellectual Property) through collaboration with publishing partners such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Apple. As part of these collaborations, Square Enix also seeks to gain access to leading technologies that can further enhance the customer experience within their game titles.
In addition to expanding into new regions and markets, Square Enix is looking to grow its customer base in existing regions by focusing more on marketing and advertising efforts targeted at specific demographics. Furthermore, the company seeks to reach out directly to mobile users through social media campaigns that better communicate product features and ensure market penetration across various platforms. Finally, by utilizing cutting-edge analytics tools they aim to better understand customer preferences in order to understand where best investment should be made when developing titles across various platforms.
Focus on existing IPs
As the global gaming industry expands and new markets emerge, Square Enix recognizes that building upon existing IPs is a crucial way to stay competitive. With this long-term strategic vision in mind, 2021 will see the company put a renewed focus on enhancing its existing franchises while at the same time, releasing new content and games.
Square Enix plans to improve upon beloved series such as Final Fantasy XIV and Kingdom Hearts by offering new game updates, in-game events, downloadable content packs, and more. Additionally, spinoff titles from these successful franchises will be launched for third-party platforms like iOS and Android. Various collaboration events are also expected in 2021 to further increase their reach into different demographic groups.
In tandem with enhancing their current titles and franchises, Square Enix is also dedicated to introducing gamers worldwide to some of their more obscure IPs. Through novel game formats such as on mobile devices or console VR headsets, players can look forward to experiencing fresh games from the company throughout 2021. Furthermore, plans are underway to bring select Square Enix titles to digital distribution services like Steam or Epic Games Store to facilitate better access for gamers worldwide.
2020 looks set up for an exciting year for existing fans of Square Enix titles eagerly awaiting deeper engagement with beloved series and newcomers looking forward to exploring a vast portfolio of innovative and cutting edge games developed by the company throughout 2021.
Investment in new IPs
Square Enix has set ambitious goals to stay competitive as a leader in the global gaming industry. One of their major focuses for 2021 is to invest heavily in creating new intellectual properties (IPs). This will involve working with external partners and talented individuals worldwide to bring innovative projects to life that show off the potential of interactive entertainment.
Square Enix plans to increase their investment in new IPs by more than tenfold compared to previous years, including developing games with high production values and beefing up the studio’s existing franchises. They are also exploring ways to collaborate with fans and influencers through localized events and special promotions. They also want to leverage special technologies like machine learning to create utterly unique gaming experiences tailored for individual cultures and regions around the globe.
The goal is for Square Enix to become an even bigger name on the world stage with new IPs that boast engaging content, deep stories, and enhanced graphics capability. Furthermore, as part of their effort into building an even larger gaming portfolio, they aim at delivering an inspiring portfolio of games that reach beyond their traditional JRPG audience.
Plans for 2021
As we welcome in 2021, I would like to update you on our plans for the year ahead at Square Enix. 2020 was a difficult year, as the world faced many challenges, but I am proud of how our teams adapted and ensured we kept delivering some great experiences to our customers.
2021 will be another challenging year, but I am confident that the strategies and plans that we have in place ensure that Square Enix will remain well-positioned for the future.
Expansion of existing franchises
Square Enix is no stranger when it comes to developing beloved franchises. 2021 looks to be an exciting year for them as they plan on pushing the boundaries of creative game design with more titles based on existing franchises.
For instance, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for PlayStation 5 will feature exclusive content, graphical upgrades, and improved loading performance. Similarly, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will present a new version of Yoko Taro’s original classic action-RPG with additional content.
Final Fantasy XIV Online’s 5th expansion Packwill build upon the game’s already expansive universe and lore in the lead up to its big 5th anniversary celebration. Beyond these established series titles coming soon, more games are likely to come out such as SaGa Frontier Remastered for consoles and PC in 2021 offering yet another classic Square Enix RPG experience with updated visuals and features.
The Year Ahead for Square Enix looks bright as these games are set to provide hours of entertainment for fans both old and new!
Development of new IPs
Square Enix is an international entertainment company that develops and publishes video games and other related media worldwide. As 2021 marks the beginning of a new era, Square Enix has outlined a long-term strategy to further re-align its business under the banner of “Play, Create, Expand.” This plan focuses on developing new intellectual properties or “IPs” – collections of assets such as art, music, programming and story elements that define a game universe created and owned by Square Enix.
Many current Square Enix IPs such as Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy will be further developed through new titles in 2021 and beyond. In addition, the company also has several original titles in development for both console platforms including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and PC. Fans can expect to see announcements for some of these projects at various gaming events throughout the year.
In addition to continuing work on existing franchises, Square Enix has set their sites on creating entirely new IPs from scratch that focus on high-quality gaming experiences with universal appeal through characters designs and stories that have broad appeal across age or gender demographics alike. These titles are likely some ways off but fans eagerly await any news forthcoming this year!
Investment in digital initiatives
As digital initiatives become increasingly important in Square Enix’s operations, the company is investing heavily in developing and expanding its digital capabilities. Recent investments range from cloud computing and email marketing solutions to sophisticated analytics tools, artificial intelligence-driven customer service solutions, and virtual reality interactive entertainment experiences.
These new capabilities will lay the groundwork for further growth in 2021. With the roll-out of cloud computing solutions, Square Enix plans to expand its physical game locations network while embracing more efficient ways to operate within the digital space. This means offering consumers a wider range of products that can be accessed via multiple channels, such as app stores and streaming services.
Square Enix also leverages its data and analytics capabilities for greater customer personalization. This includes using AI-driven customer service management systems to better understand player needs and preferences. Additionally, Square Enix plans to expand its virtual reality capabilities with interactive gaming experiences incorporating eye-tracking technology, gesture recognition hardware, haptic feedback suits and other peripherals for an immersive gaming experience.
Square Enix’s investments in these areas represent a strategy for reaching more consumers than ever before in 2021 by focusing on maximizing consumer engagement through innovative digital initiatives.
Closing Remarks
As we move forward into the new year, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Square Enix throughout this journey. We are grateful for the trust and loyalty you have bestowed upon us as we strive to bring new and exciting experiences to our customers.
tags = metaverse, reality (XR) technology, SQUARE ENIX AI & ARTS Alchemy Co, cloud, 56, president yosuke matsuda year letter nftstassiforbes, blockchain, ai,
