Square Enix will be “most focused” on blockchain in 2023
Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has promised that 2023 will be one of “great evolution and transformation” as the company focuses on blockchain entertainment.
Back in 2021, the studio confirmed that it planned to invest in blockchain and NFTs after the successful release of a series of Million Arthur tokens.
In early 2022, Matsuda once again reiterated plans to explore blockchain, NFT, and metaverse-based games. Despite backlash from gamers, Square Enix’s share price increased by eight percent.
But in June, Matsuda said, “It’s still too early to consider making Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy blockchain game.”
However, in his annual New Year message, Matsuda confirmed that 2023 will be a year of “great evolution and transformation” with the studio “mostly focused” on blockchain entertainment.
“We are expanding our capabilities so that we can capture as much of the upside as possible from the digital shift that has accelerated since the outbreak of the pandemic,” Matsuda wrote, before confirming that Square Enix had already “devoted aggressive investment and business development” into blockchain.
“After the excitement and excitement that surrounded NFTs and the metaverse in 2021, 2022 was a year of great volatility in the blockchain-related space,” he continued. “However, if this turns out to have been a step in a process that leads to the creation of rules and a more transparent business environment, it will definitely have been for the best for the growth of blockchain entertainment.”
After the “turbulence in the cryptocurrency industry,” Matsuda believes that those people who were only in the space to make a profit have quickly moved on.
“There is now a trend to see blockchain technology as just a means to an end and to discuss what needs to happen to achieve the end of delivering new experiences and excitement to customers,” he wrote. “I see this as a very favorable development for the future growth of the industry.”
It’s been an amazing year of gaming, and 2023 looks even better!❄️
Here’s a message from all of us at Square Enix wishing you a Happy New Year!
— Square Enix (@SquareEnix) 31 December 2022
Matsuda then confirmed that Square Enix had “several blockchain games based on original IPs in development”, some of which have already been announced. “We are making preparations that will enable us to unveil even more titles this year.”
“Blockchain has been an object of excitement and a source of unease, but with that in the rearview mirror, we hope blockchain gaming will move into a new stage of growth in 2023,” he added.
Away from the metaverse, Square Enix is gearing up for release Final Fantasy 16with the latest in the long-running series coming in June.
In other news, remake of System shock has announced a 2023 release window, nearly seven years after the project was first announced with a Kickstarter campaign.
