Ever since HoYoverse released its open-world RPG title Genshin Impact, it took mobile gaming to a whole new level that even the developer’s subsequent titles haven’t matched or broken its records. Many game makers dream of creating an industry hit like this to add to their portfolio, while others strive to be the best in the genre. Well, the former Square Enix Business Director, Jacob Nabok, echoes the same sentiment, when he suggests he regrets missing out on Genshin Impact’s success by not making a game like it.
Former Square Enix executive believes Genshin Impact was Square Enix’s market to capture
In this X (formerly Twitter) thread, former Square Enix Business Director Jacob Nabok, now CEO of Genvid Technology, expressed that Square Enix missed an opportunity by not creating a game like Genshin Impact. He explained by giving examples of Square Enix’s own Final Fantasy titles Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which he suggests fell short of sales expectations due to shifting gamer preferences.
Jacob writes: “The real puzzle to me is why someone other than SQEX made Genshin Impact; that should have been their market to capture. Expect creating a similar title to be a major focus in the next few years.”
Not only Square Enix, but many developers must have thought the same once Genshin Impact was released. Genshin had a blockbuster opening, where in its first month, it had grossed over $245 million, and had grossed close to $4 billion in its first two years, with China, Japan, and the US being its major markets, and one point, it was generating an average $6 Million in a day.
He continues that Final Fantasy games are expected to be grand, high-quality, and lengthy experiences. Making a cheaper, shorter FF game wouldn’t meet consumer expectations and would harm the brand. Square Enix has tried creating new, lower-cost brands, with mixed success. However, the market is tough, and even good games often struggle to meet sales expectations.
The live service games have changed the preferences of players, leaning toward “new content”
Previously, game releases were planned like Hollywood movies, with set release dates and competition primarily among new titles. However, the rise of live service games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone has shifted this dynamic. He explains that Square Enix is not competing against just the latest new installments, they are competing against every F2P online game that is “constantly adding content and getting more robust over time”.
This shift means games must now compete not just with other new releases but with all popular online games that improve year after year. Well, what he said is true. Us players now prefer free-to-play games that are continually updated with new content, allowing for endless play with friends or connecting with newer people, and only with updates we are interested to continue investing time in that game.
Nabok highlighted that this change in consumer behavior has concentrated popularity among a few live service games, despite the overall growth in the gaming industry. Gamers now favor free-to-play, continually updated games over traditional fixed-price games. This change has made it harder for big-budget games to compete and achieve expected profits.
There is no doubt that the gaming market is shifting, and companies must adapt to consumer preferences and financial limitations, but that doesn’t mean you should cut down on an ambitious project. Surely, Genshin has inspired plenty of new projects in the genre, and hoping Square Enix can pull off an even bigger project in the future.
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