14 DAY TRIAL // Now that Eidos is officially and entirely the property of Square Enix, the Japanese publisher might again go out and seek new companies to acquire. Yoichi Wada, who is the president of the company, sees acquisitions as the first steps in a global expansion strategy for Square Enix.
Wada has talked to the Financial Times, showing how his company can move from the confinement of the Japanese market, with its style restrictions, to being a player on a global scale. He said that “The combination of Eidos and Square Enix gives us a good platform from which to expand. In that process, we might decide to acquire another company.”
Wada feels that “In the last five to 10 years, the Japanese games industry has become a closed environment, with no new people coming in, no new ideas, almost xenophobic. It is now slightly behind western counterparts. The lag with the U.S. is very clear.” A few years ago, any self-respecting Japanese developer would have emphasized how the philosophy of Japan is superior to that of the United States.
There are no indications which company Square Enix might be looking to take over next, but it's probably safe to say that the target is Western. After all, with Eidos, Square Enix has gained access to valuable franchises, like Tomb Raider, Hitman and Deus Ex. So, any further expansion will likely be focusing on development studios that can create new and interesting titles based on those franchises.
As the United States branch of Square Enix trademarked the name “Dragon Quest Wars,” some began speculating that a Western studio might be put in charge of creating a fresh game in the series, which until now has been decisively Japanese in style. Of course, the trademark itself does not mean that a game will be made but it exemplifies the westernization process that might begin at Square Enix.