When you think of Square Enix, you almost certainly think of their big RPGs. They’re one of the few Japanese companies that have managed to keep their style of games in the mainstream with franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. And they are having some pretty big success now as well, though that success is being driven from maybe some unexpected places.
In their most recent financial call, Square Enix reported their net sales were up slightly, 4.4% year over year during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year (or the previous nine months, ending December 31, 2019). That’s not much, but the profit increase is insane, with a massive boast of 124% year over year.
The company, in general, saw a big increase in digital sales, which led to the spike in profits. They pointed to the strong performance of live service games such as Final Fantasy 14 and Dragon Quest 10, both of which were said to have “sharp” subscription increases due to new expansions, as well as new mobile titles such as Dragon Quest Walk that launched in Japan.
The only place the company was down was the “HD Games” section, which is their designation for major console releases, something the company lacked during the last fiscal year. Regardless of that, Square had a very strong quarter, and this year will see big releases such as Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Marvel’s Avengers, so it’s looking good for the Japanese giant.