OP and first response nailed it. Rare and Square Enix feel like shells of their former selves, with Dragon Quest series being one of the notable exceptions.
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If you could go back in time to undo one game company merger/closure/change in ownership, what would it be?
- Thread starter ScOULaris
- Start date
I'd love to see the alternate timeline where Sakaguchi still had control over Square and the Square-Enix merger never took place. The last decade of their output would be completely different, and probably far more diverse.
This. Heartbreaking to think about all the Hudson 3DS games (and likely Vita, Wii U, PS4/XBO, Switch) we lost because of Konami taking over and shutting down everything.
Westwood
and
Bullfrog
being bought by EA :(
Came here to post this.
/6-Zipper, obviously SONY is surviving without a Socom or MAG game but it would be good to see the 3rd person military shooter scene engineered through today's tech.
IIRC a lot of the Rare talent was leaving before the acquisition, right? Didn't the Perfect Dark team essentially go on to make Timesplitters?
Anyway, the fall of Nintendo of America is what I would go back and change. I know that NoJ essentially took all power away from NoA, leaving them a shell of their former selves.
No more NBA Courtside, Ken Griffey Baseball. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark revolutionized the FPS genre, and Nintendo foolishly left that genre behind.
Anyway, the fall of Nintendo of America is what I would go back and change. I know that NoJ essentially took all power away from NoA, leaving them a shell of their former selves.
No more NBA Courtside, Ken Griffey Baseball. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark revolutionized the FPS genre, and Nintendo foolishly left that genre behind.
Anyone who works for EA look away now. Anytime EA buys anyone. Obviously, I don't know the ins and outs but damn that Papa EA meme is poignant.
The only way to stop the Square Enix merger is to stop Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within from being made. That movie was catastrophic for the company and thats why they're afraid of taking risks anymore.
Square and Enix.
Enix wanted to use Square brand to sell its games in the west
And failed, because the appeal of Square was more than just the name.
Enix wanted to use Square brand to sell its games in the west
And failed, because the appeal of Square was more than just the name.
Yeah, Sega. They changed so dramatically and not for the better in my opinion.
United Front Games. I'd run to downtown Vancouver and tell them to not develop Triad Wars for SE, and also get their internal studio finances under control.
They should have jumped publishers (Microsoft in particular) or done a new single player IP. Yes losing Sleeping Dogs would suck but Square clearly didn't want a sequel. I never played Smash & Grab and it got lost in the shuffle.
They should have jumped publishers (Microsoft in particular) or done a new single player IP. Yes losing Sleeping Dogs would suck but Square clearly didn't want a sequel. I never played Smash & Grab and it got lost in the shuffle.
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If Rare was still with Nintendo they would probably have been responsible for the go to shooter on the console, in that case there would perhaps be no need for Splatoon?
If we ignore the butterfly effect then of course I would want them for Banjo 3 and whatnot, but then again would their games really be all that different than what they made on Xbox? That was in direct response to changes in tastes, similar to the shift from cartoony mascot platformers to realistic dudebro games that Sony studios made while transitioning to PS3. Also Yooka Laylee shows that the devs completely misunderstand what made Banjo a classic to begin with.
If we ignore the butterfly effect then of course I would want them for Banjo 3 and whatnot, but then again would their games really be all that different than what they made on Xbox? That was in direct response to changes in tastes, similar to the shift from cartoony mascot platformers to realistic dudebro games that Sony studios made while transitioning to PS3. Also Yooka Laylee shows that the devs completely misunderstand what made Banjo a classic to begin with.
Psygnosis/Studio Liverpool, such an important studio for the history of UK game development scene and PlayStation. They deserved so much better than what Sony did to them.
They aren't technically closed down but the loss of Treasure has been quite depressing. We're hitting the 10 year mark since they released anything noteworthy with Sin & Punishment 2 (also their best game ever).
Why is it clearly unrelated? Honestly asking. It's a popular sentiment to have loved Square's output premerger and dislike the output afterward.
Rare of course.
Second : Bullfrog. I miss so much Theme Park World.
Third : Acclaim. Turok... :(
Second : Bullfrog. I miss so much Theme Park World.
Third : Acclaim. Turok... :(
This. I'm STILL bitter. They gave Microsoft financial hit after financial hit, and they just decided 'lol no'
Because talent didn't leave Square because they merged with Enix. Enix circa the merger also had a lot of talent and I can't find any evidence of the merger itself causing significant management troubles within SE. The decline in quality was probably more related to the financial troubles SE was undergoing at the time, which was largely due to the financial failures of the Spirits Within among other factors. Or at least that was the impression I was under.
Though, I'd argue that the decline in quality probably just mostly comes from the same thing a lot of Japanese developers went through, where the transition to HD was difficult for their teams and they couldn't manage the difficulties of creating 3D assets very well. Because in retrospect almost all of Squaresoft's PS2-era output generally seems well liked, with FF12 in particular seemingly become a lot more well liked by the fanbase over the years.
I could be wrong but people talking about how they wish SE would go back to being Squaresoft seemed like something teenagers on the internet said without really understanding the business or the background of why Square's games post-merger were generally less well-liked.
Criterion games:
- keeps making Burnout, not forced on Need for Speed
- Doesn't get 80% of it's staff axed
- doesnt become a damn support studio for Dice (Cause in its prime, Critierion was always better)
edit: I doubt Rare's downfall is MS's fault. It's known that a lot of talent walked out before the purchase, and that many games they made (Kinect sports, Sea of Thieves) were their decisions.
- keeps making Burnout, not forced on Need for Speed
- Doesn't get 80% of it's staff axed
- doesnt become a damn support studio for Dice (Cause in its prime, Critierion was always better)
edit: I doubt Rare's downfall is MS's fault. It's known that a lot of talent walked out before the purchase, and that many games they made (Kinect sports, Sea of Thieves) were their decisions.
I was just trying to form a post about this very thing. Criterion deserved so much more than what they've become.
EA Bioware easily for me. That latest Mass Effect game.... You know, since ME3 I knew something was up. ME3 got multiplayer and was overrun with lootbox. That had to have been EA flying close to the sun even way back then
And then I think Dragon's Age got MP for some reason and also lootboxes.
EA Bioware for me. I weep
Also I weep for EA Pandemic. RIP, Star wars was the truth back then. We got so much content it was way ahead of its time. Maybe this SWBF2 is good now that EA got burned in righteous flames from the press/law but Pandemic Star wars games were blessings for us gamers at *release*. No MTX BS. Just pure awesome in a little box
And then I think Dragon's Age got MP for some reason and also lootboxes.
EA Bioware for me. I weep
Also I weep for EA Pandemic. RIP, Star wars was the truth back then. We got so much content it was way ahead of its time. Maybe this SWBF2 is good now that EA got burned in righteous flames from the press/law but Pandemic Star wars games were blessings for us gamers at *release*. No MTX BS. Just pure awesome in a little box
OP
OP
My first thoughts were Westwood and Maxis, and upon further reflection I'd give it to Maxis. Westwood and Origin were largely known for genres that saw major contractions after their acquisition, so it's not clear to me that they'd be the studios we remember them as, assuming they were even still in business.
Maxis, on the other hand, filled a niche that is still popular today, and has mostly been replaced by offerings from smaller studios. I'm pretty sure an independent Maxis could survive today. So my answer is Maxis.
Maxis, on the other hand, filled a niche that is still popular today, and has mostly been replaced by offerings from smaller studios. I'm pretty sure an independent Maxis could survive today. So my answer is Maxis.
this one hurts, I'm still flabbergasted at how the two biggest RPG makers merge only to release like two decent rpgs in the last 15 years when they were each putting out a great one every year before the merger.
I would go back and undo the Red Storm pturchase by Ubi.
I think Red Storm would have turned some really great tactical game's. Their version of Ghost Recon is vastly better.
I think Red Storm would have turned some really great tactical game's. Their version of Ghost Recon is vastly better.
None. All of them already happened and I'm not going to cry over it. lol
Except Square Enix developed and published better games than when they were separately companies.
They never merged, were bought or anything. Activision and Bungie just had a partnership for Destiny.
Sega and Sammy created Sega Sammy Holdings as the holding company with a merger, while Sega Holdings still exists and is the parent company of Sega Games, with Sega sammy Holdings being the overall owner.
And without Sammy, you can be sure that Sega would be dead. Sega is today in a much better situation due to being part of this new conglomerate in all of their industries, be it in video games or not.
At least one person here have an idea of what actually happened.
lmao what? They only released 2 decent rpgs in the last 15 years? I guess that Dragon Quest 9, 10, 11, Final Fantasy 14, Bravely Default, Bravely Second, KH BBS, KH3, Octopath Traveller and other games didn't exist.
And why just limit to rpgs? SE is more than that.
Except Square Enix developed and published better games than when they were separately companies.
They never merged, were bought or anything. Activision and Bungie just had a partnership for Destiny.
Sega and Sammy created Sega Sammy Holdings as the holding company with a merger, while Sega Holdings still exists and is the parent company of Sega Games, with Sega sammy Holdings being the overall owner.
And without Sammy, you can be sure that Sega would be dead. Sega is today in a much better situation due to being part of this new conglomerate in all of their industries, be it in video games or not.
At least one person here have an idea of what actually happened.
lmao what? They only released 2 decent rpgs in the last 15 years? I guess that Dragon Quest 9, 10, 11, Final Fantasy 14, Bravely Default, Bravely Second, KH BBS, KH3, Octopath Traveller and other games didn't exist.
And why just limit to rpgs? SE is more than that.
"only to release like two decent rpgs in the last 15 years"
What?
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Kingdom Hearts II
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XII
The World Ends with You
The Last Remnant
Dissidia Final Fantasy
Nier
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Skipped dozens of also great titles for brevity.
Not to mention any western output.
Ignoring almost the entire KH series which is also great.
Considering the output likewise became 5x what they once had, there's bound to be a few you don't like, but come on...two?
What?
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Kingdom Hearts II
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XII
The World Ends with You
The Last Remnant
Dissidia Final Fantasy
Nier
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Skipped dozens of also great titles for brevity.
Not to mention any western output.
Ignoring almost the entire KH series which is also great.
Considering the output likewise became 5x what they once had, there's bound to be a few you don't like, but come on...two?
Sega dying and having its IP auctioned off would have resulted in a far better end result then the situation we are in now game wise. Sega went from outputting Phantasy Star, Skies, decent 3D Sonic games, Shenmue, Jet Grind, Panzer Dragoon, F-Zero, and a lot of other stuff in a span of just a few years, to being one of the most lame companies that exist. Almost their entire output is based on just buying out Atlus and some other extremely not Sega like companies. You basically have Yakuza and.. I'm drawing a blank here, that resemble Sega's legendary age.
And that has nothing to do with Sammy, even more because Sammy don't even have a video game division now as all of their IP and resources were transferred to Sega in the merger. Your problem is with Sega itself and how they do business.
It's not the Square Enix merger per se that was bad, so much as the restructuring that happened because of the merger which put Yoichi Wada in charge.
