SquareEnix Console

[Reginald]

Square Enix, the developer behind Final Fantasy and a host of other successful RPGs, has decided to start work on its own games machine.

It seems Square has been liaising with Japanese coin-op giant Taito to produce some sort of games related hardware. If that sounds vague, that's because Squre Enix president Yoichi Wada doesn't seem too clear on what the product will be either. "In our talks with Taito [which was acquired by Square Enix in September], ideas for an actual physical product have come up. In any case, we will be releasing some 'thing'," Wada told Nikkei Business Online.

Wada has been making noises for some time that the company needed to diversify its products, although this was largely interpreted as being a reference to the type of games it made. But it now appears as if it has much more ambitious plans.

Taito, meanwhile, has a history of creating arcade hardware and plug-and-play TV boxes, either of which could be possibilities for the 'thing'. Or perhaps Square Enix is just going for a full console - some sort of a 'SquareStation' or 'GameCube'.

Source

Do we really need another console on the market? Just because Microsoft poured money into the XBox to get it off the ground, that's not to say any company can do it. I think it could be too late in the general history of Video Games for another contender. Especially from a relatively small company (in relation to the big 3)

What do you guys think?

 

[Danimal]

I'm surprised they didn't try this before.

 

[Darkside55]

I doubt it's a console. Taito's known for making arcade boards. It could be an arcade game made by SE. It's a big conclusion to jump to that Squeenix would make a console. What would it be? All Final Fantasy games?

I'm going to say it's an arcade game of some sort.

 

[Lucid]

A console made solely for Final Fantasy games.

 

[Reginald]

I doubt it's a console. Taito's known for making arcade boards. It could be an arcade game made by SE. It's a big conclusion to jump to that Squeenix would make a console. What would it be? All Final Fantasy games?

I'm going to say it's an arcade game of some sort.

I'd have said that if the fellow quoted hadn't used the word "releasing." Gives the impression it'll be something you can purchase.

 

[KagePrototype]

It won't be a console, surely. It'll either be an arcade game or some sort of handheld at the most.

 

[Sparta]

If its a console, good luck getting it to sell outside of Japan.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Yeah, they'll be making a console. :rolling:

Taito officially rules though, so some sort of arcade-related product would likely kick much ass if Square can get some of their superior talent developing for it....

 

[Stigmata]

My wildly-inaccurate guess is that they're making a home arcade-style machine that is far less expensive than other consoles, and allows game downloads off the Internet (similar to Direct2Drive), but only plays SquareEnix or SE-sanctioned games.