Square Enix Needs to Modernize Its IP, Former Exec Says

Jacob Navok, former Director of Business at Square Enix, is discussing his belief that the company has failed to bring its popular IPs, such as Final Fantasy, to new generations by truly embracing the live-service model. In a long Twitter post, Navok admits that the brand actually understands live service as they’ve proven that with games like Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 11.

Still, he believes the popular JRPG franchise could do a better job of meeting young people where they’re at, for example, he hypothesizes the fun that a K-pop Demon Hunters x Final Fantasy collaboration could be.

Square Enix Accused of Failing to Reach New Generation of Gamers By Former Exec

As further examples of what he thinks Square Enix should do with the Final Fantasy brand, Navok discusses the success that Magic: The Gathering has had outside of its original medium. He also uses Kingdom Hearts as an example, saying that the series has shown how Final Fantasy lore could potentially mesh with other properties. He also says he thinks it would be interesting to see Final Fantasy 14 used as the technical basis for building a new free-to-play experience that continuously updates through modern collaborations.

“I think Square Enix is so used to being slow that it can’t imagine what life would be like if it acted fast. There’s a lot of internal red tape; the CEO’s job is to make a decision and cut that red tape so that innovation flourishes,” he said.

While it’s no Fortnite, Final Fantasy 11 continues to go strong nearly 25 years later. Recently, the game director discussed the possibility of adding a new area to the game. Read his comments here. As for Navok, he currently works at the AI Production Studio called Genvid.

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