While it may sound like an urban legend, the name “Final Fantasy” was created due to two situations happening at the same time. On one hand, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the game, had given it this name as his last chance to succeed in the industry before returning to university. On the other hand, Square, the company itself, was on the brink of bankruptcy if the game didn’t succeed. Ironically, 36 years later, we find ourselves in somewhat similar circumstances.
The real Final Fantasy
And you might be thinking, “But how, when every ‘Final Fantasy‘ has been a success?” The answer lies in the fact that success is relative. Does the success of one game compensate for dozens of projects that were left unfinished and others that didn’t recoup their investment? The overall concept of the brand has been somewhat impoverished, and the failure of the sixteenth installment of the series hasn’t helped calm the waters, to say the least.
Since the release of ‘Final Fantasy XVI‘ until now, the company has lost 2 billion in value, but we shouldn’t look at that game as the sole reason for concern: the proliferation of mobile games filled with microtransactions is mixed with the absolute failure of games like ‘Forspoken’ or ‘Marvel’s Avengers.’
In fact, after updating for a while, the superhero game is closing its online version without much complaint from the gaming community. Square Enix‘s idea to address these setbacks is to reduce the number of small titles and focus on big-budget ones that can improve their profits. Or, though it’s not explicitly stated, to potentially sink them into misery for good.
The company’s failure, it is argued, lies in its own conception: at Square, games are placed under the command of a single producer who chooses absolutely everything about them. It’s one person’s vision, and that leads to what appears to be a concerning lack of organization. Perhaps after so many final fantasies, it’s time to put an end to the fantasy.
