The Square Enix Griefing Thread

I hope Microsoft buys Square Enix because it would be worth it just for all the autistic chimpouts we would get.
Doubtful Microsoft buys anything else after ABK. Between the regulatory scrutiny and the eye watering amount they paid for it, they are probably done with acquisitions for the time being. Now, they have to justify this recent purchase to their shareholders.
 
What's the verdict on the upcoming Star Ocean : Second Departure R release?
 
What's the verdict on the upcoming Star Ocean : Second Departure R release?
I enjoyed the demo on the Nintendo Switch and the remake looks to be a huge improvement over the original release.
  • Added Fishing (can sometimes trigger encounters)
  • Bench characters can now assist and are now part of the game all the time
  • Characters talk now while you're exploring, and you can also see your party members when roaming around
  • Added gathering and unique spots
  • Can go to PA (Private Action) mode inside a town
  • PA markers so you don't have to use a guide or miss them
  • Fast travel so you don't have to spend hours going back and forth from towns to get a PA
  • FP/RP (Friendship / Romance points) are now visible
  • Bonus system added
  • Formations which were worthless before actually matter now thanks to the implemented Bonus system
  • Remove spell pause
  • Big spells still retain cutscenes but they take half the time
  • If you don't want to watch the cutscenes you can skip them
  • If you don't want to see the portraits you can disable them
  • If you want the old portraits, old music and old voice-acting, they're also present in the game options
  • Upgrading skill proficiency is better now
  • Improved Item Creation
  • Random Encounters gone
  • Added raid enemies in overworld
  • Advantage + Disadvantage encounters
  • Chain battles
  • Blindsides
  • Stagger is kinda meh on its own but not as bad due to chain break and bonus system

Also I like the new art portraits (drawn by Yukihiro Kajimoto) even if a few of them do clash against the original pixel sprites.
Star-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_031.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_017.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_033.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_035.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_005.png
Star-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_019.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_013.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_023.pngStar-Ocean-The-Second-Story-R_2023_10-25-23_025.png
 
If the average copy sold at 20 dollars then they made 120 million and thus more than broke even. But truth is the average copy was probably sold in the thirties or forties. The game had a decently long trail too, popping up in weekly and monthly top tens and twenties throughout the first half of the year. It will also continue selling, at a reduced rate and reduced price, for the rest of the generation.

So yeah, you can say it was bad, it was embaressing, it sold less than desired and even that it failed to double its dev costs and help offset S-E's other bombs. But no, if those are the numbers then it didn’t post a loss.
 
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If the average copy sold at 20 dollars then they made 120 million and thus more than broke even. But truth is the average copy was probably sold in the thirties or forties. The game had a decently long trail too, popping up in weekly and monthly top tens and twenties throughout the first half of the year. It will also continue selling, at a reduced rate and reduced price, for the rest of the generation.

So yeah, you can say it was bad, it was embaressing, it sold less than desired and even that it failed to double its dev costs and help offset S-E's other bombs. But no, if those are the numbers then it didn’t post a loss.
You know, unfortunately you're probably right.
 
If the average copy sold at 20 dollars then they made 120 million and thus more than broke even. But truth is the average copy was probably sold in the thirties or forties. The game had a decently long trail too, popping up in weekly and monthly top tens and twenties throughout the first half of the year. It will also continue selling, at a reduced rate and reduced price, for the rest of the generation.

So yeah, you can say it was bad, it was embaressing, it sold less than desired and even that it failed to double its dev costs and help offset S-E's other bombs. But no, if those are the numbers then it didn’t post a loss.
You're forgetting marketing. Marketing is never factored in with these development costs, for either games or movies. And this game almost certainly had a huge marketing budget. No way it made all its money back. Also, just because the game made 120 million, doesn't mean that Square Enix saw 120 million. They have to split the proceeds with retailers and platform owners, further cutting into profits, and then there's distribution costs. This game was a money loser. Also, no company produces a product hoping they make their money back over the course of 8 freaking years. They do it in the hopes they make back their profit immediately. There's a reason the development studio was closed down not a month after the game launched.
 
You're forgetting marketing. Marketing is never factored in with these development costs, for either games or movies. And this game almost certainly had a huge marketing budget. No way it made all its money back. Also, just because the game made 120 million, doesn't mean that Square Enix saw 120 million. They have to split the proceeds with retailers and platform owners, further cutting into profits, and then there's distribution costs. This game was a money loser. Also, no company produces a product hoping they make their money back over the course of 8 freaking years. They do it in the hopes they make back their profit immediately. There's a reason the development studio was closed down not a month after the game launched.
I counter that with the following:
1) A 70 dollar game is sold to stores for 60 dollars, the store only makes 10 dollars at most. Online Sony does get a 30 percent cut.
2) Sony did a lot of the marketting as part of the exclusivity deal (and likely gave them a good deal on digital sales, too.)
3) I vastly understated the sales price. I put the average price at 20 dollars just to show how low it could go while remaining profitable. But, as originally stated, the actual average price was probably in the thirties or forties, which could have more than doubled revenue.
4) Luminous was folded back into S-E within a month of the game's release, before any sort of longterm performance could be established. Its as likely that S-E hated the long dev times of it (and FF XV) as much as they hated the sales, most of which wouldn't have happened yet.
5) Tons of companies do, in fact, invest money in the hopes of long tail profit. Not that it matters as the game has probably already gotten into the black due to the points listed above. The tail isn't the point, its the bonus.
 
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