Square Enix is currently hard at work one some of the biggest games in its history, like the hotly anticipated Final Fantasy 7 remake, and the similarly eagerly awaited Kingdom Hearts 3. Now, the studio has issued a statement on its plans for the future as part of its annual report that was recently issued to shareholders.

Following the success of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Kingdom Hearts Union X, it seems that Square Enix is planning to expand its interest in the mobile gaming market. The company will apparently launch multiple titles before the end of the fiscal year in March 2018.

Japan, China, and the United States are listed as the three biggest regions for mobile gaming. The report states that Square Enix is falling short of its targets with regards to North America, so we can perhaps expect to see more content being dropped stateside, and localization taking place quicker going forward.

The report also notes that India is an emerging market that Square Enix has a great interest in. The company exhibited at the India Gaming Show in February 2017, and will push its mobile games in the region as network availability continues to improve.

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Square Enix also notes some bigger changes to the video game industry as whole, in particular the shift towards games as a service. The report reads:

Gone are the days in which single-player games were of primary status and multiplayer games secondary. Lately, multiplayer games have taken the lead, and it is standard for games to be designed for long-term play.

It goes on to reference the popularity of streaming services like Twitch. Given that Square Enix has long since specialized in narrative-centric single-player experiences, this could be an early sign of a massive diversion from the studio's standard practices. Alternatively, it might just be an indicator that it will diversify its releases beyond the traditional RPGs it's best known for.

The report also references the growing popularity of the Nintendo Switch, echoing Square Enix's earlier pledge to support the console. The Xbox One X, virtual reality headsets, and augmented reality hardware are also mentioned as promising platforms.

It's interesting to see what Square Enix's upper management views as priorities for the future. There's no way of telling whether all the aspirations listed in this report will come to pass, but it certainly paints a picture of a studio that's well aware that it needs to move with the times to remain relevant.

Source: Square Enix