Square Enix focuses future investments on blockchain, artificial intelligence and the cloud

The $300 million sale of Square Enix’s western studios to Embracer Group will allow the Japanese publisher to invest in new business lines.

With its operations in Europe, the US and Canada removed, Square Enix is ​​cutting its payroll to plan several investments in emerging fashion markets: “The deal will help the company adapt to ongoing changes in the global business environment through more efficient resource allocation, which will increase value of the company by accelerating the growth of the company’s core digital entertainment business. In addition, the transaction helps to launch new businesses by attracting investments in areas such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies. This approach is based on the commercial structure optimization policy that the company defined as part of the medium-term commercial strategy released on May 13, 2021.”

Blockchain is a new and troubling issue for Square Enix

If players are unhappy with this decision, President Yosuke Matsuda has already shared his desire to create blockchain games that can be “played to earn” in a recent interview with Yahoo Japan: “In the future, we would like to try our hand at creating a separate gaming content. Until now, in most games, we have provided content as a finished product, and players have played this content. However, there are a number of gamers around the world who want to help make games more interesting by creating new settings and new ways to play. We want to use the power of these people to create games that will continue to evolve. If, instead of relying on goodwill, we can also provide benefits to those who contribute to development using technologies such as blockchain, perhaps users’ ideas can be used to create innovative and interesting content. ”

Matsuda-san has already been criticized by some players in the video game industry during his New Year’s Wishes, where he expressed his enthusiasm for new trends and promised to create blockchain games with Square Enix while exploring the world of NFTs, the metaverse, and cryptocurrencies.