With subscription services becoming a highly popular form of media consumption, another AAA company is considering joining the fray. A Square Enix subscription service is in consideration, though it would be a long way off. The company currently works with Xbox on its Game Pass service as well as others, but is considering all options moving forward.
Plenty of big-name publishers have taken the plunge into subscription services. Ubisoft has UPlay, which received attention at E3 with the announcement of Uplay Plus, and EA created Origin for its gaming catalog. As for why most publishers choose to create their own instead of partnering with Game Pass, it seems that Game Pass lacks commercial viability. It simply makes more sense for publishers to put their biggest games into their own services, and it could be a viable option for the Final Fantasy publisher moving forward.
That said, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda is aware of the ups and downs that come with the decision, and has said the company is exploring both the possibility of staying with other services and of launching its own. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz at E3, Matsuda said of creating a Square Enix subscription service:
“…that would require significant preparations and investment. We’d also have to consider whether or not it will work well solely including our own catalog titles. At present, as I say, we are offering our games on multiple subscription services, including Microsoft’s. But eventually, I do think that we need to get to the point where we have enough insight that we can build our own service.”
For now, Square Enix will continue to provide games for Microsoft’s Game Pass and others. Whether the company works a new subscription service into its business model remains to be seen, though it seems likely to happen sometime in the near future.
