It’s easy to forget that Square Enix is one of the most experimental publishers out there, working with a wide variety of teams, platforms and distribution models to reach gamers wherever and however they happen to be playing. And while the publisher is definitely interested in game streaming, President Yosuke Matsuda doesn’t see the industry making a full digital shift anytime soon.
In a recent interview with Game Industry Biz, Matsuda covered everything from upcoming projects to what’s going on behind the scenes at Square Enix to better prepare the publisher for the future of gaming, no matter which direction that might lead. It’s a rather lengthy interview and absolutely worth a read for anyone interested in the inner workings of the industry.
One of the major takeaways from the chat is that Matsuda does not expect to see game streaming become the “next big thing” in the near future. His feelings on the matter are actually a bit more nuanced than that, and it bears some extra weight since he’s the head of a company that’s literally throwing all of the spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. They’ve got major AAA projects coming from in-house and partner studios, they’re working with multiple smaller studios and indie developers, they’ve got a hugely successful MMORPG and a strong foothold in the mobile market, and they also managed to bring a streaming version of Resident Evil VII to the Switch in Japan.
In the interview, Matsuda talks about Google Stadia and Microsoft’s xCloud service, something he’s very much interested in. However, he notes that they are more likely to “reach new customers” rather than bring current gamers to an all-streaming future. Even then, though, he’s clearly wary of going full-tilt into the streaming business.
I am very much hoping that cloud streaming gets off the ground successfully…Because this will be so highly reliant on internet infrastructure, I don’t think it will necessarily take off right away.
Matsuda goes on to say that he does not expect current console and PC gamers to suddenly jump ship to streaming for all of their gaming needs. He notes that both platforms currently offer a “very stable and great environment,” and that streaming would need to reach that same level before it convinces long-time gamers to make any kind of shift. But for folks who don’t traditionally game and are looking for a streamlined, affordable option with less hardware/discs/etc. to deal with, Matsuda says streaming might finally pull some fresh gamers into the fold.
With Stadia launching later this year and new consoles not looking to drop until late 2020, it’ll be a few years before we can really gauge the success or failure of streaming. Either way, it’ll be an interesting moment in gaming history to watch unfold.
