Summary
Square Enixpresident Takashi Kiryu announced that the company plans to embrace AI when developing and marketing future games. The statement came as part of Kiryu’s annual “New Year’s Letter,” which outlinesSquare Enix’s plans for the future.
Over the last couple of years, AI has become a staple in the news cycle, mainly due to applications like ChatGPT showcasing the technology’s capabilities. AI’s potential could affect, or has already affected, nearly every facet of modern life, and video games are certainly no exception. Xbox’s place within AI drama is already off to a hot start, afterXbox seemed to use AI-generated artto promote new games. But it looks like Xbox isn’t the only company embracing AI, as Japanese games developer Square Enix seems to have robust plans for implementing the technology into future projects.
Kiryuexplainedthat Square Enix will be “aggressive” when applying AI and other new technologies to the development of future games. He detailed that AI has the potential to fundamentally change how games are created, and that he hopes AI will greatly enhance development productivity, as well as marketing efforts. Kiryu also explained that AI could be used to create entirely new forms of content for Square Enix’s fans to enjoy. The company’s president did not go into specifics on how AI would change Square Enix’s approach to developing games, but it seems clear that Kiryu intends to use the technology on a significant scale.
In the letter, Kiryu also emphasized his plans for improved collaboration between Square Enix’s offices around the globe. He hopes that these efforts will help to improve the sales of new titles, and also help to deliverSquare Enix’s rich back-catalog of gamesto more customers around the world. Additionally, Kiryu explained that Square Enix plans to implement other new technologies, like Blockchain, Web 3.0, and the Cloud, into its production efforts.
Fortunately for Square Enix fans, this isn’t the only news surrounding the developer. Fans can hope forFinal Fantasy 16to receive more DLCin Spring 2024, with the Rising Tide expansion expected to bring a new gameplay experience to the latest installment in theFinal Fantasyfranchise. However, the game’s development team has been disbanded, so this DLC is likely the last major update forFinal Fantasy 16.
And as one of the company’s more popular games in recent years,Octopath Traveler 2will be releasing on Xboxin early 2024. The game was already released for PlayStation, Switch, and PC, so Xbox JRPG fans are likely excited to finally get their hands on the critically acclaimed game.
Final Fantasy 16
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An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
