The game development manager at Square Enix’s new Los Angeles studio admits the company has 'fallen behind' with multiplatform development, as it attempts to create new U.S. developed games for a Western audience.
Hinting at the development of a new game at the studio, Fumi Shiraishi told
tech website Ars Technica that it would be part of a "Western niche" category and that "There is no point in making another FPS."
Shiraishi described the new studio as "a different approach entirely... We're not trying to make a game with a Western looking main character and with blood and gore," he said.
Square Enix has shown strong interest recently in appealing to the Western markets -- in addition to
forming the new Los Angeles studio, it's also
made a bid to acquire
Tomb Raider holder Eidos.
"Square Enix isn't necessarily shifting, it's more of a growth," said Fumi Shiraishi. "The stuff [games created by Square Enix in Japan] does what it is supposed to do... but the Japanese market isn't growing."
Compared to
recent comments from Square Enix president and CEO Yoichi Wada, Shiraishi was more reserved discussing the decline of the Japanese market and the difficulty of appealing to Western consumers.
"We're not deliberately focusing on the North American audience," he said. "We're just trying to make a good game."
