Square Enix says it needs more global hits because Japan's population is getting too old

Forspoken
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Square Enix has said that it🐲 plans to focus more on a global market due to an aging population in Japan, brought about by record low birth rates in the country. 

In a  published by Square Enix, it explained that an aging population means that it'll no longer be able to rely on a consumer base that might grow out of the medium. The report says: “Achieving major growth in the game industry is difficult n𓂃ow for companies that compete primarily in the Japanese market, given its graying demographics.”

“As such, it is critical for our bus♉iness that we produce hit titles that speak to the global market, which offers greater scale in terms of both customers 🍒and sales volumes.”

This position is on the back of striking statistics from Japan, which shows an aging population. As reported by , the number of babies born in Japan in 2021 was a record low of 811,604, 3.5% fewer than in 2020. While it may seem small now if that number co🍷ntinues to fall, Japan will be facing an older population, and potentially fewer prospective customers to sell to. 

Square Enix has certainly seen critical success in the West, especially with 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the continued momentum of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Final Fantasy 14. However, the devel𒁏oper will have to continue to൩ find hits in the West if it's to reach its targets. 

Complicating that, the company has recently cut away many of its Western developers, Eidos-Montreal, C🀅rystal Dꦅynamics, and Square Enix Montreal. A few years before that, it also 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:let IO Interactive go, meaning that the company’s presence in the West is greatly diminished. The company’s next big attempt to break the Western market is Forspoken, a new IP from the publisher. That said, players are going to have to wait to see if the game is a success, as it was澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: delayed 🥀into next ye🦄ar earlier this summer

If you're still invested in Japanese-made games, why not check out our list of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:the best JRPGs in 2022?

Freelance writer

Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. H𝔉e is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.