A common trope within certain video game developer circles is to find something people resonate with and then “flood the market” with games that resemble that initial hit. In recent times, there have been plenty of platform fighters trying to chip away at the Smash Bros fandom. Or, when Among Us was becoming super popular during the pandemic, many tried to replicate that in certain ways. With Square Enix, it was the developer/publisher that created the now extremely popular HD-2D aesthetic that has been used across numerous RPGs. However, even it knows there’s a limit to how much this style can be used in a short period.
Obviously, everyone is talking about this style right now because of the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake that’s doing VERY well right now (read our review!). With that success, you might expect Square Enix to go “full-tilt” and keep cranking out HD-2D titles. However, Producer Masaaki Hayasaka revealed to Bloomberg that the company’s higher-ups are wisely refusing to do that:
“If we were to release too many games in succession, that would lead to people being bored of those games. On the flipside, if there’s too much of a span between launches, that can also lead to the series not seeming as vibrant and robust anymore. It’s a sensitive topic. It’s something that even my supervisors are constantly unsure and mulling over.”
While that might sound odd, that’s honestly a really good strategy. Yes, HD-2D games are awesome, but if they’re constantly made just to “bank on past glory,” you run into quality issues, and Square Enix isn’t doing so hot right now because of those quality issues.
Thus, it’s better for the company to take things slow and ensure everything they make is of high quality.
