Square Enix Q3 FY3/2025 Financial Results (Oct - Dec 2024) | Ordinary income down 7.7% vs 9 months of FY3/24, Profit of ¥4.6 billions in HD Games

[fiendcode]

Yup, UE5 is the biggest hint that the game isn't being made with Switch 1 in mind. I mean, Switch 1 is supported on paper, but has any actual game been released running on UE5 up to now?

Not all are released yet but a quick cross-reference:

171 (Betagames)
Dead by Daylight (Behavior Interactive)
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (LiveWire)
F1 Manager 2024 (Frontier Developments)
Faaast Penguin (Historia)
Fatal Run 2089 (MNSTR Studio)
First Dwarf (Stardrifters)
Fortnite Battle Royale (Epic Games)
Fortnite Festival (Harmonix Music Systems)
Fortnite Rocket Racing (Psyonix)
Funko Fusion (10:10 Games)
Gori: Cuddly Carnage (Angry Demon Studio)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (Milestone)
JuJutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash (ByKing)
Kvark (Perun Creative)
Lego Fortnite Odyssey (Epic Games)
Lego Horizon Adventures (Studio Gobo)
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine)
Little Adventure: Twinsen's Quest (2.21)
Little Nightmares III (Supermassive Games)
Lollipop Chainsaw: RePop (Dragami Games)
Monster Jam Showdown (Milestone)
Mythforce (Beamdog)
NBA 2K25 (Visual Concepts)
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate (Rocket Panda Games)
Railbreak (Dead Drop Studios)
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream (Dimps)
The Exit 8 (Kotake Create)

 

[Danny]

I also think Square Enix harbours the idea that they want to make DQ12 the best selling DQ in the west, which means they will make it a graphical showcase compared to previous DQ game to increase sales in the west, which would make the game unportable to Switch, but they likely think PS5, PC, Xbox series X/S and Switch 2 will be enough, and they probably think it will be good synergy in the Japanese market for it to come out on a new Nintendo console like the Switch 2 and that also means they will think a Switch version isn't needed.

I don't think Switch will get any major third party ports the coming years, some publishers have already openly stopped making Switch ports like Atlus, and that is even before Switch 2 have come out. With the release of Switch 2 major games will simply not come out often if at all on the Switch, everyone of those major games will just be ported to Switch 2 instead, even if it has a much lower install base, because continuing to have a Switch 1 pipeline for their games will just be too difficult to maintain now that every big publisher scopes their games for PS5 level hardware. It will be much less costly and time consuming to make Switch 2 versions of PS5 games, than to make costly and very time consuming downports to Switch 1.

 

[Joseki]

Well, at least we moved on from the "DQ12 will be PS5 exclusive" doomposting.

That's progress.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I would be shocked if it wasn’t on switch in some form, unless this is like a 2027 or later game.

 

[Lelouch0612]

I see it as very low chance that the next DQ will be scoped for Switch, Square Enix sees DQ as one of their top 3 franchises, and that usually means big budget, big scope for new entries.

It being big budget is precisely the reason it will be on Switch as they need the sales coming from that platform to offset the costs.

It is also pretty standard for the franchise, see DQVII.

 

[Chris1964]

The only way DQXII skips Switch is if it's a 2027 title and even then it's questionable that SE will attempt it.

 

[Damage2]

Of course It will skip Switch 1, that thing its a 2027 game

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

SE has to do something about 10 year gaps between mainline games for their biggest franchises.

FF will technically be a long time but that’s not a true indicator because the VIIR games are mainline in all but name

KH3 to KH4 will be 7-9 years
DQXI to DQXII will be close to a decade
Nier Automata to 3 will be over a decade if it ever even gets made

 

[StardustTraveler]

They have traditionally been very aggressive about putting Dragon Quest on whatever platform is most popular, even if it doesn't have the most graphical horsepower. The series jumped from Nintendo to Sony, but unlike a lot of RPGs, it shifted back to Nintendo platforms because the Wii and DS' massive success. Plus, Dragon Quest has often appeared late in a console's lifespan - remember how DQ11 had a completely different version released for 3DS in 2017 just to squeeze more sales about of the Japanese market?

That being said, I can't be certain if DQ12 will come to Switch 1 because we know hardly anything about the game right now.

SE has to do something about 10 year gaps between mainline games for their biggest franchises.

FF will technically be a long time but that’s not a true indicator because the VIIR games are mainline in all but name

KH3 to KH4 will be 7-9 years
DQXI to DQXII will be close to a decade
Nier Automata to 3 will be over a decade if it ever even gets made

Agreed. They should consider making mainline games with smaller scope and fidelity to keep the brands relevant. I don't think the mobile spinoffs of these franchises are doing a good job of that.

 

[Damage2]

SE has to do something about 10 year gaps between mainline games for their biggest franchises.

FF will technically be a long time but that’s not a true indicator because the VIIR games are mainline in all but name

KH3 to KH4 will be 7-9 years
DQXI to DQXII will be close to a decade
Nier Automata to 3 will be over a decade if it ever even gets made

There are rumours that Yoko Taro next game its a Nier Automata sequel

 

[Joseki]

SE has to do something about 10 year gaps between mainline games for their biggest franchises.

FF will technically be a long time but that’s not a true indicator because the VIIR games are mainline in all but name

KH3 to KH4 will be 7-9 years
DQXI to DQXII will be close to a decade
Nier Automata to 3 will be over a decade if it ever even gets made

Unless SE forces Taro out of NieR, there will never be a NieR factory pumping out titles.

Also after the reception to NieR Replicant I'm not sure if the "brand" is NieR or 2B.

 

[Damage2]

Unless SE forces Taro out of NieR, there will never be a NieR factory pumping out titles.

Also after the reception to NieR Replicant I'm not sure if the "brand" is NieR or 2B.

Nier Replicant still sold 1.5M and it did pretty well in reviews.

A Remaster/Remake would never do as well as a new mainline Nier game

 

[Gotdatmoney]

The thing is it depends more on the kind of game Yuji Horii wants to make at this point.

All the parties are fucking stupid then if it skips Switch 1.

Everyone involved can be dumb. I'm happy to spread the hate.

I see it as very low chance that the next DQ will be scoped for Switch, Square Enix sees DQ as one of their top 3 franchises, and that usually means big budget, big scope for new entries.

Big budget, big scope for a extremely Japan focused IP that will primarily be for the software selling abomination that is the PS5 and Switch 2 which will sell well but be way under it's hardware peak in Japan is dumb. Everyone involved should be dragged across the coals if they do this.

It's fucking inexcusable. Then we'll sit here and talk about how it's so sad these games are underperforming while management makes the stupidest decisions imaginable.

This game should have already been out on Switch 1. The idea that they will skip it wholesale to make some "ambitious" Dragon Quest game the West have proven over and over again it does not give a fuck about would be outrageous.

Just want it to be known that if this happens, I will be shitting on SE full force at every possible opportunity there after.

 

[Marno]

Nier Replicant still sold 1.5M and it did pretty well in reviews.

A Remaster/Remake would never do as well as a new mainline Nier game

Xenoblade 3 hasn't done much better than Xenoblade DE despite the later being a remaster. It remains to be seen if a new Nier will be able to replicate the success of Nier Automata or if it will be closer to Nier Replicant remaster.

 

[Danny]

All the parties are fucking stupid then if it skips Switch 1.

Everyone involved can be dumb. I'm happy to spread the hate.


Big budget, big scope for a extremely Japan focused IP that will primarily be for the software selling abomination that is the PS5 and Switch 2 which will sell well but be way under it's hardware peak in Japan is dumb. Everyone involved should be dragged across the coals if they do this.

It's fucking inexcusable. Then we'll sit here and talk about how it's so sad these games are underperforming while management makes the stupidest decisions imaginable.

This game should have already been out on Switch 1. The idea that they will skip it wholesale to make some "ambitious" Dragon Quest game the West have proven over and over again it does not give a fuck about would be outrageous.

Just want it to be known that if this happens, I will be shitting on SE full force at every possible opportunity there after.

Yeah i agree it would be a big mistake, but it seems like it could happen. For example it didn't make sense to scope a new Mana game for PS5, but that is what happened. Square Enix could make a major mistake if they think AAA DQ would boost the game heavily in the west.

But i also think that even though a Switch 2 release for DQ12 wouldn't fully replace the big install base of the Switch, it could still sell over 1 million on Switch 2 in Japan, depending on the growth of the Switch 2 install base in Japan, as well as its continued legs on the console.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

DQXI was a very strong game in production values, we already know what kind of boost it gives DQ in the west. Platform selection is a much more important factor.

 

[Lelouch0612]

DQXII has the potential to sell 4m+ in Japan alone, and that's the floor, it is probably the biggest IP of their portfolio, 1m won't cut it.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Yeah i agree it would be a big mistake, but it seems like it could happen. For example it didn't make sense to scope a new Mana game for PS5, but that is what happened. Square Enix could make a major mistake if they think AAA DQ would boost the game heavily in the west.

But i also think that even though a Switch 2 release for DQ12 wouldn't fully replace the big install base of the Switch, it could still sell over 1 million on Switch 2 in Japan, depending on the growth of the Switch 2 install base in Japan, as well as its continued legs on the console.

If DQ12 sells 2.5m in Japan that would be a huge disappointment. Even 3m would barely acceptable.

There is no scenario where the game should do less than 4m units in Japan alone. None.

Whatever the relevant parties have to do to make that happen, get it done.

 

[Oregano]

Not all are released yet but a quick cross-reference:

171 (Betagames)
Dead by Daylight (Behavior Interactive)
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (LiveWire)
F1 Manager 2024 (Frontier Developments)
Faaast Penguin (Historia)
Fatal Run 2089 (MNSTR Studio)
First Dwarf (Stardrifters)
Fortnite Battle Royale (Epic Games)
Fortnite Festival (Harmonix Music Systems)
Fortnite Rocket Racing (Psyonix)
Funko Fusion (10:10 Games)
Gori: Cuddly Carnage (Angry Demon Studio)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (Milestone)
JuJutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash (ByKing)
Kvark (Perun Creative)
Lego Fortnite Odyssey (Epic Games)
Lego Horizon Adventures (Studio Gobo)
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine)
Little Adventure: Twinsen's Quest (2.21)
Little Nightmares III (Supermassive Games)
Lollipop Chainsaw: RePop (Dragami Games)
Monster Jam Showdown (Milestone)
Mythforce (Beamdog)
NBA 2K25 (Visual Concepts)
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate (Rocket Panda Games)
Railbreak (Dead Drop Studios)
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream (Dimps)
The Exit 8 (Kotake Create)

Hundred Line uses UE5 too going by the blog on the JP version of the website

『HUNDRED LINE -最終防衛学園-』2025.4.24発売決定

「ダンガンロンパ」のクリエイター陣がおくる最新作『HUNDRED LINE -最終防衛学園-』「2025.4.24」に発売決定！

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