Yoichi Wada, SquareSoft’s new head-honcho, discussed his plans and predictions for Final Fantasy XI and the PlayOnline network in an interview with Core recently.
When asked about his thoughts on the possible small size of the PlayOnline network, Yoichi-san said, “Unfortunately, it's hard to predict how the market will react to PlayOnline. Our goal is to become the forerunner in the online console market, regardless of the initial market size. We have no plans to reduce services or cutback development plans even if the initial audience is small. Based on our preliminary projections, we're confident we can lead the market.”
On his thoughts on casual gamers taking to the online service he said, “Yes. However, it's certainly a challenge to deliver an online network for the PlayStation2. Casual players typically buy games simply by series or brand names. We believe titles such as Final Fantasy XI will help broaden the appeal of the service.”
On the relatively small sales predictions for Final Fantasy XI he said, “That's one of the aspects of the online business. We can still profit from such a relatively small userbase. The real hurdle is getting players to purchase the hard-drive and Ethernet which are required for the game. We believe the service could reach over one million users. It all depends on the influence of consumers on each other. For example, players will see their friends playing, or see a service demonstration, and then have confidence in playing online. We believe PlayOnline will grow through 'word of mouth' more than anything else.”
We will post a full PlayOnline European feature as soon as the service pack is released for the territory.
When asked about his thoughts on the possible small size of the PlayOnline network, Yoichi-san said, “Unfortunately, it's hard to predict how the market will react to PlayOnline. Our goal is to become the forerunner in the online console market, regardless of the initial market size. We have no plans to reduce services or cutback development plans even if the initial audience is small. Based on our preliminary projections, we're confident we can lead the market.”
On his thoughts on casual gamers taking to the online service he said, “Yes. However, it's certainly a challenge to deliver an online network for the PlayStation2. Casual players typically buy games simply by series or brand names. We believe titles such as Final Fantasy XI will help broaden the appeal of the service.”
On the relatively small sales predictions for Final Fantasy XI he said, “That's one of the aspects of the online business. We can still profit from such a relatively small userbase. The real hurdle is getting players to purchase the hard-drive and Ethernet which are required for the game. We believe the service could reach over one million users. It all depends on the influence of consumers on each other. For example, players will see their friends playing, or see a service demonstration, and then have confidence in playing online. We believe PlayOnline will grow through 'word of mouth' more than anything else.”
We will post a full PlayOnline European feature as soon as the service pack is released for the territory.
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