With No Square Enix Characters in PlayStation’s Astro Bot, It Makes Us Wonder if the Relationship Has Soured Since the Xbox FF14 Port Announcement
Could Square Enix be putting some distance between its titles and all things PlayStation after its recent multiplatform strategy for its new projects?
- A recent revelation from Team Asobi indicates a souring relationship between Sony and Square Enix.
- Square Enix's decision to go multiplatform may have caused some friction with Sony over the Final Fantasy franchise on PlayStation.
- The announcement could come as an upset to Sony considering the franchise's popularity among PlayStation fans.
Team Asobi has a lot of cause to celebrate with the release of Astro Bot, the critically and commercially successful sequel to 2020’s Astro’s Playroom. The action-platforming title has found a lot of takers with its charming and nostalgic main story taking them back to some of their favorite PlayStation exclusives over the years while its visuals and many innovations brought its current-gen mechanics to the fore.
However, the absence of one specific franchise that saw a recent debut of one of its best performers on Xbox while a mobile version with Tencent Games was also announced has a few PlayStation fans wondering if one of its biggest names might be considering moving on to greener pastures.
Square Enix Passes on a Cameo Opportunity in Astro Bot
Although Square Enix’s release of Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox brought problems of its own, it marked the beginning of what is turning out to be a soured relationship between Sony and the studio which has long maintained exclusivity with it for Final Fantasy titles. However, Square Enix’s new multiplatform business strategy that it revealed in a recent announcement indicates that this is about to change.
However, it has still proved puzzling to many Astro Bot players that Square Enix would pass up on a chance to appear in a game that was widely slated to be a major release for PlayStation, with a lot of its fans diving in to encounter bots themed after their favorite characters from PlayStation history – an illustrious library that the Final Fantasy games form a crucial part of.
The Road Ahead for Sony and Square Enix
Speculation is rife about whether Sony and Square Enix will be able to continue their exclusivity deal for Final Fantasy on the PlayStation. The former could be adamant on maintaining the deal on account of its strong performance against Xbox in that department. However, the poor sales of a few of the franchise’s biggest titles which were exclusive to PlayStation may have Square Enix reconsidering the deal altogether.
The post below brings a lot of interesting viewpoints to the table while shedding light on the absence of Final Fantasy characters from Astro Bot.
One response to the post highlights a potential cause for Square Enix’s revised position on exclusivity with the PlayStation that indicates that it may have a reasonable cause for grievances.
Another response brings attention to the studio’s new multiplatform strategy as a reason for it not wanting its characters to appear in a platform-exclusive title like Astro Bot.
Another player echoes the sentiments of many others in their surprise at the absence of at least one bot from the Final Fantasy franchise appearing in Team Asobi’s nuanced platformer, considering the popularity of their counterparts in the game.
Sony may be considering its next steps with care, with Square Enix’s new strategy interfering with its own plans to build interest in its titles for PlayStation, Final Fantasy standing tall among them.
Fans of the franchise will certainly hope that the two companies can reach an understanding that works to the benefit of all.
