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Square Enix absorbs Tokyo RPG Factory

Square Enix will merge with Tokyo RPG Factory in an absorption-type merger, the company announced.

www.gematsu.com

Square Enix will merge with Tokyo RPG Factory in an absorption-type merger, the company announced.

This means that Square Enix, the surviving company, will inherit all assets and liabilities of Tokyo RPG Factory, the dissolving company, and Tokyo RPG Factory will cease to exist as an individual entity.

Tokyo RPG Factory, a subsidiary of Square Enix, was established in 2014, and has developed and released I Am Setsuna (2016) for PlayStation 4, Switch, PS Vita, and PC, and Lost Sphear (2017) and Oninaki (2019) for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC.

Thanks, Gamebiz.

 

[Varteras]

Called it. Give me a cookie.

 

[Pelao]

Only played Setsuna and remember liking it. Never played the other two. Didn't know the studio was still around.
A shame, but at least the Octopath team is still there for that classic JRPG fix.

 

[IAmRei]

i kinda like their outputs, all of them. it's kind of games i looking for in this era

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

you mean, consolidate?

 

[Raven117]

I thought they were always a part of Square?

 

[Varteras]

I thought they were always a part of Square?

The team was created as a subsidiary. Now everything about it is back within SE. Any team members not let go, assuming any were, will have been dispersed back into SE's 4 internal teams.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Their games weren't that good, and they overcharged for them.

 

[Varteras]

Their games weren't that good, and they overcharged for them.

I can appreciate that they were a studio dedicated to creating old school JRPGs, but I have to agree with you. SE itself was doing a much better job with games like Octopath Traveler.

 

[Hero_Select]

meh studio

 

[Raven117]

Their games weren't that good, and they overcharged for them.

This. They just weren’t good enough.

Great idea, but they just couldn’t pull it off

 

[Heisenberg007]

I can appreciate that they were a studio dedicated to creating old school JRPGs, but I have to agree with you. SE itself was doing a much better job with games like Octopath Traveler.

SE may redirect some of this staff to work on games like Octopath Traveler.

 

[Varteras]

SE may redirect some of this staff to work on games like Octopath Traveler.

Sorry. I got lost in your avatar's cleavage. What were you saying?

 

[Heisenberg007]

Sorry. I got lost in your avatar's cleavage. What were you saying?

For Stellar Blade

 

[Danjin44]

Sorry. I got lost in your avatar's cleavage. What were you saying?

 

[EDMIX]

To be fair, I thought they already owned them anyway lol

 

[CamHostage]

I can appreciate that they were a studio dedicated to creating old school JRPGs, but I have to agree with you. SE itself was doing a much better job with games like Octopath Traveler.

With you both.

I was really excited for this excursion from the Square Enix model, them doing old-school and maybe experimental RPGs in the style (and presumedly speed, this being the Tokyo RPG "Factory") of their glory days, while the main Square pushed AAA frontiers with its high-budget, full-scale franchise titles... I imagined something different than what we got, for sure. I didn't expect them to only put out 3 games in almost a decade, and I didn't expect the games to be so generic and flavorless, so indistinct as far as any directorial imprint, that I had nearly forgotten this division existed until today's absorption. Kudos to the fans who found what they were looking for in Tokyo RPG Factory's titles, but this is the only recent business downsizing that I can't say I'm surprised or saddened by. The studio just didn't work out.

 

[OuterLimits]

I thought Setsuna was pretty good honestly. Lost Sphear was extremely generic but still a decent enough game since I bought it dirt cheap on sale.

 

[sigmaZ]

 

[nial]

Oninaki, huh, what happened with Tokyo RPG Factory?

Well.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Played Setsuna and Oninaki but both games were mediocre as fuck. Incredibly generic and lackluster efforts. It's a shame it didn't work out because the idea of a studio dedicated to old school Jrpgs was a good one. So I'm not surprised at all this is happening.

 

[Punished Miku]

I thought Setsuna was pretty good honestly. Lost Sphear was extremely generic but still a decent enough game since I bought it dirt cheap on sale.

I Am Setsuna is one of the best retro RPGs since Chrono Trigger. The art style and character designs were phenomenal. The OST is literally one of the best in the history of video games. The battle system is basically Chrono Trigger. Really took vision to set the entire world in a snowscape, instead of the typical biomes you see in every RPG. Perfectly fit the tone of the game and the OST.

Basically met the same fate as Prince of Persia: Lost Crown. A bunch of people claimed it's overpriced and they'd prefer indies and they ignored it, and then funding for the studio was dead ever since. Lame modern gamer taste strikes again, let's ask for another shitty remake instead.

 

[Exentryk]

Played Setsuna and Lost Sphear as they were both turn based and enjoyed them for their RPG mechanics, even though the games were pretty average. Didn't play Oninaki (ARPG), as I didn't like the demo.

Good decision from SE imo. Put the devs onto some other team's projects, like Team Asano and get them pumping out my BravelyPath games.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Only played the demo for Lost Sphear and Oninaki, they both bored me to tears. I’m surprised this lame studio even survived this long.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Can't say I'll miss them. I am Setsuna was pretty lame. It felt very try-hard at being a classic RPG and the piano-only soundtrack was maudlin AF.

 

[F31 Leopard]

I actually liked all 3 games with Lost Sphear being my favorite of the trio. IaS and Oninaki are more on the short side to beat according to my playtime.

I really liked Lost Sphear's battle mechanics and Sakura Wars-ish mech suits. All 3 games are not the greatest RPG's but I did enjoy my time with them considering being low budget in comparison to other JRPGs within the market.