Square Enix may produce great games, but the problem is the publisher does not know how to sell them properly, according to Eidos Montreal founder Stephane D’Astous.
“[Square Enix] has some things to learn about how to sell their games,” D’Astous tells Polygon in an interview. “We are in a situation where we have great games that could have sold more. They need to attack that very, very seriously. Last year was supposed to be a home-run season, but we didn’t hit a single home run; maybe a double or a triple, but they weren’t home runs.”
In release of Square Enix’s fiscal year results ending Mar. 31, the company revealed titles such as Hitman: Absolution, Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs failed to meet sales targets, despite critical acclaim. The publisher has also experienced a series of layoffs at both their North American and European locations. Yosuke Matsuda is now Square Enix’s new president.
As of last Friday, D’Astous departed from Eidos Montreal after six years, citing irreconcilable differences between Eidos and Square Enix Europe amongst reasons. Eidos Montreal is known for titles such as Deus Ex: The Fall, which was released July 11, and Thief, slated for release for both current- and next-generation consoles in 2014.
