Final Fantasycomposer Nobuo Uematsu has a long history with Square Enix, but he singles out one moment in the company’s history as the worst time. 17 years before it merged with Enix, Uematsu joined Square in 1986 and worked there until 2004. After his departure, he’s continued to compose for Square Enix games alongsideother music projects, so it’s safe to say that he’s been affiliated with the company for decades.
On theNOBIYO To Isshonipodcast,Uematsu revealed that “Square collapsed after Sakaguchi left,“as translated byAutomaton Mediaand reported byEurogamer.This refers to a period in the early 2000s, shortly before Square’s merger with Enix, whenFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchi departed the company. Uematsu calls the situation after his departure “awful” and describes his own realization that he “should get away from here” following Sakaguchi’s exit.
Square Wasn’t The Same Without Hironobu Sakaguchi
A Born Leader, According To Uematsu
Uematsu clearly holds Sakaguchi’s influence at Square in the highest regard, describing him as an individual able to make the whole studio tick. While Square “didn’t even have a proper corporate organization” in its early days,“everyone listened” to Sakaguchi.
“To put it simply – he is the big boss. Always has been and always will be.” — Nobuo Uematsu on Hironobu Sakaguchi
Although the exodus of other creatives around the time of the merger certainly indicated trouble, Uematsu notes thatSakaguchi might not even realize how rough the environment was after his exit. Uematsu isn’t interested in condemning Square Enix today, however, and automaton notes that he “commends” the studio on its recovery from its struggles.
A Company At A Crossroads
It’s not that hard to argue that Square Enix has never been the same after Sakaguchi’s departure and the company merger, andFinal Fantasyhas certainly struggled to recreate the immaculate track recordthat it had for a while. The studio has still had plenty of successes since, however, ranging from majortriumphs likeDragon Quest 11to comparatively modest projects like theOctopath Travelergames.
Most great companies struggle to maintain the environment that gave rise to their best works, andit’s no surprise that Sakaguchi’s departure was a blow to Square Enix. All the same, it’s interesting to hear the shift described by Uematsu, another legendary figure from the company’s history.
Square Enix seems to be in a period of reassessment now, rethinking itsPlayStation exclusivity strategyand recentlymeeting with developersfromClair Obscur: Expedition 33studio Sandfall for an “exchange of visions and ideas.” What futureFinal Fantasyprojects will look like remains to be seen, but with Sakaguchi busy at his own Mistwalker studio, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever steer the ship at Square Enix again.
