Square Enix is best known for its role-playing games, like the Final Fantasy series. Now, the famed Japanese developer can add another bullet point to its lengthy resume: mobile game developer. Square Enix launched a new wholly owned subsidiary, a Japanese mobile game development studio, Hippos Lab, on March 7.
Square Enix has observed that the smartphone is an increasingly popular gaming platform with a potential to rapidly expand even more than it already has. Rather than focusing on familiar IP that has defined Square Enix in the past, Hippos Lab will be dealing in “high-quality original content focusing on smartphones.” The subsidiary’s first game release is expected soon.
Square Enix has also been busy on other fronts, including setting up a second Canadian studio, either in Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto. A final decision as to the location of the studio will be determined by about May, according to company sources. The studio is expected to be up and running by 2012.
[Source: Gamasutra]
