By Skyler Miller
Designed by Collin Oguro
Introduction
In the 15 years since its humble beginnings as a game developer for the Famicom Disk System in Japan, Square has risen through the ranks to become one of the most important names in gaming. So important that its "defection" from Nintendo to Sony in the mid '90s may have been a key factor in the ultimate success of the PlayStation. So important that Electronic Arts formed a joint venture with the company. So important that Bandai's WonderSwan Color was considered an immediate contender in the Japanese portable market once Square announced that it would develop games for the system. One thing is clear: Square's games make headlines, sell systems, and generate enormous buzz.
While the company is best known for its role-playing games, it has dabbled in other genres, especially in Japan. In fact, few know that the early NES hits Rad Racer and 3-D WorldRunner were Square creations. In general, though, its attempts to branch out have been met with limited success. RPGs are what Square does best, and with the Final Fantasy series, Square set the standard by which other RPGs are measured.
Square first became known for its games on the NES and Game Boy, but it was on the Super NES that the company's talent really began to shine through. Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana are well known as RPG classics, and all three were released within only a two-year span. These games quickly made Square one of Nintendo's top third parties and so well regarded that it was allowed to handle the development of Super Mario RPG. But from there, Square's relationship with Nintendo soured, all due to one little game...
The official reason for Square's decision to make Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation instead of the Nintendo 64 was one of storage capacity. The cartridge format used by the N64 would supposedly put limits on the game that Square wanted to create. But the split between Square and Nintendo was so decisive, so nasty, and so final that one has to wonder what else was going on. Was Nintendo being too greedy, or was it Square? Did Square naively hope to make games for both Sony and Nintendo, only to incur the Big N's wrath? Did Sony make Square an offer it couldn't refuse?
We may never know the whole story, but Square and Sony definitely got the better end of the deal. Final Fantasy VII sold 8.6 million copies worldwide and helped the PlayStation become the dominant system of its era. In April 1998, Square's clout was clear, as the company teamed up with Electronics Arts in joint ventures to publish and distribute games. Nintendo, never one to give up a grudge, has maintained that it will never again work with Square. However, it is hard to believe that Nintendo wouldn't like a Final Fantasy game on the GameCube or Game Boy Advance.
As Square makes the transition into the 21st century, it shows no signs of slowing down. Although the feature-length film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was considered a financial failure in the US, it was a technological marvel and generally well received among critics and those in the public who actually saw it. On the game side of things, Final Fantasy X, XI, and XIII are in the works for the PlayStation 2, as is Kingdom Hearts, an RPG collaboration between Square and Disney.
When reviewing Square's rich history of games, it's amazing to see not only how many great games it made, but also how many bad games it didn't make. With one or two possible exceptions, Square's "failures" are superior to most other developers' best efforts. Even when one of its games doesn't quite hit the target, it succeeds in some area, like production value, innovation, plot, or fun factor.
This feature covers each of Square's US releases in detail and gives a brief summary of each Japanese-only release. From the Famicom Disk System to the PlayStation 2, they're all here. We'll also explore Square's future and examine the response to the Final Fantasy movie. So hold on to your Chocobo, because we're ready to get started
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i posted this if someone is intrested:)
here is full story
http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_square/index.html
