It feels good to see Square Enix venture outside the box every once in a while. To me, they're pretty good developer that unfortunately won't stray far from a game series I got tired of in the mid-90's.

Check out this trailer:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x576xv_nanashi-no-geemu-trailer_videogames

Nanashi no Geemu (or Nanashi Game)

In this mystery game, children who play a particular DS game die after seven days (I know, the plot sounds familiar). But what really struck me is the game's similarity to Hotel Dusk, which I really enjoyed. You navigate a 3D world like a point-and-click adventure, examining things as you try to solve the mystery. However, this game substitutes Hotel Dusk's charming detective noir theme for a sort of Japanese horror atmosphere. And the graphics look pretty good for DS, to boot.

The trailer looks quite interesting. (And makes me feel like I'll die in a week, haha. I'm just horribly paranoid.) I'm a fan of these types of games, so I'll probably buy it if it's ever released in Europe.

They've been doing a lot lately that isn't Final Fantasy. Even on DS they just released the World Ends with You in the US. There is also a new Valkyrie Profile coming to the system as well as a game called Sigma Harmonics. On the PC they released an online RPG titled Fantasy Earth: The Ring of Dominion. We've got Infinite Undiscovery and the Last Remnant coming to next gen system. And that's not even counting the various other established non-FF titles that are getting sequels. They also seems to be making a few spin-off titles which use the name, but fall into different genres, like a fighting game based on FF characters for the PSP.

isukun
They've been doing a lot lately that isn't Final Fantasy. Even on DS they just released the World Ends with You in the US.

And in europe too. I got it and it looks really good and has all the Square magic in a completely new setting with new ideas.

I'm glad that Square are branching out from the usual two series and finally starting to mix it up. I can see why they would be cautious about changing though, having been almost bankrupt twice. (I think)

isukun
They've been doing a lot lately that isn't Final Fantasy.

Not enough, though.

I don't know what you would consider enough, then. The vast majority of their releases over the past few years have not been Final Fantasy games and they've certainly been more experimental than Nintendo lately when it comes to new franchises and you don't seem to have any problems with Nintendo.

isukun
I don't know what you would consider enough, then.

WHO CARES. This topic isn't really about that. It's about this new DS game. So talk about that if you're interested in it. If not, I don't see much point in sticking around.

I think the thing is that a lot of Square-Enix's new IP's, while not actually being called Final Fantasy, certainly have a very Final Fantasy feel. Sometimes it's just a design thing (which I believe is the case with World Ends With You), but it's there.

They are primarily an RPG developer. When they stray from that genre, they either need to rely on another developer for the ground work or the game suffers. Stick with one or two genres for the majority of your games and they will start to look similar. Play a game like the World Ends with You, however, and it doesn't really feel like anything they've done in the past. I'm not as concerned with character designers as I am with gameplay and story and neither give off a FF vibe.