Square (1986)
Hironobu Sakaguchi's 'Final Fantasy' and the Genesis of Cinematic Role-Playing
Founded in September 1986 by Masafumi Miyamoto in Tokyo, Square Co., Ltd. (Squaresoft) elevated the Japanese role-playing game from a regional niche into a global cinematic art form. Saved from bankruptcy in 1987 by Hironobu Sakaguchi's swan-song gamble Final Fantasy—scored by Nobuo Uematsu and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano—Square went on to craft Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and the monumental 1997 3D breakthrough Final Fantasy VII, permanently altering gaming culture.
From Imminent Bankruptcy to the Final Fantasy Salvation
In 1987, Square teetered on commercial ruin following lackluster releases on the Famicom Disk System. Director Hironobu Sakaguchi resolved to helm one final epic before quitting the industry to return to university. Contrasting Enix's Dragon Quest with side-view tactical combat, rich orchestral synthesis from Nobuo Uematsu, and Yoshitaka Amano's ethereal concept art, Final Fantasy became a runaway sensation, saving the studio.
The Defection to Sony and the Final Fantasy VII Paradigm
Following the 16-bit masterpiece Chrono Trigger, Square realized that high-resolution 3D polygon environments and pre-rendered Silicon Graphics cutscenes could not fit onto the Nintendo 64's restrictive ROM cartridges. Square executed a seismic corporate rupture, abandoning Nintendo to develop on Sony's multi-disc CD-ROM PlayStation. Final Fantasy VII (1997) sold over 10 million copies, establishing the modern cinematic blockbuster paradigm.