Deals that shook the industry: 9/10

On April 1, 2003, one of the two biggest video game publishers in Japan, Enix, legally absorbed the other, Square. The latter’s stockholders received 0.85 shares of stock in the new company compared to Enix stockholders receiving a one-to-one trade.

Despite this, many top officials within Square assumed leadership roles in the new corporate hierarchy, including Square president Yoichi Wada, who was appointed president of the new merged corporation.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Enix games were finally given regular European distribution. So while titles like Valkyrie Profile never saw a European release on the PSOne, its PSP remake and PS2 sequel all did reach these shores thanks to Square Europe’s foothold in the market.

Dragon Quest – one of the biggest franchises in Japan – got its first European gig with Dragon Quest VIII, which sold better in Europe than it did in the States and Canada, with outside-Japan sales surpassing a substantial and impressive million units.

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