Square Building U.S. Development Studio

Tokyo-headquartered developer and publisher Square Enix is building a new studio in Los Angeles (El Segundo) that is working on an action-oriented game based for an original IP. According to the career section of the Final Fantasy company's U.S. site, it is seeking to fill several positions for the new location, including the roles of Xbox 360 software engineer, product manager, 3D artist, and more. The studio's job listings advertised on other sites say that it is looking to "to lay the foundation for a solid development team," calling for software engineer applicants with Xbox 360 and Wii development experience. "How often do you get a chance to make sure that a studio starts off in the right direction?", asks Square Enix in one of its job postings. "How often do you get to be one of the starting members, but also have medical insurance? This is a rare opportunity to have the creative control of a start-up but the backing and funding of a major publisher." The company also operates another office in El Segundo, as well as an office in Seattle, Washington, both of which handle the company's localization, marketing, and publishing for North America. Square Enix's recent moves into the Western space include a partnership with Redmond-based Gas Powered Games to publish forthcoming real-time strategy title Supreme Commander 2. The company announced that the partnership resulted out of a need to create games targeted primarily at consumers in North America and Europe. "We see great opportunities in North American and European markets, both of which are expected to be maintaining sustainable growth over these coming years," said Square Enix president and representative director Yoichi Wada, president and representative director. Wada has previously praised the technical and creative state of Western titles, and commented that overall, he plays Western games more than Japanese ones.