Square Enix Smileworks has closed down after just over a year and a half of operations. According to our sister site, Games in Asia Indonesia, the closure happened several months ago, but a public announcement was made only recently on the studio’s website.
The Surabaya spin-off studio was known for its contributions to the Square Enix mobile game Nirvaana Genesis. It was also reportedly working on an original game, but this did not see light of day. Games in Asia Indonesia reports that former employees of Square Enix Smileworks have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements barring them from talking about the studio.
Misa Tokunaga, a corporate communications representation for Japan’s Square Enix, says that the closure was a result of the studio being unable to achieve the results expected of it. Tokunaga adds that Square Enix still believes that Indonesia is a market that offers extensive opportunities, and going forward it will focus on developing business in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries through partnerships with local companies “thoroughly versed in customers and business practice in each given market.”
Square Enix Smileworks was a spin-off of the parent company’s Smile Lab studio, with investment from Gotanda Denshi. It began operations with 23 staff, of which 20 were Indonesians and three were Japanese. The studio is currently undergoing the liquidation process.
See: Bari Silvestre shares his Square Enix Collective experience
(Source: Games in Asia Indonesia)
Editing by Steven Millward
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