Square Enix not expecting console profits for at least two years

Square Enix is pumping out social games while it waits for another HD console hit.

Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada has said the publisher isn't expecting to see returns from console development for two to three years, as reported by Siliconera.

The expense of Final Fantasy 14's failure and relaunch means Square Enix has a way to go before its major releases are profitable again, but Wada also seemed uncertain about Square Enix's ability to pick surefire hits.

“In HD games, we usually have a mixture of profitable and unprofitable titles, generating profit as a whole,” he said.

In the meantime, Square Enix is investing heavily in Japanese social games - a low cost, low risk venture.

"As for our Social Gaming & Others [division], we only have very few titles that are unprofitable,” he said.

Square Enix published a chart showing the consistent profits of its social division which you can check out through the link above.

Square Enix's next major triple-A releases are the relaunch of MMRPG Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn and Tomb Raider. It has Final Fantasy Versus 13 and Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns in the buffer, and Thief 4 is expected to be revealed in 2013.

The publisher has signed Unreal and Unity licenses over the last year, hinted at multiple unrevealed projects, and demonstrated a new engine called Luminous, expected to power next-generation Final Fantasy games.