Square Enix reported its financial results for the third quarter of the current fiscal year (period ending December 2018).
In particular, sales of Just Cause 4, released on December 4, 2018, were lower than expected. As of the end of December, shipments of Shadow of the Tomb Raider totaled 4.12 million copies; digital sales of the game increased during the Christmas holidays, but the report noted a “weak start” for this chapter of Lara Croft's adventures.
"We believe the main reason for these results is that we were unable to provide sufficiently innovative projects that users would prefer to buy instead of numerous other major games," said Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda, adding that the company should pay more attention to game advertising before their release, as launch sales are an important element in popularizing projects.
The head of Square Enix also announced "various" announcements to expect before and during E3, and stated the company's intention to "reorganize and consolidate" 11 divisions involved in game publishing and development into four divisions. This is necessary for more efficient use of resources and to increase profitability.