Part 6/13:
Part of the problem lies in the cultural shift within Square Enix. Since the merger with Enix and the release of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within—which was a major financial failure—the company has been grappling with its identity. The company's Japanese roots seem increasingly at odds with its Western ambitions.
There are reports suggesting that the company is considering replacing QA work traditionally handled by humans with artificial intelligence, although some insiders claim that this has been overstated. Regardless, this points to a broader effort to automate and reduce costs in the face of ongoing losses.