Luminous Productions

Luminous Productions was originally assembled from employees working on Final Fantasy XV.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/luminous-productions-i-back-stage-i-tech-demo-shows-off-square-enix-s-ray-tracing-tech|access-date=2 May 2020|date=4 September 2019|title=Luminous Productions' Back Stage tech demo shows off Square Enix's ray tracing tech|author=McAloon, Alissa|publisher=Gamasutra|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908221110/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/350072/Luminous_Productions_Back_Stage_tech_demo_shows_off_Square_Enixs_ray_tracing_tech.php|archive-date=8 September 2019|url-status=live}} While forming a new internal studio from existing ones is common worldwide, it is uncommon in Japan. Since the studio pulled in so many who were working on Final Fantasy XV, Luminous Productions helped with the game alongside their new project. So many were taken from the internal development division Business Division 2 that created Final Fantasy XV that Square Enix stated that it functionally "no longer exists".{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-03-27-final-fantasy-xv-luminous-productions-new-ip.html|publisher=Engadget|accessdate=2 May 2020|date=27 March 2018|title='Final Fantasy XV' team forms a studio to develop new IPs|author=Moon, Mariella}}

Its initial goal was to work on video games and "other entertainment content [sic]", but later that year the studio was refocused on just making games, causing to report a thirty-three million dollar loss for the half-year ending on 30 September 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-07-square-enix-reports-usd33m-extraordinary-loss-as-new-aaa-studio-shifts-focus|accessdate=2 May 2020|date=7 November 2018|title=Square Enix reports $33m extraordinary loss as new AAA studio shifts focus|author=Batchelor, James|publisher=Games Industry.biz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010073541/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-07-square-enix-reports-usd33m-extraordinary-loss-as-new-aaa-studio-shifts-focus|archive-date=10 October 2019|url-status=live}} The new studio's leader and Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata left Luminous Productions and Square Enix around the same time, and planned future content for Final Fantasy XV was also cancelled.{{cite web|url=https://gematsu.com/2018/11/final-fantasy-xv-dlcs-episode-aranea-episode-lunafreya-and-episode-noctis-cancelled|title=Final Fantasy XV DLCs 'Episode Aranea,' 'Episode Lunafreya,' and 'Episode Noctis' cancelled|last=Romano|first=Sal|work=Gematsu|publisher=CraveOnline|date=7 November 2018|accessdate=8 November 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108042359/https://gematsu.com/2018/11/final-fantasy-xv-dlcs-episode-aranea-episode-lunafreya-and-episode-noctis-cancelled|archivedate=8 November 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.luminous-productions.com/|title=Luminous Productions|publisher=Square Enix|accessdate=12 November 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112123339/http://www.luminous-productions.com/|archivedate=12 November 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/hajime-tabata-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-luminous-productions|title=Hajime Tabata Pulls Back the Curtain on Luminous Productions|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|work=USGamer|publisher=Gamer Network|date=8 August 2018|accessdate=12 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217191229/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/hajime-tabata-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-luminous-productions|archive-date=17 December 2018|url-status=live}} President of Square Enix Yosuke Matsuda clarified that the studio would be a "fusion of cutting-edge technology and art".{{cite web|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2019/09/luminous-productions-square-enix-president-and-studio-head-discuss-mission-to-create-new-global-aaa-ip|publisher=Gematsu|accessdate=2 May 2020|title=Luminous Productions: Square Enix president and studio head discuss mission to create new global AAA IP|author=Romano, Sal|date=2 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216102326/https://gematsu.com/2019/09/luminous-productions-square-enix-president-and-studio-head-discuss-mission-to-create-new-global-aaa-ip|archive-date=16 December 2019|url-status=live}}

Resources shifted to the then-unannounced Forspoken (initially dubbed Project Athia), with the studio continuing to use the Luminous Engine.{{cite web|title=Square Enix announces Project Athia for PlayStation 5 and PC|url=https://www.rpgsite.net/news/9813-square-enix-announces-project-athia-for-playstation-5-and-pc|last=Vitale|first=Adam|website=RPG Site|date=11 June 2020|accessdate=11 June 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|date=18 March 2021|title=Square Enix's Project Athia Is Now Called Forspoken, Coming In 2022|url=https://kotaku.com/square-enixs-project-athia-is-now-called-forspoken-com-1846505572|access-date=18 March 2021|website=Kotaku|language=en-us}} The game's protagonist, Alfre "Frey" Holland (Ella Balinska), is a young woman who uses magical powers to survive in a fantasy world. According to director Takeshi Aramaki, the gameplay is focused on terrain traversal speed and fluidity. Square Enix also described the game as a "narrative-driven adventure".{{Cite web|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|date=18 March 2021|title=Square Enix's Project Athia has a 2022 release date and a final name: Forspoken|url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/18/22338359/project-athia-forspoken-release-date-trailer-ps5-pc-square-enix|access-date=18 March 2021|website=Polygon|language=en}} It was released in 2023 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 5.

In 2018, preparations were made to launch a new game, and active development began in 2019. In September 2019, the team released a video called Back Stage on their website to demonstrate the work they were doing with an advanced form of ray tracing they call path tracing. Several projects are in production, including research and engine development. In terms of the number of projects, we have several production lines in motion, including engine development and R&D. Of the 130 employees, approximately 20 are not Japanese, and the studio uses an in-house translator so that the studio can operate globally. A focus of the studio technologically is to not have in-game development and 3D cinematic teams working separately, but making a game that is entirely created in a cinematic mode.

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://www.luminous-productions.com}}

{{Square Enix}}

Category:Square Enix

Category:Video game companies established in 2018

Category:Japanese companies established in 2018

Category:Defunct video game companies of Japan

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2023

Category:Japanese companies disestablished in 2023