Square Enix Product Development Division 5

Japan Founded 2003

After the merging with Enix Corporation, Development Division 5 would resume the release of All Star Pro-Wrestling III. The Osaka studio would enter a state of relative dormancy as priorities within the corporation shifted to their biggest hits, however the popularity of Kingdom Hearts gave the team a second wind. They would be directed by Nomura on making side entries of Kingdom Hearts such as the PS2 version of Chain of Memories, and Birth By Sleep. In September 2010, the Square Enix 1st Production Department initiative would merge this studio with Product Development Department 1 to create more big sellers, especially within Kingdom Hearts.

Square Enix Product Development Division 5 at a Glance

Square Enix Product Development Division 5 operated as a Japanese developer from 2003 until 2013. This Osaka studio released eleven titles on PlayPile while acting solely as the developer rather than a publisher. Their catalog shows a clear preference for Role-playing games, which make up ten of their eleven releases. They also touched on Adventure, Tactical, Card & Board Game, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Fighting, and Sport genres with just one title each. The studio focused heavily on handheld systems, releasing four games for the PlayStation Portable and another four for the PlayStation 2. Smaller numbers of titles appeared on the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. The quality of their work remains generally positive across the seven rated titles available. The average score sits at 75.4 out of 100. Two games received great ratings above 80, while five others earned good scores between 60 and 79. No titles fell into the mixed or poor categories. Their highest-rated game is Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep from 2010 with an 84/100 score. Chrono Trigger from 2008 follows closely at 82.7, and Musashi: Samurai Legend holds a 79 in 2005. Other notable entries include Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary Edition and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. Output patterns shifted over their decade of activity. The studio released eight games during the 2000s compared to only three titles in the 2010s. Their early work included ports like All Star Pro-Wrestling III and Final Fantasy II. When Square Enix merged with Enix Corporation, the team briefly paused before finding new direction. The popularity of Kingdom Hearts led them to create side entries for that series under the direction of Nomura. These projects included the PS2 version of Chain of Memories and Birth By Sleep. Despite a strong finish with high-rated entries in 2010, the studio eventually merged with Product Development Department 1 in September 2010 to focus on bigger sellers. Their final listed release was Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories in March 2013, which scored lower at 65.3.

Total Games

75.4

Avg Rating

2003

First Release

2013

Latest Release