Square/Square Enix's development structure from 1996 to 2009

[Sora96 17,256]

Throughout the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 eras, Square had a fairly consistent structure called the Product Development Division System. The head of divisions would leave at times, but despite this and even when they merged with Enix the structure stayed mostly the same. I've detailed below the structure throughout the PlayStation & PlayStation 2 eras. Public details on the structure with the PlayStation 3 era is pretty bare with the introduction of the 1st Production Department in 2007 and some divisions folding and the emergence of mobile but I've done my best to detail them until the end of 2009 as well. For the current structure including projects from 2010 onwards, please see here.

 

Division 1

 

Head

Hironobu Sakaguchi (1996-1997), Shinji Hashimoto (1997-2000),  Yoshinori Kitase (2000-2007)

 

Notable Projects

• Final Fantasy VII (1997)
• Final Fantasy VII - International (1997)
• Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
• Chocobo Racing (1999)
• The Bouncer (2000)
• Final Fantasy X (2001)
• Final Fantasy X - International (2002)
• Kingdom Hearts (2002)
• Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (2002)
• Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)
• Final Fantasy X-2 - International + Last Mission (2004)
• Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (2004)
• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004)
• Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
• Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- (2006)
• Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix (2007)
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (2007)
• The World Ends with You (2007)
• Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- (2007)

1st Production Department

 

Head

Shinji Hashimoto (2007 onwards)

 

Notable Projects

• Sigma Harmonics (2008)
• Kingdom Hearts coded (2008)
• Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009)
• Blood of Bahamut (2009)
• Dissidia: Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (2009)
• Final Fantasy XIII (2009)

Division 2

 

Head

Akitoshi Kawazu

 

Notable Projects

• SaGa Frontier (1997)
• SaGa Frontier 2 (1999)
• Racing Lagoon (1999)
• Legend of Mana (1999)
• Unlimited SaGa (2002)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (2003)
• Romancing SaGa (2005)
• Code Age Commanders: Tsugu Mono Tsuga Reru Mono (2005)
• Code Age Brawls (2005)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (2007)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (2008)
• The Last Remnant (2008)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (2009)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord (2009)
• SaGa 2: Hihō Densetsu Goddess of Destiny (2009)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (2009)

Division 3

 

Head

Hiromichi Tanaka

 

Notable Projects

• Xenogears (1998)
• Threads of Fate (1999)
• Chrono Cross (1999)
• Final Fantasy XI (2002)
• Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart (2003)
• Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (2004)
• Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan (2006)
• Final Fantasy III (2006)
• Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess (2007)

Division 4

 

Head

Yasumi Matsuno (1996-2005), Hiroyuki Ito (2005 onwards)

 

Notable Projects

• Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)
• Vagrant Story (2000)
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (2003)
• Final Fantasy XII (2006)
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (2007)
• Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System (2007)
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (2007)
• Crystal Defenders (2008)
• Gyromancer (2009)

Division 5

 

Head

Yusuke Hirata (1996-2005), Yoichi Yoshimoto (2005 onwards)

 

Notable Projects

• Einhänder (1997)
• Brave Fencer Musashi (1998)
• Parasite Eve II (1999)
• All Star Pro-Wrestling (2000)
• All Star Pro-Wrestling II (2001)
• All Star Pro-Wrestling III (2003)
• Musashi: Samurai Legend (2005)
• Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (2007)

 

Division 6

 

Head

Toshiro Tsuchida

 

Notable Projects

• Front Mission 2 (1997)
• Another Mind (1998)
• Front Mission 3 (1999)
• Blue Wing Blitz (2001)
• Front Mission First (2003)
• Front Mission 4 (2003)
• Front Mission 2089 (2005)
• Front Mission: Online (2005)
• Front Mission 5: Scars of the War (2005)
• Front Mission 2089-II (2006)

Division 7

 

Head

Hara Masanori (1996-1997), Takashi Tokita (2001 onwards)

 

Notable Projects

• Front Mission Alternative (1997)
• Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D (2003)
• Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (2004)
• Egg Monster Hero (2005)
• Hanjuku Hero 4: 7-Jin no Hanjuku Hero (2005)
• Final Fantasy IV Advance (2005)
• Final Fantasy V Advance (2006)
• Final Fantasy VI Advance (2006)
• Final Fantasy IV (2007)
• Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (2008)
• Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (2009)

Division 8

 

Head

Koichi Ishii (2003-2007)

 

Notable Projects

• Sword of Mana (2003)
• Children of Mana (2006)
• Seiken Densetsu: Friends of Mana (2006)
• Dawn of Mana (2006)
• Heroes of Mana (2007)

Division 9

 

Head

Yuu Miyake

 

Notable Projects

• Kenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken (2003)
• Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest: Shōgeki no Shippo Dan (2003)
• Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (2004)
• Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3 Advance (2004)
• Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)
• Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special (2004)
• Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (2005)
• Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon (2006)
• Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable (2006)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (2006)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road (2007)
• Itadaki Street DS (2007)
• Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (2007)
• Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (2007)
• Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (2008)
• Dragon Quest Wars (2009)
• Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (2009)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road II Legends (2009)

Division 10

 

Head

Yosuke Saito (Till 2005), Yoshinori Yamagishi (2005 onwards)

 

Notable Projects

• Drakengard (2003)
• Radiata Stories (2005)
• Drakengard 2 (2005)
• Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (2006)
• Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (2006)
• Star Ocean: First Departure (2007)
• Star Ocean: Second Evolution (2008)
• Lord of Vermilion (2008)
• Infinite Undiscovery (2008)
• Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume (2008)
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope (2009)
• Lord of Vermilion II (2009)

Edited October 24, 2015 by Sora96

[Barizon 0]

I found your post to be extremly informative. What were your sources? There is some complete list of games by division? I missed information on some games like Final Fantasy 9 and Parasite Eve 1. Sorry for the broken english.