Sweet Baby Inc., the recently controversial narrative consultancy, has removed Square Enix from its client list.

Launched in 2018, the consultancy aims to tell "empathetic stories" while "enriching the video game industry." It has worked with major developers and publishers such as Ubisoft, Rocksteady, Santa Monica Studio, and now ex-client, Square Enix.

Neither Sweet Baby Inc. nor Square Enix has commented on this change, and it's unclear who was behind the apparent falling out.

Rumors and hearsay have circulated about the two companies' relationship since June. Popular gaming blogger and X user, @michsuzu, reported that, during an investor meeting, Square Enix was asked about its dealings with Sweet Baby Inc.

桐生：個別の取引先については具体的なコメントは差し控えたい。量から質への転換において、確かな面白さの中にはお客さまが安心して遊べるコンテンツを届けることも含まれる。モノ作りとしてきちんとやっていく #スクエニ株主総会

— すずき (@michsuzu) June 21, 2024

As translated from Japanese, they claimed that CEO Takashi Kiryu didn't directly comment on the consultancy, only saying "I would like to refrain from making specific comments about individual clients."

Providing content that is enjoyable and safe for our customers is also part of what makes a product fun. We will do our best as creators.

Unfortunately, this information is unverifiable. While Michsuzu has a large following, no other sources corroborate his story— save for a few fringe sites.

Anyone vaguely following the gaming industry's state this past year knows about the Sweet Baby Inc. controversy.

The company says it "leads with the creation of joy in marginalized players, and seeks to be additive rather than strictly corrective," but many gamers have alleged that they're inserting unwanted politics instead.

Games may have begun, and certainly still are, entertainment, but they've also become powerful ways to convey cultural, societal and political messaging. For better or worse, this is reality. While you have your Dooms, where you can spend hours cracking demon skulls, you also have your Spec Ops: The Lines.

Proponents of the consultancy say it's only trying to shed light on marginalized people and their stories. Detractors have argued that its messaging has alienated many gamers, taken away from narratives, and token representation instead of genuine inclusion, bringing about financial and critical failure.

It'd be unfair to levy the failure of Gotham Knights or Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League solely on their narrative consultancy, it might have played a part nonetheless. In the latter's case, it was reported that it directly cost Warner Bros hundreds of millions in losses.

Entire Steam lists have been made to warn of Sweet Baby Inc.'s involvement in a game's development. Some have been removed, but others persist.

As more Sweet Baby Inc. games bombed, this controversy grew and attracted some unsavory types.

What started as genuine creative disagreements has ballooned and brought along those who assume including a single POC character means a game has fallen to "woke" status; or that, somehow, Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy and Control's Jesse Faden, weren't attractive.

With its reputation as shaky as it is, and allegedly the first domino falling, Sweet Baby Inc's future is unclear. Ultimately, people are free to vote with their wallets, despite what anonymous online posters say; no company stays afloat without customers, after all.

Posted: Oct 01, 2024 10:08 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/square-enix-reportedly-drops-sweet-baby-inc/