Square Enix delays Deus Ex, slashes forecast

Square Enix recently extended the free trial periods for players of Final Fantasy XIV on the PC indefinitely while apologising for the poor state of the game. The game's troubles have now been reflected in the company's financial forecasts. Today, the company revised its profit projections downwards by more than 90 percent for its current fiscal year, with projected sales and operating income also seeing sharp declines.

The Japanese publisher had originally forecast net income of ¥12 billion ($142 million, £91 million) for the year ending March 31, 2011, but it has now slashed that estimate to a mere ¥1 billion ($12 million, £8 million). This represents a decline of 92 percent, with sales projections dropping 19 percent.

As well as losing subscription revenues for Final Fantasy XIV, the company delayed the PS3 version of the game after instituting wholesale changes to the management team overseeing it. Square today confirmed that wasn't the only game being knocked off track, with Deus Ex: Human Revolution moving into the next fiscal year. It had been previously due out before the end of March.

This delay was "to spend additional time to further polish" the title, Square said. Talking to GameSpot, Square confirmed that the game was now due out before April 2012 but that no other release information was currently available.

The third installment in the series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution will return to the franchise's roots in a number of ways. The game's story will be a prequel set in the year 2027, just as "human augmentation"--enhanced abilities through technological implants--is starting to enter wide use.

As for gameplay, developer Eidos Montreal has said it is attempting to "stay true to the original game," allowing players to choose their own approach to each level. Depending on the augmentations players choose, they can go through each part of the game with a focus on combat, stealth, hacking, or even social interactions.

For more on Deus Ex 3: Human Revolution, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview with the title.