Square Enix: Retail is still dominant

President and chief executive of the U.S. division of Square Enix Mike Fischer has explained why distribution methods aren't his primary concern when it comes to finding games.

"I think the retail market is still dominant," he told GamesBeat, citing the Hitman, Tomb Raider, Sleeping Dogs and Kingdom Hearts franchises.

"I don't think it's an 'or' solution anymore, it's an 'and' solution. I think we could have a big online hit tomorrow and shift a massive proportion of our games online. And then we could have a massive retail hit the quarter after that and the bar swings the other way."

He said results and quality were what mattered to him, and he suspected, the other big entertainment companies.

"Is Warner Bros. or Fox primarily a theatrical company or primarily a home video company? What percentage of their revenue is the right mix? I think they just want a hit movie. I just want a hit game."

He was equally relaxed about platforms, and spoke about Portal designer Kim Swift's Quantum Conundrum. He said the company isn't looking for "one model of success."

"I don't go in and say, 'I want an iPhone game,' or 'I want an Android game,' or 'I want a downloadable game.' I'm simply looking for great IP investments. And finding the right platform to fit them."

"The great thing for me is there are just fewer business model limitations than we've ever had in the past."

Fischer has been president and CEO of Square Enix US since 2010, and previously spent 6 years with Microsoft on both Xbox 360 and Windows.