Nobuo Uematsu Discusses Impact of Hironobu Sakaguchi's Departure on Square
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Nobuo Uematsu and Hironobu Sakaguchi recently reunited on the NOBIYO To Isshoni podcast, as translated by Automaton Media, to reflect on their time at Square. During the conversation, Uematsu spoke openly about how deeply Sakaguchi’s resignation impacted both him and the company’s internal structure.
“Square collapsed after Sakaguchi left.”
According to Uematsu, Sakaguchi had a natural sense of leadership that held the company together, even during its early days when the structure was far from corporate.
“To put it simply – he is the big boss. Always has been and always will be.”
He described the environment at Square during that time as informal, more like a student club than a business.
“But Sakaguchi was able to manage the work even in that kind of environment. We didn’t even have a proper corporate organization, yet everybody listened to him. It’s a kind of quality you just have to be born with.”
Uematsu explained that after Sakaguchi stepped down, the company became disorganized. Many staff members didn’t know who to follow or what direction to take. This confusion even led Uematsu to consider leaving.
“Maybe Sakaguchi isn’t aware of this, but the situation at Square was awful after he quit. He left and the organization suddenly collapsed. I thought to myself – Oh no, I should get away from here.”
He recalled the tough final years before Square’s merger with Enix, when key staff were leaving and the remaining team lacked direction. Uematsu eventually left in 2004 to work as a freelance composer, following Sakaguchi, who had already started his own studio.
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-⚡Xe⚡
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