New IP requires three games before you can judge its success, says Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda.

Speaking to Weekly Famitsu, Matsuda said "you need at least three games before you can tell whether an IP is going to be really successful or not."

"For the first and second games, you experiment to a degree where you can still be flexible, and if the series has grown enough to be able to expect a big hit for the third game, you expand the scale. If the third title is successful then all is well."

Matsuda brought up his "Law of Third Titles" in reference to Project Setsuna, Square Enix's all-original RPG announced at E3 2015.

The tentative title is taken from the Japanese word "setsunasa (切なさ)," which means "heartrending," "painful," or "sorrow," allegedly a theme of the game.

Project Setsuna is due for release sometime next year, presumably to be followed by at least two sequels.