Square Enix talks about the sales performance of FFXVI | Atomix

Square Enix has insisted that sales of final fantasy 16 are “extremely strong,” telling IGN that the game has sold well compared to the install base of playstation 5. The exclusive of PS5 sold three million copies during the week of release, a figure that sparked an online debate about whether it had met sales targets for Square Enix.

Final Fantasy VII Remake sold 3.5 million copies in three days when released as an exclusive to Playstation 4 in April 2020. final fantasy xv sold 5 million units on its first day, but that game was released in Playstation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016 and remains the best-selling game in the series’ history. The debate was fueled by a Bloomberg article noting that the game’s sales in Japan had fallen sharply in the second week after launch, that initial sales had been lower than previous games in the long-running RPG series, and that Square Enix was dealing with a “weak moment” in its flagship franchise.

In a statement from Square Enixthe company noted the difference in the install base between the ps4 when it came out Final Fantasy VII Remakeand the installation base of the PS5 when it was released final fantasy 16 last month.

“With 38 million consoles PS5 shipped globally (through March 31, 2023), sales of final fantasy 16 surpassed three million units worldwide several days after its release on June 22, 2023,” Square Enix said.

“Taking into account the sales figures of the acclaimed Final Fantasy VII Remake and the difference in the size of the installation base of Playstation 4 At the time of the release of this title, we can see that the adoption rate of final fantasy 16 is considerably high, given the installation base of the PS5.

“Square Enix believes that the initial sales results of final fantasy 16 they are extremely strong and we will continue to carry out a wide range of initiatives to encourage even more people to play the game.”

Square Enix is known for his exaggeratedly high sales expectations, considering internal failures despite selling millions of copies, since tomb Raider until hit man.

IGN sources familiar with the performance of final fantasy 16 they confirmed that sales had slowed considerably since launch, but that the game was still not considered the disaster some claimed. One source pointed to producer Naoki Yoshida’s recent comments that there might be downloadable content on the horizon, which would imply a greater investment in development time, as a key indicator that final fantasy 16 could be successful in the long run.

final fantasy 16 divided fans by leaving behind the RPG features prevalent in previous installments for a grittier, action-oriented experience inspired by game of Thrones.

Louise Wooldridge, director of research at Ampere Analysis, said its gaming data painted a positive picture. According to Ampere Games – Analytics data, final fantasy 16 was the sixth largest title by monthly active users globally in PS5 in June, with 13% of players from PS5 that they played it During the three days following the launch, final fantasy 16 was the second title of PS5 most played by daily active users globally, coming just behind FIFA 23but surpassing games like Fortnite and call of duty. By the end of the month, it was down to fourth but seemed to have leveled off, holding a lead over major live service titles like Diablo IV, NBA 2K 23 and GTA V.

“final fantasy 16 was released under market conditions that were quite different compared to previous releases in the franchise such as FFVIIR and ffxvso comparisons are problematic,” Wooldridge explained.

“For example, final fantasy 16 is an exclusive of PS5 and was released earlier in the lifecycle of PS5 that FFVIIR in the life cycle of ps4. When the active installation base of PS5 is less than 40 million globally, sales of three million are certainly not bad.

“This may be below the expectations of Square Enix, but the launch environment and mature rating of the game limit its potential to some extent. Given the success achieved by Yoshi-P in rescuing Final Fantasy XIVI imagine the expectations were particularly high.

“A rapid drop in sales in the days following release is also expected for an RPG: many of the initial sales will come from core players and fans of the franchise. It will be interesting to see if it can continue to sell and stay on the sales charts in the coming months, which is perhaps a better indication of its performance.” Wooldridge said the perceived lack of sales in Japan stems more from the popularity of the PS5 compared to the nintendoswitch in the country, where the latter dominates the sales charts. In Japan, final fantasy 16 attracted twice as many daily players as the next game in PS5 more popular, Apex Legendsand was by far the most played game in that time period.

“It’s not surprising that it hasn’t sold incredibly well in Japan, given the new direction the game has taken,” Wooldridge said. “FFXVIit has more serious and darker themes than previous installments, as well as, for the most part, an older cast of characters. Players in Japan tend to favor younger characters (as seen with Nier Replicantwhere in Japan, the main character was a teenager, but in its Western release, the main character was a man in his 40s). FFXVI it seems to be aimed more towards western audiences, as it lacks the traditional JRPG style.

“The game can be said to be somewhere in the middle between mainstream fans of final fantasy and the wider ARPG audience, as it has strayed away from its original style and structure…not enough to lose most fans of the franchise, but not enough to fully appeal to more mainstream gamers.”

As fans wonder what direction it will take Square Enix for the inevitable final fantasy 17the company is already raising expectations for the winter launch of Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part 2officially called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It is also said that a remake of Final Fantasy VI It’s a hot topic within the walls of Square Enix.

Via: IGN

editor’s note: It’s hard for an RPG to last as long as one of the best-selling games on a platform, but that doesn’t mean it’s a flop. In my case, FFXVI it’s not for me.