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[Stumpokapow]

Did you just put a motherfucking spoiler of the game with no warning in a thread about the game's sales?

the spoiled text is the basic premise of the game, so i'd be interested in knowing how you're simultaneously interested enough in the game to be mad about learning that while also uninterested enough to not know the main premise

 

[ChaosZeroX]

That sucks. I'm about halfway through on I Am Setsuna and I love it. It has its faults, but I'm still enjoying it.

 

[Abilidebob]

Did this game get a physical release or digital only? If digital only at least the revenue is bigger.

 

[KojiKnight]

Honestly feel a little bad, not buying it yet... But 40 is a steep price for a retro style rpg for me... Was waiting for a sale.

 

[Shin-chan]

the spoiled text is the basic premise of the game, so i'd be interested in knowing how you're simultaneously interested enough in the game to be mad about learning that while also uninterested enough to not know the main premise

To be fair it could have been what happens at the end of the game (I don't know I haven't beaten it). We all expect the sacrifice stuff to be bollocks, otherwise there isn't really much story, so I can see how someone saying definitively that they go through with it could be construed as a spoiler to someone near the start and skeptical.

 

[Fevaweva]

Its a shame but a $2.4 million loss doesn't seem that bad?

 

[Stone Ocean]

the spoiled text is the basic premise of the game, so i'd be interested in knowing how you're simultaneously interested enough in the game to be mad about learning that while also uninterested enough to not know the main premise

I try to avoid story premises for games I'm looking forward to. That said, I wasn't getting mad about learning that's the premise, just that I thought it was a legit spoiler beyond that since it was put in tags, just a minor misunderstanding is all - granted one that had me ready to jump at someone's throat, sorry about that.

 

[Contica]

Hopefully they're already well underway on their next game.

I found I am Setsuna ti be a lovely game. The mood and setting really resonated with me, and the gameplay just got better the further along I got.

Shows a lot of promise for the future.

 

[Sesha]

Did this game get a physical release or digital only? If digital only at least the revenue is bigger.

Physical in Japan, digital-only in the West.

 

[narutomaki04]

That's disappointing to hear, I bought the game and it's pretty good so far. I do hope they give the company 1 more game before closing it all down

 

[Oregano]

Its a shame but a $2.4 million loss doesn't seem that bad?

It's not that bad considering they're a part of Square Enix. If they were an independent company that would be a big hit.

It's also worth noting that the director of I am Setsuna previously directed Final Fantasy Explorers which sold nearly 300K in Japan alone which would indicate this was considered a better project than FF Explorers 2.

 

[YuriLowell]

I am hoping that Limited Run Games does a small print of it.

 

[Akainu]

That game was supposed to be a major release?

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

Very sad to hear, but they seriously fucked up the Western release for this game with going digital-only + dropping Vita.

Hope they don't learn the wrong lessons.

 

[Kayo Police]

We need Lightning back.

Yes, The Queen has been gone for far too long.

 

[kennyamr]

I'm sure it will be a moderate success outside Japan.

They are not counting the worldwide sales yet so this doesn't really matter imo.

 

[Ketaya]

Tokyo RPG Factory is pretty much the pet project of SEs CEO. I don't think we need to worry about them. Adding western sales as well as long term sales (through steam-sale discounts etc.) should be enough for their first project.

 

[Garlador]

New studio to get established, new game and IP to create... makes sense.

Though, honestly, I would have liked a physical release here. Square Enix didn't do much for I Am Setsuna, which is a shame considering most folks like it.

 

[JoeyJungle]

Maybe the March 2016 date in OP should be bolded? These are numbers from before the western release, and the cost of the game included traditional development cost + staffing a new studio. I think they had ~15 people full time on this game, and they probably have additional staff doing prep work on their next game/s, in addition to equipment, licensing, contractors, Tokyo business costs, etc. Almost their entire fiscal year was operating solely on Squeenix funding and had no way to recoup costs until Feb when their first game came out in Japan.

 

[Type40]

Maybe they should have released it physically? $40 is tough to swallow for a digital game.

 

[Moon Presence]

Its a shame but a $2.4 million loss doesn't seem that bad?

Yeah, they will make the money easily.

The game will do fine, it's a pretty darn good game.

 

[Leona Lewis]

When you announce a game with concept art this epic...

...and then release this for $40 when half your iOS games look better at half the price...

...the result is not terribly surprising.

No one seems to learn from Epic Mickey's mistakes. Don't lead your marketing with concept art unless you intend to match it.

 

[Asd202]

This is before the game come out in the West. With those sales I'm sure the game broke even.

 

[Toth]

It's massively overpriced in the West for what you get. I wonder what they charged for it in Japan? That might be a big contributor to why it didn't sell well. That and crappy marketing.

(It's also a very average game.)

It's definitely 10 dollars too high. It also doesn't help that Chrono Cross looks better than it

 

[DiipuSurotu]

 

[Calm Mind]

Should have put that shit on everything. Make it the SE download equivalent of Child of Light RPG wise.

This. I can't remember the last time a JRPG undersold on the 3DS. Especially a Squenix one.

 

[Jucksalbe]

That loss seems okay, especially before the Western release. Depends, of course, on what SquareEnix was expecting from this game and this studio, and they often have their very own kind of expectations.

Not gonna lie, this gif makes me want to play the game.

 

[Ydelnae]

I would like to see their next title be a brand new 2D JRPG that looks like the Romancing Saga 2 remake. I don't think Setsuna was bad, but it was too monotone and I ended up dropping it. Something more cheerful and varied would be amazing for their next game.

 

[NoKisum]

I'm guessing Square expected this to sell gangbusters like the main Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games.

 

[Burt]

I'm assuming Setsuna will break even over time. Steamspy has it at ~23k, and I'd be surprised if it didn't match that on PS4. Add in the long legs a niche game like this'll have and the high initial price point, and it's hard to see it not panning out, even if it isn't some huge breakout hit.

 

[Ducktail]

I found out about the game when it showed up under "new games" on PSN. And I'm pretty informed about games in general.

So, yeah...?

 

[QuantumBro]

Oh crap, I remember when this game got announced. Didn't realize that I Am Setsuna is what it became, just figured it would never come out.

Is the game good?

 

[Takao]

I'm surprised this is being reported independently of SE as a whole. As said, this is kind of a meaningless number. This is the studio's first year of operations and doesn't account for international sales.

This. I can't remember the last time a JRPG undersold on the 3DS. Especially a Squenix one.

Kingdom Hearts 3D kind of killed SE's major non-DQ productions on 3DS ...

 

[wrowa]

Isn't Tokyo RPG Factory owned by SE? Without further context, this information is quite meaningless. It's possible that RPG Factory accounts all of the expenses and yet none of the revenue.

 

[Tohsaka]

Should have put that shit on everything. Make it the SE download equivalent of Child of Light RPG wise.

It's on Vita as well in Japan, but they dropped that version for the west and made it for PS4 + Steam instead. I played through it on PS4, it's pretty good.

 

[spazimoose]

I'd hate to be setsuna right now, no wonder they didn't port the Vita version. Hopefully they learn from this and do better next time, if square let's them have a next time...

 

[Lionheart1827]

Oh crap, I remember when this game got announced. Didn't realize that I Am Setsuna is what it became, just figured it would never come out.

Is the game good?

Do you like Chrono Trigger? Its a love letter to that game pretty much(along with SNES RPGs). It pulls a lot of inspiration from CT in every facet of the game. Its not as ambitious as CT, but I had a smile on my face through most of my time playing it thus far.

 

[Asd202]

This. I can't remember the last time a JRPG undersold on the 3DS. Especially a Squenix one.

What? Why do you think SE dropped localizations for 3DS? Everything is published by Nintendo for a few years now.

 

[MCD]

Should have attached Chrono or Final name to it.

 

[i-Jest]

Square Enix certainly didn't treat this like a "major" title.

I don't know about Japan, but I've noticed like zero marketing for the game here in Canada. I don't know how well that reflects on the American side though.

I... just don't understand how that's possible. Setsuna felt borderline indie, Budget-wise.

The game is literally made with 5 different type of assets.

WTH? Something seems a bit off.

i would assume this is related to creative accounting wherein SE creates it as a separate business unit, puts all the costs in that unit, and then puts all the revenue elsewhere

So the creation of a new studio to make the game basically screwed with success?

 

[SMG]

Should have attached Chrono or Final name to it.

This first game might have been a test to see if they could handle that sort of project, as well as if they would need to us that IP.

Evidence would suggest they are good enough and customers really need a name they know to buy en mass.

 

[Arzehn]

IMO, these numbers have little value as,
a. We know this is before western release
b. Not knowing if there are currently other games in development
c. Perhaps some initial costs for starting up a company

 

[Gurnlei]

After sales from the west get factored in I can imagine the game coming in a lot closer to breaking even, probably ~$750k loss total. Not bad if starting up Tokyo RPG Factory was lumped together with the costs.

 

[KupoNut]

When you announce a game with concept art this epic...

...and then release this for $40 when half your iOS games look better at half the price...

...the result is not terribly surprising.

No one seems to learn from Epic Mickey's mistakes. Don't lead your marketing with concept art unless you intend to match it.

This brings back memories of Project Phoenix.

While I know it isn't the case, when looking at I Am Setsuna I can't help but feel that this gives the impression that it's a "cheap overpriced" game and maybe settling on a different art style would've helped.

 

[RedAssedApe]

also don't name chrono trigger in its ads if you know its not at that level. even if the game gets decent reviews...it not being chrono trigger level will get mentioned in every review

 

[adixon]

So this doesn't account for Western sales at all? On top of that, it's an indie-ish game being sold for $40 on steam. I wouldn't count out the West making a big difference until it's had its 1st significant steam sale. If people are still talking about the game by then, it could easily get a giant sales boost.

Personally, I'll probably still be talking about the game by then. It's the only JRPG to come out in years aside from bravely default with a beautiful mood to it, a feeling like the old squaresoft games. Really enjoying it (I'm only about halfway through).

 

[Venfayth]

IMO, these numbers have little value as,
a. We know this is before western release
b. Not knowing if there are currently other games in development
c. Perhaps some initial costs for starting up a company

As stump pointed out Sony may be moving the revenue elsewhere.

People are overreacting.

 

[Bolivar687]

I know they would have had to sell much more than double the copies but this game really should've been $19.99.

 

[Durante]

Even if it's not creative accounting, if the loss before Western and long-term sales is "just" 2.4 million then the game should at the very least come close to breaking even eventually, if not actually turn profitable.

 

[Trigonometrize.]

When you announce a game with concept art this epic...

...and then release this for $40 when half your iOS games look better at half the price...

...the result is not terribly surprising.

No one seems to learn from Epic Mickey's mistakes. Don't lead your marketing with concept art unless you intend to match it.

The final game is more reflective of the concept art than 90% of games' concept --> final that I see. Epic Mickey is leagues different than this.