GreenAlien
Member
That's what Square Enix says every year.. Something is wrong with their expectations.
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Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu - Sales of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Final Fantasy XVI and Foamstars Short of Expectations
- Thread starter adamsapple
- Start date
leo-j
Member
Has everyone forgotten why games are exclusive in the first place? To sell the console…… if all games were available on switch day 1 nobody would buy a PS(tbh people completely forget the tech gap between the consoles as well). And people act like a pc version is going to save the game, and make it double its sales. i wonder what the sales split was for FF XV.
Can we blame square for releasing 250 games 240 of which are mediocre or sub par? They dropped FF VII remake after releasing a mid FF game in XV. People might just be turned off by FF. Especially when there are other big rpgs of higher quality, and 250 GAAs honkai / genshin games. I know this is anecdotal, but FF fans I know, some haven’t touched XVI and haven’t even played rebirth, because they are on honkai, or genshin, or another big live service PC/Console MMO. Not to say they can’t get there eventually, but the marketing lasted what? Half a month? Rebirth is the highest rated FF game in decades, they can advertise that, release an ad, best FF game, experience the consoles best exclusive rpg, etc…. I saw ads for Elden ring months after the game came out.
Can we blame square for releasing 250 games 240 of which are mediocre or sub par? They dropped FF VII remake after releasing a mid FF game in XV. People might just be turned off by FF. Especially when there are other big rpgs of higher quality, and 250 GAAs honkai / genshin games. I know this is anecdotal, but FF fans I know, some haven’t touched XVI and haven’t even played rebirth, because they are on honkai, or genshin, or another big live service PC/Console MMO. Not to say they can’t get there eventually, but the marketing lasted what? Half a month? Rebirth is the highest rated FF game in decades, they can advertise that, release an ad, best FF game, experience the consoles best exclusive rpg, etc…. I saw ads for Elden ring months after the game came out.
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asdasdasdbb
Member
Maybe but do you think Sony expected F7 remake to be split up into multiple games?
One second thought they may have liked the idea of FF7 split into each new console!!
I'm still convinced that the ending part of Remake was designed to make it plausible to have the story end at Midgar, if they had decided that doing multiple parts wasn't going to work out.
DeathGuise
Member
Put them on PC! I am ready!!!
StereoVsn
Member
You don’t have to bother with vast majority of mini-games if you don’t want to. I didn’t for the most part and was just fine for the main game.
SlimySnake
Flashless at the Golden Globes
You are making constant decisions during dialogue sequences,
asdasdasdbb
Member
I am pretty sure FF16's exclusivity ended by now.
sncvsrtoip
Member
Which didnt made much sense as some character could die if you didnt throw snowball into her :d great game but choices and custom characters are overrated generaly
SEGAvangelist
Member
I'll proudly take this win.
www.neogaf.com
www.neogaf.com
These are fun to read now.
Final Fantasy 16 sales results were in the range of their expectations, feel the penetration of PS5 performance was quite good.
Update: Likely a translation snafu in the earnings call. - https://www.eurogamer.net/final-fantasy-16-sales-did-not-meet-high-expectations-says-square-enix-president Sales of Final Fantasy 16 did not meet Square Enix's high expectations, said president Takashi Kiryu. Last week the...
Sales-Age - Final Fantasy XVI Sales "In Line With Expectations;" Square Enix Wants to Upgrade IPs to AAA Status
Today Square Enix published the transcripts from the latest financial results briefing, including interesting insight into Final Fantasy XVI's sales. During the Q&A session, recently appointed CEO Takashi KIryu was asked how initial sales of Final Fantasy XVI (3 million copies in the first...
These are fun to read now.
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Angry_Megalodon
Member
It's not anecdotal at all. A big chunk of the FF fanbase don't like the new vibe and they go for an experience that reminds them of the old ones, and as I said in a previous post, Hoyoverse games are this-era-Final Fantasy, in terms of zeitgeist. It's also very revealing that they have more memorable (and recognizable) characters than modern FFs. Square had to remake its flagship title and make it a saga because they are unable to replicate the same old success with the new entries.
BaldingAshCrimson
Member
Me too!
The difficulty was very much my biggest issue with the game, yeah... The other things you mentioned are an issue too, just as relevant, but I could tolerate it if the game wasn't so lacking in any challenge.
Because it creates this distracting disconnect. The epic music, visual effects, the intensity of everything is like cranked up to 11, but you don't actually FEEL it.
Is like... You know that annoyed feeling you get when you are playing FF 9, and you enter a random battle, music is going, setting the stage, and then you see a Goblin that even Vivi or Dagger will defeat in one hit, with no magic? Now imagine this same feeling being extended for 70% of the battles in the game.
That's how FF 16 feels, to me. It's annoying, man.
I didn't hear about that description, but man that seems really exciting! Bummer that it wasn't that way...
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
Another FUD campaign from a console warrior CEO.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Time to stop selling timed exclusivity deals to Sony.
Release your games for all platforms if you want to be successful.
Release your games for all platforms if you want to be successful.
F0rneus
Tears in the rain
Takashi is that you?
Last Hearth
Member
That's because the FF games have no identity any more, so the brand has no meaning.
Does playing FF XV or FFXVI evoke any of the same experience one had playing FFVII or FFVIII? And if not, what's the point of naming it FF other than a marketing gimmick that the consumer has now completely caught on to and aren't falling for.
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Gambit2483
Member
Hudo
Member
That's a solid business model
Werewolf Jones
Member
Make sure the games are good. XVI is a bad game that no Xbox or PC owner is missing out on.
NeverYouMind
Member
I bought a PS3 to play Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but two demos of Final Fantasy XV on PS4 made me pass on the game completely. I could borrow it with no strings attached but why would I even bother? It is not a captivating game. It is a bunch of filler stringing together an unfinished story. I haven't bought any new titles from Square Enix since with the exception of Strangers of Paradise because I like Team Ninja and it has great mechanics. If they would mix that gameplay design with the adventure aspect of Final Fantasy XII and a solid story I would jump back in.
P.S. Square Enix always has absurd sales expectations.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
You're not wrong.
FF15 was sold on 3 platforms at launch and has sold 10~11 million, no FF game released since then has come close. VII Remake is also present on 3 platforms (over-time) and reached 7 million since launch.
TGO
Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
FF16 looked bland and isn't anything special so I'm not surprised and FFVIII Rebirth
Well you are selling Remake & Rebirth as bundle which is cheaper then buying them separately sooo why not just wait for all 3 parts.
And given the release window for part 3 is gonna be around when PS6 hits
All 3 will probably get a PS6 port.
And what's worse is they will be bundled at discount price.
It's a really messy release schedule which messes the customers time and patience.
What the actual point of buying them now.
They should of thought about this before spreading a release on 1 game over a decade and 3 generations.
The games are great and people do want to play them.
They just don't want 5 years in-between what use to be switching discs.
Once the whole trilogy is out you'll see the sales, until then anybody with a brain should expect this.
Well you are selling Remake & Rebirth as bundle which is cheaper then buying them separately sooo why not just wait for all 3 parts.
And given the release window for part 3 is gonna be around when PS6 hits
All 3 will probably get a PS6 port.
And what's worse is they will be bundled at discount price.
It's a really messy release schedule which messes the customers time and patience.
What the actual point of buying them now.
They should of thought about this before spreading a release on 1 game over a decade and 3 generations.
The games are great and people do want to play them.
They just don't want 5 years in-between what use to be switching discs.
Once the whole trilogy is out you'll see the sales, until then anybody with a brain should expect this.
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Gambit2483
Member
True but that was back when the Xbox userbase was still buying their games. When you have publishers/developers outright admitting that putting their game on the Xbox platform makes little sense or is a gamble then I highly doubt releasing on Xbox would have had significant impact on FF sales in this day and age.
Nydius
Member
Pretty much exactly what I was going to write. They’ve said this exact same thing for damn near every game they’ve published this entire generation.
Hell, I found this thread here from over a year ago which itself was a rehashed topic from the year before.
Something is very wrong with the “expectations” at SE if everything fails to meet them. Take Foamstars: They expected sell copies when they handed it out to everyone with PS+, which is required, as a multiplayer only title, to play it? Then act shocked that no one bought it especially after they got to sample how mediocre it was at no cost?
FinalBossWithTheMostPower
Member
Hopefully they finish the trilogy and then move on to 17 with a radical change in direction.
A world without FF would be weird.
A world without FF would be weird.
Hardensoul
Gold Member
I thought they have separate teams for FF main and FF remake.
LordCBH
Member
Partly correct. The sales figures are correct, but the PC version came a couple years later.
FinalBossWithTheMostPower
Member
They do.
I'm saying based on the poor performance of their flagship series, I hope they don't take that as a sign FF is dead.
Cause it's not, it just lost its magic...er mana.
Hardensoul
Gold Member
In the article the mention reorganizing into 5 console teams and one of them still FF.
Mentioned in this locked thread. Apparently Bloomberg requires login.
(Square Enix) sales of FF16, FF7 Rebirth and Foamstars fell shorts of expectations
Square Enix said: -FF16 sales fell short of expectations. Initial momentum was in line with expectations, but the games failed to reach FY goal as its momentum slowed. No updates from sales number last announced at 3 million -FF7 Rebirth sales fell short of expectations. Initial momentum didn't...
Roronoa Zoro
Gold Member
Yep 16's sales are not 16's fault. As someone relatively new to the series (got in on 7 remake and have bought and platinumed every release since) it was my GOTY 2023 and overall seemed loved by those who played it. We went from an entire trilogy of 13 games after the first got tons of hate to the continuous delays and mixed reception of 15 to ps5 just getting out of covid shortages and still being $500 when ff16 came out. They should have gotten it into bundles that holiday to placate square and held them out since the game is an absolute banger
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Sony's always been happy with console exclusivity because they rightly consider PC to be a parallel market.
The plain truth is that the potential size of the PC market would make putting a price-tag on paying a publisher not to release on PC very hard to estimate and likely very high, so I strongly doubt it ever happens.
Devs often avoid going PC on day#1 because frankly its a lot of work not only to accommodate all the things modern PC gamers expect, but also the obvious fact that they can't optimize for a certain performance profile, they need to factor in a broad range.
Console exclusivity is another matter because every gen the manufacturers need to re-establish their brand and thus are willing to pay handsomely for an advantage.
The plain truth is that the potential size of the PC market would make putting a price-tag on paying a publisher not to release on PC very hard to estimate and likely very high, so I strongly doubt it ever happens.
Devs often avoid going PC on day#1 because frankly its a lot of work not only to accommodate all the things modern PC gamers expect, but also the obvious fact that they can't optimize for a certain performance profile, they need to factor in a broad range.
Console exclusivity is another matter because every gen the manufacturers need to re-establish their brand and thus are willing to pay handsomely for an advantage.
Musashipan
Member
Hahaha
asdasdasdbb
Member
Punished Miku
Member
If I was them, I would. Just have to wait and see. They quarter baked Lightning Returns, but it was actually still a great game.
DonkeyPunchJr
World’s Biggest Weeb
I mean… I’m sure they’re taking its sales potential into account when deciding how much time/money they’re willing to spend on it. It would be meaningless speculation to say anymore than that though.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Which published said that?
Gambit2483
Member
Several. I believe a few of them explained why there was no Xbox version on Limited Run and why several SE and Capcom games released on PS4/5 and Switch but not Xbox.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Outside of comments from folks like Dring "I've heard from so and so", I can't find an actual source-able quote of a publisher rep saying this, if I'm missing something please share.
For publishers like SE and Capcom, this topic is pretty much SE themselves saying that they intend to change that policy. The only Capcom game I can see recently is MH stories, which is a thoroughly last-gen game, didn't even get a PS5 version.
smbu2000
Member
That’s why MS closed those studios…to make room for S-E.
Gambit2483
Member
Some Publishers Reportedly Not Sure Why They Should Keep Supporting Xbox
It seems some big and small publishers aren’t sure if they should keep porting games to Xbox consoles
kotaku.com
"We don't sell enough on Xbox", studio explains the absence of these games on X|S Series | LevelUp
Newly revealed titles not coming to Microsoft consoles for commercial reasons
www.levelup.com
It's kotaku but I'm sure there were other sources. As for the Limited Run one, it was revealed that the Xbox version simply don't sell enough copies to warrant the development time and minimum order profit or something to that extent
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Angry_Megalodon
Member
Releasing on PC day one would increase development time. It's not as simple as saying fuck Sony and giving up all that sweet free marketing plus releasing the game 12 months sooner. All this costs money.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Some Publishers Reportedly Not Sure Why They Should Keep Supporting Xbox
It seems some big and small publishers aren’t sure if they should keep porting games to Xbox consoles
Right, that's linking to the same Chris Dring line I mentioned in my post.
Anyway, like I said. This very topic itself shows that SE are pivoting hard from their original strategy and will focus on all major platforms for their new games including Xbox and Nintendo's next one. Their exclusivity-strategy for marquee games isn't working out for them that well.
asdasdasdbb
Member
A good chunk of the remainder of the story takes place in areas already covered in the first two games, so the scope was always going to be less.
I think the main thing is that they probally won't spend any effort upgrading the graphics for a game likely not coming out until 2028.
Gambit2483
Member
Capcom and SE gets paid to put their games there (expect when they don't) and aren't going to openly say why they aren't putting certain games on it but there are publishers that have spoken out. If the sales aren't there Publishers are going to question their support.
Limited Run Gets Brutally Honest As Xbox Misses Out On Two New Ports
"We have no option but to skip Xbox on these titles"
www.purexbox.com
"It's not that we can't develop Xbox ports or that we're too cheap to do it, it's that we don't earn anything on the game digitally. Physical game sales are not high enough on Xbox to offset our development costs, so we have no option but to skip Xbox on these titles."
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