I did not expect Final Fantasy XVI to be one of the best of the year biggest lightning rod for gaming controversy but here we are. Square Enix’s action role-playing game hasn’t even been out a month and fans are already at a loss as to how well the game might have sold. It has already shipped more than 3 million copies worldwide (good!), but it sold less well in Japan and fell off a cliff in its second week (bad!). Now gamers are analyzing the PlayStation 5 install base and shooting back at company analysts to defend the honor and hype of one of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time.
Here is an important context. Final Fantasy XVI is the first new entry in the series in seven years and comes at a time when some longtime fans are desperate for a giant “W”. After more than a decade of mediocre sequels that never quite matched the narrative and cultural impact of the SNES and PlayStation’s peak years, they want something of a non-remake comeback (Final Fantasy VII) and MMO’s (Final Fantasy XIV). Simultaneously, Final Fantasy XVI Foregoes some of the more conventional extras that people associate with the franchise, such as turn-based battles and complicated upgrade systems. A dark fantasy hit as well game of Thrones is one of the inspirations and you can feel that constantly throughout the 45-hour game.
This original soup of player sentiment has derailed much of the discourse surrounding the game. Is Final Fantasy XVI good or bad? Is it Really A final fantasy Game? what too Is A final fantasy Game? Any criticism – for example around the game world extinction of people of color or his signed female characters– has been treated in the classical sense by some of the most fanatical followers final fantasy Villain fashion, like an attack on God himself. And now fans are excited for the biggest gamer debate of all: How well is the game selling??
Get ready for some math. Square unveiled June 28 that the game shipped 3 million copies in the first week. That doesn’t quite match actual sales, but it was still a strong number for a third-party PS5 exclusive. Still, there were worrying signs. The game debuted at Number one in the UK, but physical sales fell 78 percent over the following week. Data from Japan tells a similar story. Famitsu reported 336,027 physical copies sold in the first week of play and only 37,763 the second, an 88 percent drop.
However, the worst news seemed to be the comparison with the previous ones final fantasy Games in Japan. Although both games suffered similar failures in the second week, Final Fantasy XV sold 716,649 physical copies in early 2016 and Final Fantasy VII reissue At the beginning of 2020, 702,853 physical copies were sold. Final Fantasy XV Also, 5 million copies were shipped worldwide on day one, compared to 3 million for the latest game. This culminated in one Bloomberg Japan report on July 6th and drew attention to the apparent gaps. It even included a scathing quote from Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda, who called it a “hard result,” attributing this in part to pre-release marketing that made the game feel somewhat detached from the series’ story.
Final Fantasy XVI defenderhowever, point this out quickly mitigating circumstances. The PS4 install base was over 50 million units at the time Final Fantasy XVs release, while the PS5 had sold just 40 million units by April. Sales data for Japan also doesn’t capture digital copies, which now account for the bulk of most game sales. In the UK, the launch was split Final Fantasy XVI was 56 percent digital and 44 percent physical, indicating many hidden sales that are simply not captured in current physical data. Final Fantasy XV also launched on Xbox while Final Fantasy XVI is only available for the PS5 (although there is hardly any Xbox sold in Japan, so this is more or less irrelevant for the data there).
Even if Final Fantasy XVIThe numbers of are strong overall and can’t really blow anyone’s mind. Instead, they refuel the ever-burning fire final fantasyis the core identity and persistence of RPG, specifically trying to appeal to a wider audience rather than catering more to RPG nerds. “Some say FF16“The weak sales are due to elements beyond Square Enix’s control.” tweeted Bloomberg Reporter Takashi Mochizuki. “No, it wasn’t that. It was Square Enix who decided to release the game on June 22nd only for PS5 for $69.99. Nobody else.”
RPG site Owner Alex Donaldson was more cautious. “Based on the typical digital share of titles in Japan this generation that we know unless FF16 “Has unusually large digital numbers, it will still be about 20% behind 15,” he said tweeted. “And that’s not the end of the world, is it – but it’s interesting to look at to think about the future.”
All of the fear of selling the game began even before it was released. with a report that Square Enix is concerned about bad pre-order numbers and producer Naoki Yoshida, who wrote a “18 month plan” to increase game sales through community engagement and word of mouth. The game eventually coming to PC and possibly Xbox Series X/S would likely be another part of that post-launch growth strategy. Because of this, Yoshida reportedly wasn’t too worried about sales during the game’s first week. Even if they are super fans. In fact, they want the number to go up — or find excuses why it isn’t.
We’ll get a better idea of how the game is actually selling as more sales data is released in the coming months. Until then, fans can relax and just enjoy the fact that the game itself, for all of its issues, flaws, and divisive anomalies, is still pretty amazing.
