Final Fantasy 16 fans are raving about early sales data

I did not expect Final Fantasy XVI to be one of the year The biggest lightning rods of gaming controversy But here we are. The Square Enix action-RPG hasn’t even released a full month, and fans are already missing out on how well the game sells. It’s already passed 3 million copies shipped worldwide (good!) but has sold even less in Japan and has already fallen off a cliff in its second week (bad!). Players are now analyzing the PlayStation 5 install rules and responding to corporate analysts to defend the honor and hype for one of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time.

Here is some important context. Final Fantasy XVI It is the first new entry The series takes place seven years later and comes at a time when some longtime fans are desperate to get their “W.” After a decade of mediocre sequels that fell short of the narrative and cultural impact of the SNES and PlayStation’s heyday, they want something back outside of remakes (Final Fantasy VII) and MMO (Final Fantasy XIV). At the same time, Final Fantasy XVI It avoids some of the traditional trappings that people associate with the franchise such as turn-based battles and complex upgrade systems. Moreover, he hit the gloomy imagination game of thrones He is an inspiration, and you can feel that constantly throughout the 45-hour match.

This primal soup of player emotions has made much of the discourse about the game completely disjointed. He is Final Fantasy XVI good or bad? actually truly a Final Fantasy Game? What’s up He is a Final Fantasy Game? No swipe – as in the game world Erase the colored ones or Written female characters— tackled by some of the classics’ most fanatical devotees Final Fantasy Evil fashion, such as attacking God himself. And now fans are furious about the biggest debate between players: How well is the game selling??

Get ready for some math. Square It was revealed on June 28th The game shipped 3 million copies in its first week. That doesn’t quite mean actual sales, but it was a solid number nonetheless for a third-party PS5 exclusive. However, there were worrying signs. The game first appeared in UK number one, but physical sales fell 78 percent the following week. Data from Japan told a similar story. Famitsu mentioned 336,027 physical copies sold In the first week of the game, and Only 37,763 The second, by 88 percent.

But the worst news seems to have been in earlier comparisons Final Fantasy games in Japan. Although both games experienced a similar decline in the second week, Final Fantasy XV It sold 716,649 physical copies to start in 2016 and Final Fantasy VII remake 702,853 physical copies were sold at the beginning of 2020. Final Fantasy XV It also shipped 5 million copies worldwide on its first day, compared to 3 million copies for the last game. This culminated in Bloomberg Japan a report On July 6th, he calls out the visible bulges. It even included a blistering quote from Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda calling it a “hard score,” blaming it in part on pre-release marketing that made the game feel like something separate from the series’ history.

Final Fantasy XVI DefendersHowever, she is quick to point out mitigating factors. The PS4 install base was over 50 million units at the time Final Fantasy XVWhereas, the PS5 has only sold 40 million units as of April. Japanese sales data also doesn’t track digital copies, which now make up the majority of game sales. In the United Kingdom, the launch was split for Final Fantasy XVI It was 56 percent digital versus 44 percent physical, indicating many hidden sales not captured in the current physical data. Final Fantasy XV It also launched on Xbox as well, while Final Fantasy XVI It’s PS5 only (although hardly any Xbox hardware is sold in Japan, which makes that more or less irrelevant to the data there).

even if Final Fantasy XVIOverall solid numbers, they don’t blow anyone away. Instead, they add fuel back into the ever-burning fire Final FantasyThe core identity and its continued existence, especially around trying to cater to a broader audience versus doubling down on RPG geeks. some say FF16Square Enix’s poor sales are due to elements outside of Square Enix’s control,” chirp bloomberg Takashi Mochizuki. “No, it wasn’t. It was Square Enix who decided to release the game on PS5 only, on June 22, at $69.99. Nobody else.”

RPG site Owner Alex Donaldson was more cautious. Based on the typical digital quota of titles in Japan, this generation we know/know/know, unless FF16 It has extraordinarily large numerical figures, and it will still be about 20% behind 15″ chirp. “And it’s not the end of the world, innate — but it’s interesting to look at to look into the future.”

All the worry about the game’s sales started even before it was released. With a report that Square Enix was concerned About bad pre-order numbers and producer Naoki Yoshida promoting “18 month plan“To drive game sales using community engagement and word of mouth. The next game to PC, possibly Xbox Series X/S, is likely to be another part of the post-launch growth strategy. All of this is why Yoshida isn’t worried about sales during the game’s first week. Even as true superhero fans write, they want to see the number go up — or figure out excuses as to why it isn’t there.

We’ll get a better idea of ​​how the game actually sells as more sales data comes out in the coming months. Until then, fans can sit back and enjoy the fact that the game itself, for all its problems, shortcomings, and divisive departures, is still pretty amazing.