Final Fantasy XIII is a MAJOR flop on the 360 - we need to talk about it

[Kenryoku_Maxis]

thelifatree said:

Kenryoku_Maxis said:

thelifatree said:

Kenryoku_Maxis said:

First off, I highly doubt this is the highest first month sales for a Final Fantasy game, if you're referring to outside of Japan.  That would probably go to FFVIII or FFX.  We just don't have the numbers for those games outside of Japan.  However, both FFVIII and X smashed the first months sales of FFXIII by a longshot in Japan, and Americas sales weren't that much different by comparison (just about a million less).  With FFVIII taking the clear lead with 2.5m in the first week in Japan alone.  I remember FFX being the most anticipated and pre-ordered game for the PS2 upon its relelase as well.  Can't say the same about FFXIII now...

Second of all, the reason people are hesitant to think the game will continue to sell well is because FFXIII is on the systems notorious for having 'major' releases that are front loaded that have no legs.  Mostly because the HD consoles are the 'high end' consoles which have the smaller userbase and people usually buy games based on hype.

This isn't the days of the PSX or PS2 where Final Fantasy is riding on the success of being both one of the top 3 franchises AND on the most popular system.  Now it not only has competition, but also is on the HD systems.

Now I know FFXII is not up there with the high selling Franchises of 7,8,X. But it is for sure on Pace for IX (My beloved RPG my names after) and FFXII

It looks like it may be able to pass FFIX with lifetime sales, but it doesn't look like it'll be able to surpass any of the others.  But even with FFIX, its going to have to have legs.  And that looks like a major challenge for this highly frontloaded PS3 title.

@Kenryoku_Maxis, I'm sorry I said it was the highest selling FF in the first month I wasn't thinking at the moment

Final Fantasy 12 is 5.69 mil so it may be able to pass that as well...

So like I mean, I love FFXIII, but my opinion isn't the opinion of the masses. But FFXIII seems like it will have similar sales to the other (Black Sheep) of FFIX (Which I love) and FFXII

I was just trying to state that it wasn't a flop in general like some were implying. It just wasn't another FF7,8,10

I'm not saying the game is a flop.  But frankly, this is the most costly Final Fantasy game they have made yet (as admitted by SquareEnix themselves) and they put the most hyping into the game, with veritable YEARS of advertising.  With even going as far as putting ads on the side of busses, giant billboard ads and door to door advertising campaigns going back to 3-4 years before its launch.  The game had one of the biggest and most wasteful advertising campaigns for a game out there, and it doesn't seem to have added to the games sales.  In fact, it probably hurt it, as people got tired of waiting for the game.  The 'boy who cried wolf' effect.

In the end, I feel that this should be a good lesson for SquareEnix, as they should now realize that they could make a game that doesn't focus on the strongest graphics and appealing to the 'hardcore' gamer and still be a good game.  But I fear they'll just revert back to their same strategy of when one game doesn't sell to their expectations, just make the next game bigger, better looking and more expensive!  Then people HAVE to buy it!  And, as anyone can tell you right now, the best selling games in Japan, even the RPGs, are not following the trend of Final Fantasy XIII.  They haven't been for quite some time.  In fact, many of the same games that follow the formula of Final Fantasy and focus on graphics and storyline sell very low in Japan.  Final Fantasy as a series has been an exception for quite a while now and pretty much is running on a brand name.

Again, FFXIII is not a flop.  But it definitely didn't meet anyones expectations and didn't do anywhere near SquareEnix hype.  And certainly didn't 'sell better than FFVII' like Wada and a few other SqaureEnix representatives were predicting it would.