Kresnik said:
If Tokyo RPG Factory were a Compile Heart studio, I can see the argument for re-used assets etc. Yet Compile Heart games sell more than Lost Sphear did. And Lost Sphear is made by Square Enix. Square Enix, a company who have killed mid-tier IP's that were selling considerably more than this. Square Enix, who revived franchises like Star Ocean and SaGa to sell like 5-10 x more than Lost Sphear and they were still considered disappointing. In Star Ocean's case, it was turned into a mobile franchise. Perhaps Tokyo RPG Factory can live on as a mobile RPG Factory, but for an initiative set up to relive the brilliance of old console RPG's, this is a miserable result and a sad, stark wake up call to Square Enix that their attempts to court the mid-tier of gaming can sink as low as this. |
It's unfair to draw comparisons to other titles based on just 1 week of data in a single region.
I think you've just contradicted yourself by saying Square Enix killed and Square Enix revived. A dormant franchise is not the same as a dead franchise, and IPs can co-exist on mobile and consoles.
The mobile market is overcrowded and highly volatile. You can't just assign a new studio to mobile and hope for the best. Square Enix has already established a strong presence in the world of mobile. What they need is strength and depth in other markets. Tokyo RPG Factory was set up with the sole purpose of providing classic JRPGs on modern consoles. It's not always about maximizing profits. Square Enix have identified a new revenue stream with potential, and they will continue to pursue it.
