By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
IcaroRibeiro on 17 March 2025
Edit Thread
Wyrdness said:
IcaroRibeiro said:

Then it was 7 million not counting Strikers and other spin offs (I misunderstood the numbers thinking 7 million included Strikers and other spin offs). In any case it still a game released multiple times across multiple platforms with an enhanced version and still the best JRPG last gen 

This is a similar situation with DQ VII, which sold 7 million with multiple versions and re releases, including a completely different game in the 3DS version 

In any case, this still show thet if they want AAA numbers they can't go back to turn based, turn based are good for spin offs maybe, but I think Square wants Final Fantasy to sell in the 10 million range if this is the case I don't think being turn based would increase the IP sales that much (if at all) 

Pokemon is selling despite being turn based, not the opposite. I dare say Pokemon gameplay combat is kinda meaningless really, it sells because people like to collect pokemons and explore the world, as long those gameplay mechanics persist Pokemon can change from turn based to action and will still selling the same. We can see this when look at Arceus sales, its an spin off with nothing done to extend its legs and sold pretty insane numbers (over 15 million, is withing the range of Pokemon's remakes) and even got a sequel. I would not be surprised if Gamefreak just changed the gameplay combat for the mainline series eventually

Yeah tbh I agree a series can change as long as it's handled well and retains a core identity, Pokemon is a good example because even with some older fans not liking newer games the series is on an upward trajectory. Zelda even massively reduced the relevance of dungeons/temples which is a massive change to it's core approach but the actual draw of the series, the adventure, is still there honestly Rebirth was perfectly fine they just need to be consistent now take what they did with rebirth and use it as a foundation going forward and market well.

I do however think they should drop the numbers in the naming and just give the games titles instead.

I don't think Zelda is a good exemple because BOTW is bigger than any other Zeldas in many orders of magnitude, to a point even if 100% of the original Zelda fandom dropped the Zelda BOTW would still be the best selling Zelda by far due to new founded audience. Many of BOTW fans are indeed, BOTW fans not exactly Zelda fans 

It's similar to Monster Hunter, we can see a number long term fans getting annoyed because the games are becoming too streamlined and easy, but the new audiences make up for any angry older fandom by a large margin 

At this point I guess Square is more than desperate to find a new audience for FF. In Japan FF fandom is basically boomers at this point, in west the audience is a bit younger but still increasingly older

I think XV and XIV somehow succeed to capture their own audiences unrelated to older fans (the first being open world, the second being a MMO) but the problem lies on the fact they liked the game, but with a franchise fractured that changes every entry new audiences have trouble to keep following releases. I'll give you an anecdotal exemple:

My BF liked Final Fantasy XV because it was open world (kinda) and he liked the modern-world fantasy with a party of jocks to mess around, found the story to be pretty bad and the second half the game was a mess

He liked VII Remake because of the ATB system world-building and story, but disliked the linearity and the side missions. Still haven't played Rebirth 

He has no desire to play XVI because it's too action oriented, linear and doesn't have a party, but he likes the dark Fantasy setting when saw me playing