Why yes, this is a biased prediction. Xenoblade somehow positioned itself as my #2 favorite game of all time, and I desperately hope the sequel will succeed to the point where this franchise can undoubtedly be considered a great new gem in Nintendo's Mario-laden crown. Perhaps fill the role of "extremely cool game for dedicated players" along with my favorite series, Metroid. Maybe become the new premier (Pokemon notwithstanding) JRPG franchise in the West while Final Fantasy stumbles.

But despite my urge to make a ridiculous claim like "X will sell more than all the previous Xeno games combined", I'm sticking to a safer guesstimation where sales are at least respectable for a project on its scale and given certain realities concerning the state of Wii U and the game industry as a whole.

I say that this sequel (or spiritual successor) will sell around 1.7 million copies as a Wii U exclusive JRPG. Let me explain my reasoning.

1. The Buzz

"X" was clearly one of the standout announcements in the recent Nintendo Direct. In fact, it was the last announcement, so Nintendo likely finds it to be the best, most exciting announcement. No surprise, as X actually came with an outstanding gameplay trailer that featured a more energetic take on Xenoblade's combat, a massive, goreous world with fast vehicles to explore with, and giant boss monsters along with what appears to be a hint at online multiplayer. The other announcements, while exciting in their own right, lacked a bit of substance to them. I'd love to see gameplay of SMTxFE, because there are so many questions that need to be answered. But as it stands, X appears to be the number one beneficiary this hype-building exercise.

2. The Pedigree (and some rambling about graphics)

This pertains to X's quality more than anything else, but thanks to Xenoblade, hundreds of thousands of gamers are aware of Monolith Soft's ability to create a fantastic RPG even with very limited resources. Naturally, the hype potential for a Xenoblade sucessor on a console more well equipped for its gameplay style could be massive. I imagine conversations about X prior to release would center around the graphics (draw distance primarily), since the sheer scale of the same, much like Xenoblade, is a defining aspect that other games on other platforms don't often match. In theory, X would not suffer so much from comparisons to games on more powerful platforms early on due to the virtue of its scale and art design. Unless PS4/720 will be recieving some really huge open-world RPGs early in their lifespan, which is entirely possible. One thing is for sure - it already compares favorably to the vast majority of games on PS3/360, and that could be enough for some who simply want a Wii U experience that could be considered (and this is a subjective standpoint) next-gen in design. Also, I have a feeling that the relation to Xenoblade will attract much attention from the gaming media leading up to release.

3. Nintendo Will Fuel the Hype

Well, I think Nintendo already has. Or at least started to. X is poised to be one of the biggest, most exciting titles on Wii U, and will likely be featured at an already star-studded E3 alongside 3D Mario, Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and more. X can potentially ride off the hype momentum of other games, and if Nintendo is as smart as I think they are, X will recieve comparable screentime if only to give a continuous glimpse of what the Wii U is capable of. A playable demo on the show floor probably wouldn't be out of the question, too.

Now, here are some barriers that could prevent X from even achieving this goal.

1. Out of Style

Gamers may love their pretty game worlds, but gameplay comes first. And quite frankly, the combat system Xenoblade employed wasn't for everyone. Accessibility should be a key in X's development, as well as adding more flair and energy to the very MMO-like combat. The trailer suggests that this is one of Monolith's goals for the combat system, but it needs to be polished to a mirror shine if X is going to be accepted by a much wider audience.

2. Out of Place

X's biggest enemy is in some form the Wii U itself. What can be done to convince gamers to buy a rather "hardcore" RPG on a system that doesn't consistently cater to that specific audience? Apart from attempting to woo the broader Nintendo fanbase (Zelda fans are a nice fat target), Nintendo and Monolith need to woo those who would usually play lengthy RPGs on Sony or Microsoft platforms. This is not an easy battle to win, and the same could be said for any upstart JRPG franchise looking to compete with heavyweights like Final Fantasy or even the likes of Elder Scrolls.

But before we begin to discuss possibilities here...

The Last Words

I honestly believe that gamers are starving for another major console JRPG franchise that isn't Final Fantasy. X could propel its particular branch of the loosely-affiliated "Xeno" series into bona fide stardom. Or it could end up settling for niche status like so many other games of its type. What we've seen is very promising, and I'm pretty optomistic about how X will turn out. But putting things into perspective, Nintendo has some work to do if they actually want a game that could attract a certain type of gamer that Microsoft and Sony may very well be losing their hold of.

might be 3:1 if everybody acknowledges it!

I'm gonna through in my predictions here as well, instead of creating a whole new thread! Maybe we could re-name this thread and have people make their predictions here?! Now, let's get it on!

Predicting X
It'll be a sequel to Xenoblade, taking place some 10-100 years after the original game
It'll sell at least 1-2m copies, prompting yet another sequel down the road
It'll be released WW within 0-6 months from the Japanese launch
The colors will change slightly and be a little bit more colorful. Imagine a combination of the original Xenoblades colors and this trailer.
It will be centered around a single campaign, but you will be able to team up with others online
It will rework the battle system from the original game; refining it
It will be released somewhere between holiday 2013-2014 (at the latest Spring 2015), and will be playable beforehand at E3 the same year (so, if it's playable this year it won't be long before the release!)
Like the original game, it will NOT be turn based
It will be a system seller; not a huge one, but it'll push 50-100k systems upon its release

And I think that's about it... What do you guys think? What predictions/thoughts do you have??

Sounds pretty reasonable, aside from the direct sequel to Xenoblade (I don't think it will be)...

Weeeell, I couldn't just make safe bets, now could I? ^^ I had to go out on a limb with something xD

YES X will sell much more than Xenoblade and will push the system too!

I hope Xenoblade will get a boost as well. Maybe people will want to catch up with the storyline. It's a great game.

I would say as much as over 5:1, but ONLY if the game is a true sequel to a very highly spoken of universe which has earned the same prestige as the greatest Final Fantasy games, and maybe even higher now.

I have to agree with this! It's a great game! It deserves well over 1m sold...

You know, they work on a new Zelda and give us WW HD in the meantime. They should have done the same with Xenoblade.