Retro Sales Game of the Day

Article to be posted 10/24

Final Fantasy VII

Description: Final Fantasy VII released for the Playstation system in 1997 and went on to sell 9.72 million copies which puts it at number 37 on the all time top sellers list.  This is massive, especially for a genre that did not previously have a reputation for being succesful outside of Japan. The game consistently ranks near the top of publication's top games of all times lists, and 12 years after the release of the orginal fans of the game are begging for it to be remade on current systems. So why is it that Final Fantasy VII sold so well, and why is it still so fondly remembered by gamers? Vote in the polls, then leave a comment and let us know what you think.

 Updated: Polls taken down not the follow-up article has been posted. Thanks to everyone who particpated in this thread.

I haven't been posting these Retro Sales threads for the last few weeks because they have been by far the least popular threads and articles. I would like to get more people interested in them, so if anyone has any ideas on how to improve them please let me know. Also if you are interested in them please particpate in this thread and read the article, because if this one is also not popular I might drop it from the rotation for good.

-If you are having a bit of dejavu it is probably because you are one of the few people who saw this thread (or even fewer who commented) when I made it last month before I started posting follow-up articles.  But because it doesn't have an article and you all voted for it, I made it again and added a few things.

Previous Retro Sales threads

Mortal Kombat 2 (article)

Sonic the Hedgehog (9/20)  (article)

This was the 3rd entry for this weeks reader appreciation. Now you all vote for the fourth and final entry for the "Look at Those Legs" article. If you want to add a game send me a pm soon so that it will still have a chance.

Yikes this thread is off to a very slow start. Someone has to have an opinion?

Well people voted so they do have an opinion.
The game sold cuz of huge advertising. Final Fantasy made a big name in the west cuz of the campaign after that. From then on, shit started getting hyped to oblivion and the rest is history.

Very great game. One of my fav FF game after FFXII.

FFVII is really a poor game, much worse than its predecessors.  I'm not a fan of the genre, but FFVI is usually acknowledged by longtime fans of this series as far superior to FFVII.

So why did FFVII succeed so brilliantly in terms of sales?  I think again successful marketing is the main answer, along with really a lack of competition at that point in time on Playstation.  Interestingly, FFVII commercials showed no gameplay whatsoever in them.  This was really a first, as previously that is what game marketing had concentrated on promoting.  FFVII showed video of the FMV cutscenes so prevalent in this game.  Since this was pretty much a new capability on a mainstream console, it piqued the interest of many players.

FFVII is above all notable for developing a market for Japanese-style turn-based, menu-driven RPGs in the U.S.  Before this, even critically acclaimed games like Chrono Trigger didn't sell well in the U.S.  There just wasn't interest among players, as most American players were much more interested in action/adventure and platforming games that were prevalent in the 16-bit era.  FFVII almost singlehandedly enlarged the J-RPG audience in the U.S. to where it is today instead of the small niche it was previously.

(As a personal aside, I admit buying this game when it came out.  It interested me (not the commercials, but the way the game looked).  Sadly, I found the game to be one of the worst I've ever played.  This is the only game that has ever put me to sleep when attempting to play it, which does say something.)

Final Fantasy 7 benefited from being an absolutely amazing game, but it got its true success from an immense marketing campaign. And it's remembered because of its quality. Heck, I still replay it sometimes even to this day.

To say the game isn't as good as it is said to be is wong.

I bought this game last generation after I bought Final Fantasy X. It was before I joined internet forums and learned about the fanboy wars and overhyping and all that crap.
There was absolutely no outside force that affected my feeling towards the game, it was just me and the game which is fantastic! There was a time when we didn't know any better about AAA games or exclusives and the games merit was based on how good it is. Well Final Fantasy VII deserved the praise imo.

AND I played it after Final Fantasy X and I still enjoyed it, the graphics didn't alter it's worth at all.

It was as successful as it is because it was absolutely fantastic and unique, even today itheres still demand of a remake because its nearly everybodys favourite in the series.

elprincipe, I imagine (if many people see it) a lot of people will disagree with your comment, still you did a nice job explaining your reasoning, so thanks.

Truthfully I'm not that familiar with the Final Fantasy series, so a couple of people have said marketing so far, but what do other people think is the reason the series caught on in the West with this installment, when previously the franchise had not been that popular?

Well after the marketing campaign, the franchise became known and developed a fanbase. Why did it stay loyal for all these years? Well, no one can tell you that. It's ot an exact science.

I would guess because the games are, I don't know... good? Or at least perceived as good by its fanbase, so they keep buying it.