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- Square Enix says its latest two Final Fantasy titles didn’t meet sales expectations.
- FF7 Rebirth was a sequel to an even bigger trilogy released on a limited platform, so its sale potential was already limited.
- Square Enix knows of the circumstances yet expects its games to sell extraordinarily somehow, as it always has.
I see myself lamenting from time to time that gaming, which was all about creativity, pushing the boundaries of possibilities, and engaging its player base, is primarily about profit these days. Companies have such absurdly high sales expectations that nothing less than tens of millions in sales is acceptable.
Hi-Fi Rush was certainly a victim of this, and it won’t be long before there are more. One good example of a company with impossible-level expectations is Square Enix. On multiple occasions, it has claimed this point, with the latest being Final Fantasy 16 and Rebirth, knowing full well the circumstances of their release.
Why it matters: FF7 Rebirth was a sequel and a PS5 exclusive, while FF 16 was a radical shift in the series’ formula; the weaker sales make sense. Square Enix has unrealistic forecasts.
Rebirth Was Handicapped From The Moment Of Its Birth
Before I begin, let me clarify that I admit Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s sales are underwhelming compared to its predecessors. Still, if you look at the situation logically, there are some pretty solid reasons for it.
Rebirth is the second part of a remake trilogy. You need to have complete knowledge of the first game for it, and you had to have liked the first one to consider getting this. No matter how much of a better game it is, if you didn’t like Remake, the chances of you getting Rebirth are low.
Next up is how, even with this game, the saga isn’t completed. Means you’ll be getting Rebirth knowing you can’t see the ending for at least 3-4 years. People would rather wait for the full experience than get it at the half point.
What Did Square Enix Expect After PS5 Exclusivity?
This means Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s sales potential was always going to be restricted. A sequel in a three-part saga can realistically never go as high as the first one—that’s common knowledge. But that’s not all. Probably the biggest reason for Rebirth’s weak sales is the PS5 exclusivity.
This applies to Final Fantasy 16 as well. FF7 Remake was released on the PS4, which has more than double the player base of the PS5, and the peak COVID period is assisting it. Rebirth and FF 16 were exclusive to a platform with little incentive to purchase since over half of its life went by with cross-gen titles.
Plus, Final Fantasy 16 tried to do something entirely different to appeal to a new audience. A radical change like this needs some time and exposure to get used to, and expecting FF 16 to suddenly gather the fanbase turn-based games have in over three decades is downright impossible. I’d like to think it did pretty well.
Square Enix Always Had Unrealistic Expectations
Do you see the problem? All of the points I mentioned above were something Square Enix willingly decided. The second part in a long saga, platform restrictions and expecting something completely new to suddenly outperform everything, is simply not happening.
Yet despite knowing all this, Square Enix makes some unrealistically high sales forecasts. Moreover, this isn’t the first time Square Enix has set impossibly high expectations.
What was up with Square Enix's sales expectations around the 7th generation of consoles.
byu/FuggenBaxterd intruegaming
The name Square Enix has practically become synonymous with “expectations not met” among gamers. This is a company that thought the reboot Tomb Raider would sell tens of millions (and when it didn’t, sold it) and that Octopath Traveller 2 was less successful than expected (Square Enix’s non-existent marketing is to blame).
Enormous Development Budgets Are Killing Games
Square Enix saying “below expectations” is nothing new, but the aftermath scares me. When Tomb Raider and Deus Ex didn’t perform as per the publisher’s “expectations,” they were sold away, and what awaited Deus Ex was abandonment, which still breaks my heart.
Deus ex failed as a franchise, we should make Marvel games instead…
byu/Automatic-Papaya1829 inDeusex
It’s doubtful Square Enix will ever give up Final Fantasy, but what if something else takes the blunt? Honestly, none of this would have been a problem had gaming budgets not spiraled way out of control. These unrealistic expectations have only one reason, games cost so much to make that the sales forecasts are equally high.
I’m sure even Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth cost Square Enix a fortune. This pursuit of photorealistic visuals and the resulting expansion of development costs is bound to become unprofitable soon, which haunts me.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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