Square-Enix Expects Over 6 Million Sales For Final Fantasy XIII

[John Funk]

Square-Enix Expects Over 6 Million Sales For Final Fantasy XIII

Square-Enix CEO Yoichi Wada has high hopes for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII - he expects the title to sell over six million copies, and to help Square double its profits within the next five years.


Speaking with Reuters Japan [http://jp.reuters.com/article/topNews/idJPJAPAN-11688220090928?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0], Wada talked about the JRPG giant's flagship properties. Its last big title, Dragon Quest IX, has shipped approximately 4 million copies in the Land of the Rising Sun, and the Squeenix CEO thinks that the title is on track to hit its sales projections of 5 million units sold. Final Fantasy XIII, though? Wada has even higher hopes for that game: Personally, he's hoping (and predicting) that FF13 will outsell its predecessor, Final Fantasy XII, which is clocking in at just shy of six million copies sold right now.

Given that it'll have been close to five years since FF12 was released, and that FF13 will be the first installment of the long-running series on the current generation of columns, one might imagine that gamers have a Final Fantasy hunger that hasn't yet been sated, and so Wada's predictions may well be correct. On the other hand, one might also argue that over the five years since FF12, JRPGs have gone "out of style," so to speak, and perhaps gamers simply won't care.

By "by expanding the company's range of games and by growing its overseas operations," Wada hopes that Square-Enix can double its operational profits in the next three to five years. To that end, the company is currently in the middle of negotiating with Chinese online game operators in order to try and tap that vast potential market.

Speaking of online games, Wada reiterated the claim that Final Fantasy XIV might not necessarily be exclusive to the PS3 and the PC as Final Fantasy XI had been (well, replacing PS3 with PS2 in that sentence). Squeenix and Microsoft are apparently in talks to bring the MMOJRPG to the Xbox 360 as well. After all, having a wider range of names can't hurt, right?

(Via Edge [http://www.next-gen.biz/news/square-enix-aims-to-double-profit-within-five-years])

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[Xvito]

I won't be buying it at least.

The only Final Fantasy-game that I really liked was X, and this game won't be turn-based, so...

 

[Chaossebba]

I'll probably be one of those 6 million.

 

[John Funk]

I won't be buying it at least.

The only Final Fantasy-game that I really liked was X, and this game won't be turn-based, so...

Well, they're all turn based. Some more than others.

 

[Hitman 43]

I probably won't be buying it. Not really a fan of the series. Except for Final Fantasy VII on the PS1.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

 

[John Funk]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

Well, almost Final Fantasy XII, for one...

 

[Anton P. Nym]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

*cough* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_%28series%29#Reception_and_critical_response].

-- Steve

 

[aww yea]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

*cough* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_%28series%29#Reception_and_critical_response].

-- Steve

oh jesus lord!

thats alot

 

[Amnestic]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

Halo 3 has sold 8.1 million copies.

As of December 2008, Halflife 2 has sold 6.5 million copies.

As of May 2008, 8.5 million copies of GTA4 have been sold to consumers.

and those are just three games off the top of my head.

You can read more in a more concise format here. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_games]

For funsies, check out the "Top 20 console games of all time" section.

 

[VanityGirl]

HAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAH oh god my side.

What game besides WoW has ever sold that many copies?

Halo 3 probably, it sold about 3.5-4 million copies in 2007, it's total is at 8.1 million sold copies.
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/03/microsoft-17-7-million-xbox-360s-and-8-1-million-copies-of-halo/
^That's old news, the sales might be a little more now.

Edit: ninja'd

 

[Rimefrost]

I'm definitely getting this, can't wait. I wouldn't be all that surprised if they did sell that much either.

 

[RyuGaiden]

I think Wada is being a little bold with these predictions here, but I do see both sides of the argument. Firstly, Wada does recognize that a new Final Fantasy on a new console is always going to pique people's interest. Secondly, the battle system is something different while also being turn-based, and a lot of people I have talked to will not touch a JRPG unless it's turn-based.

Considering the possibility that people don't care about FF13, that could be because of the prevailing attitude here in the States. People don't want RPG's, they want blood, gore, and violence. Everybody knows that Final Fantasy will sell in Japan, and with all the fanboys here in the States, you know it'll sell at least one or two million. I have heard rumors about a PS3 FF13 bundle, so that will inflate the sales numbers a bit if its true. I think this game will his the 6 million unit mark eventually. Definitely not in a year or two if it took five years for FF12 to hit 5 million units.

 

[ae86gamer]

I'll be getting this game for sure.

 

[JenXXXJen]

Wouldn't be at all surprised if it did. Infact, I would be surprised if it didn't surpass that.

 

[VanityGirl]

I think Wada is being a little bold with these predictions here, but I do see both sides of the argument. Firstly, Wada does recognize that a new Final Fantasy on a new console is always going to pique people's interest. Secondly, the battle system is something different while also being turn-based, and a lot of people I have talked to will not touch a JRPG unless it's turn-based.

Considering the possibility that people don't care about FF13, that could be because of the prevailing attitude here in the States. People don't want RPG's, they want blood, gore, and violence. Everybody knows that Final Fantasy will sell in Japan, and with all the fanboys here in the States, you know it'll sell at least one or two million. I have heard rumors about a PS3 FF13 bundle, so that will inflate the sales numbers a bit if its true. I think this game will his the 6 million unit mark eventually. Definitely not in a year or two if it took five years for FF12 to hit 5 million units.

He's actually very smart for putting it on BOTH consoles. The 360 and PS3 both have people who love final fantasy, so I think his predictions are pretty solid.

 

[Da_Schwartz]

6 mil is doable...trailer looks neat. Lightning looks bad ass. Tokin black guy with chocobo in stereotypical afro and gold convertible burnout attacks is uncalled for.

 

[EspadaL]

Reminds me of Kingdom hearts 2 (Gameplay)
this game will be interesting
Final Fantasy 13 Versus to come out too

 

[Amnestic]

He's actually very smart for putting it on BOTH consoles. The 360 and PS3 both have people who love final fantasy, so I think his predictions are pretty solid.

Considering FFX sold 7.95 million copies worldwide, I'd say he has a pretty good chance of hitting six million comfortably.

 

[NicotineStainedSoul]

I think those are optimistic predictions (maybe for japan the game will still be met with a great reception but I don't think the western markets are still as eager).

I know I won't be buying it, FFXII killed my interest in the series and that was years ago.