Sq. Enix has made a Could 2024 monetary outcomes briefing public, confirming the general public sentiment that Remaining Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Remaining Fantasy XVI had disappointing releases.
President Takashi Kiryu mentioned the HD Video games phase was working at a lack of ¥8.1 billion (US$51.6 million on the time of the report) over FY2024/3, roughly twice as a lot as within the earlier 12 months.
Gradual gross sales of Remaining Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Remaining Fantasy XVI, and Foamstars are the principle culprits. The latter goes free-to-play in October.
One of many greatest enemies in precisely setting targets for Rebirth gross sales is its predecessor, Remaining Fantasy VII Remake.
The FF7 Remake got here out in April 2020 for the PlayStation 4, a console that had offered 112.5 million models in July of that 12 months.
March 2024 gross sales information for the PlayStation 5 data 54.2 million models, matching PS4 numbers at its thirty ninth month mark.
Remaining Fantasy developer Naoki Yoshida has talked about plans to diversify by pursuing Xbox releases following the Remaining Fantasy XIV port.
The worldwide lockdowns additionally boosted Remaining Fantasy VII: Remake, with hundreds of thousands spending unprecedented time at residence combating Shinra.
With manufacturing restricted to 1 console, and no pandemic, Rebirth reached the #2 spot within the PlayStation retailer, behind solely Helldivers 2.
Not All Doom & Gloom For Sq. Enix
The report’s brightest spot was the massively multiplayer on-line entry Remaining Fantasy XIV. The MMO sub-segment recorded ¥19.3 billion in income (roughly US$123 million on the time).
The profitable launch of the Remaining Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail enlargement in July shall be a vibrant spot in subsequent 12 months’s monetary briefing.
The Remaining Fantasy XVI PC port got here out yesterday and had 22 thousand concurrent gamers on day one.
The Home windows model of Valisthea remains to be having fun with this honeymoon interval, however the expectation is that this launch will assist the sport acquire traction.
Sq. Enix is known for its excessive gross sales expectations for its video games, so those that comply with the corporate carefully will not be stunned by the Could briefing.
The working losses within the HD gaming phase stay a giant deal when working with a family title like Remaining Fantasy, even when Remaining Fantasy XIV can cowl prices for now.
Sq. Enix joined different gaming trade giants in layoffs earlier this 12 months, however you can not hearth your workforce on mass and anticipate success in equal measure.
The third a part of the Remaining Fantasy VII remake franchise needs to be launched after 2027. Time will inform whether or not Sq. Enix’s future briefings will present classes discovered or additional losses.
