The launches of Final Fantasy XVI e Final Fantasy VII Rebirth performed well below expectations compared to previous games in the series, highlighting the flaws in Square Enix's exclusivity strategy for consoles.
In his latest financial reportThe company revealed that profits from the HD games segment in the current fiscal year did not meet expectations, despite the release of these two major titles. Net sales in the MMOs and mobile/PC games segment were also lower than in the previous fiscal year.
In the fourth quarter, the report highlighted that initial sales of Foamstars and the aforementioned Final Fantasy VII Rebirth were weaker than expected. In addition, an impairment in the cost of content production resulted in an operating loss.
Although Square Enix is known for setting expectations that often seem unrealistic, this is one of the rare cases in which the company has been more moderate in its projections, as pointed out by analyst Daniel Ahmad on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Even with more realistic expectations, both games fell short of commercial success compared to previous titles in the franchise.
Despite the disappointing performance, both games are highly rated and considered solid within the series. There is still hope for an upturn in sales with the release of Final Fantasy XVI for PC, which took place this week. The title is already doing well on Steam's bestseller list, which could prevent it from being seen as a commercial failure in the future. What's more, it's hoped that an eventual Xbox release could help turn the tide for both games.
Square Enix has yet to comment on plans to correct the course of the release strategy, but fans of the series are hoping that the performance on the new platforms will improve the sales scenario for these important titles.
Check out our review of Final Fantasy XVI e Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
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