Sq. Enix has made a Might 2024 monetary outcomes briefing public, confirming the general public sentiment that Closing Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Closing Fantasy XVI had disappointing releases.
President Takashi Kiryu mentioned the HD Video games section 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 yr.
Gradual gross sales of Closing Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Closing Fantasy XVI, and Foamstars are the principle culprits. The latter goes free-to-play in October.
One of many largest enemies in precisely setting objectives for Rebirth gross sales is its predecessor, Closing Fantasy VII Remake.
The FF7 Remake got here out in April 2020 for the PlayStation 4, a console that had bought 112.5 million models in July of that yr.
March 2024 gross sales information for the PlayStation 5 data 54.2 million models, matching PS4 numbers at its thirty ninth month mark.
Closing Fantasy developer Naoki Yoshida has talked about plans to diversify by pursuing Xbox releases following the Closing Fantasy XIV port.
The worldwide lockdowns additionally boosted Closing Fantasy VII: Remake, with tens of millions spending unprecedented time at dwelling preventing Shinra.
The HD Video games sub-segment failed to enhance its profitability, posting working lossesin yearly of our earlier medium-term plan. – Takashi Kiryu
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 Closing Fantasy XIV. The MMO sub-segment recorded ¥19.3 billion in income (roughly US$123 million on the time).
The profitable launch of the Closing Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail enlargement in July shall be a shiny spot in subsequent yr’s monetary briefing.
The Closing Fantasy XVI PC port got here out yesterday and had 22 thousand concurrent gamers on day one.
The Home windows model of Valisthea continues to be having fun with this honeymoon interval, however the expectation is that this launch will assist the sport achieve traction.
Sq. Enix is legendary for its excessive gross sales expectations for its video games, so those that comply with the corporate carefully are usually not shocked by the Might briefing.
The working losses within the HD gaming section stay a giant deal when working with a family title like Closing Fantasy, even when Closing Fantasy XIV can cowl prices for now.
Sq. Enix joined different gaming trade giants in layoffs earlier this yr, however you can’t hearth your workforce on mass and anticipate success in equal measure.
The third a part of the Closing 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.