The Identity Crisis Behind Final Fantasy's Sales Slump

The recent news that Square Enix's major Final Fantasy titles have missed their sales targets is not surprising to many in the industry. The company has a history of overestimating its game sales, and this trend has been evident in its financial communications. However, in the case of Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the underperformance is more complex than just a matter of unrealistic sales projections. The games have failed to match or exceed the sales of their direct predecessors, with FF7 Rebirth's sales lagging behind those of FF7 Remake and FF16's sales tracking behind those of FF15. While some have pointed to platform exclusivity as a major factor, the data does not support this claim as the primary reason for the sales slump. Instead, the issue lies in the management of the Final Fantasy brand as a whole. The series has lost its sense of identity and direction, with recent games such as FF15 and FF16 deviating significantly from the legacy of the series and the expectations of existing fans. The appetite for reinvention that was once a staple of the series has been twisted into an excuse to make entirely different types of games, leaving the franchise without a firm footing in its own past. The success of FF7 Remake can be attributed to its beloved classic status, but the second game in the series was always going to face challenges in living up to the original. The mainline series, on the other hand, has struggled to convince fans that things are back on track after the poorly received FF15. FF16 faced the twin challenges of convincing long-standing fans that the series was back on track and expanding the appeal of the franchise to newcomers. However, it seems that neither of these goals was accomplished satisfactorily. Many series fans were unhappy with the game's pure action gameplay, while outsiders to the series were not convinced that it was anything more than a melodramatic game with too much focus on crystals. The real bright spot for the franchise has been the MMORPG FF14, which has been incredibly well received and is often described by fans as the best mainline FF game in decades. The success of FF14 is a model that Square Enix should be looking at carefully as it makes strategic decisions about the future of the Final Fantasy series. The company needs to improve its approach on PC and reconsider its development scale and budget for the series. Ultimately, the problems facing Final Fantasy are complex and multifaceted, and the solution will require a deeper understanding of the franchise's identity and direction.