FF16 only sold 3.5 million copies

[USAFJerrySo]

Well it depends how much budget was used to make it as well as advertising.

[USAFJerrySo]

I have a ps5.

[CaptainLagbeard]

Most of the copies were PS5 sales, since supposedly it did reach 3 million sales in the first few weeks... And it's currently sitting around that 3.5 million total sales...

The game's hype very much died out over it's exclusivity window, and it doesn't really have anything to drag players in.

[AyumiCosplayGlam]

Turns out when you make a Final Fantasy game that is not a Final Fantasy game, it does not sell well. shocked pikachu face

Square was trying to ride the Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Witcher 3 vibe and slapping Final Fantasy on it in the title for years and it has been a failure. The PS5 exclusivity was just the tip of the iceberg.
I honestly dont think many people remember the stranger of paradise cringefest that was before FF16.

What they really should do is for the time being, remaking FF games in FF7 fashion but actually stick to the story, slowly but surely gameplay elements that people like will emerge.
Once the gameplay loop that people like is actually clear and they have a Final Fantasy story for 17, they can start making it.

[CaptainLagbeard]

Turns out when you make a Final Fantasy game that is not a Final Fantasy game, it does not sell well. shocked pikachu face

Square was trying to ride the Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Witcher 3 vibe and slapping Final Fantasy on it in the title for years and it has been a failure. The PS5 exclusivity was just the tip of the iceberg.
I honestly dont think many people remember the stranger of paradise cringefest that was before FF16.

What they really should do is for the time being, remaking FF games in FF7 fashion but actually stick to the story, slowly but surely gameplay elements that people like will emerge.
Once the gameplay loop that people like is actually clear and they have a Final Fantasy story for 17, they can start making it.

They keep trying to go for that hack n slash / souls-like gameplay, even when it doesn't really succeed... I think it started more or less with FF 15 and they keep on trying to get it right, but it just doesn't work for them.

And with the current state of the gaming industry, I fear it's only going to get worse because of one singular game... Black Myth Wukong, because of course companies are going to take the wrong lessons from that success and think souls-likes are the way to go forward.

[shigaisen]

I honestly dont think many people remember the stranger of paradise cringefest that was before FF16.

I could never forget the legendary Jack Garland! Stranger of Paradise was some of the most fun I've had with a Final Fantasy game.

[Rolder50]

Guess that means they’ll have to release a few more sets to the mogstation huh

[melbye]

https://x.com/Genki_JPN/status/1903357561426018350

[Akamadoshi]

I was HYPED for 16.... SO HYPED.... I couldn't WAIT....
Except when the seasonal event happened and I - who avoided trailer of 16 to maintain spoiler-free-not-knowing-anything of the story.... got spoiled what it is about. Even if it is not the main topic of the entire story in 16, THAT was a BIG DEAL to me, I was shocked and surprised what happened in the story - had no idea. I was especially shocked how they gave the intro story away like that (I assume intro story since people get upset when clueless people like me call it spoilers) but in my eyes, it was. I need those surprise elements to keep me interested - I lost that. I lost interest fully, completely. Didn't want to play it. Tried the demo though, got framerate issues and didnt support wide screen, 30FPS on a powerful gaming PC.... yeah, no. I deleted it a few minutes after. Not interested. Now in the future, I am no longer shocked about spoilers. We even got spoiled Ultimate's final encounter, we get spoiled with everything. And, even if we don't know where the story will lead to, we can predict what will be the main objectives because 14 no longer is 14 but based on other FF. It was great when it was subtle. It's exceptionally insulting when it becomes a "Jack of all trades FF game". I know this isn't the only FF they do it to, and don't start about it. All original story of 14 was destroyed, only to nostalgia bait the rest of the game with custom new MSQ characters that aren't even interesting. They just burst into our lives and we give whatever they ask for. OIh right, this was about 16 not 14. Doesn't matter. It won't take long before story is inspired from 16 and we will have even less reason to play 16.

[Sacae]

They keep trying to go for that hack n slash / souls-like gameplay, even when it doesn't really succeed... I think it started more or less with FF 15 and they keep on trying to get it right, but it just doesn't work for them.

And with the current state of the gaming industry, I fear it's only going to get worse because of one singular game... Black Myth Wukong, because of course companies are going to take the wrong lessons from that success and think souls-likes are the way to go forward.

It started with Lightning Returns.

I actually liked XVI, but I'd love a return to, if not turn-based, then at least some kind of ATB system again. I actually really liked FFXIII-2's gameplay.