FF16 only sold 3.5 million copies

[Merton9999]

I'm sure the exclusive console release had some impact. But if a game gets great reaction and word of mouth, does waiting really stop PC players in an impactful way overall sales wise? I really don't know, but XVI didn't get that.

Anyway, they had a free demo to try and hook me. After 45 minutes of boring dialog, uninspired area design and combat nowhere close to other entries in the series, I was not tempted in the least to buy XVI. It's the first Final Fantasy game since ONE that I didn't buy on release.

[Nadda]

Nobody owns a PS5.

And they took a guy and his squad that have a Huge PC audience and then staggered when the PC Audience got the game.

So you had to either actively avoid the game or get spoiled.

And I don't know about you guys - you ever put a game on your Steam wish list but if you didn't play it when it comes out it just sits there?
I'm sure for example I'd love to play bomb rush cyberfunk, but I just haven't gotten to it and don't feel like buying it. It's still on my wishlist.
We exist in an era where you can only be the "IT" game everybody is playing for a small window before people are off to the next thing.

The only critique really I could find with FF16 was the itemization but I'd still say it was better than the last two major single player entries 13 and 15.
Good story. Sick Devil May Cry combos. Game looks great. Amazing soundtrack. Fun bosses. Cool Kaiju battles.

It's not because it wasn't turned based - I'm actually surprised there is a subsection that think that's what was missing. That feels more like... puritanism. I'm not saying turnbased doesn't have merit but you don't look at FF16 combat and go
"EWWWW Action Combat fucking SICK GROSS *Vomits* God"

When every FF remaster game has a speed up the turnbased combat function lol.

----

Also, the whole FF16 undersold + I don't like dawntrail (much to be critical fair) = Yoshi p and CBU3 is trash.

That's some low-blow dog piling confirmation bias bs.

[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.

[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.

[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