Journalist Apologises for Adding Fuel to the ‘Final Fantasy 16 Flopped on PS5’ Fire

by

When a game gets the stench of failure, it can be hard to shake.

In the most severe case, we observed this phenomenon with the game called Concord, which indeed had numerous flaws. However, no matter how hard it tried, it struggled to shed its unfavorable image.

Despite never experiencing this level of criticism before, Final Fantasy 16 has been perceived by some fans and media outlets as a failure. Unfortunately, Square Enix’s statements suggesting that the slow adoption of the PS5 might be contributing to its issues hasn’t helped alleviate these concerns.

Read moreHunt: Showdown Permanently Gets Cheaper, but With a Catch

The PlayStation 5, despite some initial stock shortages upon its launch in 2023, is generally matching the sales rate of the PlayStation 4.

Initially, the game was sold in excess of three million units during its first week on the market. However, a recent report from Kabutan, a Japanese website, and subsequently covered by several western media outlets, suggested that Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu stated that only 3.5 million copies had been sold up to that point in time.

If the information is correct, it implies that fewer than 50 million units have been sold since its debut, taking into account both console and PC versions, which were launched in 2024 for PC.

Read moreDeadpool & Wolverine Director Reveals What Part of Making Sequel Was Most Fun

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve seen many discussions about the game and its time-bound exclusivity, with folks using certain data to back up their feelings. However, it turns out that Kabutan’s recent update clarified something interesting – it seems Kiryu never actually uttered those numbers at all.

The initial post indicated that Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu revealed the number of copies of Final Fantasy 16 at a financial briefing, however, this figure was actually an estimation by Toyo Securities and not accurate information from Mr. Kiryu. We regret the error in our previous statement.

Absolutely, this shifts the focus back to the conversation. It’s clear that Final Fantasy 16 didn’t meet Square Enix’s targets, but considering it might have already sold more than four or five million copies, that appears to be an acceptable outcome in our view.

It’s clear that the Japanese publisher is adopting a more aggressive approach towards a multichannel launch plan in the future. However, we anticipate that PlayStation will maintain its collaboration with Final Fantasy and exert extra effort on promoting any other upcoming releases.

Read More

2025-03-23 12:07