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Bravely Second sold 700k copies worldwide (official series twitter account)
- Thread starter Eolz
- Start date
DXB-KNIGHT
Member
I think if Bravely Second had a completely different cast and story would expect sold more.
That's... disappointing, but still sorta okay. I think?
I did get a bit worried when the series producer said that he would like the series to have annual releases in the future, because I think the games' quality would suffer from it. With sales like this, it's not likely going to happen. That said, I do hope we'll get an announcement for Bravely Third (or Bravely
, as 2nd teased it might be called) in the somewhat near future, despite the disappointing sales. I love both of the games that have come out so far.
I did get a bit worried when the series producer said that he would like the series to have annual releases in the future, because I think the games' quality would suffer from it. With sales like this, it's not likely going to happen. That said, I do hope we'll get an announcement for Bravely Third (or Bravely
Sword
This was something that disappointed me, too. Maybe one of them returning as a permanent party member would've been fine, but dedicating half of your party to previous games' characters did not do this game any favours. Tiz is probably the more important character to the story, so they should've given Edea the boot.
Yeah I think Nier is the outlier here. Otherwise all of S-E's franchises are kinda in decline, ignoring the debate around FF and DQ's brand values.
DarkConfidant
Member
I was too afraid to try it because they first one seemed too repetitive. So many people told me not to play the first one.
Linkstrikesback
Member
They already had to reuse so much content. I don't want to imagine what they'd have to do to get the series to yearly.
Yeah but DQXI is going to the most successful third party game of all time in Japan.
I don't think Bravely Second's sales are all that bad. It was clearly a very notable drop(especially in Japan) but it's also still numbers other publishers would kill for.
What I'm really saying is when are Bamco killing Tales already?
Jangowuzhere
Banned
Wow, I was expecting a lot less.
Word of month wasn't super positive like the first one, and I never hear anyone really talk about this game much. Surprised it managed to pass 200k.
Word of month wasn't super positive like the first one, and I never hear anyone really talk about this game much. Surprised it managed to pass 200k.
Dark Cloud
Member
Aren't these the guys making Project Octopath Traveler?
Yes but they also recently released a new Bravely game on mobile which seems to be relatively successful(?), so the series still has a little bit of life.
I do think the switch to service games they're experimenting with makes sense in this light.
Even if we look at mainline Final Fantasy, it's a series where every game is effectively a new IP with some shared themes, and the direct sequels (X-2, XIII-2) do notably worse than their predecessors.
However, games like Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV were able to do very well over a long period of time and expansions, as it was one game being continually built upon.
This has also applied to their mobile titles like Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius and Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light, where they appear to be doing better than ever, often significantly so, even years after their release. Meanwhile, Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3 did way worse than the previous games, so this can even apply to Dragon Quest at times, which has been the series they're best at doing more traditional sequels with.
Though back on the Final Fantasy note, making a new IP each time is hard, and we're getting to the point where they can only manage it once a generation, so that's a notable drag for a regular game without long term extra revenue streams.
It's not bad, but I can see why they may be moving on. Maybe the series just needs some time to breathe though. Direct sequels are pretty hit and miss as far as outselling their predecessor. You usually need the right circumstances along with the sequel looking bigger and better to make it happen. Looking at the circumstances on the quick turn around, the dying 3DS, lesser marketing push, and some people not enjoying the first game, it's not a surprise that this sold less.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
I think Square's problem is that they're putting 50 million dollar games against 150 million dollar budget games with a fraction of the marketing budget. The quality of their games hasnt gone down, Hitman had to completely move away from a 60 dollar release formula to compete. Now they're making Marvel games to try and give them a more valuable IP to work with.
pretty done
Member
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
Funny, that's exactly how I felt about Second. It undeniably has a more refined combat system than the first, and interesting new Jobs... but that's it. The OST is so much better in Default that alone is enough reason to put it over Second.
But yeah so so much of Second is recycled from the first game and the OST isn't memorable. Once I hit the first New Game+ and got all the jobs, I quit and sold the game. I wish I hadn't, but I felt like I had seen everything the game had to offer and I had played 50 hours. I really enjoyed it, but I was ready to move on to something else.
I reallly like Bravely Default and logged like 80 hours in it, but another 50 hours of essentially the same game with not as good music wasn't enough to get me going. still, with 130~ hours in the two games, that's enough that I would recommend it to anyone and it's still on my Top 5 of GOAT JRPGs.
LinkAndEpona
Banned
Damn I forgot this existed. I enjoyed the 1st game though but that one had a lot more hype and marketing.
NinjaCoachZ
Member
The first game really came at the right place and the right time. Back in 2012 it got a ton of WOM, since people were really starving for traditional turn-based RPGs (esp from SE), it was one of the first of its like on the system, and it was a game without any localization planned which helped make a lot of people more curious about the hubbub. When it finally got its localization announced, it was able to ride that wave pretty well and got a really nice push from Nintendo themselves.
Along with the other factors you mentioned, I think it also probably didn't help that Bravely Second came pretty soon after Fire Emblem: Fates. Project X Zone 2 got its lunch eaten by that game too. It was so much easier to get your RPG fix at that point in the 3DS's lifespan.
hurricanes
Member
I bought it with a heavy discount surprisingly close to the release.(JP version) SE most definitely cheap out on the sequel. The first game was flawed but have good amount of enjoyably time before the "twist". The second game has little of those merits except for the enhanced battle system.
I think there are some economies of scale issues, but we have seen some publishers/developers succeed with more limited resources.
The Souls series, The Witcher, Dead Island/Dying Light. These are things that managed to chug along pretty well despite not being able to trade budget punches with Battlefield. Even Warner games like Mortal Kombat are closer to $50 than $100 million productions.
Now, admittedly this is rare, but it is still the realm Square Enix is pretty well financed to try and succeed in. They seemed to have a really promising first wave with games like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Hitman: Absolution (which sold absurdly well for what it was), but things started getting a lot harder for them after that. We could probably even lump Four Heroes of Light -> Bravely Default -> Bravely Second into this category.
The gameplay of both was pretty superb but the writing was some of the worst of any game I've ever tried to play. I couldn't finish either of them because of that. I also kind of feel I had more fun with the demos of both games than the actual games for some reason. Accelerated gameplay and less bad writing might have something to do with that.
Linkstrikesback
Member
The demos make them seem like MMO-lites which isn't really accurate to the games at all, both demos were bizarre in that respect.
RE. the NG+
There is no NG+. At least, not one you're supposed to play. The game changes from literally the first battle if you do what you're supposed to and activate Bravely Second, then the game changes and you don't replay any of the game, barring hugely cut down versions of the side quests, since the characters are aware of what to do immediately on the second time through. Hope you didn't play the whole thing properly a second time!
Herb Alpert
Banned
Imagine if it had been advertised and supported by square.
Eolz
Member
Yeah, the demo for Bravely Second is pretty weird.
It's actually a prologue for the game, but really weirdly presented.
Sadly this.
It's decent at least, but I expected this after one year, not two...
Still, the fact that they keep trying on mobile as well means there's still a chance for the series to come back on a "traditional" platform at some point in the future. It's not I am Setsuna for example.
It's actually a prologue for the game, but really weirdly presented.
Sadly this.
It's decent at least, but I expected this after one year, not two...
Still, the fact that they keep trying on mobile as well means there's still a chance for the series to come back on a "traditional" platform at some point in the future. It's not I am Setsuna for example.
Linkstrikesback
Member
Accurate. The problem is they didn't want to give them the tools to make building the franchise a possibility in the first place. They couldn't get the original OST person back, so had to settle for some anime soundtrack guy who clearly was a step down, didn't have the budget to make a whole new world, so had to reuse a ton of content from default, including dungeons and most of the map (shoddily attempting to hide that fact by shifting where the centre of the map is on the bottom screen!), and having no marketing to speak of at all.
For a game that beat expectations for what they thought a turn based rpg could sell, they sure didn't seem to give the developers any extra support for the sequel, instead making it feel like they had less to work with!
Do we have more info from Square on this? I imagine not, but then... I was out of the gaming scene these past five months or so. If they've commented on the future of the franchise, I missed it.
Sorry for the brief off-topic dalliance, but yeah.
ZSaberLink
Media Create Maven
You act like Square Enix spent any budget on its sequel though. With that budget, you would've expected Square Enix wanted it dead and they were somewhat successful (mobile games aside I guess). I'm actually surprised it even sold 700K to be honest. Better than I would've expected.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
Eidos montreal is working on tomb raider and marvel games, Crystal Dynamics is working on marvel games.
shark sandwich
tenuously links anime, pedophile and incels
The writing was truly atrocious. Overly long conversations with braindead stupid characters repeatedly stating the obvious. Lots of dumb attempts at humor.
If you want a depressing exercise, watch any of Bravely Second's dialog scenes and pay attention to how much of the dialog is completely unnecessary.
Even most children's cartoons have better writing.
Yeah, that's fairly damning. Oi. :/
Pretty much a summary of the series. Great gameplay systems hamstrung by terrible plotting and writing that relied way too much on gimmicky twists.
I wouldn't mind if they just gutted the best ideas from the series for something else and move on.
That's a shame. This one deserved much more, but people skipped it due to the failures of the first title. It's the better game.
I'm still holding out for Bravely Third, but it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't make it. It's one of those JRPG's that I think about frequently, and it's easily better than most of what Square-Enix has pumped out lately.
I'm still holding out for Bravely Third, but it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't make it. It's one of those JRPG's that I think about frequently, and it's easily better than most of what Square-Enix has pumped out lately.
Sammy Samusu
Member
It's one of the 257 3DS games I have yet to play.
Atrocious graphics? Really?
I finished the first played through most of the second. Both games feel like I'm just going through the motions for the most part. Not sure how else to explain it. Most likely wouldn't have followed through with a third installment anyway. Octopath looks real pretty though, we'll see how it turns out.
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
If I'm remembering correctly bravely second turned out poor for a number of reasons mostly pertaining to qol that they fixed in the western release making the game good again, but that's not without us knowing that they messed up some stuff that might have messed up the sales
Sammy Samusu
Member
Bravely Default
Japan LTD: 398k
NPD first month: 200k
Bravely Second
Japan LTD: 182k (rip)
NPD first month: 100k (rip)
Final Fantasy Explorers
Japan LTD: 289k
NPD first month: 53k
Bravely Default was a big success for Square Enix, even if compared to their recent console games (it has actually outsold many of them), but for some stupid reason Bravely Second got the budget of an indie game (maybe lower), and so it was sent to die. I have to say though, 700k is respectable, but still an under performance.
Explorers on the other hand sold a lot in Japan
Europe probably saved Bravely Second, even though the series is half dead now.
Bravely Second is just not a good JRPG. It really pales in comparison to BD. I finished the game, but was extremely disappointed. If they make a Bravely Third I won't be buying it.
A lot of the sales in Japan were at bomba prices too -- it was price-slashed days after release and never recovered.
A lot of the sales in Japan were at bomba prices too -- it was price-slashed days after release and never recovered.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
lol yeah I know that. I continued it for the first hour and then said, "Nah I'm good." I didn't care anything about the story or characters, and I figured I'd seen all the locations and heard all of the OST outside of the last battle track. I really enjoyed the 50 hours I had played up until that point, but I figured there wasn't much else to see beyond that.
thanks, but yeah i knew about these numbers. Was wondering if NPD ever got an update or Europe, or PR. Maybe it ended up near or below 400-500k
If you're curious about the future of the Final Fantasy Explorers series, the director moved on to I Am Setsuna, while the series itself got a sequel as a mobile game.
Which did even worse from everything we know. Guy can't catch a break
, it might help if he made a good game.
Hcoregamer00
The 'H' stands for hentai.
They should have had magnolia be the main charcter as
opposed to the main character's love interest
But they always have to have that self insert character...... Always.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Deus Ex died for Marvel though. Yes MD did flop, but iirc a lot of the complaints were about it feeling like a Part 1 instead of a complete package. There was still clear potential with Deus Ex that I am sure SE would be willing to try out if it wasn't for Marvel deal.
I would propose that deal happened in large part because of the troubles they faced however.
If Square Enix thought they could sell as much making Deus Ex as they could Guardians of the Galaxy, or even be pretty close, they would choose Deus Ex every time, because they have to pay a large licensing fee and royalty to Marvel to use their IPs.
But yes, if they didn't have the option of making Marvel games instead, they might take another stab at Deus Ex, since something is better than nothing, especially with a studio that hasn't shown much aptitude to launch new franchises.