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[Mayar]

Hmmm, it turns out that if you make a game for fans of the series, it suddenly starts selling, who would have thought. All that remains is to hope that Square Enix got the hint, although most likely they didn't...

 

[TintoConCasera]

remake is the best way now to play. It gives options for different voice acting etc.

My only beef with the remake is that it uses more modern anime portraits and Claude’s voice IMO is horrendous.

The new portraits are quality but the original was that 90s era of anime so someone like Rena used to look more mature and now is more cutesie.

Mmmh I think I'll go with the original, but still added the remake to my wishlist in case it goes on sale.

Thanks for selling me on a JRPG, lately I can't have enough of those.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I played it on PSX soon after it came out and I thought it was one of the best JRPG on that system. The Remaster is better in every way possible. In terms of accessibility, gameplay, graphics, music. To get to max level is not even a long grind with the new additions. For the first time I beat everything you can do in this game.

Its the best SO for sure, and probably my number one JRPG this gen. If you like PSX style RPG such as Tales of you can give this a whirl.

I like PSX/SNES era JRPGs

Xenogers and Chrono Trigger are probably my all time favorites

 

[Arsic]

Mmmh I think I'll go with the original, but still added the remake to my wishlist in case it goes on sale.

Thanks for selling me on a JRPG, lately I can't have enough of those.

PS1 JRPGs must plays:
Suikoden 2
Star ocean 2
Xenogears
Lunar 1&2
Persona 2
Grandia
Chrono Cross

 

[TintoConCasera]

PS1 JRPGs must plays:
Suikoden 2
Star ocean 2
Xenogears
Lunar 1&2
Persona 2
Grandia
Chrono Cross

Hehe, already have all of those in the backlog. Bought a Sega Saturn a few days ago and plan to play Grandia there.

I like PSX/SNES era JRPGs

Ever checked out Lufia 2? Imo, some of the best dungeons in the genre. Has many cool puzzles and no random encounters.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

They do seem to love this damn game.

800K sales being "amazing" is pathetic though, and shows why so little effort is put into Japanese games.

No knock on them, but if you can only expect a $35 million return on your blockbuster game then the budget is going to be a quarter of that or less.

This explains well why the Nipponese are bending over for the ESG crap. They need US and Euro sales to keep them competitive.

A $35 million return? What are you pulling this from? Neglecting sales past just the first week + all overseas sales?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Ever checked out Lufia 2? Imo, some of the best dungeons in the genre. Has many cool puzzles and no random encounters.

Unfortunately not but I’ve heard great things about that too

 

[SkylineRKR]

Hehe, already have all of those in the backlog. Bought a Sega Saturn a few days ago and plan to play Grandia there.


Ever checked out Lufia 2? Imo, some of the best dungeons in the genre. Has many cool puzzles and no random encounters.

Grandia is awesome on Saturn, from what I gather still the best version. I had the game way back but this was way before translations and stuff. I used a guide from SSM.

 

[JimboJones]

Are we finally going to get a report from Square Enix where they aren't disappointed with their sales targets

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

I remember the excitement surrounding the release of Star Ocean 3.

The intro sequence is still etched in my memory:

After this stellar second opus (hehe), we thought we had the crème de la crème of JRPGs. After that, it wasn't a huge disappointment either, but it was very polarizing. The series only declined dramatically after this episode. Such a shame.

In fact, it reminds me a little of Phantasy Star in another way. After IV and the transition to mmo, this license disappeared. So much potential in these two IPs, and it's all been wasted.

Anyway, that's not the point. Dragon Quest is a winner here.

I love all the Star Ocean Games except for the fifth entry

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Even though I'm not a Dragon Quest fan but I'm glad it's doing well so hopefully they'll eventually consider these kind of remakes for FFIV, FFV, and FFVI.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Thick Thighs Save Lives , and our other physical media brothers, we've won.

 

[West Texas CEO]

John Marston , you like DQ, too?

I didn't know, lol

 

[John Marston]

John Marston , you like DQ, too?

I didn't know, lol

 

[West Texas CEO]

We are kindred spirits confirmed.

 

[Brigandier]

Is SO2 recommended? I’ve never played a SO game

It's a very very good game, it's an excellent remake and is a lot of fun, Everyone who's replied to you are correct it's not hyperbole or fanboying it's a really solid game.

It's got charm, great ost (I prefer the classic over new one), good battle system, great characters and the QoL the remake brings in and the nice colorful graphics are perfect and it really made me crave for a Xenogears remake in the same manner.

More devs and publishers need to see that HD2D is no joke when made correctly!!!

 

[Shake Your Rump]

I remember reading about the launch in Nintendo Power. We never got the game, because Nintendo was so stupid back then. Definitely going to be picking this up as I love that classic DQ style.

Nintendo of Europe? Because we had the first four on NES in North America.

 

[StereoVsn]

Mmmh I think I'll go with the original, but still added the remake to my wishlist in case it goes on sale.

Thanks for selling me on a JRPG, lately I can't have enough of those.

I easily recommend the remake. QoL improvements, new graphics and more are worth it.

You can always come back to OG version afterwards.

 

[GateofD]

The thing that DQ fans like just as much as the game series is watching other people discover it and join the hive

 

[pulicat]

It's very concerning for PS5 software split with only 22% of total sales and likely to widening and end up only ~15% of total sales.

 

[KrisB]

Are we finally going to get a report from Square Enix where they aren't disappointed with their sales targets

Was thinking the same thing. Will be hilarious if they come out and say they are disappointed again and their targets weren’t reached.

 

[IAmRei]

Was thinking the same thing. Will be hilarious if they come out and say they are disappointed again and their targets weren’t reached.

somehow, SE higher ups target is kind of ridiculous

 

[IAmRei]

Hehe, already have all of those in the backlog. Bought a Sega Saturn a few days ago and plan to play Grandia there.


Ever checked out Lufia 2? Imo, some of the best dungeons in the genre. Has many cool puzzles and no random encounters.

i played WA series first and thought their dungeon is kind of original at the time, but few years later, I know where they copied the concept, Lufia

anyway, Lufia OST are among the best in RPG, the intro was a blast

 

[Zathalus]

It's very concerning for PS5 software split with only 22% of total sales and likely to widening and end up only ~15% of total sales.

How is that concerning? PS5 skews more digital then the Switch, but more importantly the Switch has sold almost 6 times the amount of consoles in Japan.

 

[Ozzie666]

I do wonder what the production budget for these HD2D games vs big 3D epics. With Final Fantasy collection pixel remaster doing well and positive reception Octoa, we need more of these games. I'd be all for the next Final Fantasy to be an HD2D turn based RPG. It seems fitting that it's doing well on Nintendo.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Nintendo of Europe? Because we had the first four on NES in North America.

I had to look it up. I don’t remember the others coming to the US, but you’re right.

 

[Woopah]

They do seem to love this damn game.

800K sales being "amazing" is pathetic though, and shows why so little effort is put into Japanese games.

No knock on them, but if you can only expect a $35 million return on your blockbuster game then the budget is going to be a quarter of that or less.

This explains well why the Nipponese are bending over for the ESG crap. They need US and Euro sales to keep them competitive.

How many games this year do you think have sold 800,000+ physical sales in a single country?

 

[pulicat]

How is that concerning? PS5 skews more digital then the Switch, but more importantly the Switch has sold almost 6 times the amount of consoles in Japan.

PS5 skews more digitally than Nintendo but Nintendo in Japan has the highest digital split than the rest of the world. Titles like Zelda TOTK, Splatoon 2, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Animal Crossing NH, and etc sold over 2 million units digitally over there.

Zelda TOTK for example launch with 50% digital split which us around 1.1m digital copies sold in just a few days.

For titles that struggle with physical shipment like Switch SKU DQ3 Remake, it's likely for digital split at the higher end similar to Astral Chain, Xenoblade 3, and TOTK with ~50-60% of total sales.

The split is going to grow larger as Switch games tend to outleg Playstation games in Japan as shown by many titles before.

 

[JimboJones]

Kind of surprised they didn't do a PS4 version.

 

[IAmRei]

I do wonder what the production budget for these HD2D games vs big 3D epics. With Final Fantasy collection pixel remaster doing well and positive reception Octoa, we need more of these games. I'd be all for the next Final Fantasy to be an HD2D turn based RPG. It seems fitting that it's doing well on Nintendo.

I think between 3-10m, including marketing i think

 

[Woopah]

PS5 skews more digitally than Nintendo but Nintendo in Japan has the highest digital split than the rest of the world. Titles like Zelda TOTK, Splatoon 2, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Animal Crossing NH, and etc sold over 2 million units digitally over there.

Zelda TOTK for example launch with 50% digital split which us around 1.1m digital copies sold in just a few days.

For titles that struggle with physical shipment like Switch SKU DQ3 Remake, it's likely for digital split at the higher end similar to Astral Chain, Xenoblade 3, and TOTK with ~50-60% of total sales.

The split is going to grow larger as Switch games tend to outleg Playstation games in Japan as shown by many titles before.

Even with shortages I don't think it will have the digital ratio of something like Xenoblade or Astral Chain, since it won't have the voucher effect.

 

[Team Andromeda]

So sad when Japan used to be the mecca of gaming.

 

[Woopah]

So sad when Japan used to be the mecca of gaming.

It's sad for a DQ game to sell well? Why is that?

 

[Team Andromeda]

It's sad for a DQ game to sell well?

I remember the old days when FF7 would sell 3 million copies in a few weeks alone in Japan , not the Japan of now where a remake is able to be the best selling game of 2024 with less than a million sales

 

[Woopah]

I remember the old days when FF7 would sell 3 million copies in a few weeks alone in Japan , not the Japan of now where a remake is able to be the best selling game of 2024 with less than a million sales

Digital wasn't a thing in the FF7 days, so hitting those numbers with physical numbers alone is now very very difficult (though not impossible).

Don't get me wrong, 2024 has generally been a bad year for releases in Japan. But it's not something systemic, since 2020 - 2023 had lots of big releases that sold well. 2025 should be a return to form in terms of big releases in Japan.

 

[pulicat]

I remember the old days when FF7 would sell 3 million copies in a few weeks alone in Japan , not the Japan of now where a remake is able to be the best selling game of 2024 with less than a million sales

2024 is the outlier because no mega titles are planned for a whole year.

2023 with digital
Zelda TOTK - 3.2m
Mario Wonder - 2m
Pikmin 4 - 1.5m

2022 with digital
Pokémon Scarlet violet - 5.5m
Splatoon 3 - 4.5m
Pokémon legend Arceus - 3m

2021 with digital
MH Rise - 3.5m
Pokémon BDSP - 3m
Momotaro Densetsu - 1.5m

2020 with digital
Animal Crossing NH - 7.5m
Momotaro Densetsu - 2m
Ringfit adventure - 1.6m

You're looking at the golden era of Japanese video game in term of units sales.

 

[Woopah]

2024 is the outlier because no mega titles are planned for a whole year.

2023 with digital
Zelda TOTK - 3.2m
Mario Wonder - 2m
Pikmin 4 - 1.5m

2022 with digital
Pokémon Scarlet violet - 5.5m
Splatoon 3 - 4.5m
Pokémon legend Arceus - 3m

2021 with digital
MH Rise - 3.5m
Pokémon BDSP - 3m
Momotaro Densetsu - 1.5m

2020 with digital
Animal Crossing NH - 7.5m
Momotaro Densetsu - 2m
Ringfit adventure - 1.6m

You're looking at the golden era of Japanese video game in term of units sales.

In addition I would add these other games that came out since 2020 and we know did over 1 million in Japan.

Ghost of Tsushima
Switch Sports
Kirby & The Forgotten Land
Clubhouse Games: 51 Classics
Mario Party Superstars
Mario 3D World

Plus we have Momotaro Dentetsu World: The Earth Spins with Hope! and FF7 Remake that likely did over a million with digital in theyr first calendar year.

 

[Mattyp]

My biggest surprise to this is 800k being the best selling, Japanese are truely done with physical.

 

[Boss Man]

Nice.

Would love to see Square do more remakes this way.

The reason we want to play these old games is because they’re better. Remaking the entire game in the image of a modern entry completely misses the point.

I want FF9, as pretty as you can make it.
That doesn’t mean FF16 with a Zidane skin.

Demon’s Souls remake was another great one. Make a carbon copy of the game first, then modernize the graphics.

 

[Woopah]

My biggest surprise to this is 800k being the best selling, Japanese are truely done with physical.

It's less Japan being done with physical and more:

1. SE didn't provide enough physical copies
2. There's not been many big games in 2024.

 

[Team Andromeda]

2024 is the outlier because no mega titles are planned for a whole year.

2023 with digital
Zelda TOTK - 3.2m
Mario Wonder - 2m
Pikmin 4 - 1.5m

2022 with digital
Pokémon Scarlet violet - 5.5m
Splatoon 3 - 4.5m
Pokémon legend Arceus - 3m

2021 with digital
MH Rise - 3.5m
Pokémon BDSP - 3m
Momotaro Densetsu - 1.5m

2020 with digital
Animal Crossing NH - 7.5m
Momotaro Densetsu - 2m
Ringfit adventure - 1.6m

You're looking at the golden era of Japanese video game in term of units sales.

Good comeback but I think we aren't looking at the golden era of sales in Japan and of course back in the old days some of those titles would be selling millions on the handheld separate from console and no matter which you cut it its depressing to see a remake being number 1 in Japan how its going to be the best selling game in Japan with less than 900,000 sales

I am amazed at how well Splatoon and AC sold mind