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Sales-Age: Final Fantasy series 1st month sales history (NPD data)
- Thread starter Square2015
- Start date
- Sales-Age
Square2015
Member
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Game seemed kind of obscure back then... and it launched around the same time as big'uns like RE2.
I don't believe Langrisser was released in North America (unless you mean Warsong for the Genesis).
Regardless, you have to take the numbers in context. I have no numbers to back this up, but I wouldn't be surprised if FD Tactics was the best debut for a SRPG in NA. Games didn't sell enormous numbers back then, and didn't need to. A game that sold 100k was just fine. A 16bit rpg selling 200k in NA was great.
I'd love to see some Shining Force NA numbers, cuz I bet they aren't anything special either.
Square2015
Member
Shining Force 2 sold 84,000
Shining Force CD 21,000
I might put Shining in the Darkness at ~40,000 and Shining Force 1 at ~80,000, that's some reverse projecting from data I have, Pretty rough lol (My data goes back to 94)
Remember that was its FW. It went on to sell 910,000
Are those lifetime for SF?
Didn't Ogre Battle tank in NA? And there's no way you have Warsong numbers, do you?
Should have sold even more.
Some Nobody
Junior Member
Maaaaybe. Let's face it, there's rioting if FFVI isn't in the Top 3 of any FF ranking. Or there would be, if VI ever came in at less than 3.
Nobody really cares where 8 ranks at all. At the same time, FF6 is in the conversation for greatest RPGs, full stop. There are plenty of 8 fans who'd never do that, as they just know better.
The Last One
Member
Maaaaybe. Let's face it, there's rioting if FFVI isn't in the Top 3 of any FF ranking. Or there would be, if VI ever came in at less than 3.
Nobody really cares where 8 ranks at all. At the same time, FF6 is in the conversation for greatest RPGs, full stop. There are plenty of 8 fans who'd never do that, as they just know better.
Really? That's weird since VIII is much better than VI.
Some Nobody
Junior Member
I'm going off perception and years of forum posts/comment threads. I've never beaten 6, and don't remember much about it.
I HAVE beaten 8, so while I know what you're getting at, what I'm seeing is that VI is a pile of trash not worth restarting.
The Last One
Member
Oh VI is definitely a more beloved game, and has a more vocal fanbase.
Obliterator
Member
FF7 had great legs, as well as re-releases. Just because it didn't open higher than XV doesn't mean that XV will sell what it has lifetime. By all accounts FF7 will remain the best selling entry in the franchise, and that will probably never change.
Preeeetty sure Zidane usually outranks Squall, and Bartz comes close. Terra probably beats him out too. He's just not very likable and his game is divisive.
EDIT: Yup
Square2015
Member
Yes.
Ogre Battle sold 19,000 (weren't just 25k shipped for NA?)
Warsong is missing from my data, meaning it wasn't selling after 1993.
Obliterator
Member
Indeed. FFXV has actually already outsold FF9's lifetime sales.
I guess that's just the first 4 weeks ,but I always assumed FF sales were heavily front loaded,with life time sales peaking and consistently dropping since FF7.
It is sad, though. 9 is a great return to the fantasy element.
Also, the best card game, lol.
Edit: Damn, it released after the PS2 launch in Japan? Yikes.
Obliterator
Member
7 was the peak yes, but the franchise hasn't "consistently" dropped since 7. Some sell better than others, it really just depends. Like I already stated XV has already outsold 9's LT sales already for example.
The series in its more recent iterations is indeed massively front loaded, but that wasn't the case for 7. It took it a while to get to where it has in units.
The Last One
Member
Square2015
Member
That's just in Japan, whole different story States side (and Europe).
pretty done
Member
Dunno why people are surprised about 8 and 9. The sales usually reflect the quality of the previous game almost all of the time in every series.
XV is an outlier because obviously the previous game is an MMO, and it started out as an entirely different game. Plus the 10 year wait.
XV is an outlier because obviously the previous game is an MMO, and it started out as an entirely different game. Plus the 10 year wait.
It released after the North American PS2 launch too.
Yeah, it always seemed like it was commonly accepted that 9 sold less due to 8's reception and the relatively poor timing of its release.
So yeah, barring some crazy FE numbers, FFT was likely the highest debuting SRPG in NA. Probably.
FFTA?
Razgriz-Specter
Member
VIII was awesome.
Thats Japan only LOL, they love Lightning...
Squall also got the best Kingdom Hearts role of the Final Fantasy cast besides maybe Sephiroth.
Razgriz-Specter
Member
Edit: double post.
Best waifu.
How much did tactics sell?
MrCookiepants
Member
Yes, and this is why NPD is useless. First month sales are largely irrelevant.
dickroach
Member
Uh if FF is frontloaded would the first month sales not matter greatly?
Someone can find the source but I'm remember a post on here showing the sales of VIII on steam and it was 2nd with XIII being 3rd or vice verse. Also along with VII and X, VIII constantly has the most merchandise pumped out for it. Where as the supposed favorites in the series, VI and IX, barely get anything. There's also some Squall figures on the SE right now. They wouldn't make this stuff if there wasn't a demand for it. The narrative that VIII doesn't have a decent sized fanbase is nonsense,
Those polls don't really mean anything and usually fluctuates depending on what game is popular at the time. Lightning was number one through her entire trilogy and when Dissidia 012 came out her, Yuna, and Tifa were all in the top 3. I'm pretty sure there was a poll for Dissidia arcade and Squall was either 1st or 2nd, although I can't remember if that was ranked based on favorite play style.
we're just not obnoxiously vocal like most ff fans are.
Those polls don't really mean anything and usually fluctuates depending on what game is popular at the time. Lightning was number one through her entire trilogy and when Dissidia 012 came out her, Yuna, and Tifa were all in the top 3. I'm pretty sure there was a poll for Dissidia arcade and Squall was either 1st or 2nd, although I can't remember if that was ranked based on favorite play style.
The ps1 era FFs have generally been my favorites
Good Guy Gone Bad
Member
XV's sales are rather impressive, especially considering the fact that it's had the highest first month and the number doesn't include digital sales.
Well done, SE.
Well done, SE.
sixteen-bit
Member
interesting to see the launch numbers and puts a lot into perspective with regards to series popularity over the ages.
mrmickfran
Member
Those Lightning Returns numbers lmao
So, it not only sold well, but it's amongst the fastest selling Final Fantasy. I didn't expect that.
Considering the highly probable PC version (it's coming) this could be be the highest selling FF ever.
Shame that FF IX sold poorly, i think it's one of the finest Final Fantasy game, coupled with FF VI.
Considering the highly probable PC version (it's coming) this could be be the highest selling FF ever.
Shame that FF IX sold poorly, i think it's one of the finest Final Fantasy game, coupled with FF VI.
Not all that "commonly accepted", seeing as this is the first time I've heard of anyone claiming widespread malignment of VIII outside of internet forums was the consensus. Seems more plausible that, other than the poor timing, the shift back to traditional fantasy at the forefront the way that IX did it (and the move away from the more realistically-proportioned models that VIII had just introduced) just didn't appeal to people as much.
Blackleg-sanji1
Banned
Yeah it was basically this from what I remember. I personally love IX, but I remember a lot of people passing on it for it having a cartoony aesthetic in a time where people were becoming increasingly more insecure about playing games that were "kiddy".
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Do you work for Square?
FF 7 has 20 years worth of sales though.
And it pretty much sold out the first shipment iirc. SE had clear expectations for that title. It was never going to sell that well considering it being the third game in a devise part of the series and VERY different from its predecessors. Still enjoyed the hell out of it.