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GameLook report/2023 can be said to be a well-deserved big year for games, and many blockbuster IPs have brought new series of works.
On June 22, the latest work of “Final Fantasy”, one of SQUARE ENIX’s signature series of games, “Final Fantasy 16” (hereinafter referred to as “FF16”) was officially released on PlayStation.
As a sequel after nearly 7 years, “FF16” has been placed high hopes by SE. “FF14 Online” meritorious producer Naoki Yoshida wrote it, and former “Devil May Cry 5” combat designer Suzuki Ryota joined. Extensive publicity activities, etc., the official’s emphasis on this orthodox sequel undoubtedly hopes that this sequel can make the “Final Fantasy” series great again.
Judging from the results, the foundation of “FF16” is indeed not bad. The game’s excellent graphics and combat performance have been recognized by a large number of players. The game has received an average score of 88 points from the M station media. evaluation of.
It’s just that the performance of “FF16” did not make SE’s stock price strong. On the eve of the game’s release, SE’s stock price had already begun to decline, and this focus game failed to change it after its release. So far, SE’s stock price has fallen by 15.12% compared to its pre-release high.
Considering that the past few years have been an “eventful year” for SE, there are many uncertainties in the sale of overseas studios, sales of game products that are lower than expected, and the formulation of the company’s strategic direction. The market’s judgment on it has indeed undergone some changes, but more people Still blame the recent stock price drop on the relatively flat market performance of “FF16”.
According to public information, nearly a week after the game was officially released, SE officially announced that the global sales of “FF16”, a limited-time exclusive game for PS5, exceeded 3 million sets. Considering that the cumulative number of PS5 hosts is around 40 million units, this achievement is quite good, but after entering the second week, the sales of “FF16” began to decline.
According to Famitsu data, sales of the physical version of “FF16” in Japan fell by 90% in the second week, and this is a big gap compared to the previous “FF15”. There are even related analysts who believe that if “FF16” does not cut prices and promote sales, it may be difficult to stimulate sales growth.
As we all know, the initial sales volume is very important for a stand-alone game, and even determines the subsequent cost return and profitability of the game. Considering that “FF15” claimed to have sold 5 million copies on the first day, and “FF16” has stars The producer joined, and GameLook estimated that the game must sell more than 5 million copies to pay back.
In fact, since “FF16” met with players, it has been accompanied by controversy. Although the media scores are high, the players’ evaluation of this game can be said to be mixed. Although the action and performance of the game are indeed wonderful, there are also many Players think that the side mission is ink, and the plot is inexplicable.
The sales volume of 3 million copies seems to be good, but compared with IPs of the same level, such as “Diablo” and “Legend of Zelda”, the sales volume of new works is around 10 million sets, and the performance of “FF16” is very embarrassing. .
As the twentieth works of the series, perhaps the freshness of “FF16” for players is no longer there. How to reconcile the gameplay, the core of the plot, and the preferences of current RPG players may be the problem that this game has to face.
On the other hand, in recent years, many manufacturers in China have begun to move towards large-scale production and industrialization, and SE, as a veteran 3A game developer, can be said to have achieved the level of industrialization very early. This can be seen from the screen performance of “FF16” It can be seen with the quality of performance.
But such a huge project also has quite high risks. Players and the market will not pay for it. Even big IPs and big productions may encounter Waterloo.
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