According to video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella, Final Fantasy XV, one of the biggest and most controversial games in the Final Fantasy series, comfortably sits at the top of the highest lifetime dollar sales in the United States.
Final Fantasy XV managed to sell more than 5 million copies on its first day, making it the fastest-selling Final Fantasy game ever and the highest earner in terms of total copies sold.
I’m not surprised; Final Fantasy XV was a huge project accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign unlike anything seen in the series before. It included a CGI movie, an anime, a musical concert, and numerous events worldwide, along with a simultaneous release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4, which generated the hype it needed to achieve those numbers. The game ended up selling 10 million copies in its lifetime.
Following Final Fantasy XV is Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first part of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, which achieved its name-share of sales with 7 million copies sold. It is followed by the original Final Fantasy VII at #3, with around 14.4 million copies sold worldwide.
The reason Final Fantasy VII Remake has higher sales than the original is obviously the difference in the value of dollar in 1997, when most of the original Final Fantasy VII sales occurred.
The Final Fantasy series is now struggling to attract such huge numbers of players, with Final Fantasy XVI selling just over 3 million copies since its release last year in June, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth struggling to even reach that number. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, as Final Fantasy games have been improving and offering compelling experiences that receive favorable reviews (along with controversial fan outcry).
I guess we all can wait and see where the series is heading, as Square Enix and its new CEO have plans to turn the company into an HD gaming superpower. They recently announced expected losses due to the mass cancellation of mid-ranged games that were in development.
