Final Fantasy XV Launch Low for Series in Japan, Despite Topping Charts

Final Fantasy XV was projected to sell five million units total worldwide within its first days. But the game’s sales were somewhat low in Japan. According to Media Create, Final Fantasy XV underperformed by nearly 900,000 units during its opening week in its home country.

As Media Create reports, Final Fantasy XV sold 690,471 units in its first week on PlayStation 4, with an additional 3,791 on Xbox One. Meanwhile, during its original premiere on PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy XIII launched with 1,501,964 sales. With Xbox One sales factored into Final Fantasy XV‘s total first week listing, that means Square Enix’s latest installment in the series sold 807,702 copies less than its predecessor on PlayStation 3.

While Final Fantasy XV did outperform Pokémon Sun and Moon, Super Mario Maker and Watch Dogs 2, its opening sales numbers in Japan mark a sharp depart from the sales that its predecessors used to achieve. As a frame of reference, Final Fantasy VII sold 2,034,879 units, Final Fantasy VIII hit 2,504,044, Final Fantasy X pushed 1,749,737 and Final Fantasy XII sold 1,840,397 copies all during their opening weeks. Final Fantasy XV‘s launch marks a sharp decline for an opening week, even though the game itself may beat Final Fantasy XIII‘s overall sales figures.

Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad felt Square Enix was attempting to sell at least one million units in Japan, which means, if so, the publisher effectively failed to hit their target goal. But this may follow projected trends that the Japanese publisher is already aware of within the country. Square Enix is interested in expanding their mobile presence, and Ahmad has been open about the fact that the PlayStation 4 family itself (including its brand new enhanced release, the PlayStation 4 Pro) exists in a dying market. As Ahmad commented, Final Fantasy XV most likely won’t sell many units over 1 million, thanks in part to “the abysmal state of the dedicated console market in Japan.” Instead, he believes Square Enix is “pushing FF on mobile in Japan more.” Whether Final Fantasy XV sales will pick up in Japan remains yet to be seen as the year continues on, so make sure to check back as December rolls on.