As someone who loved the original and has played through both Remake/Rebirth, it pains me to say that Square Enix messed this up. no one wanted a 30 hour story padded out across 3 games. Nor do they want a convoluted metaverse based story with different characters across different time zones. The game tries to be too clever with its story execution and often fails to bring across what it's trying to convey. For me the game has been reduced to almost fan fiction that only appeals to those familiar with FF7 and its characters. There is also so much padding that many people got bored and moved on even before completing the game. In hindsight it should have been a single game that should have been a true modern remake of the original in the mold of RE4 Remake.

Sales will get better once exclusivity ends. When remake came out It was towards the end of PS4 lifecycle, hence why the sales were way better.

I think what Square could do to help themselves is to shift back into either multiplatform or at the bare minimum, simultaneous PC launches with the PS5 version. It may take more immediate time and money to fully optimize for all platforms, but maybe that’ll be worth it if it means bigger launch sales and better legs

What people need to understand is this is for nostalgic purpose and customer base but then we all find out real quickly this is not our final fantasy too many things have changed to the new people who aren't interested in the game

My biggest gripes with Rebirth were the dungeons and final boss. Like fighting Z in XC3, the final boss in Rebirth dragged on for waaaayyy too long. Plus, the dungeons weren't that great either. But outside of those issues, you can _feel_ so much passion put into Rebirth. And the fact it's so STUFFED with content and none of it held back for DLC, that's highly commendable.

Square is stuck in the past with these PlayStation exclusives. They should embrace multiplatform releases like Capcom and Sega are doing.

Better wait for FF7 remake collection edition, with all games included 😏

Younger generation just doesn’t care. You can only sell so much to old folks like us, but our numbers are dwindling. If the younger generation doesn’t care about a franchise then it will be very difficult for a franchise to go on.

Final Fantasy should be on multiple platforms

I’m excited but not buying a PS5. Could be a side effect of the Switch’s success maybe? I’m good with a Switch and a PC.

Honestly I think this hurts Sony way more than it does Square Enix with FF games being exclusive to Playstation. It's Sony that writing the check to have SE's games exclusively to their platforms. I see it similar to Microsoft tossing those moneybags to Sega/Atlus to bring their games to Xbox and their Game Pass service. I do think Sony is paying more for exclusivity and I can't really say I blame them. FF7 is what put Sony on the map alongside Metal Gear Solid so I can totally see why they wanted it to be on their platform only. Will FF16 and/or 7 Remake, Rebirth and whatever the third game come to other platforms? Maybe? Probably? Who knows, but I honestly feel Square Enix isn't hurting that bad for it seeing they got their money. Sony on the other hand this hurts more knowing most folks aren't buying the PS5 like crazy and IF they are the FF games are not the reason for the majority buying that system. This is coming from someone who adores FF7 Remake and Rebirth and is excited for the third game. Heck I would mind double dipping them on the Switch successor IF that's possible.

Square Enix needs to get out of these deals that they have with Sony, They need to launch day and date on PC and Xbox aswell.

No sales update 2 months after launch shows ff7 rebirth is not selling great. Even more so with the fact that square annouced early sales for ff16 and ff7 remake.

I don't think exclusively is the issue. As you said, there are just too many games. It's also the overpriced offers, and people just don't seem interested or have the time. People just have more options.

I think ff7 fatigue is also another reason people already burned out with how SE milk ff7 for decades, thus people are not really buying anything that's ff7 related.

i think allot of og ff7 fans are pissed off about the multiverse out of the blue thing

Inflations on everything has been insane people have to pay bills and eat a lot dont have as much money for entertainment now.

I don't think SE should worry about the sales of Rebirth, especially when the game hits Steam. A good game will find its audience and be successful in the long run.

Timed exclusive, Multiverse. Nuff said.

I love Final Fantasy but there are a few things. For one, I think it’s fair to say that the series hasn’t had a truly beloved entry since X back in 2001. The VII remake project probably should’ve been a 2 parter at most, a trilogy didn’t need to happen. Similar point, they should’ve stuck to the original story and just fleshed out some things like Jessie’s back story being a great example. I enjoyed remake a lot but the ending left me feeling a little shaky and the whisperers did nothing for me. The brand/series needs a cohesive vision. They used to be able to make big shifts entry to entry but now I think it’s hurting them. It keeps systems from being truly fine tuned and I think gives some uncertainty to new comers on what to expect

I don't know if there are a ton of games to pick from on ps5

Stop defending Rebirth sales ponies, SE is in bad numbers and more ps5 in houses wont solve their problem, better get rid on those contracts with sony and soon as possible

Tried getting into FF7 but was pretty confused on which game I should start playing and the names didn't help either so I just started FF7 Crisis core reunion.

The moment they screwed PS4 owners with the DLC was the moment anybody interested lost it. Combine that with Kingdom Hearts and bad level design and it's not a surprise part 3 is looking like the worst main FF sales wise.

I think the biggest factors on why sales is not reaching Square Enix’s expectations is because Remake released during the start of pandemic. People were stuck at home and had more time to go out of their way to purchase the game. Rebirth is a sequel where you are basically required to play the first game understand to plot. People who haven’t played Remake are gonna buy that game first before they buy Rebirth.

It's possible Square Enixed planned for this. Not that they WANTED it to happen, but they planned on it because the timed exclusive ends in May, which is much shorter than with Remake. So it's likely the PC release will be announced at Summer Game Fest....which when I think on it is likely another reason why sales are low now. Considering that $70 price point, many don't have it to double dip. With the major critiques of performance mode, many people are probably waiting for the PC port which is likely slated for this year.

Keeping FF on PS alone is killing FF and Sauare. Square has to get their head out of their butt.

Square Enix always sets unrealistic goals... no wonder it "underperforms"

If you were tell a Fire emblem fan and Xenoblade fan a decade ago that one day, their favorite franchise would sell on par with a FF game and not just any FF game, a remake of FF7.The Fire emblem fan and Xenoblade Fan would have all called you crazy fanboy that doesn't know anything about jrpgs and to lay off the drugs. FF fans would ask you what is Fire emblem and Xenoblade. For context Fire emblem Awakening wouldve been out in the US for a year and Xenoblade x is 2 years out from releasing

The last 3 main FF games have been very bad when compared to their timeless classics

The thing is, when Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced, a lot, if not all, were expecting the game to be a 1:1 faithful to its original Playstation 1 version. AND, Remake released around the time COVID had swept through the entire world and everyone was stuck at home. Ever since its release, the game divided its own fanbase. Some people hated the direction the story was going and some hated that it wasn't turn-based. It might sound like small issues, but people really do take that to heart and it significantly affects their decision to even want to continue on with the games' 3-part story.

I’ll buy FF 7 rebirth on a sale. Maybe people feel the cost isn’t worth it. Remake had a few things going for it especially riding the nostalgia train. But like OJ said on spawncast about his brother’s feelings on this FF7 trilogy. People just wanted the same FF 7 in one game with vastly upgraded graphics and gameplay improvements but still the same game turn based system. Instead Square Enix wanted milk the FF 7 cow dry with 3 games. I mean an entire game 40 hrs plus in Midgar while in the original it was 5 hours only and that’s only on the first disc too. FF 7 burnout at least until they create a full sequel and new story instead of side story or movie that’s a rehash.

The biggest problem is its exclusivity for PS5. If it’s more opened to other platforms, it would have done better.

Music to my ears. Square needs no lube for this rear pounding. It is what they get for doing exclusives.

Maybe this is one consequence of treating the trilogy as mainline titles. This is still a remake of the og no matter how remake is defined, so players are automatically divided into liking or hating the story direction. Players who didn't like game 1 most likely didn't buy game 2 no matter how promising the trailers are. This is another layer on top of the general liking and disliking the direction of mainline final fantasy games.

I enjoyed the vast majority of Rebirth but good lord that ending…that was the worst. I was just groaning “come on, just end, Idgaf about who is going to fall into another world anymore, this is just stupid”.

I know a lot of folks that ONLY play games like Fortnite. They pay 500 plus for a system and only play one game. I tried introducing games like FF7, Kingdom Hearts, etc but they just don’t care.

So basically what you're saying is the remake of a super popular title of a long running series is doing poorer than a brand new game with a new style of gameplay that was really well received by most people expect by parts of the old school fans who then try to make it look bad and downplay it's sales success while also antagonizing the fans who like the newer gamer So basically Final fantasy is in the same position as paper mario And is a preview of what to expect in terms of sales performance for ttyd remake incomparison to origami king Good😂

well FF16 SOLD 3m on 38m PS5s VS FF7 Rebirth 1.7m on 50m PS5s so being only on PS5 is not the issue 🙄

> people ask for remake for 20+ years > Make a sequel in three parts, sell it as a remake and lie to everybody prior to the game coming out > People stop buying your product because it's not what was promised at all > Sales slump > Square Enix: shocked Pikachu face

Things may be getting so much worse for FF7 Rebirth which is great news to hear. But deep down, people do know the real reasons for that and the usual excuses like “I’ll wait for it to be on PC”, or “it should be multiplatform” are not the reasons. Look closely, think carefully, and do some heavy research and you’ll see.

What people typically don't talk about are contributing factors like: 1. *Platform Exclusivity*: Rebirth was released exclusively on PS5, which has a smaller install base compared to the PS4 when the Remake was released². This limited the potential audience from the start. 2. *Market Saturation*: The increase in the number of gaming options and the competition within the market could have impacted the sales. 3. *Franchise Fatigue*: With many entries in the Final Fantasy series, some consumers might experience franchise fatigue, leading to lower interest in newer releases⁴. 4. Digital Sales: There's a shift towards digital sales, which can make it harder to track and compare to previous titles that had stronger physical sales⁵. 5. Timing: The Remake was released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have boosted its sales due to more people staying at home. 6. *Economic Factors*: General economic conditions, such as recessions or reduced disposable income, can affect entertainment spending. 7. *Critical Reception*: While both games were well-received, the initial hype surrounding the Remake due to its long-awaited status could have driven higher initial sales.

(Only 5 minutes in to the video)What do you expect, waiting 3 years for a continuation?

It's a combination of PS5 exclusivity, people growing up and going outside more after Covid fatigue, and being increasingly disinterested in following passion in exchange for trends since the whole idea of playing/watching/reading as many video games/shows/book as possible to have value socially is taking over. It's doesn't feel like people are disinterested in FFVII, but eveything they do in general.

I mean Rebirth is on a console with a current est install base of 50+ million. With a massive marketing push. When Remake came out on PS4 it had a 110 million consoles sold. More than double the install base.

I think you make a good point about the price point. Despite how big the trilogy may be, I think people intrinsically think to play what they perceive as a single game for $200 is just a hard sell.

Remake was on a console with 100 million install.

The 1.6-1.8 million numbers doesnt make sense when they say there is a peak player count of 2.2 million

A few things to keep in mind the PS5 install base is around 55 million, the game is $70, it’s the second part to a trilogy that started on PS4, and PS5 exclusives just aren’t selling I mean take a look at Spider-Man 2 it only managed to sell 10 million while Spider-Man PS4 sold 40 million. As time goes on more people will get a chance to play it and have the system to play Part 3 on as long as PS5 is still current gen.

Sucks for rebirth, also gonna suck for stellar blade. Should have been on pc. But i guess stellar blade does not have to sell as much a rebirth.

You thin that if things don't improve soon, SE might consider porting Rebirth to PC sooner than expected to make up the loses in PS5?

Well,... John Lee's probably right. Especially, since that scene was trending around the same time the Sweet Baby Inc. controversy was really starting. But even though I still believe it's because Japan is just tired of FF in general & they're uninterested in Playstation these days, I also think it's because they knew that Rebirth is just Part 2 of a trilogy to a story that a lot of OG fans didn't like the ending to Part 1. And Part 3 will come in 3-5 years.

the main issue is the PS5 bullsht exclusive...like , you've already release a steam version for remake, then you make them wait again....wtf

it would sell more if it was on more platforms day one in all honesty as i see it its not even released before its on pc maybe at most a pre release

I did not like that remake didn't stick more closely to the original storyline, so I'm waiting for rebirth to be on sale. I liked the combat but not enough to justify 70usd for a game whose story changes will most likely make me cringe

Do the trackers, track digital sales? It seems like digital is far bigger nowadays. We know the game has sold over 2.2 million. We know that. This isn't exactly horrendous. Lol did remakes sales figures include the eventual ps+ inclusion also? We have to remember Sony gives them a bag also. When the game hits PC it'll also get a second life. No one really expects it to surpass remake but the gameis great, It's a game of the year contender. I mean the negative talk around it seems so unnecessary. I get some people are butthurt about it being an expanded trilogy, which to me is weird I think big fans would be in love with seeing everything expanded and how beautiful it all looks. That's just me. The story can seem a little bonkers but they have to leave some stuff as a mystery for the conclusion ofcourse and there's a lot of things here where it's like anyone whose played the series games and read the ultimanias it's like there's stuff in here for everyone. And the die hards have seemingly really loved what they've done. Cause there's hints and references everywhere.

Unicorn overlord was one of my favorite games this year and I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't come to the switch

People underrate how much buying a 70 dollar game is straining the wallets of gamers. Especially younger ones. So many games, too much money to spend on them, and a question to the substance you get for your bucks. Its hurting the market in general and its an issue that needs to be corrected or else the industry will crash eventually. Nintendo would be smart to keep their current approach. Make a system that isnt trying to compete with Sony, but uses its limited hardware where it needs to be and create fun, unique experiences and not try to be an open world 100 hour movie.

I am buying FF7 rb, but not yet. I haven't finished crisis core

There may be several reasons why FFVII Rebirth is underperforming saleswise. As you mentioned it, the "sequel in a planned trilogy effect" might be one of them but i hardly believe that Square Enix didn't anticipate it. It's a well known fact that sequels tend to sell less copies than the first game (because people who buy sequels usually bought and liked the first entry). By this logic, the third game should sell less copies than the second. They probably accounted for that in their exclusivity deal with PlayStation. There may also be a Final Fantasy fatigue. Since 2020, SE releases : Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) / Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (2021) / Stranger of paradise Final Fantasy Origin (2022) / Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2022) / Final Fantasy XVI (2023) / Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024) Even if some games are just spin-offs or definitive editions, that's a copious amount of time and money that SE is asking people to invest in the FF franchise.

As an Xbox/Switch owner I'll gladly buy FF7Remake/Rebirth if they come to any of these consoles, I did buy FF7 crisis core reunion on Series X and enjoy it a lot :)

Lord of the Rings was 3 books : and got 3 movies. The Hobbit was 1 book : and got 1 movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was 1 book : and got 2 movies FF7 "remake" "reimagining" was NEVER for the fans.

Man, the amount of copium in many of these comments are crazy. No, it wasn't because of being a PS5 exclusive, nor any other of those BS excuses. The FF VII Sequel Trilogy (falsely advertised as a remake) just doesn't have a real audience. For the first point, the game is underperforming compared to freaking FF XVI, despite the fact that game was also an exclusive and the installed base was even smaller. Not to mention it's trailing far behind other PS5 exclusives like "Spider-Man 2". And even then, a multiplatform release would NOT have changed things much. If you look at the sales figures of previous multiplatform FF games, you'll see only around 15-20% of sales are made on XBox and PC. Most people who play primarily on those platfoms just don't like JRPGs in general. As for the real reason I mentioned, you only need to see the two primary target audiences for the "Remake", and see that Square Enix shot themselves in the foot by turning it into a sequel. Fans of the original who wanted the story being modernized got massively alienated when "Remake" revealed itself to be actually a sequel. And then "Rebirth" took it to the next level of offensive by confirming the existence of a freaking multiverse into the mix. Then you have the other main target audience: people who hadn't played the original and to whom Square Enix could have reached by modernizing the story. By making it a sequel, all they managed to do was to confuse the heck out of them, since they lack the context needed for understanding what's going on. Probably they thought that audience would perceive those sequel elements as "Mystery Boxes" of sorts, but they didn't take into account that FF VII is not a story made for that approach (very few stories are, but that's another discussion). The only audience for these games are basically people who are contrarians and/or cynical of the current state of gaming. You know, the people who DIDN'T want the Remake to even exists in the first place, so they felt validated when the Remake turned out to be a sequel. I wouldn't be surprised if the possibility of raising Square Enix's clout and social status among the video game intelligentsia for was part of the project objetives. The company's reputation has been questionable at best for two entire decades now, after all. But it's never a good idea trying to increase your reputation by listening to your haters.

I think part of it is because thete are still alot of people that haven't got a PS5 still soayne not having a PS4 copy was a problem for this game. I know people that still havent got a PS5 mainly due to the cost of living situation right now

Well, im playung remake now, about 3/4 through. I mightplay FF15 next, then Rebirth. I just love the team combat.Ii fell in love with the style when i played Guardians Of the Galaxy. Combat and banter combied for excellence! Now i see why people wished you could swap between characters in GOTG. Its incredibly fun.

Well, when you state all those facts. Yea, there was a lot of factors as to why Rebirth's had a less than stellar sales record. I doubt Square is panicking, but this will concern them when considering their next move with Final Fantasy. As for the case with Persona. Whatever Atlus has planned for 1 & 2, their gonna give them more than Bandai Namco has for their older games.

I think the whole meta remake thing turned off a lot of people. Remake’s ending was polarizing. I think SE should just stick to making one solid numbered title with no sequels or spinoffs. Just one solid story with a definitive info. No other shenanigans.

PS5 is the dudebro console. Square Enix still doesn't understand this, or maybe they finally realized it given their "multiplatform push". So many of these PS5 exclusives do not sell well, because publishers still don't understand that it's the dudebro console. Stellar Blade, for all the hype barely sold that many copies. PS5 is the console of sports games and shooters, CoD, Madden, NBA2K, FIFA etc. If you want to sell Japanese games with fanservice, you will only truly succeed with Steam or Nintendo. That's where all the fans of those types of games migrated.

Honestly I think part of the reason it's doing poorly is FFVII's name was used too recently like maybe people are sick of more nostolgia bait with the title. 7:40 The Switch has Fire Emblem of course a similar game like Unicorn Overlord would do well there would sell well there, pretty shocked they weren't planning on selling it on the switch

Maybe the secesser of the switch can handle ff7 remake and rebirth since I keep on hearing the specs as powerful as a ps4

I've played all the mainline final Fantasy games since 10 I'm really 8 most kind of sucked. This is the first one that made I've actually enjoyed again and finally feel like they found their place in modern games. I didn't enjoy remake. But I'm loving rebirth besides a few of the story changes. As far as the game play, mechanics, mini Games music and overall vibe on point. So let's hope it sells better.

LOL I'm all on board for remasters are remakes of the first ones I ain't never played them, so I would have really look forward to that. but I wouldn't be the only one hoping that they get remade in higher quality in frame and better graphics. and I'm pretty sure they would sell so they're not going to lose money The problem is time and How many people they got working on it? and how many people they got working persona 6. But yes, when these games release, my wallet will be hurting me yet again.

I played Remake on PS4. I want it play Remake, but don’t have a PS5 yet. I want the best experience and with talks of a PS5 Pro I’m waiting for that to drop.

If we get a remake, then that means they will update the graphics for it. Since it is a 15 year old game. Also, I would love to see Persona 1 and 2 as a remake/remaster, cause we need big changes. Like graphics for today’s audience and minor updates or additions stories for it.

You can try to spin it any way you want. But the truth is Rebirth (and Remake before it) is a completely different experience for players new to the series and its not as good as it is for OG7 players who get to see a modern reimagining of their favorite game. Its really just that simple. Rebirth's ceiling is the core OG7 players with a PS5. It has no appeal beyond that demographic.

Honestly I’m just waiting for it to go on sale. I ain’t paying 70 😭😂

I still really loved rebirth, yes it sucks that we didn’t get a complete game with all of ff7 and there are some side content in rebirth that…..isn’t the greatest….but I still put it in my top three favorite ff games with 6 and 10

I think it is probably selling poorly due to the price of the PS5 still being high and many people still using the PS4. Personally, I want to play it but I am going to wait for a PC release. It is not worth buying a PS5 just for this game. I also felt that, for the price, FF7 Remake was a very short game.

It's sold over 2 million copies which isn't what they wanted but it's far from horrible.

If I really want torture myself i may pick up the complete edition with all 3 parts on PS6 in 2029

Really unfortunate, I really like this game...

Good, let this convoluted fan service mess die 🚮

Let's just tell it like it is Final Fantasy games are not the bangers they once were when Sakaguchi was at Square, instead we have Nomura's team who are simply terrible at telling stories.

SE being silent on the sales is one thing... How the crazy FF fans defend the sales is what amazes me lol. Goalpost move after another goalpost move.

It's sold around 2 million so far

Yes, exclusivity and install base hurt the sales. The biggest reason for me is the awful new story of Remake. I didn't finish it and won't touch the sequels.

System sellers do still exist. But a 30yo game even if remade is certainly not one.

This game is the epitome of what the market doesn’t want anymore. A tired open world design and reviews that promise it gets good after double digit hours. They overdid everything. I would have easily traded the open world to larger towns with more to do in the towns, like Midgar in remake. Locking the best items behind mini games and annoying non battle related challenges is probably a huge turn off as well. It was for me, and sure, I got em, but I’m not replaying this game any time soon. It’s just too annoying and too long in the wrong places.

Mini game simulator. The game is bloated with mini games. Its just not that good. point blank period.

This game great just finished it yesterday

I wonder if P3R is going to outsell FF7 Rebirth?

I'm just waiting till I can get on PC as right now I have no interest in buying a PS5 just to play this game when I mainly play JRPGs on other platforms like PC or Switch.

I'm sure Sony payed for the exclusivity. People that own the ps5 not necessarely are jrg fans. Perhaps is more on switch

I'd love to really know. Where did all the ps4 players go? Was ps4 cheap enough to drive sales? I skipped the console release in both cases as a PC guy. Ps5 is clearly ahead of xbox so its unlikely to be people switching systems.

The reason is honestly much simpler than that. Direct sequels(games that are tied and connected narratively and are continuations, not stand alone sequels like GTA, Mario, RE or every other mainline FF) RARELY ever sell better than their first games. The biggest games like Spider-Man 2, GoW Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Zelda TotK, TLoU2 all have failed to outsell their previous entries, and they don’t even come close. You can’t expect a 100% retention rate because not everybody who bought the first game is invested and will buy into the sequel, this applies especially to narrative driven games. The only stand out examples of a direct sequel selling better than their previous games are Red Dead 2 and Witcher 3, but even those have caveats to them. RDR2 is a prequel game and the Witcher series only really blew up because of the 3rd game which was most people’s first Witcher game. I’m sure there are others, but like I’ve said, they are pretty rare and are not the norm.

With this game being a goty candidate it will have legs.

This Rebirth sales discussion has been so overblown imo. Has it underperformed? Probably, knowing Square Enix and their unrealistic expectations for every game (5 million for Tomb Raider 2013's debut sales was a letdown apparently), but people are running around saying it's only sold 2 million which is blatantly false, and their evidence is day one concurrent players being 2.21 million, which is over 2 million, and not account for anybody who bought day one or pre-ordered but were busy with other things and ended up having to wait a little bit longer (like me) or any of the people who purchased the game during the entire month of March and first half of April. A complete guess on my end but based on this information, Rebirth is probably over 2.5 million but under 3 million sales. Much of this seems to be coming from the usual console warrior suspects, and it's becoming incredibly annoying how you can't discuss topics in a fair manner now without console warriors and culture warriors stinking the place up with disingenuous and bad faith takes.

People don’t buy new AAA games now as much as few years ago. Inflation, quality issues and many great indie games (plus shame pile of older games)

All these takes are going to age like milk. Wait for the 2nd quarter report.

I also think another reason why the younger generation isn’t jumping on Rebirth is spending power. I don’t know many friends who do have a PS5 because a £500 system is a big ask for my generation. Even the friends I know that are interested in Rebirth don’t have the system and are just sticking to switch with the myriad of JRPGS available on it.