Dragon Quest IX Breaks Sales Records

With all the hype of Final Fantasy XIII and the other games being released by Square Enix, that doesn't mean they have forgotten about their other Mega-Bucks Franchise, Dragon Quest. with the recent release of DQ9 Square has decided to make available information about how well the series has been doing on the DS.

Recent news has told us that the sales of this jewel broke records across the boards with 4.15 million copies sold in japan alone; passing the lifetime sales of DQ VIII to become the best selling game of the entire series! all this and the game hasn't even been released in the west. When it does release however, it will push the record breaking sales even farther.

12/22/09 Allen Stewart

FFXIII Sold 1.4 million Copies In Week One, Over 100k Bundles

The biggest game release in Japan this generation did not disappoint in the sales department.

According to data collected by VGChartz, Final Fantasy XIII sold roughly 1.4 million copies in its first week of availability at retail in the land of the rising sun. 1.25 million were standalone copies while another 100k were copies bundled with the PS3. Will it become the best selling Final Fantasy game in Japan? That's an answer that can't be given right now, the PS3's install base is only three times the size of Final Fantasy XIII, which means we should see a heavy drop in sales with anywhere from 200k-250k in the second week.

PS3 already sold 75,000 units last week in Japan so over 100,000 would have been sold without Final Fantasy XIII. When the bundle is factored in, it's expected that PS3 hardware sales should rise 175,000 to 225,000 units for the week.

Also, Final Fantasy XIII sales numbers are in line with previous titles which tend to rise about 20 percent from day one to week one. Stories have been circulating claiming that the game will not do as well as its predecessors, but sometimes the best analysts are the gamers themselves. Do you think FFXIII will outperform previous titles, or is the PS3 install base just too small in Japan to overtake the likes of FFX? Let us know in the comments below.

UPDATE: According to Famitsu, FFXIII sold 1,516,532 copies in the first week (as of December 20th). Also, the game helped boost PS3 hardware sales with 245,406 units sold last week in Japan. Great numbers.

12/21/09 Ernice Gilbert

Final Fantasy import pre-orders are off the charts

The highly anticipated RPG from Square-Enix, Final Fantasy XIII, will be out a few painstaking months in Japan before we the lowly westerners get our hands on it, that is if you don't mind listening to the Japanese language and spending $90 plus shipping and handling to get it.

See what it costs to get the game over? And yet it's the biggest pre-ordered import game thus far this generation according to The Unofficial Final Fantasy site. Bayonetta follows closely which is expected; the game is being hyped to Pluto these days, with some even calling it a GOW killer.

Not too sure about the GOW killer babble however the game looks decent. But getting back on topic, there's nothing wrong if you're a die-hard fan of the legendary franchise to import the Japanese version. I'll be waiting for the western version reason being I'm no where close to understanding even the simplest quotes in Japanese, and I'm the type who love to pay close attention to the story-line of games, and as we know there's no other series that delves into story like Final Fantasy.

If you don't care about interaction, or can understand Japanese, then import it here. Just don't come leaking all the important moments, hence spoiling the game for the rest of us. Don't do it.

12/07/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: New Final Fantasy XIII ad is Lightning fast

I wish I was in Japan right now. Seriously, apart from visiting the country being one of my lifelong dreams, I would love to see the pandemonium that will take place on December 17th of this year.

Final Fantasy XIII drops like a bomb in Japan this Christmas season, and believe me, gamers will literally tent outside of retail outlets just to get their hands on what is arguably the biggest RPG of this generation.

This new ad released does nothing to help the situation, it certainly adds to the expected madness however. Oh, and don't blink, it's Lightning fast!

Quench your thirst.

12/07/09 Ernice Gilbert

Multiplayer designer wanted for new Tomb Raider?

A new Tomb Raider title is apparently in the pipeline according to a help-seeking ad put up by Crystal Dynamics. The company is seeking a designer to "lead multiplayer vision and design effort for one of the most prestigious franchises in the industry".

Some might think the ad is for a new Legacy of Kain, but I don't think so. This new job posting is most likely for the Tomb Raider title that was rumored to be in the works for some time now.

The listing mentions multiplayer maps, which hints at competitive online and not only cooperative campaign support.

I would definitely welcome a new Tomb Raider game, let's hope the next iteration in this long running legendary franchise is better than anything we've seen in the past.

Thanks Joystiq.

12/07/09 Ernice Gilbert

Consoles are a dying medium says wada

Square-Enix President Yoichi Wada is predicting that in the next five years "console games" won't exist. He also said that his company has been preparing for the change by beefing up production of social and browser games at its Japan studio, so when that time comes around, they'll be ready.

"In ten years time, a lot of what we call 'console games' won't exist.

"Somewhere around 2005, the console manufacturer's strategy shifted," Wada said.

"In the past the platform was hardware, but it has switched to the network. A time will come when the hardware isn't even needed anymore.

"With that, any kind of terminal becomes a potential platform on which games can be played - that's exponential growth in the potential of gaming. The potential size of the market is enormous.

Wada also warned that all distributors and sales firms will suffer a big negative impact if they fail to make the shift on time.

That's a very interesting perspective, but will broadband be ubiquitous in the U.S and Europe in the next ten years? We don't know, however it's one of the many pieces that must fit in the puzzle; so now it's a wait and see situation, but if Wada is correct on one thing, it's that manufacturers and distributors had better take heed. Because technology and time is progressing at extreme speeds.

11/26/09 Ernice Gilbert

Gamers with both consoles will buy FFXIII for PS3, not Xbox 360

Have you been reading the forums, or paying attention to topics concerning the once PS3 exclusive franchise Final Fantasy? If not, you're missing out on the argument of the century. If you own a PS3 and Xbox 360, for which console will you purchase Final Fantasy XIII, the biggest RPG this generation?

Many gamers on websites spanning the globe and forums alike are coming to the conclusion that it would just feels better to play the title on PS3. Some claim the graphics will look better, others say they don't want to be swapping discs and fear that one might get scratched. but does it really matter what system you purchase the game for? According to Square-Enix it don't. They say it'll run the same on both systems. The graphics will render the same, the length will be the same, and gameplay will be identical. The only difference now is the fact the title will be available in Japan exclusively for the PS3.

But recently, I've been reading some intriguing threads in forums where Xbox 360 owners claimed that the 360 version of the game rendered in 1080p whereas the PS3 renders in 720p, making the argument that it'll obviously look better on Microsoft's box.

Also, PS3 affectionados contend that the white engine that Final Fantasy XIII runs on was built specifically for the PS3 and therefore it's only natural that the game run better on the system the engine was made for.

At the end I would have to agree that it just feels natural to play the game on PS3. The reasons are obvious; almost every Final Fantasy title was exclusive to the Playstation brand and the big hitters like FFVII, FVIII, and FFX can only be experienced on it. Breaking that "tradition" would be like playing Halo 4 PS3. But that's my take and the majority of gamers who own both the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Thoughts anybody?

11/23/09 Ernice Gilbert

Square-Enix is working on first global game in Montreal says Wada

Square-Enix is serious about making a big push into the western markets, in fact the acquisition of Eidos earlier this year for over $121 million is a testament to the company's commitment.

Speaking at the Montreal Game Summit, Square-Enix president Yoichi Wada confirmed that the they have in development their "first global game" at Eidos Montreal alongside Deux Ex 3 and Thief 4.

The "first global game' is Square-Enix's first title since acquiring Eidos in April.

"[It] would be the first collaboration between Square-Enix and Montreal. We would like to be able to create a new title that is made by the group as one," Wada said.

Whatever it is, it's definitely something to pay close attention to. We'll do that for you.

Get more through here.

11/16/09 Ernice Gilbert

Final Fantasy XIII drops leveling and experience system

According to Japanese magazine Shounen Jump, Final Fantasy XIII will not have a leveling system and no experience points. Rather than the normal trademark EXP, players will earn Crystal Points which can be used to upgrade each fighter's individual skills. Apparently, all of the traditional Final Fantasy skills such as HP and what not will need to be upgraded using these points. The only exception being MP, which is completely absent from this entry in the series.

The skill board that the CP is used on (similar to Final Fantasy XII's license board) is created in such a way that you are encouraged to upgrade each character into a specific role such as White Mage and Warrior - or something similar.

Yen causing Sony and Square-Enix to suffer

The U.S Dollar keeps falling, and the Japanese Yen keeps on rising. It's not Microsoft, nor Nintendo who's Sony's biggest worry, it's the projection that the Yen will continue to go up, and the U.S Dollar down.

Major Japanese electronics and auto companies who rely heavily on export-oriented business, are in a talespin over what to do about this huge dilemma. Companies like Samsung, which competes against Sony in the HDTV market, saw their profits triple to $3.24 billion, one of the reasons being that the Korean Won is much lower in value than the Yen, giving Samsung the competitive edge over its rival.

Recently, Square-Enix, another Japanese company, readjusted their profits forecast by a startling 65% to 2.6 billion Yen or $28.4 million. The publishing giant said the adjustment was needed because of "special factors" they were facing, one of them being unfavorable trade exchange rates between the Yen and the Dollar.

Japanese executives from across the board have been singing the same song, things cannot hold steady if this trend continues.

"An abrupt appreciation on the Yen will be tough for the Japanese economy," Yokitoshi Funo, Toyota Corp.'s executive vice president said.

Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito also said the currency rate will have a great impact on whether Japanese companies will be able to keep their bases in Japan or move them abroad where business conditions are more favorable.

"I sincerely hope Japan will remain a country where manufacturing sites can be maintained on a stable basis," he told Kyodo News.

So what will be Sony and Square-Enix's remedy? For one, Sony has been on a mission to cut cost, an effort that's already helping the software giant save cash. The company recently cut 16,000 jobs and closed numerous factories. On top of all the efforts mentioned, the Playstation 3 was redesigned and re-released at a lower price, because they found ways to reduce cost on various components, and pass on savings to consumers.

Square-Enix is also making moves of its own. Earlier this year, the company acquired Eidos Interactive for a substantial $121 million. Square has recognized that if they want to survive, they must move beyond Japan, a fact that caused them to open a new division in Europe, namely Square-Enix Europe.

No one is claiming that these two companies will fade, on the contrary, things a looking up for both of them. However, the rising Yen is still a heavy weight on said companies, a weight that has led to many good people loosing their jobs.

11/2/09 Ernice Gilbert