It's no secret that Falcom's Trails series has flourished in the west over the last decade or so, with the Cold Steel saga introducing a whole new wave of players on PS4.
In previous interviews, company CEO Toshihiro Kondo has confirmed that western sales now routinely eclipse Japanese sales of the same games — but it actually sounds like Falcom would have been in trouble had it not been for the success it's found overseas.
During the developer's latest shareholders meeting (as reported by @michsuzu), Kondo was asked about the concerning trend of declining sales in Japan. More specifically, the shareholder pointed out that sales of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter — the remake from earlier this year — were down on previous entries.
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In a rather candid response, Kondo admits that 1st Chapter's numbers actually fell "significantly short of projected quantities" — but only in Japan.
"We anticipated that such issues might arise in advance, which is why we pursued simultaneous global expansion," he explains. "Overseas, particularly in North America this time, we achieved the highest sales."
Kondo also mentions "significant growth" in markets such as China, particularly thanks to the title's release on PC via Steam.
Falcom obviously isn't the only Japanese company to look beyond its country's borders in recent times. Much bigger gaming entities, like Capcom, Square Enix, and Bandai Namco, have all had to adjust their strategies over the years thanks to a continued lack of interest in console releases (at least, beyond Nintendo's evergreen output).
Kondo concludes: "As for how we'll proceed in the future, we'll focus mainly on overseas markets and multi-platform strategies."
The future could hold some big changes for Falcom, then. It's worth remembering that Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter enjoyed a simultaneous worldwide release — the first in Falcom's history. Its upcoming sequel, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, will follow suit in autumn / fall 2026.
Are you glad that Falcom and its Trails games found success here in the west? Continue the Legend of Heroes in the comments section below.