Square Enix always attaches absurd expectations to its Final Fantasy franchise, and rarely ever seems to be happy with how the series sells.
Recently it completely overhauled its business to prioritise multiformat publishing, even if its plan doesn’t appear to apply to series like Bravely Default. (Seriously, what the f*ck?)
But veteran director Naoki Yoshida – who’s famous for his work on Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16 – believes there’s another problem with the brand: it only appeals to old people.
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Recently he made some controversial comments, claiming he believes the long gaps between releases has prevented Square Enix from building a fanbase among younger players.
That’s now been backed by some evidence, with Circana data revealing around 62% of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth players in the US were over the age of 35. A whopping 77% were over 30.
Now before we get called out in the comments again, we appreciate people in their 30s aren’t old per se. But this data definitely does show an ageing fanbase, and a franchise that’s failing to catch on with younger demographics.
But we’re not sure how Square Enix breaks this cycle. Rebirth, for example – as brilliant as it is – is the middle part of a remake trilogy, inspired by a game originally released in 1997. What does the publisher expect here?
Anime is bigger than it’s ever been among younger demographics, so there’s no reason why Final Fantasy can’t appeal to younger players.
And last year’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, while it didn’t register sales anywhere close to what Square Enix would expect for a Final Fantasy, proved that a traditional turnbased RPGs can be part of the gaming zeitgeist.
Personally, we reckon Square Enix needs to drop decades of baggage and start over. Ditch the complicated numbers, shed as much of its history as possible, and start over.
Final Fantasy needs its Resident Evil 7: Biohazard moment – an instalment that changes the trajectory of the franchise, and puts it on a more modern path.