Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sales are much lower than expected. According to industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the game has sold about half of that of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake during the same time frame.
Ahmad says Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has sold about half of what Remake sold during the same time on the market without taking into account any PS+ freebies. If you recall, Final Fantasy VII Remake was added to PlayStation Plus a year after its original launch. However, that was only done to drive sales for the Yuffie DLC alongside a paid upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5 version.
There are a number of factors we can consider when looking at the poor sales for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. First off, Remake launched at the start of the global lockdown in early 2020. People were likely looking for something to play and the game’s hyped-up marketing drove a lot of sales for the title.
Secondly, the initial launch of Remake was an exciting time for Final Fantasy VII fans. Perhaps after playing the game, gamers decided Square Enix didn’t do the story justice and skipped the sequel. Honestly, I have been struggling to play Rebirth myself as the game feels more like a mini-game collection.
Thirdly, global spending is down across the board and the current living crisis means people don’t spend money on entertainment as they try to survive the tough economic climate. Lastly, the PS5 exclusive launch also contributes to the lower sales number. Without PS4 owners around, the game won’t hit the same target as Remake which launched across both systems.
Square Enix is currently working on the final chapter in the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga which the studio hopes to get completed within the next three years. Perhaps the excitement around the sequel will help drive sales. It is definitely too early to tell.
Source: X
