Let's talk about the good sales of a PSP game that isn't called
Monster Hunter for one second, if you don't mind. The PSP-exclusive prequel to
Final Fantasy VII has made quite a bit of dough for Square Enix, as the company revealed updated sales numbers for the game. Since its release, it has seen nearly 2 million units sold across the world, with Japan buying the largest amount: 820k units. North America resulted in 610k sales, and Europe is responsible for 460k.
The strong figures for
Crisis Core may be why Square Enix has such a strong lineup of games planned for PSP. Compared to their DS games (
Final Fantasy IV) and Wii games (
Dragon Quest Swords),
Crisis Core has easily resonated the most with its audience.
[Via
NeoGAF]
{ Nov 7th 2008 at 5:56PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JK @ Nov 7th 2008 7:06PM
If a DS can handle 3D remakes of FF games, I'd like to see them on a PSP. Perhaps the same simple 3D (over-complicated textures look pixel-y), but smoother, more vibrant, and more feature-packed.
Barndo111 @ Nov 8th 2008 3:40AM
Sorry, this has nothing to do with your comment. But seriously, that's it? 2 million? 2 fricking million? This game has been out since March! The fact that any DS game can outsell this is a travesty. Anyone who owns a PSP shoud BUY this game! I say BUY because I want to punch anyone who pirated it in the face. Anyone who hasn't bought it and hasn't pirated it(which means they aren't an assface) should go out and buy it now. Seriously, go do it. You'll thank me, the PSP Fanboy staff and anyone with a brain later.
Shuyin @ Nov 8th 2008 7:43AM
@JK: it's not as simple as that. The DS can handle PSX like graphics, while the PSP can handle PS2 like graphics. That said, the FF remakes on the DS are easier to produce/develop, whereas a FF remade for the PSP would need a much bigger dev time and budget.
Think of a 3d FF4 remake for the PSP: the graphics wouldn't be SuperDeformed - they'd be realistic (which translates in a higher polygon count and a larger team of modellers); the animations would have to be realistic too (which translates by having a top animation departement on the job); it'll probably need a lot of voice acting too (which means they'd need to spend more money for V-As).
All in all, a FF remake on the PSP would have to be high-profile and automatically it'll need a big budget. Unless you want it as a 2d remake (a la FF I and II PSP remakes).
So from a business pov, it's more profitably to make remakes for the DS (lower dev costs - high profits) than for the PSP.
However, almost every SE game on the PSP is a high-profile title, so who need FF remakes on the PSP anyways (especially when you have a main title in the KH series, a FF brawler, a main title in the FNC compilation and a Parasite Eve sidequest on the PSP)
JK @ Nov 10th 2008 2:55AM
@ Shuyin:
I totally agree with what you're saying, but I'm also saying, as much as I loved Crisis Core, I wouldn't mind getting to play the exactly same chibi-deformed FF remakes ported from the DS. FFs are known for good story, and quality gameplay, sometimes less polygons can also mean longer battery life for the PSP and smoother, prettier things like color (which does affect gpu ram), lighting, and aliasing.
Jak Logan @ Nov 7th 2008 7:31PM
You know, I was just listening to this OST today... and I realized that I really must buy this game. It really is as influential as FF VII. The music, characterization, and graphics are outstanding. I do wish it were turn-based though.
Bryan S. @ Nov 7th 2008 7:31PM
Great, now "greatist hits" it and I'll pick it up.
Julio @ Nov 10th 2008 3:40PM
it costs 30 bucks now (at least in best buy), so it's half way to greatest hits... i almost bought it, got FF tactics instead (huge time sink)
Kevin @ Nov 7th 2008 7:43PM
I just got Crisis Core two days ago and I haven't been able to put it down yet!
aj @ Nov 7th 2008 8:05PM
I know, when I first bought it I ended up doing every single side mission that I could right at the beginning before even touching the main quest......which you shouldn't do, because you end up being horribly over levelled....but man, that game is addictive. I'd love to see a bonus missions pack on the online store or released as a UMD.....
Creciente @ Nov 8th 2008 5:28PM
Getting one soon!
aj @ Nov 7th 2008 8:03PM
I'm shocked to see how poorly DQIV has done in NA. That's a fantastic, fantastic game.
It's not suprising that Crisis Core has sold so well. Crisis Core is what convinced me to buy a PSP. It was worth it.
cafecito @ Nov 7th 2008 9:11PM
That's what happens when developers put their efforts in high-profile PSP games :)
Since Squeenix is giving us PSP fans some nice titles to look forward to, let's wish for their success, so other companies do the same!
BTW: I would've SO bought DQIV if it was for PSP.... I still own my NES cart of the game.
Vidaluko @ Nov 7th 2008 9:19PM
I have it, and is a great game, but put FFVII in anything and it would sell, check the sales of the other FF games in the PSP, and they are VERY low....
cafecito @ Nov 7th 2008 10:56PM
That's because the other FF games were:
a) Ultra-overpriced 2D remakes with nothing interesting worth noticing
b) A mega-flawed port of a PS1 game
TM @ Nov 8th 2008 12:22AM
is this worth the $20 buy?
Creciente @ Nov 8th 2008 5:27PM
This is worth $40. Consider yourself lucky if you found it for $20.
TM @ Nov 8th 2008 9:50PM
once it becomes a greatest hits title (which it will). I guess I thought it was already
Zippon @ Nov 8th 2008 3:40AM
Whoah, comparing sales vs per capita between the US and Japan makes it pretty clear why they never localize many of their games. Even on well-publicized games like Crisis Core, NA gamers are more likely to torrent than buy. Hard to argue with the numbers being presented here. :-(
dsvw56 @ Nov 8th 2008 7:29AM
Per capita has nothing to do with anything, since everyone doesn't own a PSP. Also, what about Europe? Far more people live in Europe than in NA, by like 2:1, and more PSP's were sold there than in the USA or Japan. Yet Europe has by far the lowest sales.
Since the sales of PSP's between Japan and NA are roughly equal (last time I seen the figures it was around 11mil per region), the fact that Final Fantasy is exponentially more popular in Japan than it is in NA, and that Crisis Core was released 6 months earlier in Japan, I'd say the difference in sales between Japan and NA is right where you'd figure it to be.
On average, CC has sold about 75,000 units per month in NA and only about 55,000 units per month in Japan. Considering the market base is actually about the same size, Crisis Core is selling much better in NA.
Econ 101
Learn it.
Nezrou @ Nov 8th 2008 5:10AM
Whoa, that's a suprise for me, I thought that DQ 4 sold better than CC all the time. Yeah, that would explain why there are so many awesome titles coming from Square Enix, it seemed weird that they were announcing so many high profile games while every other company ignores PSP.
I hope that Dissidia and other Square Enix titles will share similiar success. Honestly games announced by them are the main reason that keeps me from ditching PSP and getting a DS.
Bowser the Baptist @ Nov 8th 2008 6:36AM
Those TWEWY numbers make me rather glum.
I still need to pick up Crisis Core. It's got to the stage where I'm not sure whether I will ever buy the game. I may hold out for Dissida instead, that looks incredible.
Alien @ Nov 8th 2008 9:17AM
Well its a FFVII spinoff... so yeah, sales are big :D
theMediaman @ Nov 8th 2008 9:35AM
I got my PSP partly on the faint hope that they might rerelease FFVII for PSP. When CC was announced, I couldn't wait to get it.
Hey Square! I think this is proof that a rerelease of FFVII will make you money. Go for it!
cafecito @ Nov 8th 2008 4:32PM
I don't think FFVII has aged well. Just the other day I was playing the PC version in search for nostalgia, and boy does it look like crap. It looked so much better in my memories =P
Don't get me wrong, I consider FFVII as one of the landmarks of RPG gaming and is one of my all-time faves... it's just that time has taken its toll.
theMediaman @ Nov 8th 2008 4:58PM
I know. But there were a lot of developers who were able to update the 3D rendering with software patches, and made it fully compatible with XP in the meantime.
http://www.ff7-universe.com/Download.html
After I finished CC I installed FFVII on my PC and also started playing it again. It would just be nice to play it on-the-go.
TM @ Nov 8th 2008 9:52PM
I want to know how God of war is doing. Can you post those sales?
LordAbsu @ Nov 9th 2008 12:28PM
"Drafon Quest Sword"?
That mad me laugh.
Dr Haisook @ Nov 9th 2008 2:03PM
I'm not a Final Fantasy fan; my first was FFII remake on the PSP and it was great until I began getting the GAME OVER more often than I would have liked, so I stopped playing. I'm now playing Kingdom of Paradise, and so far it's been great. However, I think I'll give CC a shot sooner or later being a recent FF game.
PostedOval @ Nov 10th 2008 1:41PM
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this game!
Nugent @ Nov 10th 2008 9:34PM
One more plug for this game. I played FFVII a long time ago, and really didn't like it. It pretty much made me stop buying Square games, actually. I thought the game as a whole was completely overhyped.
I only got Crisis Core on a whim and after a lot of prodding, and it has been a great buy. Its an excellent game, and is a great example of a well done prequel. It explains a lot of what happens in FFVII while being an interesting story by itself. I wasn't a big fan of the DMW, but the combat is pretty fun overall.
After finishing FFVII I thought the plot was full of holes, I thought that Cloud was a tool, and I really just was dissatisfied. After playing Crisis Core the plot holes made sense, I realized that Cloud really was a good hero, and I was really tempted to dig up my copy of FFVII and replay it (until I remembered that I gave it away since I hated it).
It really makes me wonder how someone who actually liked FFVII would enjoy the Crisis Core, if I enjoyed it that much.
Crisis Core is a really good game. Buy it.