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Final Fantasy XV 10 million unit goal isn’t about profit, but the team’s personal ambitions By Erren Van Duine on April 1, 2016 at 10:01 AM

It’s no secret Final Fantasy XV has been in development for a long time. While the game we see today has only been in development for the better part of the past 3 years or so, Square Enix probably spent a lot of resources on the original Final Fantasy Versus XIII concept as well.

So just how much has the game cost so far? Well we don’t know that quite yet but director Hajime Tabata did clue us in on how many copies of the game need to be sold for it to be considered a success. Speaking with European press following Uncovered, Tabata said the game needs to sell upwards of 10 million units over its lifetime. This has nothing to do with profitability, however.

In a statement issued to Famitsu, Tabata clarified the 10 million figure is nothing more than a goal for the team. He said the number is probably exaggerated but was put out to demonstrate the team’s lofty ambitions. “We’ve thought about what we need to do to achieve this number and tasked ourselves with this huge objective.”

This isn’t the first time Tabata has spoken on the challenges of his game. Previously he expressed his desire for XV to surpass Final Fantasy VII – a high goal to bring in new audiences, sales and more.

Final Fantasy XV is due out on September 30, 2016 worldwide.

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  • Pleasance13

    Not sure I buy that. Seems like he “clarified” in an attempt to take back a statement that made the fate Square Enix seem a little rocky.

  • CRIMSON-XIII

    the trailer at uncovered showed very little story, and we still dont know anything on glauca, hooded guy, gentiana, etc, for the game, e3 will probably be a bigger story trailer, i think if the story is good, itll sell,

  • Noctis Pendragon

    They have ambitions ? How dare they !

  • Aulix Indragonz

    is 10 million a profit considering how long the development and how they made movie,game,anime and release it in the same year?
    and personally i think it will easily get to 10. how they can get above it is the question though

  • SNK

    I really hope they don’t show anything about the story. It’s fine the way it is. What happened to finding out while playing?

  • Alameera Chan

    i don’t see them shown a story trailer for western fans maybe at TGS maybe , you can see the uncovered eng Vr had not story footage unlike the jp had some little and they still did not show a lot of character even luna we only have one scene from her and it from the same place since she first paper in tgs2014

  • Miqote

    What exactly is considered a video game’s “lifetime”. How long is that?

  • Average Afro

    console generation

  • Nexi8

    Perhaps a console generation and more (like ports in the future). I mean, FFVII has been selling for how many years now? As long as people want and can play them I guess.

  • Nexi8

    Agreed. I’d rather not be spoiled like some movie trailers like to do these days. More fun that way when I get the game.

  • TimeRocker

    Well based on past expectations like tomb raider, what they consider to be a “success” may only require 5 Million to be a success, but who knows

  • Frederick Badguy

    And FFXV will really surpass FFVII. I’m reallu hope so :)

  • Tom

    Then make more of those damn Ultimate Collector’s Edition!

  • alexis

    Why do we need any more? We have the basic story which is all we need. The rest like the mysteries of Glauca, the hooded guy and Gentiana are all suprises we should be finding out by playing!

  • Noctis

    was thinking the same lol, what the heck i want one too. People buy 2 of them to sell them on ebay. Square enix should allow every person to have one ultimate to order

  • Yuntu

    No FF ever got close to that after 7, keep that in mind. I suspect to movie to be around 30-50M but that`s pure speculation on my part, the anime isn`t really expensive and the game I suspect to be around 100M on costs add marketing to that and we may end up on like 160-180M overall (still pure speculation, I have no clue how big they go with the marketing).

    And 10M is an really high number, so yes it would be a profit unless this game costs way more than I expect it to.

  • Yuntu

    TGS is shortly before release if I’m not mistaken.

  • Yuntu

    Those Kai figures have a reason for being so expansive, they can`t just make 1M of them or some crazy number like that. Just wait a bit, I’m sure they will probably make a second run for the CE.

  • Aulix Indragonz

    i think this game have decent chance, the marketing of this game is way above other FF.. if witcher 3 can reach 10 million, no offense but the witcher is less popular if compared to final fantasy.
    if they can reach that amount. final fantasy XV also has the chance of reaching that.
    and the other reason is because it is an action rpg, more people like action rpg where you can just beat the shit out of the opponents compared to traditional turn based where you have to wait
    and the content of the game itself is really promising.. massive game world,flying cars,boat,chocobo,fighting together with summoned beast,teleporting into high places,beautiful graphic
    and the but not least is the marketing itself, it is more than the previous FF, pretty sure it reached more people’s ears due to the fact that now this game has an anime and movie

  • Yuntu

    Trust me FF always had insane marketing, for example VII had a almost triple it’s developing cost as marketing. Or XIII was just everywhere.

  • If they did a normal CE without the figure I’d be all for it.

  • Xervath

    10M should be possible. It has enough amazing stuff to pull FF-ignorant newcomers, and enough good stuff and proper nods to “the days of yore” to sucker in the long-time fans.
    From the 1st time I saw the trailer for Vs XIII, I already wanted it more than “normal” XIII (and now it’s finally here…-ish)

    That said: nothing’s set in stone, so I’ll cross my fingers for the team.

  • Xervath

    Heh, that’s one way of doing it. I ordered one, but I have no idea if I actually GOT one, or if I’ll get a mail later down the line saying “yeah…about that order of yours…sorry sir.”

  • Bobby Jennings/GodlessChaos

    They don’t need to show anymore honestly but I know they will.

  • Xervath

    Console “generations” tend to fluctuate. the NES lived for over 10 years, I believe, and some 20 years down the line, the PS3 lived for…some 6-7 years. So there’s a decline in how long a generation lasts. That said, I think 7-ish years is a decent estimate.

  • Jesus Christ

    “Final Fantasy XV 10 million unit goal isn’t about profit, but the team’s personal ambitions”

    I’m NOT sorry, but I don’t believe a word of that “isn’t about profit” bit. This is in the end a business. If they can make a profit, they would. And they will, but whether or not the profit level reaches 10 million copies is another story. Why don’t you lower your darn prices then, if it’s not about profit.

    I don’t personally see 10 million at all.

  • Tyler Witthuhn

    Um, they DID do one without the figure. Pay attention.

  • Tyler Witthuhn

    You are extremely wrong, go look at the figures for Final Fantasy XIV before you talk nonsense.

  • Odd, I didn’t know the Deluxe Edition came with the 2 steelbooks containing the game, the Brotherhood and Kingsglaive Blu-Rays, the 192 page artbook, the in-game Item Pack DLC and the large outer and inner box of which to contain everything… all without the Play-Arts figure.

    Except that doesn’t exist if I recall correctly, and if you’d be so kind as to direct me to what contains the above (as you suggest) feel free. I’ll be eagerly waiting. :)

  • Geraldo de Rívia

    Final Fantasy VII Remake can easily reach 10m. I don’t know about FFXV. Probably not.

  • Tyler Witthuhn

    The “normal” CE you speak of is the Deluxe edition. The way you want to word it doesn’t matter.

  • Xervath

    A nice round of PR talk, if you will.

    While the team has been refering to FFVII a few times, I guess the 10M is a bit of a tribute number, seeing as VII has sold some 10M+ copies in it’s lifetime (and post-mortem?)
    So I’ll believe them when they say it’s ambition.

    That said, it, indeed, can’t JUST be ambition (naturally). What I conclude from this is that they’re saying: “We hope it’ll do well.”

  • Yuntu

    What has XIV even to do with my comment? XIV is somewhere between 6 and 7M registered accounts, meaning roughly the same number in sales (depending on how SE counted it, I know they didn’t include trials and the like). And to compare an MMORPG to an singleplayer experience is just stupid, sorry.
    XIII did cost roughly 65M in development without advertising being included, and they had an extreme struggle developing it. So 100-150M for XV seems totally reasonable when we count in the movie for development costs.

  • Jesus Christ

    I disagree. FFVII will not reach 10 million. 5m if it’s lucky. That goes the same for XV.

  • CRIMSON-XIII

    i agree! but square enix will give us a crazy e3 trailer with new footage, no doubt,

  • CRIMSON-XIII

    e3 2016 will get a new XV trailer

  • CRIMSON-XIII

    i agree!! but square enix will show it anyway a bit more at least

  • stevenm281

    the Deluxe is not enough and the Collector is too much, the gap is too significant between 89.99 and 269.99, they could make another one near 149.99.

  • Ressan Sharif

    You’re completely misinterpreting that statement. Of course, they need to make a profit! He’s simply clarifying that the 10 million point he stated before is their personal ambition, not the amount need for the game to make a profit. No where does he contradict that he wants the game to make a profit.

    SE will of course want to sell as many units as possible even past 10 million if they can, in the pursuit of profit, but that’s a different matter.

  • Jesus Christ

    No, actually I stand firm about what I said. You’re the one misinterpreting my opinion about his statement.

    I’m not buying the fact that he his team’s “huge objective” for 10 million copies sold is just his team’s “lofty ambition”. I argue that his wording of personal goal is inherently coupled with profit regardless. He made it public to the European press already at the Uncovered Event that “it has nothing to do with probability” and then he go on Famitsu to clarify. If you are an optimistic caring fan, you take his clarification as is – that’s fine, I have no problem with how you want to react to it. I, personally, call that backpedaling to save himself and Square Enix from embarassment. This is not a surprise and I know i’m not alone on with this point of view. I don’t believe him. That’s me.

    Personal goal my donkey.

    Any body following Square Enix news knows not to take everything they say literally. They lie, they postone like mother effers, they can be vague as mother effers. Take what they say with a grain of salt.

  • Jesus Christ

    This is exactly how I feel. Check my comment above

  • TalesRevenant

    People are really underestimating this game.

    The Witcher 3 achieved 10 million worldwide just not too long ago. Witcher 3 was a niche game, made by a niche company, with word of mouth, good reviews, and good nature devs treating their fans right, which propelled it to the 10 mil mark. if Witcher 3 can do it, FFXV can do it. Square isn’t niche, and Final Fantasy isn’t niche. Both are mainstream and AAA. So they already have a leg up over Witcher 3 in this regard since they have mainstream and brandname power. The marketing is already on point considering they’re pulling out all their guns and $$$ for this, now they just have to hit the reviews good, and treat their fans right, which they’ve been doing.

    The Witcher 3 was on PS4/X1/PC

    FFXV is on PS4/X1

    Witcher had a third platform for sales which no doubt helped, but I think FFXV will be fine. 10 million is certainly possible. We’ll have to wait and see how the game performs critically. That’s the real key here.

  • Everything’s about profit.
    That’s why most media won’t take chances with new ideas. That why leads often play on the target demographic’s vanity and is modeled to look like the race and gender they are.

  • Jesus Christ

    Well, how I see is that FFXV lacks a few things (as of now) that the Witch 3 has evidently accomplished.

    -Both has continuous word of mouth and predominately positive at that.
    -Witcher 3 has actually has a consensus of solid rave reviews. On the other hands, FFXV only has hype and I’ll argue a lot of it is blind hype for some time. Only until honest-critics and honest-fans alike take the time and play and properly review the games until we can even know if the all these years of hype warrant potential high praise. It could be a average for all we know and average scores can mean average sales.
    -Witcher 3 may have good nature dev, which I don’t really know what “good nature dev” really encompass, but there are honest fans out there that has taken issue with Square Enix development/announcement style for sometimes. They have a record and it isn’t pretty. Not to mention, based on recent titles cough FFXIII and its sequels has damage the brand’s name with not so stellar sales.
    -Have Square Enix treated their fans right? Well… yes and no, but I digress.
    -Witcher 3 is on PC, which is indubitably more accessible for people than buying another console. That’s a real advantage FFXV as of now totally do NOT have.

  • Nick

    And the reason profit matters to an extent is because without it how can they continue to create the games they envision? So yes it’s always about profit to a point no matter how much they wish it wasn’t about profit.

  • Jesus Christ

    Yassss..

  • Exactly. And there’s nothing wrong with making money. It’s when you sacrifice your principals or get greedy that’s the problem. Some devs or their bosses want to make money so bad they refuse to change in any major way. They think any new ideas are too much work with no guarantee of pay off. Problem is, for all their fixation on cash, they still lose money when people get tired of cliches. It’d be better to tweak the classic loved ideas at least a little. That way thing have a hint of freshness. And don’t assume just because your target audience is white or asian males that have a black, latino, or native american female lead would lead to no sales what-so-ever. This is 2016, give us some fucking credit.

  • Nick

    Yes that is definitely the case. And that’s why a lot of developers hate working for big companies that won’t allow the creative minds do what they want.

  • What will the Setsuna team do if Setsuna is well loved? Will they get Square to try again at some classic turn-based RPG like they did with the 2 Bravely Defaults? That’s the only chance turn-based RPG Lovers have. If their bosses decide turn-based RPGs are dead, until there’s a regime change, that decision will stand and next thing you know action RPG FF16 to match XV and FF7R.

  • Krijn van Alten

    Look, they are not going to change only for you. So, instead of being a negative Nancy here, maybe it’s time to realise yourself that FF is no longer for you and you should look for something else.

  • Dont change for me change for everyone who thinks like me.

  • Krijn van Alten

    For those there are already games like the games you mention. RPG folk must be divided, otherwise we will always have this meaningless debate from Turn based vs action.

  • But that’s just it! This isn’t Sesshoumaru vs Inuyasha or Sony vs. Microsoft. I like BOTH. It’s just that over the year turn-based is become less and less seen. The few who do do it often have rinky-dink RPG parody stories like Neptunia and Disgaea or have great stories like Edge of Eternity but are so indie they take a decade just to come out on a system. It’s a dying breed and most people either want you to shut about it because they don’t care about your enjoyment or believe they’re the wave of the future so you’re just a nostalgic follower who can’t bring himself to change.

    No one listens when I say I like and accept both. I like FFs. I like Square. But that love doesn’t stop me from speaking my mind on their decisions.

  • Krijn van Alten

    If you like both, than I don’t see why you keep complaining that turn based dissapears. I mean, you also like action based apparently, so be happy about XV rather than moaning about what is left.

  • Krijn van Alten

    But they don’t know (and nobody does) how many people that exactly are. So, they mostly base there strategy on sales figures of previous games. And if they see that action orientated games got high sales (and they do these days), then they will follow that patern. It’s not about what a people want, it’s all about what people buy.

  • I buy both, other do too. So why can’t we get a little of both. Done like the Grandia and Tales are. A mix of turn-based and action rpg.

  • I want to play action rpgs, but I don’t want to ONLY play action rpgs. If turn-based rpgs die out in full in the US, that’s exactly what I’ll get since most turn-based RPGs aren’t getting localized or even subbed like they used to. I’m fine with XV being action rpg, but my only beef is with it’s itemized magic instead of using MP for magic and SP for skills.

  • Krijn van Alten

    Well, but you already named yourself some games who are still turn based today. So play FF for the action experience and hose other genes for your turn base nostalgia. Dont make problems where they are not.

  • Krijn van Alten

    Just play both games and stop moaning.

  • And when those other games follow suit and drop the turn based thing seeing its working for others, or when they give up on continuing their series like how so many have from lack of profit…..

  • Krijn van Alten

    That first needs to happen. It is useless to predict doom scenario’s as long as you are not sure if they ever will take place.

  • I only bring it cause its happen before with Wild Arms and Xenosaga and .hack and for a while SO. They all end or get cancelled and the dev just works on action games for other publishers never making their own series anymore.

  • Krijn van Alten

    You really need to learn to find new things. Because I will tell you this: that changing of thinks is a constantly returning proces in gaming, and to be honest: in life in general. You seem way to conservative/inflexible. And that is really your own problem, so don’t complain if the rest of us are fine with action orientated games alone.

  • I am flexible i tried lots of games even sports and fighting. But only rpgs i actually love.

  • Krijn van Alten

    I ment flexible within the RPG genre.