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Could Final Fantasy XV Doom the Franchise?

Could Final Fantasy XV Doom the Franchise?

Much ado is being made about Final Fantasy XV at the moment, mainly because it finally has a release date after so many years. While much of the hype is positive, attempting to get people excited about the September 30 launch date, there’s also a surprising amount of doom and gloom. During one press conference , Final Fantasy XV ‘s director, Hajime Tabata, said the game would need to sell 10 million to be a success. In another interview with Game Informer , Tabata described the series’ situation as “grave and serious” and that it was “make or break for the franchise.”

Which doesn’t seem right somehow. Yes, this particular entry of the Final Fantasy series has been plagued by problems. Sure, the series hasn’t received unconditional adoration since around Final Fantasy X . But all this talk about Final Fantasy XV determining if the series sinks or swims seems like grandiose over-dramatizing and an attempt to get more sales by making people think this will be the last entry ever if they don’t cash in. That won’t happen.

First, the Final Fantasy VII remake is still in development. Square Enix has been working on it for years, and it’s the best-selling and most popular entry in the series. It’s going to be a huge seller, and there’s no way Square Enix is going to halt work on it if Final Fantasy XV goes badly. There’s too much at stake.

Then, there are the constant ports. Square Enix always ports every Final Fantasy possible to each plausible platform. It’s all about that extra money and constant exposure. Could Final Fantasy XV ‘s performance put off a Final Fantasy XVI release? Sure. But we’d still get old Final Fantasy games and then, after enough time had passed, Square Enix would revive the series.

Could Final Fantasy XV Doom the Franchise?

Not to mention, people always forget about Square Enix’s Bravely series. Hear me out. It’s actually a Final Fantasy spin-off, based on Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light . There are still crystals, job classes, a fantasy setting, some iconic monsters like Cait Sith, and a four character party heading into turn-based battles to save the world.

My point is, Final Fantasy may not be in the best of shape, but Final Fantasy XV probably isn’t what’s going to kill it. Despite ominous warnings, we’re still going to, at the very least, see the Final Fantasy VII remake, more Final Fantasy ports, and additional Bravely games. Don’t let Tabata’s words get you worked up or make you feel like you have to buy to save a series.

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