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Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII launches in Japan with low sales of 277k

weevles

Member
Sad. Not surprising given all the ragging this game got from most everyone from the get go, but still I don't think I can take any pleasure out of saying Bomba on this one.
 

TokiDoki

Member
Like the games or not, you have to agree that Lightning has to be one of the prettiest characters ever. Those eyes.

Agreed , Lightning is actually well designed , in before Cloud's clone . Had FF13 managed to be a great game with decent stories and characterisation , Lightning could be the most popular character in the franchise ever .
 

VXLbeast

Member
This is absolutely true. The *reason* we got a bunch of FFXIII sequels instead of a full generation of numbered FFs is precisely because FFXIV and FFXV both ran into massive development problems, not because of Toriyama (though he's at fault for the low quality of the games he was tasked with making). And I think that lack of a full generation of numbered FFs is behind a lot of the rage, rather than anything specific about the games we got instead (even though most of the criticisms of them are super apt). People who think that Toriyama is somehow running the show at S-E are wrong, and that's a way-too-common misconception.

However, Square-Enix only amplified the problems with the fanbase by pretending that Everyone Loves Lightning. Their bizarrely poor PR is totally at fault for the backlash they've suffered. I understand that you can't just go out there and say "we're having troubles with other games so we need to develop some other stuff as placeholders in our annual schedule," but Squeenix could have done a lot better than trying to tell the fans "you demanded this!" when the fans actually emphatically had fucking not demanded it.

I love how these threads unite people. <3
 
I guess I'm probably in the minority in that I stopped playing Final Fantasy games when they got rid of turn-based combat. Well okay, I bought FFXII and played through maybe half of it, but the combat was too frustrating (as well as the plodding plot). When I fight in an RPG, I want to fight enemies, not the UI. I want to take my time and set up my character strategies, not forced into trying to select the right menu options before my party dies.

So this whole Lightning issue is sort of a secondary wound for me compared to the battle system. But maybe I'm not in the minority?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I guess I'm probably in the minority in that I stopped playing Final Fantasy games when they got rid of turn-based combat. Well okay, I bought FFXII and played through maybe half of it, but the combat was too frustrating (as well as the plodding plot). When I fight in an RPG, I want to fight enemies, not the UI. I want to take my time and set up my character strategies, not forced into trying to select the right menu options before my party dies.

So this whole Lightning issue is sort of a secondary wound for me compared to the battle system. But maybe I'm not in the minority?
I think you are in the minority. I hate to say it but I think going to battle systems with real time AI elements, or even full on action, would grow the audience, not shrink it.
 
This game is a bigger bomb than the bomb in the salikawoods, which is a location from the last good final fantasy game!

XS5LK.gif


Praying hard for FFXII HD
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
But Persona? It is turn-based and no one has problems with that, at least not many.

Persona doesn't sell like Mass Effect though. I'm pretty sure outside of its niche audience jRPGs need to go more action-y to succeed here today.
 
Persona doesn't sell like Mass Effect though. I'm pretty sure outside of its niche audience jRPGs need to go more action-y to succeed here today.

If that's their sales metric for a "successful" FF title, then I guess BocoDragon is right; they should just go full action for combat segments. I'd at least give that a chance, versus the awkward in-between system they have now that tries to be both traditional and real-time.
 

Coxy

Member
I think you are in the minority. I hate to say it but I think going to battle systems with real time AI elements, or even full on action, would grow the audience, not shrink it.

This is the same bullshit line of thinking they were putting behind X-COM, it was wrong then and its wrong now. People love turn based if its GOOD

remind me again how the move to SUPERIOR ACTION worked out for Front Mission?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
This is the same bullshit line of thinking they were putting behind X-COM, it was wrong then and its wrong now. People love turn based if its GOOD

remind me again how the move to SUPERIOR ACTION worked out for Front Mission?
Final Fantasy simply has too much broad mainstream appeal with its graphics and story to remain locked up inside a niche-appeal turn based RPG game.

All those newbies watching the kung fu insanity of Advent Children and then going back to FFVII and saying ".....oh. You don't actually get to control it?"

FFXIV has the type of kinetic action that will draw in new fans.

Again, hate to say it.
 

Coxy

Member
Final Fantasy simply has too much broad mainstream appeal with its graphics and story to remain locked up inside a niche-appeal turn based RPG game.

All those newbies watching the kung fu insanity of Advent Children and then going back to FFVII and saying ".....oh".

FFXIV has the type of kinetic action that will draw in new fans.

Again, hate to say it.

so pokemon is a niche game with no broad appeal?

how many series can you name that have moved from turn based to action where that has turned out well? because I can name many cases where it ended up being a disaster, shining force, lufia, sakura wars etc
 
hew cares tho. 277k true art lovers. lightning continues to slay and you can stay [ f u m i n g ] over the most ICONIC girl in gaming since princess peach. #utriedit #webadumad
 

Tevious

Member
I hope it's an even bigger drop in the west. Seriously, fuck this game. S-E needs to get its head out of the sand and focus on new main title entries instead of half-assed direct sequels and Lightning games no one wants. Anyone who buys this game at release is not helping. If you really must play it, just wait for the inevitable $30 price drop a month later.

Now, let the X / X-2 remake outsell this by a wide margin please for a final blow!

Please THIS.
Except, let X-2 digital sales do poorly so S-E will stop making horrible direct sequels.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
so pokemon is a niche game with no broad appeal?

how many series can you name that have moved from turn based to action where that has turned out well? because I can name many cases where it ended up being a disaster, shining force, lufia, sakura wars etc
I'm not talking about any series other than Final Fantasy, which trades on its mainstream-appealing visuals and story more than anything else. It's nearly a kind of Disney in this regard.

It's a simple equation: You will gain more fans through adopting a fast-paced and kinetic battle system than you will lose. Most RPG fans come along for the ride anyway.
 

Dunan

Member
What. Isn't there an option to switch? It's even an independent X/Y axis switch if I remember correctly.

He's talking about a potential FFXII remake; the original had only an inverted camera. (
Which is the only correct way to control a third-person camera. I'll concede that in first-person, non-inverted can be more intuitive.
)
 
If 15 doesn't live up to the hype this series is finished. The last final fantasy people liked (and still had a some what mixed reaction) was from 2006. Persona has become much more popular, and honestly Kingdom Hearts is a far bigger series at this point. All FF has left is nostalgia, and unless it does something new no one will want to stick around. I don't think many people were excited for the last silent hill for example.
 
But Persona? It is turn-based and no one has problems with that, at least not many.

if we're going to use niche JRPGs as an example, Xenoblade was definitely not turn-based and got the best reviews out of any game in the whole genre this generation
so yeah......

If 15 doesn't live up to the hype this series is finished. The last final fantasy people liked (and still had a some what mixed reaction) was from 2006. Persona has become much more popular, and honestly Kingdom Hearts is a far bigger series at this point. All FF has left is nostalgia, and unless it does something new no one will want to stick around. I don't think many people were excited for the last silent hill for example.

.....no comment
 
if we're going to use niche JRPGs as an example, Xenoblade was definitely not turn-based and got the best reviews out of any game in the whole genre this generation

As someone else said, Pokemon is a better example than Persona is. That being said, Persona 4 Golden sold one-third the copies that Lightning Returns did in its launch week, and that was a remake of a 'niche' JRPG, as you call it, on the Vita.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
As someone else said, Pokemon is a better example than Persona is. That being said, Persona 4 Golden sold one-third the copies that Lightning Returns did in its launch week, and that was a remake of a 'niche' JRPG, as you call it, on the Vita.

P4G was also on a dying system, Vita compared to LR which was in a fairly strong console, PS3.
 

Coxy

Member
I'm not talking about any series other than Final Fantasy, which trades on its mainstream-appealing visuals and story more than anything else. It's nearly a kind of Disney in this regard.

It's a simple equation: You will gain more fans through adopting a fast-paced and kinetic battle system than you will lose. Most RPG fans come along for the ride anyway.

an equation where you have no figures or examples is unsolvable, you can say x + y = z all you want until you actually put up some numbers to prove it, it's meaningless. By your argument that it sells on visuals and story alone, the spirits within should have been a massive success
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
an equation where you have no figures or examples is unsolvable, you can say x + y = z all you want until you actually put up some numbers to prove it, it's meaningless. By your argument that it sells on visuals and story alone, the spirits within should have been a massive success

That action games sell more than turn-based RPGs is so self-evident, I didn't even think I needed to prove it.
 
Hope all you like, folks; but Toriyama's still got those incriminating pics of the board. Lightning ain't going anywhere for the time being.

Perfo!

Luukyk!

Toth!

Shinta!

I summon thee, Masters of Spinjutzu!

LEGO-Ninjago-Masters-of-Spinjitzu.jpg

:lol :lol :lol

The reactions to this post prove Neogaf's salt deposits were not exhausted with the P5 announcement!

That action games sell more than turn-based RPGs is so self-evident, I didn't even think I needed to prove it.

Oh great, now we're just FUDing to push this anti-TB agenda now.
 

Coxy

Member
That action games sell more than turn-based RPGs is so self-evident, I didn't even think I needed to prove it.

I've provided multiple examples that prove that within the same series, that is not the case, you havent backed up a single thing you've said at any point, if you cant make an argument at least bow out gracefully
 

Jenoss

Banned
If 15 doesn't live up to the hype this series is finished. The last final fantasy people liked (and still had a some what mixed reaction) was from 2006. Persona has become much more popular, and honestly Kingdom Hearts is a far bigger series at this point. All FF has left is nostalgia, and unless it does something new no one will want to stick around. I don't think many people were excited for the last silent hill for example.

Bravely default, my friend. There's always "hope".. (not the shitty character :D)
 
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