"It's not FF and it doesn't have AAA graphics" Yes, that's the point. When people say they want Final Fantasy to be Turn-Based, they mean Final Fantasy. Not Octopath, not Bravely Default, not Dragon Quest When they say they want AAA graphics, they want AAA graphics. Not Pixel, not Anime-cell shaded, not Low-Poly 3D If those games hit like Final Fantasy, no-one would say FF should go back to Turn-Based Why? Because those games would have filled the void that Turn-Based FF left behind. They didn't If they did, this conversation would not exist

If Square Enix wants to understand why modern Final Fantasy's sales are underwhelming, they need to understand why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold so well E33 sold 5 million copies in 6 months FF16 sold 3.5mil FF7 Rebirth sold 2mil on launch, followed by a 91% dropoff. We have no further PS5 stats. It sold 1.6mil on PC That may only seem like a couple million difference, but it's much more significant than that: FF16 and FF7 Rebirth had the full weight of the Final Fantasy name behind them - one of the biggest names in JRPGs for 35+ years straight. Both had gigantic budgets, and were made by a billion dollar company Both got outsold by the first game from a small, unknown company in France. E33's marketing was a few in-game trailers and word-of-mouth That's like a bunch of streetballers winning the NBA Not only that, E33 will continue to sell because it is a Timeless Classic and a Must-Play. FF16 and Rebirth are not How did this happen? Because Sandfall understood its target audience, and leaned 110% into it. E33 feels like it's from an alternate timeline where Final Fantasy kept evolving along the formula of FF7-10. And while it did, it added interesting elements from other great games along the way (Dark Souls, Paper Mario, Legend of Dragoon etc) Meanwhile, Modern Final Fantasy has a been an endlessly disappointing mixed bag for 20+ years. Without Sakaguchi, the series lost its direction. Until Square gets him back - or someone who can fill that role - the series will never recover For the record, "Final Fantasy has always been about change" is a BS argument. It was invented by deluded fans to cope with the harsh reality of what FF became without Sakaguchi There was a time when you could buy a Final Fantasy completely blind, and be sure you were getting one of the best games on the market. Now you have to do hours of research just to be sure it even is what it says on the box (FF7 "Remake") #ClairObscurExpedition33 #FinalFantasy #SquareEnix

Dear @SquareEnix If you want Final Fantasy games to sell more again, you need to focus on the Original Fanbase (think FF4-10). Not the Modern Fans Modern Fans will excuse: a) Sluggish Pacing b) Tone-Deaf Cringe c) Mid-Tier Action Combat d) MMO Design in a Single Player Game Old School Fans & Normal Gamers do not excuse those things, nor do they have patience for them Modern Fans only have one standard: That the game is called "Final Fantasy". If you call it that, they will buy it. They will say "Turn Based Combat is dead" - but if FF17 was Turn Based, they will buy it in one second. Then they'll buy it again on PC the next year. They would have done the same for FF15, 16 and FF7R too If you make Final Fantasy for the OG fans, then: 1) The OG Fans will buy it 2) The Modern Fans will buy it 3) Normal Gamers will buy it Normal Gamers don't want a game that is "made for everyone". They want a game that understands its Core Audience, and specializes into that. You cannot make a Final Fantasy that will satisfy "both New fans and the Old". That is like trying to make food that will be loved by both Vegans and Carnivores. It cannot be done. A game for everyone is a game for no-one. Final Fantasy 4-10 is one of the best 10-year winning streaks in Video Game History. They weren't always perfect, but they are timeless classics with mainstream appeal. Modern Final Fantasy is neither of those things.