TheFinal Fantasy 7 Remakewas highly anticipated and many were keen to experience the acclaimed RPG with updated graphics and content, twenty-three years after its initial release. The remake ofFinal Fantasy 7faired well criticallyand while some fans were divided about the story changes in the remaster, the first part of the title has largely been a success. The commercial achievements of the game have now been noted by developer Square Enix in its annual financial report.
The remake ofFinal Fantasy 7has had the difficult task of revisiting a classic while updating it for a modern audience. The team behind the game have stated that they haveapproachedFinal Fantasy 7carefully to capture its spiritwhile incorporating new visuals and fighting mechanics. This seems to have paid off as the title has created a huge surge in digital sales for Square Enix.
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Square Enix saw its digital entertainment earnings jump from 37.1 billion yen last fiscal year to 74.3 billion this year. This is over double the income of the previous year and the spike in growth took place in Q2 of this year which coincides with the release ofFinal Fantasy 7. Across all departments, the company saw a growth of 33.7 billion yen but the clearest change over the year has been the sales of digital entertainment. This won’t have been too much of a surprise for the company as it a AAA title that has been released when video game demand is higher than ever. Nonetheless, this is evidence that theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas been an incredible success for Square Enix.
TheFinal Fantasy 7 Remakewas undoubtedly one of the biggest titles that Square Enix have released this year, but looking forward the company may be able to continue this trend of growth. There are plenty ofhigh profile games being released by Square Enix this yearand if they have a similar impact to the remake of Final Fantasy 7then the company will be in a great position. Equally, there is still no confirmation of when part 2 of theFF7 Remakewill be released and with that in mind, there is no guarantee of further success this year.
It has been a positive year for Square Enix despite a global pandemic that has impacted many other industries. While the vast majority of this current success is because of theFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, the company has a chance to build on this with its upcoming titles later this year.
