Saturday, March 11th 2023
Forspoken is a Sales Flop, Square Enix Cites "Challenging" Critical Reaction, Dev Studio Being Disbanded
According to a Square Enix Outline of Results Briefing from February 2023, Forspoken sales numbers are lower than anticipated. Square Enix company president Yosuke Matsuda stated: "Reviews of "FORSPOKEN," which we released on January 24, 2023, have been challenging. However, the game has also received positive feedback on its action features, including its parkour and combat capabilities, so it has yielded results that will lead to improvement of our development capabilities of other games in the future. That said, its sales have been lackluster, and while the performance of new titles with February and March release dates will be the ultimate determinant, we see considerable downside risk to our FY2023/3 earnings."
Luminous Productions, the developer of Forspoken, is disbanding and being merged into the larger Square Enix development group. Yosuke Matsuda, president and representative director of Square Enix, is due to step down from his role later in 2023. His replacement has already been lined up. Takashi Kiryu, the general manager for the corporate planning division at Square Enix Holdings, has been named as the eventual successor. Square Enix is restructuring its management team, in reaction to fast changing economic circumstances in the video game industry.
Forspoken follows the journey of Frey, a young New Yorker transported to the beautiful and cruel land of Athia. In search of a way home, Frey must use her newfound magical abilities to traverse sprawling landscapes and battle monstrous creatures. Available now as a timed exclusive for Playstation 5 and PC/Steam platforms.
Source:
square-enix.com Financial Report
Forspoken follows the journey of Frey, a young New Yorker transported to the beautiful and cruel land of Athia. In search of a way home, Frey must use her newfound magical abilities to traverse sprawling landscapes and battle monstrous creatures. Available now as a timed exclusive for Playstation 5 and PC/Steam platforms.
50 Comments on Forspoken is a Sales Flop, Square Enix Cites "Challenging" Critical Reaction, Dev Studio Being Disbanded
Should I take from this that they had no beta testers to point out these obvious issues? Is that even acceptable with a company that makes videogames? No focus groups to discuss problems, just dish something out for the sake of it?
I saw the trailer and thought it looked like a magic starburst wand had painted every bloody effect. Way too much pzazzle and fluff. That alone made me say no.
The luminous team, be it FFXV or Forspoken, I really did not like their games, their artistic approach, it was best to disband the studio indeed.
Too many issues with Square Enix:
Anyway, flopspoken has killed a studio. Not surprising.
Instead of flopspoken or forspoken should be renamed to Foreclosure.
Quick stats as of today
266 active players (72 min ago)
271 active players (24h peak)
57.2% positive reviews
$9,4m gross revenue
168k units sold
22.2 hours avg play time
16.4 hours median play time
Completely agree that Square has to hold on what they do best - making Japanese games, not knock offs of things they never will understand, it ain't needed. Glad they sold off Eidos Montreal thus not compromising Deus Ex Sequel with some "fresh ideas".
Dishonored 2 had a female protagonist, it didnt go over well either.
Not to mention that the trailers present the main character like who she is was important, but all we know is that she's from New York, and loves cats, like it was some kind of unique thing.
More Valkyrie Profile games in the vein of Silmeria and Lenneth, more Star Ocean games in a massive world akin to Till the End of Time, a new scrolling shooter based on Einhander, a new Chrono game, a proper FM3-5 style Front Mission game, and more SaGa games. Heck, I'll even pay for a simple HD Remaster of the old Threads of Fate game.
i was willing to give it a chance and try it someday ... but now i'm not 100% sure, afterall i gave CP2077 a chance and did not regret it ... but that one has no major appeal outside gameplay basically, while CP2077 had a lot of good point (for me) to redeem the chaotic launch and the "unfulfiled promises"
Yeah it's just poorly done over all go ahead suckers play on :laugh:
Epic has free games better than this.