Final Fantasy XIII: From $90 to $40 in 2 Months
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Feb 12, 2010 03:59 JST
- Tags: Akihabara, Final Fantasy, Production Controversy, PS3, RPG, Square Enix
Top marathon simulator Final Fantasy XIII is now being sold at bargain prices online and in Akiba stores thanks to plummeting sales and mountains of excess inventory, with the price having dropped from an admittedly outrageous ¥9,240 to ¥3,980 in the few months since its much heralded release.
Previously the game was available second-hand and in promotional sales at rockbottom prices, but not in regular retail.
The game is fast dropping out of Japanese game charts, now selling a few thousand copies a week.
Even Play-Asia is apparently having trouble shifting the game, with a $40 discount adding insult to injury.
Although thankfully for Square Enix initial sales were healthy, with this performance it now seems unlikely the game will be able to achieve long-seller status – compare to Guns of the Patriots, which with 5 million copies sold, 650,000 in 2009, is now the best selling PS3 exclusive.
Whether all this is down to word spreading of the game’s questionable design or some other factor is an interesting question.
In any case it appears Square Enix has long since mastered the art of buying favourable reviews, so international retail success seems possible all the same.
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Why is this blog bashing this game so much?
They shouldn't try to scare people away from trying this game. Everyone who can afford it should give this game a chance. If they liked it then that's great. If they don't, at least they gave it a chance. People who don't like it could just sell it on ebay for someone else to try. Also a lot of the bashing was because of the linearity of this game. I don't think linearity is a bad thing it just depends on what type of game you like. I like games that are straight-foward so you don't have to spend all your time figuring out which way to go or what to epuip. On the other hand other people might like complicated games because it gives them more choices and challenges them. Whether a game is good or not all depends on the person playing it. People shouldn't make such a big deal about this game just because it was developed by a big company.
Voice of reason. I would give you a plus if I was a member of this site. Why is it that most people here are bashing this game when I'm sure there are many games worse than this? (I'm not saying FF13 is bad or good...I haven't played it yet so I'll have my own opinion later).
People have high expectations of this game and they're suppose to. This is a Final Fantasy game we're talking about. Final Fantasy games is suppose to be the highlight of the RPG genre, made by the best of the best. When a game like FF fails, then of course there's going to be publicity because FF isn't suppose to fail.
I personally don't believe final fantasy has failed at all...and when looking at things from a broader perspective...it hasn't failed.
It's just a coincidence that they didn't have much luck with the thirteenth game in their series.
This game is a hard to love bros
And that is why i still prefer White Knight Chronicles and Star Ocean 4 than FFXIII. Even though i did buy lots of FFXIII related stuffs, including the FFXIII PS3 lol
I tried a turn based RPG once.
Never Again.
ALL turn based RPGS are overrated shit.
So you played "A" turn based rpg. That means you played One turned based rpg. That you say they are "All" shit based on playing ONE of them... I would say the only shit is what you are full of.
I played a game once. Never again. ALL games are overrated shit. :P
Try Grandia3 and VC. Unless you're a diehard mindless button-masher.
Not gonna hate but, Grandia Xtreme is the best in the whole series. Great story dungeons + 100 level secret dungeon after beating the game = INSTA WIN
It's just that you don't like turn-based RPGs. How does that make such games overrated? Do you even understand what does overrated mean? A game does not gain points for being turn-based, FPS, driving, RTS, etc.
Tales of symphonia for the gamecube bitch, if you don't like that game, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU!
i agree 100%, ToS 2 wasn't all that great though
The "no level" thing shouldn't even be an issue people, you just raise your stats using a crappy sphere grid ripoff. As for the rest of it, I'll buy it when it hits "Greatest Hits" status (HA!!!) when it becomes the 20 bucks it's worth. Even getting half of Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix bundle to the US wasnt a big ripoff as this...maybe
What the hell? Why does this blog hate FFXIII so goddamn much?
Because people here have their eyes open.
Because it really sucks
because I am one of those 1.7 million who got conned off my hard earned money over some trashy game that blatantly named itself Final Fantasy.
With the price reduction so vast and quick in Japan it must prove there is no fan service in it either. Glad I didn't pre-order this one, I did pre-order FF12 and got the 'tin can' case with it.
No game is worth over $59 dollars. No GAME!
My friend got it for me first day so I paid the original price. The massive changes is just too much, maybe I should have waited to see the review before buying, but I wanted to play a "great RPG" during the X'mas holiday. I still like those very traditional elements of RPG (village, shops, people to talk to get hints, etc). Too bad DQ9 is on DS and I prefer to play games on a big tv screen now.
All this bullshit about FFXIII's price and in here its still fucking 53$....USED.
God damn it,hurry up and drop the damn price already.
its 30 bucks in EB games ROFL. FFXIII is a fucking epic fail
Final Fantasy has gone downhill I feel FFX was moderately decent, FFXII was boring with some strange gameplay schemes, characters were pretty lame in general.
$40 is still too much. Considering the price dropped that fast I'm willing to bet in another 2 months it'll be $20 then I'll consider buying it. So far though my love for Final Fantasy ends with 2 and 3 on SNES and Crystal Chronicles on GCN and Echoes of Time. I've yet to play 9.
Serves you all right who bought the game. Final Fantasy is nothing but a brand.
For the people that ask why sankaku bashes on ff13 so much, it's because this site delivers real news and real opinions instead of all of the praise people get paid to say on other web sites.
I'm tired of all this talk about people being paid to say good things...it's just ridiculous....and not everything said in reviews have been 100% positive so I don't see how this is true. Also, I don't know why you say "real opinions" because everyone's opinion is their own....I also say this site gives selective news...sometimes missing the whole picture. For all the people who don't like/hate (I'm talking about people who actually care about the game) this game, I'm sure there are an equal (if not more) amount of people who like/love the game, and the game still hasn't even been released everywhere...
That wasn't what I was trying to use as an argument.
How would people know if someone was specifically paid to say good things? They're just saying it without even knowing.
Just because you're tired of hearing something doesn't necessary make it true/untrue. Find yourself a better argument.
Not sure what exactly amounts to "international retail success", but recent Final Fantasy sales history show that overseas sales are generally lower than Japanese ones, unless we combine both American and European, Australian and others'.
Anything else that's around those FF games in the pictures are more worth the money, perhaps.
metal slime on the first pick xPP
It's kind of funny how the games news magazines are saying FFXIII is a great game and yet here I'm seeing it doing poorly in Japan
Mm... Those Lyrical Box Set of the MSLN A's PSP game (to the right of the pile of FF XIII games) is more worth your money.
You get a delicious Limited Edition Figma Nanoha. (^.^)
Why is it every single time when the site mentions something unfavorable or unpleasant or bizzare to "something", commentors sprung up and blabs about "Why does SanCon hate *something*, Why does SanCon like to bash *something*, Why is SanCon so racist to *something*", even though it's just a selected news just to stir up some page views and comments...
It is a ******* tunnel.
I'm sorry but a rpg isnt supposed to be an on-rails type of game, which basically thats what this is, where the hell is the free roaming, where are the towns, where are the awesome subquests, and why did they put level capping on the game, what the hell, it may have a good story, but calling this a rpg is an insult to FF fans.
shame on you SE, I'm very disappointed in you.
I just hope that Versus XIII will have towns and a world map like the screenshots I saw a couple months back.
ps: why the hell did Square and Enix merged, now they dont have any real competition, and it shows in the games theyre making now
It doesn't even have levels.
lolwut, FF games never had a good story
OBJECTION!
some of the past FFs have had great stories. Too bad it seems the more recent ones focus more on the pretty graphics...
I swear people as stupid as you should be put down for the sake of humanity.
go play a visual novel game if you want stories that much.
"Top marathon simulator". Artefact, that has to be one of your better acts of cynicism. I lol'd hard.
Well now that the price has dropped, time to buy it
lmfao who saw this coming....
We're tsundere for it. We say we don't like it but we're still going to play it.
I'm always willing to at least try a game before I call it shit. However, I don't think sancon hates it, rather, 2ch and various gamers of japan hate it.
...because they played it
the price made me wanna buy it but the comments making me change my mind... so i'm just waiting for MMX9 for PS3, don't let us down Capcom, u gotta kick square enix's butt! Here is ur chance!!
The game is a Piece of shit that's why.... New Super Mario Bros Wii price hasn't gone down! Kishishishi!!
as if nintendo would care if it sold bad they would just release another stupid wii mote gimmick game.
Calling the New Super Mario Bros Wii a "wii mote gimmick game" testifies of not being a proper gamer.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii just sucks, this has nothing to do with "being a proper gamer".
nah, New Super Mario Bros Wii is a pretty decent game - too bad it's one of the very few decent games on the wii...
You're an idiot.
^ and I bet you haven't even played it at all
Its $40 now bitches now lets go!!!!
With such a huge price cut on play-asia I feel like I bought my copy too soon.
Damn I got suckered!!
It still looks pretty expensive on all the online stores to me. (I only searched for brand new copies)
Yeah, right, onii-tama.
I borrowed one to play from a FF-fag friend, who bought it on the first day.
The game is a piece of crap by the way.
It kinda reminded me of playing Mario on NES.
It had less polygons and the girls vere not cute though.
That's really a lose-lose situation for SE. they tarnished their brand by giving huge discount like a cheap product. In the future people will expectedly wait to purchase after an eventual discount. And I am sure those 1.7 mil+ folks who bought it at full price aren't gonna be too happy about their purchase seeing it is now at the bargain bin price.
Those 1.7 mil+ folks probably weren't too happy with the game itself if this drop is the word-of-mouth effect.
I am curious how the pro-FF13 fans who criticized the anti-FF13 reviews would explain this drop.
Well consindering that people who reserved their copy of the game I believe will get Free bonus content on Xbox 360 and PS3.
As for the people who didn't.Well they have to buy the bonus content.
I guess Square Enix is screwed.
Pretty sure they won't - there was no special code included with the pre-ordered versions that I'm aware of.
Well, we can always hope for an "oh here's all the cities we omitted" patch somewhere in the nearest future.
(sarcasm)*
No, wait for it to drop to $4.
I won't buy it until it's worth zero...
I won't even read articles about it!
I don't want this shit even for FREE !
I won't even look at my friends playing it!
They'll have to pay me to play
I won't buy till it's 20 -_-
"Even Play-Asia is apparently having trouble shifting the game, with a $40 discount adding insult to injury."
The noobs(I can't call them rpg-gamers)who would buy the game. I can't help but think the noobs rating the game are new to the whole Final Fantasy franchise..For god sakes, they gave it full 5 stars.. The type of people who would have you believe the game is good.
Well, whole Final Fantasy franchise is a piece of crap
Wow... How very idiotic of you. I wonder, can you back up what you are saying? No I would guess not.
"In any case it appears Square Enix has long since mastered the art of buying favourable reviews"
Without question. If there's a game reviewers think is good but you don't enjoy, they are obviously corrupt. I don't think there is any other possible explanation for high review scores.
Take Borderlands, for example. Reviewed quite well but I don't actually care for it much. Therefore 2K Games were dishing out bribes under the table.
On a serious note, SE seem to be making more 'love/hate' games recently, but in truth that's been the case all throughout the series. If I'd had a penny for every time I'd heard: "I think FFV is underrated", "FFVII is overrated", "VIII is the best/worst in the series!" "X was annoying" "XII had an awful battle system"...
XIII, after hearing from the people I've spoken to who have played it, is just more of the same. XII was controversial because of its Gambit system, this is controversial because of the linearity. Whoop-de-doo.
other FFs what their problems thats true, some gameplay aspects didn't reach all its users expectations...
but with FF13 it's different, it's not just about lacking in a feature or two, it's the whole fucking game...
for example, you might complain all you want about FF12, but it wasn't a bad game gameplay-wise, gamers simply didn't like it
in FF13 you don't have the option to like it or hate it, because there isn't enough content to be liked..
This Anon speaks the truth!!
Seriously though, this news surprises me. I suppose people aren't so stupid after all and, dare I say, actually have the capacity to hear each other out for once instead of simply feeding the hand that bitch slaps them.
Admins need the drama. Square/FF died with Spirits and Enix anyway. Enix is likely doing as they please to further kill any remnants of it.
It's part of the Gay trinitiy
Aya hirano is ugly
Final fantasy is a shit game
And china has shit quality
Not everyone on Sancon does, I know I don't think she is.
I'll try it before I flame it, though the sales aren't a good indication.
China has been known for shit quality OUTSIDE of Sancon for a long, long time now. That's up to China to change.
More like:
Equality now are trolls/shit
China is shit
The middle east is even worse shit than China.
Holy shit that's a lot of copies to offload. Looks like the FF bubble finally burst. Might pick up a Japanese copy if the price drops further.
Woot at Metal Gear Solid 4 being the best PS3 exclusive.
"..it appears Square Enix has long since mastered the art of buying favourable reviews, so international retail success seems possible all the same."
It sure seems to be fact.
As more american reviews bring FFXIII up...all we hear is blind praise. Rather hilarious hearing it now.
All of you must be mentally retard that you cant even realize it,in this world every thing will go dow,.Even fk miku or whatsoever ppl will hate it,because of you dipshit website this is what happen.Dont like the game you can jsut shut the fuk up.If u wanbt reveiw go to elite aaa website not some sankaku random shit amatuer ass
Shut up IGN.
butthurt?
yeah his butt definitely hurts lol. idiot prollie bought multiple copies before he realized that N times linear is still linear.
I pity those people who paid $90 1.5 months ago.
If it were a $40 platinum hits version that is released a year later, it'll be understandable. But a 55% price drop not even 2 months after release? Oh man.
I thought it was already 20$?
you most be retard to pay ¥9,240 ???
even when this get released in europa there are online shops sold on a lower price then this ??
yeah the say PS 3 games are cheaper in Japan its look like not ??
You got it the other way round. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the JP version of the game almost always cost more than the US version.
The MSRP of 9,240 yen translates to 103.03 USD. If you add shipping costs, those importers who can't wait for the English version of the game paid lots.
Just be glad games are so much cheaper in the West.
Man, we in Soviet Union buying this games for 0$
Sankaku going for 10 topics on FFXIII's price tag
Well this is pretty damn depressing seeing as I still had to pay over $90 to import this game...
$40 is hardly what I would call a bargain price, even if it were a good game.
9200￥ to 3900￥ is a big drop, but does anyone remember a little game called Valkryia Chronicles? Which had boosted sales after it's price drop. Too bad VC was epic and FFXIII won't come close to it's epicness. However I will still buy FFXIII because it's just too controversial not to. I mean I want a copy of the game that sent millions of people into rage.
9200 is just another example of Japan's retarded prices on almost everything electronic. There's no way it could be maintained for any amount of time, especially as a single player only low replay value game.
yes, and u will become one of those millions of raging idiots who bought shit and argued that they got a good deal
See you miss a key point. They went into rage because of expectations of a god-like game. I on the other hand have long lost such expectations. I will gladly pay $60 for FFXIII because it is now a piece of gaming history, it's so controversial, so many hopes crushed. I revel in such things. Also, a game's greatness is different depending on the person. EX. My favorite FF is VIII, do you know how many people hate VIII? I don't care if it's linear, it could be a straight line I wouldn't care. I like Killer 7 if it helps you understand. Anyways, you can't be disappointed if you don't have expectations. Also my friend bought it the day after it came out he liked it. I will buy the game that way I can show my child the cause of 'The Great Final Fantasy XIII Rage'. I have tons of games and I have alot of games I don't like but I keep them because each one is a memory, each one has a story behind it.
See you miss a key point. They went into rage because of expectations of a god-like game. I on the other hand have long lost such expectations. I will gladly pay $60 for FFXIII because it is now a piece of gaming history, it's so controversial, so many hopes crushed. I revel in such things. Also, a game's greatness is different depending on the person. EX. My favorite FF is VIII, do you know how many people hate VIII? I don't care if it's linear, it could be a straight line I wouldn't care. I like Killer 7 if it helps you understand. Anyways, you can't be disappointed if you don't have expectations. Also my friend bought it the day after it came out he liked it.