The news about the sales for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth being lower than expected somehow caught Square Enix in particular by surprise.

They seem to believe that the sales for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth should be almost the same as Final Fantasy VII Remake, if not higher than when it was first released.

Let’s be honest here, the sales number isn’t too shabby if you ask me.

If anything, that’s the sales number you would expect for the AAA title to have.

While I agree that the sale for Rebirth isn’t that bad, I already see this coming even before the official sales number is out.

The lesser-known reasons that caused the sales for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to be lower than expected

So, what causes the game to not do well in sales?

Does it have anything to do with the story in Remake isn’t like what we, the old-timers, expect to see?

Does it have something to do with them padding the game with so much unnecessary content, making it feel like a drag?

Okay, I admit it’s already shocking enough that the story in Remake isn’t the same as the original game.

And don’t get me started on how much of a drag the game has become when they pad the game with unnecessary stuff.

What was supposed to take five to ten minutes in the original game ended up longer in Remake.

It’s no wonder why many of us shunned Rebirth altogether when it came out.

While that could be the reason why some of us will never want to touch Rebirth even with the ten-foot pole, that’s not the only reason why the sales for Rebirth are lower.

I will say these lesser-known factors are also contributing to Rebirth’s lower sales number.

It’s the second game in the trilogy

According to Square Enix, jumping straight into Rebirth is perfectly okay even if you have never played Remake before.

But how many of us will take on their words when they already market the game as a trilogy from the beginning?

It doesn’t make any sense to jump straight into Rebirth when you have never played Remake before, right?

And if you think you can jump straight into playing Rebirth only because you’re already familiar with the story in the original game, you will only set yourself up for failure.

It’s already bad enough that the story in Remake is confusing considering some parts of the story aren’t the same as the original.

You will only be more confused if you jump straight into playing Rebirth without knowing what takes place in Remake.

And that leads me to my next point

It’s not unusual for the second installment to have a lower play-through rate

If you already played Remake, then you’re bound to play Rebirth as well, right?

In an ideal situation, everyone who already played Remake will also play Rebirth.

But in reality, only a handful of people will continue to play the next game in the series.

And this situation isn’t just unique to video games. You can say the same for books in series.

It’s not unusual for the read-through rate for the second book in the series to be lower than the first book.

And it will become even lower from the third book onwards.

Expecting all of them who already played Remake to continue playing Rebirth is unrealistic considering not everyone who plays Remake loves the game.

Only people who enjoy playing Remake will be more likely to play Rebirth.

Thus, a lower play-through rate for Rebirth which also translates into lower sales.

The game is only available on PS5, for now

Some people argue that the game being available exclusively on PS5 is the reason that kills the sale.

Yes, the sales number will look way much better if they also release the game on PC, particularly on Steam.

But believe it or not, they’re more likely to generate a much bigger sale if the game is available on PS4 upon release.

Okay, I get the game’s massive data is the reason why the game isn’t available on PS4.

They may have to create two discs for both data and the game, causing the player to use two data discs instead of one disc to install the game.

The same goes for the actual game. Having two game discs will require them to switch to a different disc midway.

It’s like back in the old days when you had to insert the second disc after you finished playing the first disc.

To be honest, I can’t say for sure if PS4 is capable of allowing you to switch to a different disc during the gameplay.

Even if it does, they would prefer to save the hassle of having to change the disc midway.

It’s because of this reason the game is only available on PS5 since they can still stick to having one disc for data and another disc for the game.

While it may not be much of an issue for the digital version of the game, it’s not ideal to chop the game and the data into multiple discs.

And there’s a big chance the game may not run smoothly on PS4 because of the multiple discs situation.

If there’s one thing Square Enix likes to avoid is to sacrifice their grandiose vision for the game for the sake of having the game released on PS4.

High production costs are to blame

In hindsight, Square Enix doesn’t need to put too much pressure on themselves if the game doesn’t have a high production cost.

Let’s be honest here, it costs a lot of money to generate a life-like graphic and has massive gameplay in a single game.

And let’s not forget about their obsession with the open world.

Why every game they create needs to have room for exploration is beyond me.

Sure, some people love to explore every nook and cranny of that said world.

But most people are content enough with exploring a tiny portion of the city and doing a handful of side quests that will benefit them.

If there’s one thing Square Enix can do to reduce the cost without compromising on the graphic quality, it will be to cut back on the gameplay.

That should keep the cost at a manageable level while still delivering the experience people expect.

Just release the game on PC, duh!

You’re not wrong to believe that releasing the game on PC can help with increasing the game sales.

But releasing the game on a different platform isn’t going to help if the game has a ballooning production cost.

The only way for the game to turn a profit or at least break even is to have a realistic cost.

It’s the only way for the game production to remain sustainable in the long run.

Expect the sales for the third game to be even lower

If the play-through rate for anything in the series is any indication, expect the sales for the third game to be even lower than Rebirth.

Will the sales for the third game be higher than expected is something that I’m not sure of.

The possibility is there, of course.

But I won’t be surprised at all if it isn’t.

P.S. Okay, I admit that my Trigger Locked series isn’t a trilogy like Final Fantasy VII.

But if you’re looking for a new book to read, particularly in the thriller and suspense genre, then have a look at my Trigger Locked series.

You can have a look at the first of the series right here on my Payhip store. Use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG to get 25% off on your purchase:

Trigger Locked Book 1: The Mind Control Assassins