Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has been a surprise sales success, says publisher Square Enix.
In its latest earnings report for the nine-month fiscal period that ended on December 31, Square Enix says its "HD game sub-segment," which refers to its big tentpole releases like Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, saw a decline in sales compare to the previous fiscal year. That's because "new titles generated lower sales than releases such as 'FINAL FANTASY XVI,' 'FINAL FANTASY PIXEL REMASTER,' and 'Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince' had the previous year."
Thankfully, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, along with "lower development cost amortization and advertising expenses compared with the same period of the previous year," saved the day. Square Enix reports that the Dragon Quest 3 remake raked in "stronger sales" than "initially assumed."
That's fairly encouraging news amid news of so many big and well-received RPGs, including Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Final Fantasy 16, and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth failing to satisfy sales expectations. Back in September, Square Enix admitted it might've been cannibalizing its own games and slapped several of its most anticipated RPGs with the classic "below expectations" line we hear far too often in these financial reports. It's refreshing to hear some good news about an RPG for a change, and a relatively niche one at that.
In our Dragon Quest 3 HD writeup, we praised the beautifully modernized graphics but warned that the 36-year-old JRPG might not be the most approachable thing for newcomers to the genre.
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