Square Enix Thriving Thanks to Nintendo

Square Enix has just revealed its latest financial results and in doing so has confirmed the worldwide sales of several big-name games across Nintendo formats. As of March 2008, the company has sold the following (including non-Nintendo games):

• Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (NDS) - 1,150,000 (Japan), Releasing September in US/Europe
• Final Fantasy IV (NDS) - 590,000 (Japan), Releasing July in US/Europe
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (NDS) - 540,000 (Japan), 222,000 (US), 280,000 (Europe)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (NDS) - 380,000 (Japan), 160,000 (US), 150,000 (Europe)
• Itadaki Street: Mario & Dragon Quest (NDS) - 430,000 (Japan), thought to be coming to US as 'Party Castle' by Nintendo
• Final Fantasy III (NDS) - 480,000 (Europe - bringing the total to two million worldwide following over a million sales in Japan and 500,000 in the US)
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) - 800,000 (Japan), 450,000 (US), Releasing in Europe on 20th June
• Dragon Quest Swords (Wii) - 490,000 (Japan), 110,000 (US), Released in Europe just after the fiscal year

What should be noted is that Revenant Wings and Ring of Fates had only been on general release for a couple of weeks before this report was compiled, so have already drummed up very sturdy sales in a short period of time. Also, on top of this, we have now learned that following the 200,000 sales of The World Ends With You on Nintendo DS in Japan, the game sold 43,000 units in its first month on sale in the US (thanks to NPD Group data).

Due to the lack of a major home console release, such as Final Fantasy XII on PS2 in the last fiscal year, offline game sales fell by a total of 45%. It was also noted in the report that despite strong support for mobile phones in Japan, Square Enix's gaming content has not been as popular as expected in that field. Given company boss Wada-san's comments in the past about how mobile content could easily be transferred to DS, and how Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness (which hits DS in Japan on 29th May) was originally on mobiles, perhaps games like Parasite Eve 3, Tobal and Final Fantasy IV: The After will eventually crop up on Nintendo's portable format to recoup some of the development fees.

Can Square Enix keep up its strong performance across Nintendo formats during this year? With a DS horror game out in Japan in the next couple of months, the intriguing Sigma Harmonics, as well as the rumoured re-imagining of Chrono for DS, plus plenty of other surprises for later in the year, things are looking positive. As for Wii, other than the anime tie-in 'Soul Eater', things are quiet as the company tries to catch up on the system after focusing more on DS and other platforms. But more is indeed promised over the next twelve months...