Tales of Hearts R defeats FF Type 0 as the most requested JRPG for Vita.

[Crystal Power]

PSP wasn’t exactly dead when some of those other titles you listed came out. Software sales start to decline towards the end of a platform’s life and you started to see that with a couple of those titles.

I don't want to sound like an idiot or stubborn but I seen this news while doing my daily scroll through Silicornera...
http://www.siliconera.com/2014/04/24/natsume-still-supporting-psp-games-like-end-serenity/
All you have to do if busy is read the title and take a glance at the date it was posted. Now sure this game looks mediocre and Final Fantasy TYPE-0 is a more complex game but Square Enix is the makers of one of best selling RPG's and one of the best seller franchises in general, which is Final Fantasy. I know Nastume because I buy and play Harvest Moon. Natsume is no where near Square in money, fame or popularity. Yet low PSP sales or pirating didn't stop them from localizing a game to their fans (They didn't develop this game though)...

 

[TRI Mike]

Yeah there must be something else behind the decision to not bring Type-0. I don't know if this is true or not but I even heard that english dubs for the game were being worked on back in 2012 or early 2013. Still, nothing happened.

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

Yet low PSP sales or pirating didn't stop them from localizing a game to their fans.

Just because it didn’t stop them from localizing it doesn’t mean Square Enix should do the same. Harvest Moon and Final Fantasy Type-0 are two different games. Nastsume's target sales projections for Harvest Moon in the west is probably not even close to what Square Enix wants Type-0 to do.

Yeah there must be something else behind the decision to not bring Type-0. I don't know if this is true or not but I even heard that english dubs for the game were being worked on back in 2012 or early 2013. Still, nothing happened.

Last I heard, everything was already done. But nothing has happened yet because PSP is dead and PSVita isn't selling well. Sony has to jump in and make it happen.

The latest news we have on the game though sounds like it's going to definitely see a PSN release.

 

[Crystal Power]

Just because it didn’t stop them from localizing it doesn’t mean Square Enix should do the same. Harvest Moon and Final Fantasy Type-0 are two different games. Nastsume's target sales projections for Harvest Moon in the west is probably not even close to what Square Enix wants Type-0 to do.

I don't find that a good defense. It's Tomb Raider all over again. I remember people slammed them on their comments of something like "Tomb Raider didn't meet sales expectations" when the game did better than great. Also fyi, That article wasn't about Harvest Moon. But seems to be a complete new IP. I guess Square pulled a Namco Bandai Tales on us if what you say is correct (Not localizing games because they won't sell to THEIR expectations.) Thank goodness Namco Bandai seems to change that mentality as of late. In addition they also said Tales are doing better in the west, but that addition don't have anything to do with the point I'm trying to make.

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

I don't find that a good defense. It's Tomb Raider all over again. I remember people slammed them on their comments of something like "Tomb Raider didn't meet sales expectations" when the game did better than great. Also fyi, That article wasn't about Harvest Moon. But seems to be a complete new IP. I guess Square pulled a Namco Bandai Tales on us if what you say is correct (Not localizing games because they won't sell to THEIR expectations.) Thank goodness Namco Bandai seems to change that mentality as of late. In addition they also said Tales are doing better in the west, but that addition don't have anything to do with the point I'm trying to make.

AAA games like Tomb Raider need to sell over 4-5 million copies in today’s game industry in order to be considered a success. If developers want to continue investing in the IP, then they have to continue putting up those type of numbers. Games are getting bigger so budgets are increasing. This isn't a couple generations ago where AAA games back then that sold a million copies were considered a success. Today, that's considered a failure. When people slammed Square Enix at the time, Tomb Raider did around 3.4 million in four weeks. Now it has passed 6 million and is profitable. The only issue I see here is Square Enix expecting Tomb Raider to make most of its money immediately.

 

[Crystal Power]

AAA games like Tomb Raider need to sell over 4-5 million copies in today’s game industry in order to be considered a success. If developers want to continue investing in the IP, then they have to continue putting up those type of numbers. Games are getting bigger so budgets are increasing. This isn't a couple generations ago where AAA games back then that sold a million copies were considered a success. Today, that's considered a failure. When people slammed Square Enix at the time, Tomb Raider did around 3.4 million in four weeks. Now it has passed 6 million and is profitable. The only issue I see here is Square Enix expecting Tomb Raider to make most of its money immediately.

Okay, but I highly doubt Final Fantasy TYPE-0 would be expected to sell that high...

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

Type-0 would definitely not sell that much. But at the same time, we're talking about a handheld game that was probably given a big budget. Handheld games like this are getting bigger and costing more to make as well. It's not cheap to make just cause it's on a handheld. This is like console development here.

 

[Crystal Power]

Well, they were taking a risk developing it and releasing it in Japan then. Perhaps the sales there weren't strong enough to convince Square to release it elsewhere.

EDIT: Or I should say didn't meet THEIR expectations.

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

PSP was not dead in Japan when Type-0 came out. Software sales were still going strong and Type-0 did pretty well.

America and Europe are a different story.

 

[Crystal Power]

Okay, we may never get Final Fantasy TYPE-0. Maybe wouldn't have gotten Bravely Default if it wasn't for Nintendo. Can't forget how much effort Square is putting in to localize Dragon Quest VII 3DS and Dragon Quest X, darn it! If only the Wii and 3DS sold better in North America and Europe we'd have those games faster by now, what a bummer...... Oh well.

 

[Jenova]

Not to imply the Tales series isn't a good series, but I think the results were due more to the FF fanbase's developing apathy rather than Tales legitimately being preferred. Square-Enix has poor communication with their Western fans and it's beginning to show more and more everyday.

 

[TRI Mike]

Squirrel, you mean a PSN release state-side¿