News ► KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 FCP tops sales charts with 137k units sold first week in Japan

[Oracle Spockanort]

Media Create sales rankings have released for the week of January 9th - January 15th in Japan with KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue at the number one spot on sales charts. The latest HD collection sold 137,797 units its first week, making it the fastest selling HD collection in the KINGDOM HEARTS series in Japan.

In comparison, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX sold 128,414 units its first week back in 2013 and KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX only sold 84,935 units its first week in 2014. 

Famitsu has reported more conservative numbers for KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue's sales in Japan with 133,442 units sold, making up around 80-100% of its shipped units.

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Source: 4Gamer, Famitsu, NeoGaf

 

 

[gosoxtim]

that pretty good for even a collection

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

It's pretty good for any collection on the PS4 in Japan which has a lower install base than the PS3.

 

[gosoxtim]

It's pretty good for any collection on the PS4 in Japan which has a lower install base than the PS3.

i guess japan really kingdom there like how we like it here

 

[OathkeeperRoxas XIII]

That's great, didn't think many would sell fast in just a week.

 

[Muke]

This makes me so happy

 

[Alpha Sonix]

That it sold more than 2.5 in its first week is great news, but also somewhat to be expected considering it has new content with 0.2. I also think DDD on 3DS so less than any other installment its first week so there's also potentially some people who have never played that game in those sales as well.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

That it sold more than 2.5 in its first week is great news, but also somewhat to be expected considering it has new content with 0.2. I also think DDD on 3DS so less than any other installment its first week so there's also potentially some people who have never played that game in those sales as well.

That is true, but there are also a lot of factors to take into consideration with the previous titles.

1.5 came out before the PS4 was even revealed in Japan and the PS3 install base was extremely high. Ideally, it should have sold more. Same for 2.5. The PS4 had a low adoption rate and people were still buying PS3 games and consoles. 2.5 should have sold more, especially because it featured two of the most well-received games in the series.

The fact that 2.8 got more units sold with less PS4 users out there is a really good sign for KH3, to be honest.

 

[Alpha Sonix]

That is true, but there are also a lot of factors to take into consideration with the previous titles.

1.5 came out before the PS4 was even revealed in Japan and the PS3 install base was extremely high. Ideally, it should have sold more. Same for 2.5. The PS4 had a low adoption rate and people were still buying PS3 games and consoles. 2.5 should have sold more, especially because it featured two of the most well-received games in the series.

The fact that 2.8 got more units sold with less PS4 users out there is a really good sign for KH3, to be honest.

I'd also like to think that coming right after FFXV played a significant part in helping to increase those sales. The PS4's sales started to pick up around November, didn't they? But yeah, I think it's looking quite good for KH3 at the moment. It proves there's still that hunger for more KH.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

Japan's home console market is abhorrent right now so this is a really good sign for the Kingdom Hearts franchise domestically.

 

[Sign]

I'd hope they'd have as good results in the west but SE is doing an abysmal job at marketing this game here, online or off.

 

[kupo1121]

I'd hope they'd have as good results in the west but SE is doing an abysmal job at marketing this game here, online or off.

Definitely true, but I can't blame them given Western comments always devolve into shaming and demanding KH3, which isn't a justification for ther "abysmal job at marketing".

I don't read up too much on how Japan reacts to more KH games that aren't KH3, but after dealing (and responding well too) the final mixes and such, I'm not surprised SE games continue to perform strongly there.

 

[Taochan]

Definitely true, but I can't blame them given Western comments always devolve into shaming and demanding KH3, which isn't a justification for ther "abysmal job at marketing".

I don't read up too much on how Japan reacts to more KH games that aren't KH3, but after dealing (and responding well too) the final mixes and such, I'm not surprised SE games continue to perform strongly there.

I'm not sure why 0.2 wasn't marketed more heavily as the prologue to KH3 instead of the sequel to BBS in order to secure more purchases from people fixated on KH3.

 

[OathkeeperRoxas XIII]

I'm not sure why 0.2 wasn't marketed more heavily as the prologue to KH3 instead of the sequel to BBS in order to secure more purchases from people fixated on KH3.

Because people want KH3, no 'Spin offs or remakes' . Considering people follow KH YouTube channels, if there's no news about KH3 or there's no KH3, they'll disregard anything. Hell I see people posting 'Now in development' just to trigger people or think we'll be old when it comes out.

Even if 0.2 was marketed as a sequel to BBS or prologue to KH3, would anyone listen, considering how mixed BBS is to people (or the series as a whole)

No one wins, just like a certain anime series.

 

[Sign]

Definitely true, but I can't blame them given Western comments always devolve into shaming and demanding KH3, which isn't a justification for ther "abysmal job at marketing".

I don't read up too much on how Japan reacts to more KH games that aren't KH3, but after dealing (and responding well too) the final mixes and such, I'm not surprised SE games continue to perform strongly there.

Marketing is far more than posting on social media. A vocal minority saying mean things is no excuse for skimping out on the job, and it's unreasonable to say a company will only bother promoting a game well if they receive nice comments in return.

The marketing budget for 2.8 is so hilariously low, and the attempts at community outreach just feels out of touch and out of date.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

I'm not sure why 0.2 wasn't marketed more heavily as the prologue to KH3 instead of the sequel to BBS in order to secure more purchases from people fixated on KH3.

Because they never got rid of the "2.8". Seriously, the name Kingdom Hearts HD: Final Chapter Prologue would have sold more copies by default. It's an easier name to understand and highlights the importance of the new content provided.

This game will sell, it just won't sell as well as it deserves to because of the horrendous name.

 

[kupo1121]

I'm not sure why 0.2 wasn't marketed more heavily as the prologue to KH3 instead of the sequel to BBS in order to secure more purchases from people fixated on KH3.

I'm no marketing expert and I would think SE would have thought through their options.

However, if KH3 really is too far off, getting people hooked on a 3-4 hour prologue might make people even more bitter after having the impression that KH3 is "right around the corner." Would that bitterness though even work against KH3's sales is something I'm just not sure.

Marketing is far more than posting on social media. A vocal minority saying mean things is no excuse for skimping out on the job, and it's unreasonable to say a company will only bother promoting a game well if they receive nice comments in return.

The marketing budget for 2.8 is so hilariously low, and the attempts at community outreach just feels out of touch and out of date.

You're right that marketing goes beyond social forums. At this point, SE has made their choices (for whatever reason I trust there are actual reasons), if the game under performs they'll just have to learn from that.

Perhaps SE just isn't really putting a lot of hope into this particular game and choosing to divert assets to other titles. Beyond the lack of marketing, there is the absence of a collector's edition and no merchandise really being put out dealing with this game's release, so at this point, I can only hope they're saving it to go big for KH3. It's not as if KH is a DOA franchise, so I would hope there is some rational (that we'll no doubt be privy too).

 

[Sign]

Perhaps SE just isn't really putting a lot of hope into this particular game and choosing to divert assets to other titles. Beyond the lack of marketing, there is the absence of a collector's edition and no merchandise really being put out dealing with this game's release, so at this point, I can only hope they're saving it to go big for KH3. It's not as if KH is a DOA franchise, so I would hope there is some rational (that we'll no doubt be privy too).

My two hopes for KH3 promotion are that:
1. They don't think the best way to promote the game is to spend, spend, spend and just waste money on things people don't care for
2. They don't give Nomura and Yasue fake nicknames to make them more endearing in the west like "Tabby"

 

[Sally-boiii]

Marketing is far more than posting on social media. A vocal minority saying mean things is no excuse for skimping out on the job, and it's unreasonable to say a company will only bother promoting a game well if they receive nice comments in return.

The marketing budget for 2.8 is so hilariously low, and the attempts at community outreach just feels out of touch and out of date.

however valid that might be, I feel as though 2.8 isn't exactly the problem here, but instead it might all of what their doing with Ux that might be shooting themselves in the foot. 2.8 itself should have done well, but I feel as though the horrible management that is Ux has a part to play in people's impatience with 3. Granted this may be a little irrelevant, but still.

 

[gosoxtim]

My two hopes for KH3 promotion are that:
1. They don't think the best way to promote the game is to spend, spend, spend and just waste money on things people don't care for
2. They don't give Nomura and Yasue fake nicknames to make them more endearing in the west like "Tabby"

i dont think nomura would aprove of this stuff and i think kh3 marketing should be handled by disney