The Reason FFIX Didn't Sell Well: Too Western For Japan's Taste

It's also the reason why Americans seem to value it so highly. The story's great, the graphics are (expectedly) better than its predecessors, the battle system is simpler, the game is not too hard. Americans prize these things greatly...

But 9 *feels* more culturally Western, with very little Japanese quirks to it. FFIX *seemed* like it was Westerners Disney's attempt to cash in on Final Fantasy, by loading as many FF references in the game as it could. Speaking of which, Kingdom Hearts (the one with the actual Disney cartoon characters) was beloved by Westerners (and YOU). By Japanese gamers...not so much.

YOU like FFIX because it appeals to YOUR Western sentiments. That's precisely why Japan passed it up. Not interested. Underwhelmed. Mediocre. Don't relate. Does not compute. That's precisely why it didn't sell as well globally. This is why it won't get a remake. Ever. It doesn't matter how much your American childhood's want it. No one in Japan is asking for it. Japan drives the FF market, not YOU (Americans). You get what they want, and you'll like it. SquareEnix doesn't listen to you as equals. They listen to its people, first...

Think about that when you feel ecstatic about SquareEnix keeping its FF7 Remake promise...

I prefer JRPGs. The more JRPGish, the better. Dragon quest style. Old school 4 life!

Umm No and I'll tell you why.

The game was developed in Hawaii because of the fact that many of the team members were from overseas which is why it might "feel more culturally Western" to you. It was developed partially by developers from the West, so of course it is going to have more of a western influence.

Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, wanted Final Fantasy 9 to be a reflection on the previous games in the series as it was the last one to be on the original playstation. This is why it is full of references and allusions to previous games and not an "attempt to cash in". At the time of FF9's development Sakaguchi stated in an interview that 9 is his favorite game in the series, as it is his closest to his ideal view of what Final Fantasy should be.

Final Fantasy 9 was the second highest selling game in Japan the year of its release. (The top selling game was Dragon Quest 7, from what I can tell.) Japanese readers of Famitsu as voted ff9 as the 24th best game of all time. If Japan had really "passed [ff9] up" then I doubt that they would have given it that rank.

Resources:
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Famitsu_Japan%27s_100_favorite_video_games
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/06/interview-with-hironobu-sakaguchi
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/the-final-fantasy-ix-team-spills-all

siz16 posted...

Umm No and I'll tell you why.

The game was developed in Hawaii because of the fact that many of the team members were from overseas which is why it might "feel more culturally Western" to you. It was developed partially by developers from the West, so of course it is going to have more of a western influence.

Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, wanted Final Fantasy 9 to be a reflection on the previous games in the series as it was the last one to be on the original playstation. This is why it is full of references and allusions to previous games and not an "attempt to cash in". At the time of FF9's development Sakaguchi stated in an interview that 9 is his favorite game in the series, as it is his closest to his ideal view of what Final Fantasy should be.

Final Fantasy 9 was the second highest selling game in Japan the year of its release. (The top selling game was Dragon Quest 7, from what I can tell.) Japanese readers of Famitsu as voted ff9 as the 24th best game of all time. If Japan had really "passed [ff9] up" then I doubt that they would have given it that rank.

Resources:
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Famitsu_Japan%27s_100_favorite_video_games
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/04/06/interview-with-hironobu-sakaguchi
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/21/the-final-fantasy-ix-team-spills-all

Huh. So I guess that explains the Hawaiian gear. And the Chocobo theme for this game.

That wiki's listing FFX both above and below FFIX aside, I support your thinking to back up claims with sources, siz. True, stringing together broad assertions with no apparent support is funnier and probably better if you'd like to stir up controversies where none exist. But credibility can be good, too, on occasion.

TC, I enjoyed this topic more than I enjoyed your previous ones. Well played. It's given me a couple questions to use sometime in another thread I've been enjoying: Was the real reason Sakaguch had to leave Square because he admitted he liked FF9 and was therefore a closet American? and Who in the world keeps producing all these KH games since it can never happen that Squeenix would make sequels for games that only not-Japanese (that is, the other thing: American) could possibly like?

Oh another useless thread started by the same poster. Just admit that you do not like FF9 and cannot accept that most like it and want a remake LOL.

The game doesn't feel Western at all to me. Does you have any evidence of this, or just an opinion? Midgar was originally New York in VII and VIII isn't much of a fantasy game at all. Even Wutai quite hilariously smashed Japanese and Chinese customs and tropes together in a Western feeling of all-Asians-are-the-same.

FFIX felt the most JRPG out of the three in all senses to me.

I think TC is forgetting Europeans in his equation.

Haha, just kidding : we are counting for nuts.

Tirlititi posted...

I think TC is forgetting Europeans in his equation.

Haha, just kidding : we are counting for nuts.

Yeah we europeans dont play rpgs, only japanese and american people do

aspilanti84 posted...

he graphics are (expectedly) better than its predecessors,

If anything I would imagine that the cartoon graphics would appeal more in Japan.