Final Fantasy has been Square Enix's signature property for some time now, and perhaps at the present time, they need it to be successful more than ever. Final Fantasy XIII itself has been hugely anticipated ever since it was announced all those years ago, and Yoichi Wada has now voiced his expectations for the title. Surprisingly though, they are rather lower than most people would have probably expected as he only expects the title to shift around 6 million units worldwide.

While this may seem like a large figure in itself, it's actually quite the opposite when compared to previous Final Fantasy titles. It's even more surprising given the decision to release the game on the Xbox 360 as well, a move which was done to increase sales. Has the appeal of Final Fantasy really fallen this far?

In recent times, only three Final Fantasy games have sold less than 6 million copies, and they were Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X-2, and Final Fantasy XII - two of which were the last iteration to appear on the console. The first games to appear have generally sold the best, so the 6 million prediction shows that Square Enix have very low expectations.

What's even more alarming though, is that no Final Fantasy game per generation has ever sold more than the first iteration. This effectively means that unless Square Enix has a master plan, they expect sales to drop even further for Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy XV, should it ever be made. It signals a continuing decline in the sales of mainstream Final Fantasy titles, and it's surely something that must be worrying Square Enix.

Here's hoping that Final Fantasy XIII blows the predictions out of the water when it's released.

TAGS: Square Enix, Musings, Sales Figures, Yoichi Wada