Update 1.03 for Square Enix’s upcoming action role-playing game, Final Fantasy XVI, is already available, based on the latest information.
An eagle-eyed Final Fantasy XVI fan spotted that the recently released demo is based on an earlier build of the game, as it was seen running on the more recent update 1.03 during its recent State of Play showing. This gives rise to the question why the demo build is two updates behind. It’s likely that this build had been prepared in advance for demo purposes at expos and conventions.
There may be performance improvements in update 1.03 that are not there in the demo build, though that remains to be seen. The Final Fantasy XVI demo is now available for download. Readers may follow the link here to add it to their PSN account library.
Previously, it was revealed that Square Enix has an 18 month post-launch plan to increase the sales of Final Fantasy XVI. Speaking during the latest episode of Weekly Ochia’s talk show, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida stated that publisher Square Enix has an 18 month post-launch plan to increase the game’s sales.
In response to a question regarding Square Enix’s approach to sales, specifically in terms of generating profits, Naoki Yoshida stated that when it comes to the final product, he prepares a detailed budget documentation that includes information such as the platforms the game will be released on, the total development costs, marketing and PR expenses, and the projected profits. These details are crucially important and are included in the documentation. However, he admitted that he won’t be paying much attention to the first-week sales of Final Fantasy XVI.
Responding to another question regarding the publisher’s approach to the post-release sales plan and how it will adapt to changes in player behavior in terms of marketing strategy, Yoshida said that sales extension can vary from country to country. With respect to Japan, he gave the example of the recently released movie, Slam Dunk. Fans of the show were highly interested in it, but there were doubts and concerns during the promotional phase. However, once fans watched the movie, they enthusiastically recommended it to others, generating positive word-of-mouth. This kind of attraction created by word-of-mouth is still a powerful tool in PR today, he said.
