Key Takeaways
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- Falcoms games are experiencing stronger sales overseas, particularly on Steam, surpassing Japans sales.
- The company is planning to increase its focus on foreign markets and continue releasing games with global simultaneous launches.
- The Trails series by Falcom is gaining recognition beyond Japan, breaking stereotypes associated with Japanese gaming and receiving awards such as IGN Japans Game of the Year award.
- There are discussions suggesting a shift in focus from typical Japanese JRPGs catering to the shonen demographic towards games that appeal to adult audiences and a broader demographic, like the Trails series.
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Falcom’s Global Expansion: Overseas Sales Boom Outpaces Japan, Especially on Steam
Falcom is increasingly gaining fans outside Japan, prompting changes in their approach to global simultaneous releases – a crucial move to offset declining sales in their home country. Executive director Toshihiro Kondo has confirmed that Western sales of Falcom’s games now exceed those in Japan, with Steam sales being particularly strong. During a recent investor presentation, Kondo explained the situation with declining Japanese sales of Falcom games, particularly Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. While acknowledging that Japanese sales fell short of expectations, he noted that Western sales were satisfactory. “We had anticipated such problems, which is why we pursued global simultaneous launches,” said Kondo. “This time, overseas, especially in North America, we achieved the highest sales.” Kondo further emphasized the importance of Steam, particularly in rapidly growing markets like China. Given these results, Falcom plans to increase its focus on foreign markets and continue releasing games on multiple platforms with global simultaneous launches, as confirmed for their recent remake project. The presentation also touched on tangential topics, including:
Falcom’s Trails Series Breaks Stereotypes, Gains Recognition Beyond Japan on TGA and IGN Awards
1. An indie team is receiving attention, potentially warranting recognition from Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards (TGA). The TGA involves over 100 global gaming publications in selecting nominees and winners. 2. Some online discussions suggest Japanese culture is associated with stereotypical, sexist, and homogenous anime aimed at a specific audience. 3. There is an opinion that most Japanese JRPGs target the shonen demographic. 4. A commenter (jrx8080) found comparisons between the Trails games and an anime called “E33” disingenuous. Another commenter (Zafir) suggested that Cold Steel would have been a better example than Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter as a more representative title. In its first week in Japan, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter sold approximately 40,000 units without a Famitsu review. While Expedition 33 has more Steam reviews, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter won IGN Japan’s Game of the Year award. Another commenter (Morrigan) suggested that Matsuno should return to game development. SpellSwordFoxx stated that E33 was created with JRPG fans in mind and is targeted toward adult audiences compared to typical Japanese games. The following is a list of the top-grossing games in Japan on Google Play:
Global Expansion of Falcom’s Trails Series for Growing International Recognition
1. Fate/Grand Order – Grand Summer Adventure: Empyreal Shadows 2. Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Puzzle & Dragons X ver.3.14.0 3. Pokémon Masters EX 4. Honkai Impact 3rd 5. Dragon Quest Walk 6. Monster Strike 7. PUBG Mobile Japan 8. Epic Seven 9. The Alchemist Code 10. Shadowverse In summary, Falcom is strategically shifting its focus toward global markets to counter declining domestic sales, a move highlighted by the success of Steam sales and their commitment to simultaneous global releases, including the ongoing remake project.
In Case You Missed It
In the fast-paced world of gaming, Japanese developer Falcom has recently embraced artificial intelligence in a big way, as Marcus Thompson details in his insightful article “Falcom Joins AI: Tasks That Took 2 to 3 Hours Can Now Be Done in About 10 Minutes”, published on December 18th. The company is now using AI for initial stages like scenario brainstorming and typo corrections, with over half of Tokyo Game Show producers admitting they’re also hopping onto the AI bandwagon. Meanwhile, Carlos Mendoza’s recent post “Ys X: Proud Nordics Arrives in February” has gamers thrilled about the upcoming release on PS5, PC, and Switch. Falcom and NIS America have truly raised their game with stunning graphical enhancements, optimized performance, and exciting new gameplay mechanics. Plus, the PS5 version offers an exclusive adventure on Oland Island, promising a deeper dive into Adol’s saga. Catch up on these fascinating developments here Falcom Joins AI: “Tasks That Took 2 to 3 Hours Can Now Be Done in About 10 Minutes and here Ys X: Proud Nordics Arrives in February.
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