Cognition Dissemination: #FE’s Initial Sales Tip is Dull in Japan

Let’s be honest: There was little chance of Genei Ibun Roku #FE (aka “Illusory Revelations Sharp FE”) putting up good sales numbers, for multiple reasons. It was originally announced as Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem during a Nintendo Direct which revealed nearly every title in development for Wii U in January 2013, in a desperate bid to help the system sell when its future appeared dire. At the time, it appeared to be a strategy/RPG featuring multiple characters from both franchises. But anyone who’s followed it can tell you how much it’s transformed since then. But in Atlus and Nintendo’s attempt to appeal to an alternate audience, they might have alienated one which expected that straight crossover.

Its first-week sales numbers were posted by Famitsu, which showed that it sold a mere 23,806 copies after its first few days of availability, debuting in the #13 spot. To put that in perspective, that’s not only a lower debut than any game in both franchises, it’s also below some spinoffs. That also means it debuted worse than maligned spinoff Shin Megami Tensei NINE for Xbox, which sold 28,462 in its first week. Of course, unlike NINE, this game is on a comparatively more popular platform. And given how low digital sales tend to be in Japan, it likely didn’t make up those numbers up through the eShop.

There are multiple reasons for why it sold in low numbers, and while some are easy to conclude, others require further analysis. As a fan of both franchises involved, I’ll admit I was incredibly disappointed to see what this title became after its full reveal.

Upon first hearing of the crossover, my mind went to Majin Tensei, an old Atlus strategy/RPG with themes taken from the mainline Megaten games, and gameplay cues from FE; in fact, I based an entire post around that presumption. Some rumors suggest that was the original plan in its earliest stages, albeit with characters from both franchises, but the development team had trouble executing the idea. If it wasn’t like Majin Tensei, my second guess was for something derivative of Devil Survivor, Atlus’ current SRPG franchise. An idol focused RPG was one of the last things I (or anyone else, really) expected from this, let alone any Atlus-developed game.

In the interim between its unveil and release, though, quite a few skeptics warmed up to it — me included. News that some talented developers were working on it helped with that, including producer Shinjiro Takada (who directed a number of Growlanser games, and worked on the Devil Survivor titles) and co-directors Mitsuru Hirata (director of Radiant Historia) and Eiji Ishida (director of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey). Note that I’m not against the concept of an idol RPG as a whole, which is an intriguing one well worth realizing, some fanservice aside.

The Nintendo Treehouse demonstration from E3 remains the best showcase of its features. Though a plethora of videos from the Japanese version exist on Youtube and sites that archive streaming, it’s easy to run into spoilers from people who weren’t careful enough to mark them. But the sales data shows that not enough people warmed up to it, and others who found its concept intriguing weren’t part of those who purchased a Wii U in sizable numbers for Christmas in Japan. That includes those who purchased recent installments in both franchises, those being Fire Emblem Awakening (and Fates in Japan), and Shin Megami Tensei IV.

Despite still being reticent towards the setting, I’m actually a little miffed this game couldn’t find a significant audience in Japan. Those playing (or who have played) it said it’s far better than anyone would expect an idol RPG to be, like a title like Compile Heart’s Omega Quintet.

More intriguingly, they’ve also said it’s a better representation of both franchises than promotional materials suggested. The FE elements are represented through #FE’s cast being capable of summoning FE legacy characters through Performas and its weapon triangle, while the Megaten elements come through its dungeon designs, small references within shops in the real world, and magic weaknesses. (Also, the Performa designs are perhaps the reason for the #FE name, because damn they’re “edgy.”) I understand why the more serious material was left out of promotional videos, but this is a case where it might have been worth it to delve into spoiler territory at least slightly.

Perhaps there’s a chance of this game selling better outside Japan, but it’s likely Nintendo and Atlus will simply move on from #FE after it’s released outside of Japan. That is, unless they decide to port it to their next platform, where it could potentially put up better sales. We still don’t know precisely when it will arrive in western territories, but Nintendo should feature it on an upcoming Direct in the near future. After all, it’s not like they have much else planned for Wii U this year.