It would appear the stars have aligned, because Square Enix has admitted that one of its games outsold its expectations, a fairly rare occurrence for a studio that seems to want a lot from its releases.
In its Q3 financial results release, Square Enix says that while its numbers are down for the nine-month period between April and December 2024 when compared to the same period last year, the quarter itself saw operating income increase, largely due to Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remaster.
The company says the JRPG remake achieved "stronger sales" than it had "initially assumed", helping to offset newer releases achieving lower sales than tentpole games like Final Fantasy XVI and the Pixel Remaster series.
Although Square Enix says its latest games haven't done as well as Final Fantasy XVI, it's worth remembering the company also said that game, along with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, didn't meet its expectations.
Square Enix hasn't shared how many sales either of those games achieved (nor, indeed, has it shared specific figures for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake), but the company has something of a reputation for expecting its games to achieve what some might call unrealistic sales figures.
Naturally, the company's nine-month period between April and September also benefited from the launch of Final Fantasy XIV expansion Dawntrail, although that launch didn't stop net sales and operating income from falling for that period. Instead, it likely just softened the blow.
If you're wondering exactly what Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is, well, the clue's in the name; it's a remake of classic JRPG Dragon Quest 3 using Square Enix's trademarked HD-2D style, which combines nostalgic pixel art with chunky 3D.
You can check the game out right now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch if you want to see what all the fuss is about. If you're still not convinced, maybe our very own Tanushri's review will help you to make a decision.
