Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Square-Enix explains why Final Fantasy games cost so much on iOS

Anthony John Agnello
By

Apple’s meteoric rise from a non-entity in the video game industry to one of its most powerful players has everything to do with the economics of the iTunes App Store. The iPhone is an industry defining product, as are the iPod Touch and the iPad, but the secret sauce that keeps people spending on iOS games is low pricing. When a new, substantial game is just $5 or even 99-cents away, it’s not difficult to separate players from their money.

That’s why Square-Enix is such a baffling iOS publisher. The revered RPG maker has earned a reputation for its expensive mobile titles, with ports of old RPGs like Chrono Trigger priced regularly at $20 and up. With the new original Final Fantasy Dimensions scraping the upper range—it was originally priced at $29 before dropping down to $20—Square has shed some light on why it goes against the iOS grain.

Related Videos

“We are aware of both the positive and negative opinions on this matter,” reads a message from the Dimensions staff to Siliconera, “[Final Fantasy Dimensions] offers about fifty hours of gameplay, and we feel that our community can enjoy the contents of this game as much as they would a console title. Also, we have set the price where it is because this title was developed specifically for the mobile platform, as opposed to just being a port of an older console or handheld game. I hope our long-time fans will feel the nostalgia, while our younger fans will find this game to be refreshing and new.”

The nostalgia factor is born of Final Fantasy Dimensions’ style. Its two-dimensional sprite graphics and chiptune soundtrack were made to mimic the Final Fantasy games of the early ‘90s on Super Nintendo. The price shouldn’t make players nostalgic, though. Super Nintendo Square RPGs like Final Fantasy III often cost as much as $70 when they were first released two decades back. Square’s iOS releases are not just affordable by comparison but cheap.

Still the pricing of Dimensions demonstrates that the business of iOS game publishing is still very much in flux, changing with each release. Chilingo offers game like Puzzle Craft whose campaigns last for 30 hours or more for just 99-cents. By the same token, Square has sold games like Demon’s Score that are relatively short, but costs $44 for all the content. Considering how quickly Dimensions’ price has dropped, it appears that Square is rushing to find the sweet spot for iOS succes.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
How to link Fortnite accounts
fortnite weapon pool chapter four chun li riding the new motorcycles in

One of the reasons everyone enjoys Fortnite so much is its cross-platform capabilities. Then there's also the freedom to carry over your progress between all those platforms. If you simply link all your profiles together, you can freely jump between platforms without losing any progress. The process is relatively simple and ensures you’ll be leveling up your battle pass regardless of the device you’re playing on. So long as you understand how to log in to your Epic account and know your credentials on all relevant platforms, linking your accounts should take no more than five minutes.

Read more
PSVR 2 vs. Meta Quest 2
Playstation VR2 headset on a PlayStation-themed wallpaper.

The VR landscape has evolved drastically since the technology first became available to consumers. Most major VR units have evolved to their second iteration, such as the PlayStation VR 2 and the Meta Quest 2. Just like comparing any two pieces of tech, the newest or most expensive one isn't necessarily the best. Gamers, in particular, will want to know all the ins and outs of both units before investing in a new headset. To help you decide which headset is right for you, we've pitted the PSVR 2 and Meta Quest 2 against each other to see how they stack up in key categories.
Specs

Looking at the scpecifications is the most objective way to judge these two headsets. Here's what they offer:
PSVR 2
The PSVR 2 will give you a 2000 x 2040-pixel display per eye on an OLED screen with HDR capabilities. It has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, a 110-degree field of view, and even eye-tracking technology. In terms of power, the PSVR 2 is running off your PlayStation 5, so it will be capped at what the console can push out.

Read more
Final Fantasy 16: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more
Shiva in Final Fantasy 16.

Final Fantasy 16 is finally on its way after a prolonged gap from the previous numbered entry. While numerous major titles have seen delays in the past couple of years, we're glad to finally know the game is nearly upon us. There are still plenty of mysteries about the new adventure, but here's everything we know so far.

Further reading

Read more