Awakening could have been the last Fire Emblem

[VincentASM]

Old news, but shocking news.

In an interview with the Spanish magazine "Hobby Consolas", published on 22nd April, the developers remarked that Fire Emblem: Awakening could have been the last game in the Fire Emblem series if sales weren't up to scratch. (Thanks to Fire Emblem: Wars of Dragons for picking this up.)

The full quote, translated by Albafika:

Question: Fire Emblem has had a long lifetime. Do you get the feeling it gets harder to release a new episode every time?

Yamagami: No doubt. Truth be told, sales are dropping. The sales manager of Nintendo, Mr. Hatano, told us that this could be the last Fire Emblem. Due to this progressive descend on sales, they told us that if the sales of this episode stayed below 250,000 copies, we'd stop working on the saga. I remember when I came back from the meeting and told the team "My God, what are we gonna do?! The end has come!". Our reaction was clear: if this was going to be the last Fire Emblem, we had to put everything we always wanted to include. That's how this new project was born!

Curiously, there's a similar statement in the interview in the June 2013 issue of Nintendo Dream.

Translated by shadowofchaos:

Maeda: Yes, we can say that now, but I have to admit there was a time during development when we thought "This might be the end of the FE series if Awakening doesn't sell well".

Fortunately for us, sales of Awakening far exceeded expectations, selling around 500,000 copies in Japan and over 240,000 copies in North America.

However, I think it's shocking to know that the series could have ended if things had taken a different turn. Perhaps the fact that Heroes of Light and Shadow didn't get localised was a sign that Nintendo was getting ready to pack the bags with the series...

Edited May 23, 2013 by VincentASM

[Shadow Mir]

Eek... I'm glad the game sold well then.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Levant Fortner

[Vashiane]

Eek... that's a scary thought. Good thing the game did super well then. :)

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

IIRC 9 and 10 kinda bombed

but..... yeah thats sad. Remind me of a certain franchise

[arvilino]

Good thing it sold so much, Fire Emblem is one of the last series that I'd like to see disappear. I guess that's why the SMTxFE announcement was so vague because it probably a product of the turn around they made with Awakening.

[Ike-Mike]

See, you can achieve anything when you're under pressure!

And this is why any project should be done as if it were your last.

[Jakkun]

Think on the bright side:

The fact that it sold BETTER than expected pretty much means that we will get an FE14 in the future.

So eh, I'm not that worried.

[shadowofchaos]

It was literally their "we'll go out with a bang" project.

[VincentASM]

So, I guess that makes Fire Emblem: Awakening the "Final Fantasy" of Fire Emblem : P

[Acacia Sgt]

Hopefully this sort of situation will not arise again... but, as things stand, there is no guarantee that it won't.

[arvilino]

^Yeah as a niche genré it's probably still on a knifes edge dependent on how the future releases do.

But I wonder since the DLC did well I wonder if there's the chance it may actually largest earning and as a result most successful Fire Emblem title.

Edited May 22, 2013 by arvilino

[Sasori]

Thank god I did't hear this before Awakening was released or else I would have gone in panic mode.

[Sunwoo]

That's quite scary to think about.

[Shadow Stalker X]

Surprised that Awakening could have been the last Fire Emblem. At the very least, since IS learned how to make an amazing selling Fire Emblem game, I think there will be more good games to come.

So, I guess that makes Fire Emblem: Awakening the "Final Fantasy" of Fire Emblem : P

If that is truly the case, then Fire Emblem will go on to sell millions of copies on future titles.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Shadow Stalker X

[Tohru]

See, you can achieve anything when you're under pressure!

And this is why any project should be done as if it were your last.

I gotta agree on this.

So, I guess that makes Fire Emblem: Awakening the "Final Fantasy" of Fire Emblem : P

lmao, nice play on the concept.

If that is truly the case, then Fire Emblem will go on to sell millions of copies on future titles.

Even more!

But this is seriously a depressing idea... Though it probably helped boost how well they did the game and everything, it's still depressing. :( So, I'm also one of those glad that FE13 did as well as it did.

Although... What are the numbers for Europe? I know there have been threads about the sales in Europe, but any official numbers (maybe to be added to the OP)?

[BrightBow]

Well, I would have definitely regretted if this game would have marked the end of the series.

But I am definitely surprised that they were so close to the end. The last two games were remakes.

At least the way I always saw it, such games are secure moneymakers but nothing to reach really high sales.

Edited May 22, 2013 by BrightBow

[shadowofchaos]

So, I guess that makes Fire Emblem: Awakening the "Final Fantasy" of Fire Emblem : P

If that is truly the case, then Fire Emblem will go on to sell millions of copies on future titles.

We had an influx of new fans thanks to FE13.

And frankly I was feeling so hipster when everyone and their mother in the game room this semester was playing Awakening... thankfully Monster Hunter came out.

"It's mainstream" pretty much when it's getting crossovers.

...though I have to say, like a lot of fandoms that have popularity, at least enough new influx of fans... it has, how should I say... "awakened the best and worst of the fandom".

Well despite that...

*Holds up glass for a toast*

Here's to the bright future for FE.

Edited May 22, 2013 by shadowofchaos

[Vashiane]

Well said, Rey, well said. :)

Here's to FE14 and beyond.

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, I would have definitely regretted if this game would have marked the end of the series.

But I am definitely surprised that they were so close to the end. The last two games were remakes.

At least the way I always saw it, such games are secure moneymakers but nothing to reach really high sales.

Well, it's quite possible they looked further past, since as I understand it the Tellius games didn't do that well either, at least in Japan. So it's possible they got grouped in the "decreasing sales" statement.

[Fairlee]

Good thing Awakening released faster than most RPG games in 3DS.

I believe it is one of the factor new fans buy Awakening.

Actually is Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn sell well?

I'm not sure about Gamecube and Wii itself.

[darkkfan]

It was literally their "we'll go out with a bang" project.

I agree. That's the impression I was getting from Awakening from the moment it was released. Honestly, I was almost certain that Awakening would be the last FE... until I saw the sales..

Thank god I did't hear this before Awakening was released or else I would have gone in panic mode.

I am pretty sure everyone here would have gone out and bought 10 copies if this was the case so I am pretty sure we wouldn;t have had much to worry about XD.

[Silver Lightning]

I was happy to hear that it did go over its sales mark; it disturbed me to read that it was planned as the last FE in mind. Obviously it was never localized, but I thought FE12, and FE as a series was mainstream and doing well in Japan. It wouldn't make sense to end it if there were so many Japanese fans at least. And now that it did well overseas, I sincerely hope FE can finally enjoy a nice long future in the West as well!

Long live Fire Emblem in all regions of the world with dedicated fans!

[Mighty Kamina]

Well, it's great that Awakening brought so many new fans into the series and hopefully these new fans will buy future installments in the series.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Zelos

[FrostyFireMage]

I am somewhat...conflicted about Fire Emblem's rise in popularity.

I think it's great that the Fire Emblem series will thrive with many new fans added to the mix. On the other hand, I'm worried that IS will simplify the characters, story and gameplay to run-of-the-mill anime and JRPG standards. =/

[Interceptor]

I am somewhat...conflicted about Fire Emblem's rise in popularity.

I think it's great that the Fire Emblem series will thrive with many new fans added to the mix. On the other hand, I'm worried that IS will simplify the characters, story and gameplay to run-of-the-mill anime and JRPG standards. =/

Let's not get crazy, here; Fire Emblem story and character development doesn't have a long way to fall. Shakespeare it is not, no matter how far back you go.