FF VIII pushes past 2.5 million

[02.15.99] » In just four days of sales, Square has already sold over 2.5 million copies of Final Fantasy VIII, making it the fastest selling PlayStation title ever.

   With ads for Final Fantasy VIII flooding the Japanese media in recent weeks, it comes as no small surprise that initial sales of the game are through the roof. Consumers have been inundated with radio and TV spots, not to mention posters, billboards, and other commercial weaponry plastered around cities. Now, Square has revealed that approximately 2.57 million copies of the game have been sold in the first four days, some 470,000 units over Final Fantasy VII's level.

   Additionally, according to Gaming-Age, an estimated 2.21 million copies were sold on the first day alone. Final Fantasy VIII had well over two million pre-orders prior to its release, well above Final Fantasy VII's 1.5 million. The figure places FF VIII as the number one PlayStation title in first-day sales since Sony introduced the system in 1994.

   The news is certainly welcome in Japan, where recent sale levels have spurred fears of an industry slump. In related news, Bandai is planning on introducing a line of Final Fantasy VIII action figures, much like the figures created for the last installment of the series. No word yet on whether or not the line of RPG toys will see another American release.