For the role-players
As part of its annual business report, SEGA has confirmed a bunch of lifetime sales figures for key titles, taking into account additional sales from across the last 12 months.
The new numbers make for fairly interesting reading. The gist here is that the publisher’s role-playing properties are looking pretty healthy across the board, with core franchises like Persona continuing to attract players at a decent pace.
Here are the updated stats in descending order of total sales:
- Persona 5 Royal – 8.66 million (first released in 2019, doesn’t include the original Persona 5)
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon – 3.12 million (first released in 2020)
- Persona 3 Reload – 2.97 million (first released in 2024)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio – 2.46 million (first released in 2024)
- Shin Megami Tensei 5 – 2.44 million (first released in 2021, includes Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – 2.05 million (first released in 2024)
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – 1.01 million (first released in 2023)
It goes without saying that Persona 5 continues to be an all-timer as far as both developer Atlus and the wider franchise are concerned.
And as noted, that 8.66 million isn’t taking the original Persona 5 into account, which would bring the total well above 10 million.
All eyes will be on Persona 6, then, although I do think SEGA will be keeping close tabs on the performance of Persona 4 Revival next February.
It’s not that Persona 3 Reload has done badly, but the company may have been expecting a bit more oomph from what is essentially a follow-up to the world-beating Persona 5.
Meanwhile, Metaphor: ReFantazio’s done well for itself, given its status as a brand new IP. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to learn that a sequel has been greenlit on some level.
As for Like a Dragon, there’s an argument to be made that Infinite Wealth has underperformed — but sequels like that are always a harder sell. Those who didn’t enjoy the series’ significant shift to turn-based combat, for example, may not have returned for the successor.
Obviously, this leaves questions as to where the Like a Dragon franchise goes next. But RGG Studio can worry about that once Stranger Than Heaven is out.
How do you view these updated sales from SEGA? Would you like to see the publisher put an even greater focus on its RPG properties going forward? Press your turn in the comments section below.
[source segasammy.co.jp, via rpgsite.net]
Robert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.