Square Enix has provided a lifetime total for the entire Final Fantasy franchise, as it announces an all-female musical in Japan.
Given how rarely sales figures are revealed it can be easy to lose track of exactly how big certain franchises are, but now we know that since 1987 the Final Fantasy franchise has sold over 180 million copies. Which just happens to be exactly the same as the current lifetime total for Grand Theft Auto 5.
It’s difficult to say what the best-selling game of all time is, because the waters are muddied by things like Roblox and Minecraft, as well as mobile titles, but the biggest franchise by a long way is Super Mario on 826 million – although that does include a lot of non-platformer spin-offs.
Tetris is next on 495 million (including mobile apps), then it’s Pokemon on 480 million, Call Of Duty at 425 million, and Grand Theft Auto on 400 million. Final Fantasy’s total puts it above Sonic The Hedgehog, on 160 million, but below Assassin’s Creed, The Sims, and Lego at 200 million each.
The announcement was made almost off-hand, during a reveal for a new musical in Japan, involving the all-female theatre troupe Takarazuka Revue.