Square Enix has confirmed via Bravely Default‘s official Twitter account that the Nintendo 3DS title has reached 1 million copies sold worldwide. A closer look reveals that the title managed to shift 400,000 copies in Japan, and a whopping 600,000 in the west. Though the number of potential customers in North America is of course higher, the breakdown is quite the triumph for a genre that traditionally excels in its home territory primarily.
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If you look at Bravely Default‘s quick start in North America back when it released, its stellar totals begin to make more sense. It managed to sell 200,000 during its first three weeks of availability, and Square Enix has since gone on record saying that the entire company has refocused its JRPG efforts thanks to Bravely Default‘s success. Fans, believe it or not, want straightforward, well-balanced RPGs with deep gameplay. There’s a time and place for plot-focused efforts, but the Bravely series ain’t it.
If there’s one thing a million-seller often triggers it’s a sequel, and Square Enix is already hard at work on the game’s followup, Bravely Second. It’s not clear if old-school JRPG lightning can realistically strike twice outside of Japan, but even if half of the original’s fans pick up the sequel (in addition to those who missed out the first time around), Square’s investment in a second game will likely be one that pays off.
