Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
For a game that launched in Japan originally in 2012, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis has incredible life to it in 2021. It did, after all, finally just come westward this year after years of fans asking for the popular MMO sequel. In fact, in a rather tough year with the COVID-19 pandemic still about to contend with, it was one of Sega’s biggest wins in its latest financial reporting. How big? Phantasy Star Online 2 has exceeded over 9 million registered users and achieved over 100 billion yen in cumulative sales with the aid of its worldwide release.
This tidbit of information was revealed in Sega Sammy’s Q1 2022 earnings results on its Investor Relations website on August 6, 2021. In fact, Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis got a full page on the company’s consumer content section. PSO2 got its springboard in the west in 2020 when it was first revealed to be coming to the Xbox One. It had already achieved over 1 million users in August 2020. Flash forward to 2021, the game has exceeded 9 million and continues to be one of the biggest money makers for Sega Sammy in its quarterly reporting.
Sega arguably needed milestones like this over the last year. It was forced to consolidate much of its business with the effects of COVID-19, forcing the company to sell off a large portion of its arcade amusement center business. The success of releases like Yakuza: Like a Dragon have helped bolster Sega as it focused its attention on them, but Phantasy Star Online 2 is a game that will continue to make money for the company over a long period of time, thanks to its structure as an MMO.
Even so, Sega Sammy’s recent Q1 2022 earnings results also showed signs of life in its pachinko, pachislot, and physical amusements industries. The threat of COVID-19 is still far from over, but perhaps it’s a sign that Sega might not have to rely so heavily on the success of Phantasy Star Online 2 in further quarters, even if it does serve as solid constant for the company.