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Octopath Traveler Sold So Much It's Back-ordered For Months; Square Enix Apologizes
The retro JRPG Octopath Traveler proved to be an even bigger hit than the developer, Square Enix, expected, causing the company to issue an apology for failing to manufacture enough physical copies to meet demand. The turn-based fantasy game was released Friday as an exclusive title for the Nintendo Switch.
The highly anticipated JRPG provides players with a unique art style as it combines HD visual effects with 16-bit SNES character models and textures. The gameplay and art featured in Octopath Traveler shows that the game was clearly inspired by the earliest installments of the Final Fantasy series, which launched on the SNES in the early 1990s. Octopath Traveler takes its name from the main concept behind the game's story in which the player embarks on an adventure with one of eight playable characters based in different parts of the world.
Octopath Traveler has sold out in many areas of Japan and on Amazon in the United States, making it difficult for fans to get their hands on a physical copy of the game. Square Enix's social team released an apology on Twitter. Translated by Twitter, the tweet reads: "We are sorry that some of the shops are out of stock ... You can also consider the DL version."
On Octopath Traveler's Amazon page, it appears that fans will have to wait 1-2 months before the game is back in stock. The release of Octopath Traveler has so far been met with a ton of praise from critics, and especially from fans of classic JRPGs like the original Final Fantasy. The sheer number of positive reactions to the game, coupled with sales, is indicative of the fact that throwback video games are a growing trend in the gaming industry. It's a trend that's still picking up steam, which is illustrated by the successful re-releases of older games like Crash Bandicoot, as well as new games inspired by classics, such as the retro isometric RPG, Wasteland 2: Director's Cut, along with many others.
While many are understandably disappointed by Square Enix's failure to properly prepare for the game's launch, the problem highlights just how much of a hit Octopath Traveler has become for both Square Enix and Nintendo. Square Enix was apparently not prepared for Octopath Traveler to be in such high demand. The game's massive success is also a great thing for Nintendo, as it gives potential customers one more reason to purchase a Nintendo Switch. Octopath Traveler could join Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the list of flagship titles for the fastest-selling console in U.S. history.
