Nothing says “thank you” quite like a fat chocobo. Square-Enix, being the personable purveyors of Japanese-style role-playing games that they are, rewarded players of the new social network-based Final Fantasy Brigade with a bunch of free items on Wednesday. Among those items was a Debu Chocobo, a morbidly obese version of the Final Fantasy series’ trademark birds that coughs up special items and abilities. Why is Square-Enix so giving? Final Fantasy Brigade hit two million players this week.
The number is impressive. For starters, Brigade is the series’ first traditional role-playing entry on social platforms. That is to say, it’s a Final Fantasy game with an overworld and dungeons that’s played over mobile phones. Players must team up to achieve goals and exchange items. In even simpler terms, it’s a cross between Final Fantasy and FarmVille.
What’s more, Brigade only officially came out in January, meaning that it’s currently growing at a rate of approximately one million users per month.
There is no word on when or on what platforms Brigade might come to the U.S., but the game is certainly one to watch. With sales of large scale Final Fantasy releases like Final Fantasy XIII shrinking and the failure of the Final Fantasy XIV online multiplayer game, small scale, socially-based games like Brigade may be the future of the franchise.
