The Sakura Wars mobile launch is considered to have been a costly disaster, given the massive budget and a reception that failed to match.
Sega opted to go full circle with its long-running RPG last year, launching an impressive reboot for the PlayStation 4 alongside a fresh anime and a number of new trademarks with the aim of breathing new life into the franchise.
While things might have appeared bright initially, it's been reported that DelightWorks' new mobile title, Sakura Revolution: Hanasaki Maidens, completely flopped in the wake of its release. That is according to a Business Journal piece noted and translated by Resetera user Joseki. According to the report, the free-to-play mobile game garnered just 73.7 million yen (around $703,000 USD) in its first month and slotted in at 215 in the mobile sales ranking charts.
"However, sales of the role-playing game (RPG) app " Sakura Revolution ~ Hanasaki Maidens ~ " (development and operation Delightworks ) for iOS / Android, which was fully released at the end of last year, are not good. According to "Game₋i," an information analysis site specializing in game-related stocks (games and social games), the sales forecast for the title in December was 73.7 million yen, and the average sales ranking for smartphone game apps was 215th.
"Famous titles generally have sales of several hundred million yen in the month they are released, and are said to fail unless they are ranked within the 50th place on average. According to several game industry officials, the development cost of the title is said to exceed 3 billion yen, and there are constant rumors of a "catastrophe."
Nearly three-quarter of a million dollars is nothing to scoff at but such a number is considered to be pretty low for an Asian mobile game in its debut month. Lesser-known titles rank within the top 50 at the very least, which is also saying something.
The most troubling part, though, is the belief among industry analysts that the game's development and marketing took up a budget of 3 billion yen ($30 million USD).
The numbers, if true, could prompt Sega to wrap things up where Sakura Wars is concerned, which would be a real disappointment, given the game's legacy.
Source: Business Journal