Less than 25% of the U.S. audience for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth was under 30 years old

We recently reported that Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida is somewhat concerned that younger gamers aren't playing Final Fantasy anymore. With so few games being released, people aren't being exposed to the series in the same way, and today's demands for free-to-play, live service, and action mean the concept might be a bit outdated.

We now have confirmation from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella (who knows more about U.S. game sales than anyone else) that Yoshida is actually spot on with his concern. He reveals that a full 62% of American gamers playing Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth are over 35 years old, and if we lower the age limit to 30, that figure rises to 77%...

In other words, less than a quarter of all Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth players are under 30. The crisis could hardly be illustrated any more clearly. The remakes do stand out somewhat from the crowd, since they are essentially re-releases of old classics, but even so, it's obvious that Square Enix has a problem on its hands.

What do you think they can do to attract younger gamers, or is it just a matter of accepting that it's mainly older players who want to take on the role of a mere youngster with the weight of the world on their shoulders in the Final Fantasy series?