Following a benchmark 2000 fiscal year for Enix due in part to the wild success of Dragon Quest VII, which sold more than 4 million units in Japan, Enix expects 5.2 billion yen lower sales than previously estimated for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2001. Overall, sales this year are expected to fall by half to 23 billion yen, with net profits diving 65 percent to 7.1 billion yen.

A significant reason for sales being downgraded is the delaying of anticipated titles such as Star Ocean 3 for the PlayStation 2 and Dragon Quest Monsters I & II, the upcoming PSone remake of the popular Game Boy Color series. The title has been delayed from its original March 31 date to a nebulous Spring 2002 release in Japan. The recent departure of Enix's Heart Beats development team has also left Dragon Quest VIII with a muddled future. Although the company has designated a new team, the project remains in early production with very little concrete information known.