The worst part is you know a publisher like NISA would happily sign to localize and publish it in the west, but absolutely nothing has happened and it gets less and less likely that something will in the end.
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Will Level 5 survive this Gen?
- Thread starter Dale Copper
- Start date
As a brand yes but as a company it's complicated (for me) to understand why they lost so much ground.
That's one of the reasons they have their current issues....I doubt that's gonna be the case. Especially in a post Genshin Impact world the kind of money needed to maintain a current f2p mobile game.
Mobile isn't the answer when you can't provide content on time and it's very expensive.
There'll always be space for mobile gaming post-Genshin, but they may have to be in different genres to succeed.
Licensing is one of the ways to do it with lower operation risk - L5 are hoping that Ni no Kuni Cross Worlds with netmarble will be a big hit - pre-registration starts soon:
Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds Pre-Registration to Open Soon
Pre-registration for Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds will begin soon. Additionally, Netmarble will release a commercial featuring Joe Hisashi.
www.siliconera.com
Like others typed out, it sometimes feels as though they´re "overthinking" the strategy for their games. If they start focusing on making good games first,
instead of trying to franchise everything and making it a "social" experience before it even takes off. Everything gets watered down. Just do solid games and then franchise it if it becomes a success.
Everything is a failure if everything has to be the next pokemon right of the bat.
instead of trying to franchise everything and making it a "social" experience before it even takes off. Everything gets watered down. Just do solid games and then franchise it if it becomes a success.
Everything is a failure if everything has to be the next pokemon right of the bat.
I hope they survive. I've really loved some of their games. And then even one I kinda hated (Snack World...) I still played 100+ hours of, more than some of the ones I loved, for some reason, so. There's something there.
Uh... They make a lot of games that have a primary audience of Japanese children. If they didn't get good sales on the PS4 in Japan as is, selling things on XSX + PC exclusively would be a fucking horrible idea.
Acquisition speculation is often kinda gross to me as is, but when it's about Japanese companies that like to actually sell games in their home country I'm just outright confused.
Uh... They make a lot of games that have a primary audience of Japanese children. If they didn't get good sales on the PS4 in Japan as is, selling things on XSX + PC exclusively would be a fucking horrible idea.
Acquisition speculation is often kinda gross to me as is, but when it's about Japanese companies that like to actually sell games in their home country I'm just outright confused.
The sad thing is that they had a franchise with the potential to approach Pokemon-level success (Yokai Watch) and then they proceeded to completely piss it all away by over-saturating the market.
Level-5 is one of my favorite developers of all time but I fail to see them survive too much longer with their current direction. Not releasing games, not localizing games, squandering good IPs. It's not a good look.
Is that why Layton has been so quiet?
It always seemed bizarre to me that they hadn't brought back a traditional Layton game starring the man himself, since it'd seem like easy money for a struggling studio. He's been gone for so long the game might get good nostalgia sales.
Even just a Layton collection on all consoles (xbox/ps/switch/pc) would do wonders as they are only available on phones at the moment. It's basically what Capcom did with Ace Attorney.
They didn't release the last 2D game Professor Layton and the Last Specter on mobile. Something is up with Layton, maybe some right issues with the Puzzles after Akira Tago's death.
Edit.
Hmm, they are releasing the HD port on a yearly basis. Maybe i was wrong about the rights issues. I have no idea why they are not making a collection for at least the switch then.
They can easily make two collection for the two Trilogy too.
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Did you not see how bad Yokai Watch did on PS4?
Or by making them the new Sony Japan Studios do you mean shut them down?🤭
if Sony remembered they owned that, they'd hire Blue Point to make it
Some bigger multimedia company might buy them out or inject capital into future projects. No idea how people think a Microsft acquisition is a good idea, specially for Microsoft themselves. Level 5 doesn't only work on game development, they're a whole ass multimedia company at this point. Not only that but the games they develop are aimed at younger teens, children and very casual gamers. A PlayStation console wasn't exactly the best place to release those for in Japan let alone on Xbox. Maybe they could buy them if they wanted to grab some sales in the Spanish market for that sweet Inazuma Eleven dough? /s
I really get the feeling some of you just shout anything at this point when it comes to any potential acquisitions. Sure, I get that you're speculating, but just because it sounds good in your head doesn't mean it's a viable strategic option for Microsoft to buy [insert developer].
Sony won't do shit with them, obviously.
I really get the feeling some of you just shout anything at this point when it comes to any potential acquisitions. Sure, I get that you're speculating, but just because it sounds good in your head doesn't mean it's a viable strategic option for Microsoft to buy [insert developer].
Sony won't do shit with them, obviously.
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They should re-release it for PS5
The Shadowverse Champion's Battle anime and Switch release that no one really wanted (either the original audience or the kid audience they were targeting) was so out of touch from Cygames that I thought they got L5 to do it.
I think this is probably right, but it does make me sad. I think L5 has the capability of making really good games but poor business decisions have sunk them.
If someone did buy them and make all of the financial/business decisions and L5 was able to focus solely on developing good games they could do great IMO but like you said, I don't think that's happening as it's probably easier to just poach talent. Unless someone is interested in the IP, but even then it's probably cheaper if they wait and try to purchase the IP.
Maybe my opinion is biased but I think part of the problem with Level 5 is that they make visually very beautiful games but with very simple, forgettable or downright mediocre gameplays.
That is why I think their franchises do not persist over time, such as Pokemon.
That is why I think their franchises do not persist over time, such as Pokemon.
Fantasy Life Remaster and/or sequel on Switch and PC could do well. Layton Collection is another "easy" cashgrab.
I agree with the folks saying L5 needs to stop biting over more than they can chew. I fear they'll be gone in five years.
I agree with the folks saying L5 needs to stop biting over more than they can chew. I fear they'll be gone in five years.
Yep and the replacement honestly sucks. The new puzzles feel more like gotcha questions than puzzles.
Maybe some of the touch screen puzzles are hard to adapt to traditional controls? But then the Switch also has a touch screen and that doesn't prevent them from making a new game...
I'd rather just see Nintendo do some IP shopping (Layton, Fantasy Life) and start up a new studio with some Level 5 vets (NOT Hino). Then Bandai Namco can take the rest.
Nintendo would just make new IPs than buy shit that's past their prime
I think there's still value in Layton and NOA/NOE took a lot of care with the series. It's also less of a cross-media mess, the games were popular on their own and we're at the point now where it has nostalgia to help drive sales.
Fantasy Life maybe but I'd just want to see Nintendo and Brownies do a real sequel.
Minecraft is substantially more popular than any game put out in years.
About 300 staff still as of last year. The also have their own mocap studio.
Honestly, despite the TFLO jokes they'd be a good buy for Xbox. Large dev studio, good reputation, valuable IP, privately held (like Bethesda), located in Japan (where Xbox wants to grow) and they look like they might need rescuing soon.
being cynical, I don't think all the talk about Japanese games from Xbox is a hint of them wanting to grow in japan, but rather diversify their lineup/gamepass for their western base
Not grow their marketplace (though they want that too!) but grow their dev resources. That's also why they established Mojang Studios Tokyo in 2018, who is apparently the only Mojang subsidiary focusing on console dev.
Microsoft buying Level 5 would be a pretty big mismatch, the IPs they actually do own target kids and teens in Japan for the most part. All the more reason Hino's decisions regarding Nintendo and the Switch were baffling.
Mojang/Minecraft targets the same audience though. Level 5 might be a unique case where established youth and all-ages stuff like Yokai Watch, Layton, Ninokuni or Inazuma Eleven remains multiplatform going forward (but adding Xbox/PC now) while they make new PC/Xbox focused stuff as exclusives instead. Level 5 didn't always skew to the kids, think of their Sony partner projects of yesteryear like Dark Cloud, Jeanne d'Arc, Rogue Galaxy and White Knight Chronicles. Now imagine spiritual updates to those for the Gamepass twins.
That's what I was thinking. Fantasy Life really reminded me of Nintendo's Mii games during the Wii/3DS era.
Well, they have all but shut down their operations in the West as of last fall and given that there's been no news since.....
They might make it in Japan by hanging onto a handful of things but not sure there's much hope of Western audiences getting much new from them unless they find a new publishing partner who wants to work with them.
They might make it in Japan by hanging onto a handful of things but not sure there's much hope of Western audiences getting much new from them unless they find a new publishing partner who wants to work with them.
They will get acquired by a Japanese or Chinese corporation (much less likely), or get shut down. No, it won't be Sony.
