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Nihon Falcom interested in releasing games on Switch

vareon

Member
It kind of is for Falcom, whom historically has focused developing games for a single platform at a time.

and that platform has never been a Nintendo one. I think they've developed two Super Famicom games themselves (Popful Mail and Ys V) and that's it. Which is sort of why I didn't interpret the "it's a very Nintendo console" as being very kind. I definitely wouldn't have came to the conclusion this thread has from anything Kondo said at AX

I mean, "interested" is a very broad term. They can be interested in releasing games for Switch, but not now when they're focusing actual resources on PS/Steam. I'm developing a game now and I'm interested in releasing it on Switch, but that doesn't mean I can.
 

Squire

Banned
I think the last time Falcom internally developed a game for a Nintendo platform was on the SNES. They apparently even once said that they want to expand the Trails franchise to 3DS and other platforms, but nothing ever came out of that either.

Switch would be a great home for Falcom's games, especially with Falcom abandoning Vita, but I doubt we'll see it happen. They just don't seem to be interested, no matter how successful non-Sony platforms are. They are open to outside developers porting their games though (they might even require their localizing partners to comission the development of a PC port for their western releases), so at best we might see something in that direction if companies like NISA really want to see Falcom's games on Switch. I don't know if Sony actually allows Phyre Engine to be ported to other consoles, though.

Oh, PE runs on everything under the sun.
 

Eusis

Member
I respect Falcom a lot as a developer. They make some really excellent Action RPGs. Well, not the walking sim Ys games, but the action packed ones were cool. They are challenging and charming. Something I have yet to see in Western ARPG developers pull off.
Walking sim!?

... Maybe walking sim staring a PCP junky? Just run around, violently slaughtering things until you are straight up mortally wounded.
 

OuterLimits

Member
I doubt they will but I think it could be a good thing if they did.

It certainly benefited NIS to put Disgaea 5 on Switch. Especially since sales were a bit underwhelming on the PS4.

I realize Falcom tends to do well on PC, so it's of course different than others who rely on mainly console sales. However those in the past who relied on a PS3 or PS4/Vita combo are in a bit of a bind now with Vita fading.
 
They should have did this from the 3DS or even DS. Their games look unimpressive af, when your games are on freaking Sony portables and toasters there is neither the install base or power excuses
 

Squire

Banned
They should have did this from the 3DS or even DS. Their games look unimpressive af, when your games are on freaking Sony portables and toasters there is neither the install base or power excuses

There's no excuse because they don't need one. There's more to games than graphics. That they know that is part of the reason their games are as good as they are; their priorities are straight.
 

Tohsaka

Member
They should have did this from the 3DS or even DS. Their games look unimpressive af, when your games are on freaking Sony portables and toasters there is neither the install base or power excuses

Their audience is on Sony platforms (and PC to an extent in the west), and Sony has been providing them with technical and logistical support as well. Falcom isn't a huge developer that can just throw bodies at ports to other platforms whenever they feel like it, they likely have all hands working on finishing up Trails of Cold Steel 3 and whatever unannounced game they likely have cooking.
 

Malakai

Member
Their audience is on Sony platforms (and PC to an extent in the west), and Sony has been providing them with technical and logistical support as well. Falcom isn't a huge developer that can just throw bodies at ports to other platforms whenever they feel like it, they likely have all hands working on finishing up Trails of Cold Steel 3 and whatever unannounced game they likely have cooking.

How can anyone purport to know if there is or isn't "an audience" for their game on the Switch if they haven't released a game on Nintendo platform since the SNES. It isn't like Nintendo doesn't co-own one of the biggest JRPG on face of the planet Earth.
 

Oregano

Member
How can anyone purport to know if there is or isn't "an audience" for their game on the Switch if they haven't released a game on Nintendo platform since the SNES. It isn't like Nintendo doesn't co-own one of the biggest JRPG on face of the planet Earth.

Yup also that Falcom on Sony handhelds is a relatively recent thing and Falcom on Sony home consoles even more recent than that.
 

Tohsaka

Member
How can anyone purport to know if there is or isn't "an audience" for their game on the Switch if they haven't released a game on Nintendo platform since the SNES. It isn't like Nintendo doesn't co-own one of the biggest JRPG on face of the planet Earth.

I'm saying they have an established audience on PlayStation and PC, not that a potential audience on Nintendo platforms doesn't exist. As I said in the rest of my post, Falcom doesn't have the manpower to just port shit to wherever they feel like it. If someone else they felt they could trust wanted to port one of their games (like NISA and Aksys are doing with Ys VIII and Tokyo Xanadu), I'm sure they'd be open to it. Also, Pokemon isn't anything like the games Falcom makes, so it's not really relevant.

Yup also that Falcom on Sony handhelds is a relatively recent thing and Falcom on Sony home consoles even more recent than that.

Falcom has been making games for Sony consoles since the original PlayStation, and handhelds since the PSP. I wouldn't say that's really recent.
 

Eolz

Member
I'll believe Falcom being interested in a Nintendo platform when I'll see it.
Gurumin wasn't even through them.
 

Mozendo

Member
Yup also that Falcom on Sony handhelds is a relatively recent thing and Falcom on Sony home consoles even more recent than that.
How can you say that when they started support on the PSP just a little bit over a decade ago and have been releasing titles on Sony portables yearly since 2006?
 

Oregano

Member
Falcom has been making games for Sony consoles since the original PlayStation, and handhelds since the PSP. I wouldn't say that's really recent.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but the vast majority of console releases were ported by other companies until the PSP, weren't they?

How can you say that when they started support on the PSP just a little bit over a decade ago and have been releasing titles on their portable yearly since 2006?

For a thirty year old company/series a decade is relatively recently.
 
Their audience is on Sony platforms (and PC to an extent in the west)

How can one gauge an audience before releasing any game? This kind of statement has always amazed me. Did people notice how Disgaea 5 made equivalent sales as PS4 on a smaller install base? Maybe it's time to let go these old ass clichés...
 

Squire

Banned
Why do they need to take a risk on the Switch if the sales are coming in just fine on Sony hardware? Like I noted on the last page: Kondo said Falcom operates on a profit and that that's never not been the case. They're making money comfortably; What's the incentive to rock the boat?
 

Eolz

Member
Why do they need to take a risk on the Switch of the sales are coming in just fine on Sony hardware? Like I noted ok the OST psge: Kondo said Falcom operates on a profit and that's that never not been the case. What's the incentive to rock the boat?

The Vita not being a good platform for them anymore and the PS4 not being enough to compensate is a good incentive.
 

Tohsaka

Member
How can one gauge an audience before releasing any game? This kind of statement has always amazed me. Did people notice how Disgaea 5 made equivalent sales as PS4 on a smaller install base? Maybe it's time to let go these old ass clichés...

Maybe read my entire post and not just the beginning. I didn't say no one would buy the games if they were ported, just that they already have an established audience and don't have the resources to port things themselves.
 

Squire

Banned
The Vita not being a good platform for them anymore and the PS4 not being enough to compensate is a good incentive.

They seem to be trying to fill that void with PC versions. Which makes sense given they have a history on that platform, too.
 

Tohsaka

Member
The Vita not being a good platform for them anymore and the PS4 not being enough to compensate is a good incentive.

We don't really know if the PS4 is enough for them in Japan yet. Ys VIII and Tokyo Xanadu PS4 versions were ports that came out a year later. Trails of Cold Steel III will be a good indicator since it's their first PS4 exclusive.
 

-MB-

Member
How can one gauge an audience before releasing any game? This kind of statement has always amazed me. Did people notice how Disgaea 5 made equivalent sales as PS4 on a smaller install base? Maybe it's time to let go these old ass clichés...
Those clichés are very convenient as fodder to to argue for denying Nintendo platforms.
 

StereoVsn

Member
Are their PS4 games not doing well? I thought they only recently started producing games for the PS4.

Japan provides significant portion of their sales. PS4 by itself doesn't look like it will carry previous sales on Vita + PS3. Hence the renewed push for Western releases and PC.

Considering Switch is selling very very well in Japan, it would be prudent to at least try out the market.
 
Walking sim!?

... Maybe walking sim staring a PCP junky? Just run around, violently slaughtering things until you are straight up mortally wounded.

I'm talking about Ys I&II. I fucking hate the "combat" in some of these games. The later games are much better.
 
I'm talking about Ys I&II. I fucking hate the "combat" in some of these games. The later games are much better.

1432656638566.jpg


Well to be fair, 1 and 2 were originaly made in the late 80's on the PC Engine. It's not like they had a lot to work with.
 
Ys VIII's PS4 port is still listing on Media Creates, Famitsu, and Degeki sales data releases, and the game's certainly sold more than previous installments both on Vita and overall. I think Sen no Kiseki III will do fine on PS4, even if it takes juicy licensing to a Western localizer + more sales from Taiwan/China/South Korea to secure a profit. Vita + PS3 was a great combo sales-wise, but the Vita's physical cart size greatly limited how much they could pack into their games, so moving to PS4 makes sense at least for now.

Also, I don't really mind if someone doesn't like Ys I & II, but they're not walking sims or some other buzzword. They're just old and weird for everyone used to the Zelda paradigm.

are they the Ys guys?
Fixed
 
PS4 is doing similar to what PS3 did at the time in Japan (see the Media Create thread), so Falcom might want a second platform. Looks like that'll be PC, but I wouldn't mind Switch versions too (why not both? ;) ).
 

Squire

Banned
Those clichés are very convenient as fodder to to argue for denying Nintendo platforms.

It's less denial though and more that Nintendo has historically not made a strong argument for why their platform should be included. Believe it or not, there's more to it than selling a lot of systems or being the platform that gets DQ/MonHun/whatever.

We're talking about a company of like 60 people, making steady money, with a CEO that's open but cavalier about Nintendo. It's up to Nintendo to turn that into enthusiasm, not the other way around. Kondo is already doing the job he's supposed to and well.
 

Eila

Member
Didn't another company port Gurumin to the 3DS though?

© 2004-2016 Nihon Falcom Corporation. All rights reserved.
Porting and localization by Mastiff, LLC. under license.
Published in Japan by Flyhigh Works.
Just like how the current PC ports are by the english publishers.
 
Well to be fair, 1 and 2 were originaly made in the late 80's on the PC Engine. It's not like they had a lot to work with.

Zelda on the NES had better combat, and it was one of the earlier games of such style. This was the style up to Ys IV afaik.

What pisses me off the most is that none of the remakes try to modernize the combat. They modernized the other games.
 
Zelda on the NES had better combat, and it was one of the earlier games of such style. This was the style up to Ys IV afaik.

What pisses me off the most is that none of the remakes try to modernize the combat. They modernized the other games.
I guess Oath in Felghana isn't a remake of Ys III now...

But yeah, Falcom hasn't given the full modern treatment to I & II yet. They'll undoubtedly revisit I & II later on for an anniversary, and maybe then they'll bring Esteria into 3D. Personally I like early Ys combat just as much as OG Zelda, but Ys V's changes didn't work until they came back for Ys VI.

We're talking about a company of like 60 people, making steady money, with a CEO that's open but cavalier about Nintendo.
In the recent Kondo interviews this summer, he's said Falcom has about 50 employees, and 40 of them are developers. This actually seems a big increase since I heard they went down to 41 people recently, so recruitment must have paid off.
 

Squire

Banned
I was actually trying to account for whoever works in marketing, but if that's the total size of the whole company, wow.

But yeah, point stands. This is a very small company that's doing great with their current set-up. They don't have a ton of room to take chances or do things just because in terms of operations.

Again, if someone wants to make a Switch version of Ys/Trails, I'm sure Kondo will sign off on it, but let's not act like these games aren't on the system because of blind loyalty or arrogance or something.
 

Raitaro

Member
Oh cool, would that possibly include Faxana....

Trials in the Sky Legend of Heroes 1 & 2 for Switch would be perfect!

...Of course more Gurumin doesn't hurt. Actually, this would be a perfect opportunity for them to revive Faxanadu.

Gurumin eventually got ported to the 3DS. Though having Ys in there wouldn't hurt.

...du? Guess my work was already done for me :)

But seriously: I truly love Faxanadu and it's unique(ly weird) atmosphere and tone. It might actually be the closest we got to a 8-bit Souls game (with regards to tone and such), even more so than Castlevania and Zelda II perhaps. Would love to a Wild Guns Reloaded or Seiken Densetsu Collection style re-release on Switch or perhaps even a Blaster Master: Zero style new game.
 
I can't see it happening internally, as others have mentioned they are effectively "locked in" to PlayStation as far as internal development goes, using their middleware and engine, with localisation for the Asian market added in.

How can anyone purport to know if there is or isn't "an audience" for their game on the Switch if they haven't released a game on Nintendo platform since the SNES. It isn't like Nintendo doesn't co-own one of the biggest JRPG on face of the planet Earth.

Yup. It'd be like saying NIS's audience for Disgaea games is exclusively on PlayStation...and then the Switch version of Disgaea 5 Complete ends up outselling LTD non-Japan PS4 sales on pre-orders alone.

Considering Switch won't have a major JRPG until Xenoblade 2 it's a shame most publishers aren't filling that gap this year. I'm guessing Project Octopath Traveller is 2018.
 

Malakai

Member
I'm saying they have an established audience on PlayStation and PC, not that a potential audience on Nintendo platforms doesn't exist. As I said in the rest of my post, Falcom doesn't have the manpower to just port shit to wherever they feel like it. If someone else they felt they could trust wanted to port one of their games (like NISA and Aksys are doing with Ys VIII and Tokyo Xanadu), I'm sure they'd be open to it. Also, Pokemon isn't anything like the games Falcom makes, so it's not really relevant.



Falcom has been making games for Sony consoles since the original PlayStation, and handhelds since the PSP. I wouldn't say that's really recent.

I didn't take issues pointing out that Nihon Falcom is a small outfit. You were the one to say that their "audience" is on Sony platforms and PC in the West. You didn't even mention "established" in the previous post. It is extremely presumptuous to deem whether or not if there is or isn't an "audience" for there game for Nintendo platform. But, let us suppose for a moment that Pokemon don't count for reasons. We have Fire Emblem, Mario and Luigi RPG games, Bravely Default, Tales of Abyss and a slew of Atlus JRPG that have performed well on Nintendo platforms.
 

Squire

Banned
I didn't take issues pointing out that Nihon Falcom is a small outfit. You were the one to say that their "audience" is on Sony platforms and PC in the West. You didn't even mention "established" in the previous post. It is extremely presumptuous to deem whether or not if there is or isn't an "audience" for there game for Nintendo platform. But, let us suppose for a moment that Pokemon don't count for reasons. We have Fire Emblem, Mario and Luigi RPG games, Bravely Default, Tales of Abyss and a slew of Atlus JRPG that have performed well on Nintendo platforms.

It's not about whether an audience is present it's a question of cost vs return.
 

duckroll

Member
Yes I am sure Kondo is very interested in his overseas partners paying for porting Falcom games to the Switch. That sure is what it sounds like!
 

Thud

Member
One should note that the last Ys game was a port of I&II on the DS which was pretty crappy. They did get Mastiff to release Gurumin 3D on the 3DS, but yeah those are the only games they released on Nintendo platforms after Ys V on the super famicom.

Might be something new unrelated to Ys, Xanadu and Trails. Kondo also stated in earlier interviews they carefully keep watch on where there audience is, which boils down to sony platforms and steam in the west.
 
Yup also that Falcom on Sony handhelds is a relatively recent thing and Falcom on Sony home consoles even more recent than that.

I mean, 'recent' in the history of the platform I suppose, but I wouldn't call 11 years of releases really a recent development.

Are their PS4 games not doing well? I thought they only recently started producing games for the PS4.

Tokyo Xanadu port did poorly in Japan while Ys VIII seems to be doing surprisingly well.

OT: Same thing he said in the USgamer interview then. Maybe they can get Kadokawa to re-re-re-release the Kiseki games on Switch. Legend of Heroes Evolution Evolution.
 
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