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コーエーテクモ系社長「高機能スマホで強み生かす」 - 日本経済新聞

コーエーテクモホールディングス傘下のコーエーテクモゲームスの鯉沼久史社長は21日、千葉市の幕張メッセで開幕した世界最大級のゲーム見本市「東京ゲームショウ（TGS）2023」で日本経済新聞の取材に応じた。スマートフォンゲームについて「スマホ自体が高機能化し、コンソールゲームで培った強みが生かせる環境になってきた」と語った。主なやり取りは以下の通り。――スマホの位置情報を用いたゲーム「信長の野望　

www.nikkei.com

Used google translate

Hisashi Koinuma, president of Koei Tecmo Games, a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo Holdings, responded to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun at the world's largest game trade fair "Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2023" opened at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on the 21st. . Regarding smartphone games, he said, "The smartphone itself has become highly functional, and it has become an environment where the strengths cultivated in console games can be utilized."

There is also a view that the growth of the smartphone game market is slowing down. What kind of strategy are you drawing?

"Although it is Red Ocean, the smartphone itself has gradually become highly functional and has become a machine specification that can make use of our strengths cultivated in console games. Even at the game show, there are works that will surprise you that "you can get a visual so far with your smartphone." I want to increase my share in the smartphone game market."

Seems Koei Tecmo is impressed with the vision fidelity of the games in the latest smartphones, and is going to provide more supports to smartphone with higher end mobile games.

 

[GHG]

We're doomed.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Let me help him in a few years' time:

Dear Valued Fans and Community Members,

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you who have been an essential part of our gaming family throughout the years. Your passion, dedication, and unwavering support have been the lifeblood of our company, and we have always strived to honor that support by delivering outstanding gaming experiences.

In recent years, we made the strategic decision to expand our horizons and explore the potential of the mobile gaming space. While our intentions were rooted in the desire to innovate and make our beloved franchises accessible to an even broader audience, it has become clear that our efforts did not align with the expectations many of you have for our brand and the cherished games we produce.

I want to sincerely apologize for the oversight. While we believed that our expansion into the mobile space would be a promising endeavor, in hindsight, we recognize that we lost focus on what truly mattered: delivering the quality and depth that our long-standing franchises deserve. It pains me to acknowledge that, in our pursuit of new platforms, we may have inadvertently compromised the essence of what made our games special.

Our fans are the reason for our success, and we should never lose sight of that. I understand the disappointment and frustration some of you feel, and I deeply regret any disillusionment our decisions may have caused.

In light of this realization, I want to assure all of you that we are recalibrating our focus. We are committed to re-investing in our core franchises and ensuring that the quality, depth, and authenticity you've come to expect from our titles will remain uncompromised. We have listened to your feedback, and we will work tirelessly to rebuild any trust that may have been eroded.

To our dedicated fans, thank you for your constructive criticism, your patience, and, above all, your continued support. We are nothing without you, and we are determined to move forward in a way that honors your loyalty and the rich legacy of our games.

Wishing you many epic gaming moments ahead.

Warm regards,
Hisashi Koinuma, CEO, Koei Tecmo

 

[Lunarorbit]

SureJan.gif /execute to the max

The closest I'll get to handheld gaming is what's on the market now;a robust feature rich device that actually fits my hands. The switch is too small to play for long and I know lots of men who find it uncomfortable.

Plus who wants to stare at a phone screen and make shit out?! The company that makes dynasty warriors is trying to convince me to game that small?

 

[nial]

Atelier Ryza 3 iPhone 15 Pro port confirmed, I guess?

 

[cireza]

We will play Ninja Gaiden 4 with a touchscreen and we will love it.

 

[cyberheater]

Atelier Ryza 3 iPhone 15 Pro port confirmed, I guess?

I hope so

 

[Jinzo Prime]

The Warriors series has a ton of characters, and the gameplay is mindless button mashing, so it would be good fit for mobile, to be fair.

 

[Happosai]

コーエーテクモ系社長「高機能スマホで強み生かす」 - 日本経済新聞

コーエーテクモホールディングス傘下のコーエーテクモゲームスの鯉沼久史社長は21日、千葉市の幕張メッセで開幕した世界最大級のゲーム見本市「東京ゲームショウ（TGS）2023」で日本経済新聞の取材に応じた。スマートフォンゲームについて「スマホ自体が高機能化し、コンソールゲームで培った強みが生かせる環境になってきた」と語った。主なやり取りは以下の通り。――スマホの位置情報を用いたゲーム「信長の野望　

www.nikkei.com

Used google translate





Seems Koei Tecmo is impressed with the vision fidelity of the games in the latest smartphones, and is going to provide more supports to smartphone with higher end mobile games.

Curious if he took this in context from his own notes or one of the software engineers making the games. Mobile devices are like stepping one gen back and you'd really have to be specific to some of the most expensive phones on market. The average smart phone won't even reach Switch without crashing.

It may also help to understand his motives for stating such too. He's going to try merchandising/marketing Koei/Tecmo titles to as many platforms as possible. They know they're not going to break record sales with mobile but want to promote that idea. If it was Tecmo, just be creative too and they'll have something like "Monster Farm (Rancher) Go!"

 

[Hudo]

Warriors series has a ton of characters, and the gameplay is mindless button mashing, so it would be good fit for mobile, to be far.

You play by bashing your head against your phone.

 

[Lokaum D+]

 

[FStubbs]

Atelier Ryza 3 iPhone 15 Pro port confirmed, I guess?

The next mainline Atelier game is mobile. It'll be the first one I pass on since they've been localizing them.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

They've put the next installment in the Atelier series on mobile first so they can get fucked for all I care.

 

[nial]

They've put the next installment in the Atelier series on mobile first so they can get fucked for all I care.

There won't be a console release next year?

 

[FStubbs]

There won't be a console release next year?

None that we know of at the moment

 

[Drell]

If Apple Samsung or whoever would one day release an affordable IOS/Android device with integrated physical buttons, I guess I could accept the shift to mobile games. But as it is now, I can't. It's not even about the controls, it's about the fact games with advanced graphics drain your battery in 2 seconds. The first thing I need my phone when I'm out is being callable or reading messages. Also, phones with most advanced graphic hardware are too freaking expensive.

 

[Dacvak]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually wants the traditional gaming market to succeed on mobile. I've got arguably the most impressive SoC in the world in my phone right now (in terms of performance:cost ratio) and I would love to be able to play real games on it locally. I'm probably going to buy RE4 Remake when it comes out just to see how it plays.

These new phones are so ridiculously incredible. Most of them have pre-calibrated HDR and high refresh OLED screens. I sometimes watch movies on my phone just because of how incredible (albeit small) the picture can be.

I'll be forever salty that MTX games and shitty app store practices have irreparably tainted mobile gaming. It really could have been so good.

 

[Eotheod]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually wants the traditional gaming market to succeed on mobile. I've got arguably the most impressive SoC in the world in my phone right now (in terms of performance:cost ratio) and I would love to be able to play real games on it locally. I'm probably going to buy RE4 Remake when it comes out just to see how it plays.

These new phones are so ridiculously incredible. Most of them have pre-calibrated HDR and high refresh OLED screens. I sometimes watch movies on my phone just because of how incredible (albeit small) the picture can be.

I'll be forever salty that MTX games and shitty app store practices have irreparably tainted mobile gaming. It really could have been so good.

That is because many still hold on to the old value belief that gaming can only be delivered through a modern or typical console. I myself actually do enjoy some mobile games however many do get repetitive that though does not mean they are bad. There just seems to some a belief that only their console or typical hardware can succeed in the gaming industry and no other way of playing is viable or valid.

It is almost a logical fallacy because clearly mobile gaming is popular as it is the number one most played gaming platform. The head in the sand mentality seems to detract from the ability to actually discuss at any length mobile games in forums like these. I believe full quality games can and should be played on mobile games as it does not distract from their quality that could have been delivered by a console, especially when the technology behind phones is so incredibly high.

It is disappointing that there is this apparent distinction between what is valid through a screen that is larger than your face or a smaller screen that is in your hands and capable of significant graphical quality. That lack of awareness or want to break away from the traditional company mentality really amazes me for so-called apparent enthusiasts. However, it is not unsurprising when you look at how some here view video games as a whole in not wanting to celebrate any particular platform that is not on theirs when we should be celebrating in games in a general format no matter where.

 

[NanaMiku]

Fuck Koei Tecmo for putting the next mainline Atelier on mobile. The game already launched and it has pretty bad gacha rate

Acquired by KT was a wrong move for Gust.

 

[theclaw135]

That is because many still hold on to the old value belief that gaming can only be delivered through a modern or typical console. I myself actually do enjoy some mobile games however many do get repetitive that though does not mean they are bad. There just seems to some a belief that only their console or typical hardware can succeed in the gaming industry and no other way of playing is viable or valid.

It is almost a logical fallacy because clearly mobile gaming is popular as it is the number one most played gaming platform. The head in the sand mentality seems to detract from the ability to actually discuss at any length mobile games in forums like these. I believe full quality games can and should be played on mobile games as it does not distract from their quality that could have been delivered by a console, especially when the technology behind phones is so incredibly high.

It is disappointing that there is this apparent distinction between what is valid through a screen that is larger than your face or a smaller screen that is in your hands and capable of significant graphical quality. That lack of awareness or want to break away from the traditional company mentality really amazes me for so-called apparent enthusiasts. However, it is not unsurprising when you look at how some here view video games as a whole in not wanting to celebrate any particular platform that is not on theirs when we should be celebrating in games in a general format no matter where.

People have been too jaded by F2P greed to care. In truth, today's mid and upper end phones are computational powerhouses. Technology is no longer the barrier to AAA experiences on mobile.

 

[FStubbs]

Fuck Koei Tecmo for putting the next mainline Atelier on mobile. The game already launched and it has pretty bad gacha rate

Acquired by KT was a wrong move for Gust.

I used to like dubs in my Atelier games, then KT happened.

 

[radewagon]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually wants the traditional gaming market to succeed on mobile. I've got arguably the most impressive SoC in the world in my phone right now (in terms of performance:cost ratio) and I would love to be able to play real games on it locally. I'm probably going to buy RE4 Remake when it comes out just to see how it plays.

These new phones are so ridiculously incredible. Most of them have pre-calibrated HDR and high refresh OLED screens. I sometimes watch movies on my phone just because of how incredible (albeit small) the picture can be.

I'll be forever salty that MTX games and shitty app store practices have irreparably tainted mobile gaming. It really could have been so good.

There was a point early on in the smartphone timeline when I was really excited to see what sorts of games would come out to make use of the unique strengths of the devices while trying to work around the many limitations. It was around the time that Infinity Blade came out that I was ready to go all in and then something crazy happened. A bunch of developers just started giving away content for free. Premium games never stood a chance against free. Everything became a race to the bottom. Those that wanted to actually make money had to find other ways to monetize the free content people had become accustomed to. And now we're stuck with, arguably, the worst business model we could have ever imagined for gaming. I honestly don't think there's any way to save it. The mobile gaming market wants "free" games and they have learned to tolerate predatory microtransactions. It's a lost cause.

 

[March Climber]

Looking at the new mobile releases and some of the new game announcements lately, along with the new mobile chips, times are changing.

Mihoyo became a big trendsetter, releases like CoD mobile and Apex mobile helped, and now other devs have followed suit. Even as early as a few years ago, no one would have ever guessed that games like a whole new Assassin’s Creed game and Resident Evil 4 Remake would both come to mobile.

I don’t know if GAF is ready for what’s coming next.

 

[Dream-Knife]

I've got arguably the most impressive SoC in the world in my phone right now (in terms of performance:cost ratio)

 

[KXVXII9X]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually wants the traditional gaming market to succeed on mobile. I've got arguably the most impressive SoC in the world in my phone right now (in terms of performance:cost ratio) and I would love to be able to play real games on it locally. I'm probably going to buy RE4 Remake when it comes out just to see how it plays.

These new phones are so ridiculously incredible. Most of them have pre-calibrated HDR and high refresh OLED screens. I sometimes watch movies on my phone just because of how incredible (albeit small) the picture can be.

I'll be forever salty that MTX games and shitty app store practices have irreparably tainted mobile gaming. It really could have been so good.

You aren't the only one. I've been waiting for it to be a thing since I played Zenonia years back on mobile. I always saw the potential. I was too really sad when Freemium (as they were called) took over and the progress of mobile games.

I remember games like N.O.V.A.3, Infinity Blade series, Modern Combat, Chaos Rings, Ravensword Shadowlands, and Riptide were all trying to bring that console quality experience to mobile.

I will also forever be salty as well. The potential of the iPhone pushing console quality games again is really excitng for getting more and more console games on the App/Play store.

 

[darrylgorn]

 

[Utamaru1706]

The biggest problem for most, if not all Japanese game devs and companies is that they were notorious for being cheap in terms of budget, even more for free-to-play mobile games, where they still stuck with the old mindset of "low cost, high profit", hence most of them only ends up as cash grabs, especially those mobile games that were based from anime shows.

I mean, I really doubt any Japanese game companies would spend money like Hoyoverse with their games like Genshin or Honkai: Star Rail, because those games literally got console-like quality in a mobile platform...

 

[NanaMiku]

The biggest problem for most, if not all Japanese game devs and companies is that they were notorious for being cheap in terms of budget, even more for free-to-play mobile games, where they still stuck with the old mindset of "low cost, high profit", hence most of them only ends up as cash grabs, especially those mobile games that were based from anime shows.

I mean, I really doubt any Japanese game companies would spend money like Hoyoverse with their games like Genshin or Honkai: Star Rail, because those games literally got console-like quality in a mobile platform...

Japanese mobile game really need to step up their game. Right now Asian mobile game industry are full of Chinese and Korean games

 

[March Climber]

The biggest problem for most, if not all Japanese game devs and companies is that they were notorious for being cheap in terms of budget, even more for free-to-play mobile games, where they still stuck with the old mindset of "low cost, high profit", hence most of them only ends up as cash grabs, especially those mobile games that were based from anime shows.

I mean, I really doubt any Japanese game companies would spend money like Hoyoverse with their games like Genshin or Honkai: Star Rail, because those games literally got console-like quality in a mobile platform...

You’re still looking at this the wrong way, like someone who is still forming an invisible line between console and mobile and thus you’re unable to picture anyone putting a large budget into a mobile game.

You see this:

PC
PS5
XSX
XSS
Steam Deck

Switch
_____________
iPhone
Android

However, that is the problem in itself, as you’re still looking at a video game on a mobile device as a separate entity. And some publishers are to blame for this because they created that line incidentally by making ‘mobile’ editions of franchises. Now that the tech is changing, they are trying to erase the line again.

Consider the following as a theoretical example to see the future perspective that these companies are seeing:

Capcom is wanting maximum profit per game. In the future, they would like to release Resident Evil 9 on all platforms.

They see this:

PC
PS5
XSX
XSS
Switch 2
Steam Deck
iPhone
Android

No more line. So they wouldn’t be spending big money to make a ‘mobile game’. They would just be spending money to make a traditional AAA video game, like they’ve always done. Not much would change except for the amount of platforms being increased.

 

[Utamaru1706]

You’re still looking at this the wrong way, like someone who is still forming an invisible line between console and mobile and thus you’re unable to picture anyone putting a large budget into a mobile game.

You see this:

PC
PS5
XSX
XSS
Steam Deck

Switch
_____________
iPhone
Android

However, that is the problem in itself, as you’re still looking at a video game on a mobile device as a separate entity. And some publishers are to blame for this because they created that line incidentally by making ‘mobile’ editions of franchises. Now that the tech is changing, they are trying to erase the line again.

Consider the following as a theoretical example to see the future perspective that these companies are seeing:

Capcom is wanting maximum profit per game. In the future, they would like to release Resident Evil 9 on all platforms.

They see this:

PC
PS5
XSX
XSS
Switch 2
Steam Deck
iPhone
Android

No more line. So they wouldn’t be spending big money to make a ‘mobile game’. They would just be spending money to make a traditional AAA video game, like they’ve always done. Not much would change except for the amount of platforms being increased.

But the problem with your post is that you're still putting mobile platforms at the very bottom compared to other platforms, hence my post above about the Japanese devs situation about mobile games.

Many Chinese game devs already put mobile games as their utmost top of the production process, meaning that mobile version is their base version, while other platforms are just ports of the said mobile version. And they don't hesitate in throwing money for developing it, hence you get mobile games like Genshin, HSR, or even Tower of Fantasy (despite it's a buggy mess) and Wuthering Waves.

You won't find such games coming from Japanese game devs, at least with their current mindset, where they definitely won't be making a game with such quality for mobile phones, but instead it's for PC & consoles.

Take Bandai Namco's newest anime-esque MMO Blue Protocol for example, where they only released it for PC and consoles themselves, while the mobile version is very likely going to be developed and released by Tencent, instead of by Bamco themselves. If they're that confident in mobile gaming, why not Bamco port, and releasing it by themselves, instead of giving it to other company?

I even doubt that the newly announced console port games for the new iPhones, nor Capcom's RE9 would be a success if they're fully priced on mobile platforms, since mobile gamers have a very different spending habit compared to traditional PC and console gamers, where they preferred free-to-play model or like very cheap (e.g under $10), instead of paying a full price for it.

So unless the Japanese game companies changed their mindset about mobile games, they won't be able to compete with Chinese and Korean game companies in the mobile platform.

 

[March Climber]

But the problem with your post is that you're still putting mobile platforms at the very bottom compared to other platforms, hence my post above about the Japanese devs situation about mobile games.

My apologies, by removing the line I wasn’t trying to imply that the phones are still at the bottom of the list. With what Apple showed with RE 4 Remake I find that to not directly be the case. But RE 4 Remake is just a beginning of what’s to come imo.

Many Chinese game devs already put mobile games as their utmost top of the production process, meaning that mobile version is their base version, while other platforms are just ports of the said mobile version. And they don't hesitate in throwing money for developing it, hence you get mobile games like Genshin, HSR, or even Tower of Fantasy (despite it's a buggy mess) and Wuthering Waves.

You won't find such games coming from Japanese game devs, at least with their current mindset, where they definitely won't be making a game with such quality for mobile phones, but instead it's for PC & consoles.

The perspective I’m coming from is that eventually ‘building a game specifically for the ground up for ____ platform’ will slowly stop mattering. That will eventually be an outdated way of viewing it due to the fact that mobile device chips were always seen as weaker than/lesser than, in the past few decades.

If mobile chips quickly catch up to platforms like Steam Deck or Xbox Series S, a platform that MS is refusing not giving up on and is requiring games to run on it, that means the eventual idea of a wider range of platforms will be the ideal goal for third parties. The only slight bump in the road is control scheme when this happens.

Take Bandai Namco's newest anime-esque MMO Blue Protocol for example, where they only released it for PC and consoles themselves, while the mobile version is very likely going to be developed and released by Tencent, instead of by Bamco themselves. If they're that confident in mobile gaming, why not Bamco port, and releasing it by themselves, instead of giving it to other company?

Because as I’ve said above, up until this very moment we simply weren’t there yet with mobile devices. Namco probably had that studio working on this project for a while now, meaning they didn’t have the latest iPhone Samsung and Pixel devices to set a standard to.

Long story short, these changes take time.

I even doubt that the newly announced console port games for the new iPhones, nor Capcom's RE9 would be a success if they're fully priced on mobile platforms, since mobile gamers have a very different spending habit compared to traditional PC and console gamers, where they preferred free-to-play model or like very cheap (e.g under $10), instead of paying a full price for it.

We will have to wait and see how this is handled, as this will be a big factor in the upcoming industry change. We don’t know if these types of games will instead be used to increase subscription value(like Apple Arcade, Google Play Sub, Gamepass on mobile, etc).

However, keep in mind that when it comes to accepting full price games on mobile, all it takes is one big breakout title to set the trend if they decide to charge full price. What if Rockstar decided to port GTAV to mobile phones one day and charge upwards of 40 to 60 bucks? Things could change, just like that .

I believe one day they will change.

So unless the Japanese game companies changed their mindset about mobile games, they won't be able to compete with Chinese and Korean game companies in the mobile platform.

Going from my points above, years from now, they eventually won’t need to.

However as of today, you are currently on point with everything you’ve said. The status quo remains the same for now. Koei just has some future-sight types there making a bold prediction(as he probably was taken back by that RE4 Remake iPhone announcement much like everyone else was). Them attempting to think ahead for this scenario and consider it a possibility is a good thing for them.

 

[Robb]

He’s not wrong, it’s impressive what they can do these days. I think the biggest issue is the market itself. If your game isn’t free to play you’re pretty much screwed. And if you release a AAA game and price it too low in order to sell on phones you’ll devalue your entire game/franchise on all other platforms.

 

[RoboFu]

Legit Mobile gaming to all you scared gamers.

 

[KXVXII9X]

My apologies, by removing the line I wasn’t trying to imply that the phones are still at the bottom of the list. With what Apple showed with RE 4 Remake I find that to not directly be the case. But RE 4 Remake is just a beginning of what’s to come imo.


The perspective I’m coming from is that eventually ‘building a game specifically for the ground up for ____ platform’ will slowly stop mattering. That will eventually be an outdated way of viewing it due to the fact that mobile device chips were always seen as weaker than/lesser than, in the past few decades.

If mobile chips quickly catch up to platforms like Steam Deck or Xbox Series S, a platform that MS is refusing not giving up on and is requiring games to run on it, that means the eventual idea of a wider range of platforms will be the ideal goal for third parties. The only slight bump in the road is control scheme when this happens.

Because as I’ve said above, up until this very moment we simply weren’t there yet with mobile devices. Namco probably had that studio working on this project for a while now, meaning they didn’t have the latest iPhone Samsung and Pixel devices to set a standard to.

Long story short, these changes take time.


We will have to wait and see how this is handled, as this will be a big factor in the upcoming industry change. We don’t know if these types of games will instead be used to increase subscription value(like Apple Arcade, Google Play Sub, Gamepass on mobile, etc).

However, keep in mind that when it comes to accepting full price games on mobile, all it takes is one big breakout title to set the trend if they decide to charge full price. What if Rockstar decided to port GTAV to mobile phones one day and charge upwards of 40 to 60 bucks? Things could change, just like that .

I believe one day they will change.


Going from my points above, years from now, they eventually won’t need to.

However as of today, you are currently on point with everything you’ve said. The status quo remains the same for now. Koei just has some future-sight types there making a bold prediction(as he probably was taken back by that RE4 Remake iPhone announcement much like everyone else was). Them attempting to think ahead for this scenario and consider it a possibility is a good thing for them.

That was a nice explanation!

Even though I'm not an EA fan, they are releasing both full versions of Skate and Sims alongside console. That's kind of huge. I'm wondering if more studios will start to include games for mobile if those other games do well on iPhone Pro.

 

[Spukc]

F2P Mobile phone games are digital aids

 

[DaGwaphics]

Just what we all wanted, new mobile AAA games (F2P loaded with MTX and Ads). Time to celebrate.

 

[KXVXII9X]

Just what we all wanted, new mobile AAA games (F2P loaded with MTX and Ads). Time to celebrate.

You are missing the point. The exciting thing about this is there will be more and more traditional games that are paid instead of F2P with MTX and ads. This could potentially spark an interest again to how mobile games were before Freemium.

 

[El Muerto]

Phones need to have MHL again. Almost every person that plays games has a usb-c to hdmi dock or adapter for their handhelds like the switch or steam deck. I wouldnt mind plugging my phone to my tv for a console experience IF the games are good and wont eat up my storage.

 

[justiceiro]

Howmanytimes.gif

 

[Isa]

It really is a shame about Atelier, I'm hoping they edit it somewhat and release a normal console port because I really like the art and character design. It'll be the first since the PS3 games released that I've missed an entry.

 

[DaGwaphics]

You are missing the point. The exciting thing about this is there will be more and more traditional games that are paid instead of F2P with MTX and ads. This could potentially spark an interest again to how mobile games were before Freemium.

They can release them there sure, but until those titles actually draw sales on that platform, the status quo will remain. The old saying about leading the horse to water and all that.