• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Mistwalker wants to make RPGs for Wii U

Well at least they're not saying they want to make RPGS for the 3DS...nothing wrong with the 3DS, fine system for certain games. I am just personally tired as hell of so many RPGs that I would like to play on a home console with some decent visuals where I can be laid back enjoying them on a nice big screen. Instead so often we get remakes and sequels on handhelds of beloved RPG franchises and it frustrates the hell out of me.

The 'decent visuals' are the reason console JRPGs are dead. Most Japanese developers just can't output the kind of visuals you'd want for an HD RPG.
 
Yeah, almost sure Mistwalker owns the IP.
Edith: But then there was even a Viva Pinata on DS. Microsoft probably allowed them to make DS games as the DS wasn't a direct competitor.

Nope, MS does own BD, here's a back cover of Awakened Shadow on DS:

jbv6AtJx8Gfcv5.jpg
 
Its not gonna happen mistwalker. I wanted to play cry on and you failed me on that.

I'm still crying on about that =,(.
 
Will haul my ass into Oblivion for Mistwalker. This is exactly the push the Wii-U needed for it to be a success among jRPG fans.
 
Ninokuni.

You can bring up Nino Kuni all you want, but the fact of the matter is it's a game of circumstance. Nino Kuni actually sold 40k less than TLS, and will outsell it when you add in the re-release. That's in spite of it being a game from Level-5, who have previously shit the bed with 2 PS3 titles. It's also in spite of it being a game targeted at an audience who by and large don't own a PS3. The Last Story, and Lost Odyssey on the other hand have more in common stylistically, and thematically as well as being aimed towards an audience who'd buy something like Final Fantasy, than Nino Kuni. So the fact that you keep on bringing it up as an example of how PS3 fails RPG is quite honestly stupid. Nino Kuni likely would've sold better on Wii, with Xenoblade, and The Last Story likely selling better on PS3.
 
You know maybe a Monolith Soft-Mistwalker coproduction game could work. I think that some Monolith Soft guys are from the old Square Soft.
 
So with the comments on Mistwalker's games being discussed here, I thought I would provide my insight on the only two games developed by Mistwalker that I have played, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey.

Blue Dragon: I didn't like Vlue Dragon, at all. The gameplay was a bore to me, the story was average, and it didn't grab me within the first ten hours (something I like a RPG to do to me). The fact it also reminded me of Dragon Quest also didn't help, only DQ game I have ever liked was DQVIII. The soundtrack of the game was beautiful though

Lost Odyssey: My favorite of the two Mistwalker games I have played. While the gameplay was outdated, the story was interesting and it wasn't boring to me at all. Kain is still one of my favorite main characters of all time (The Thousand Year stories were really strong and I have to admit, some of them made me cry). The game also had a Final Fantasy X feel to it, which I liked a whole lot.

If Mistwalker can produce a Lost Odyssey for the Wii U, it looks like I'll be getting a Wii U
 
You know maybe a Monolith Soft-Mistwalker coproduction game could work. I think that some Monolith Soft guys are from the old Square Soft.

Why would Nintendo hire Mistwalker for this project? Mistwalker's job always seemed like one of guidance and supervision over another studio. Monolith doesn't need that to turn out a good game.
 
You know maybe a Monolith Soft-Mistwalker coproduction game could work. I think that some Monolith Soft guys are from the old Square Soft.
They are. A bunch of people who made Xenogears (which was a Squaresoft title) formed Monolith Soft, so a coproduction between them could work out
 
Except that didn't happen.

[360] Lost Odyssey (Microsoft Game Studios) - 60,376 / 109,517
[PS3] White Knight Chronicles: Wave of the Ancient (SCE) - 203,033 / 339,690


???

Edit: Oh, you probably meant worldwide. Yeah, you're right in that case. That's largely because Microsoft pushed LO pretty hard while SCEA and SCEE stealth released WKC here, which is fine since by the time that game got localized it was a well known turd.
 
You can bring up Nino Kuni all you want, but the fact of the matter is it's a game of circumstance. Nino Kuni actually sold 40k less than TLS, and will outsell it when you add in the re-release. That's in spite of it being a game from Level-5, who have previously shit the bed with 2 PS3 titles. It's also in spite of it being a game targeted at an audience who by and large don't own a PS3. The Last Story, and Lost Odyssey on the other hand have more in common stylistically, and thematically as well as being aimed towards an audience who'd buy something like Final Fantasy, than Nino Kuni. So the fact that you keep on bringing it up as an example of how PS3 fails RPG is quite honestly stupid. Nino Kuni likely would've sold better on Wii, with Xenoblade, and The Last Story likely selling better on PS3.
The issue is that you're pushing WKC as THE example when the truth is it's an outlier. Obviously base and audience impacts this, but in general new IP console JRPGs this gen have done 150-250k on the higher end regardless of platform (Xenoblade, The Last Story, Last Remnant, Blue Dragon, Ninokuni, End of Eternity, Valkyria Chronicles, Demon's Souls, etc).

I think with the Wii RPGs in general too, timing was the biggest problem. These games really needed to be out in 2007-2008, not 2010-2011 when the system was practically dead and buried. To be honest, I'm not sure platform changes to competing consoles would've even helped much at this point (and same for Ninokuni PS3). Outside Xillia I think the genre in general has dissapointed sales wise on consoles this gen for the upper tier, the only shift that would probably have meaningfully helped would've been over to handhelds.
 
Mistwalker wants to close. When you're a company who's had the issues they've had it isn't a wise idea to decide to bet on an unproven platform that the rest of the industry appears to be taking the "wait and see" mentality.

Better than releasing games on the Vita.

And I am a Vita owner.

Sony distributed Spirits Within. Sony also bought a large portion of Square to help keep it afloat after the flop. There's no way they're excited to do business with Sakaguchi again.

I never heard of this. Sony still owns Square stock? How much we are talking about?

Why they didn't outright buy the whole company anyway?
 
I thought you were a Vita fan?

This scenario should be right at home for you.

It could be worse. They could have wanted to make games on the Vita.

They should make a Vita game, they will close shop fast then.

Better than releasing games on the Vita.

And I am a Vita owner.

I've never implied that they should make games on Vita, and yet I've received 4 replies telling me how much worse they'd do if they did. You guys need new material.

I never heard of this. Sony still owns Square stock? How much we are talking about?

They own 8%, which makes them the largest single shareholder IIRC.

The issue is that you're pushing WKC as THE example when the truth is it's an outlier. Obviously base and audience impacts this, but in general new IP console JRPGs this gen have done 150-250k on the higher end regardless of platform (Xenoblade, The Last Story, Last Remnant, Blue Dragon, Ninokuni, End of Eternity, Valkyria Chronicles, Demon's Souls, etc).

I think with the Wii RPGs in general too, timing was the biggest problem. These games really needed to be out in 2007-2008, not 2010-2011 when the system was practically dead and buried. To be honest, I'm not sure platform changes to competing consoles would've even helped much at this point (and same for Ninokuni PS3). Outside Xillia I think the genre in general has dissapointed sales wise on consoles this gen for the upper tier, the only shift that would probably have meaningfully helped would've been over to handhelds.

I keep on bringing up WKC because outside of Resonance of Fate it's the only "traditional" (WKC isn't all that traditional) new RPG IP to launch on PS3. We're talking hypothetical anyways, Xenoblade/The Last Story/Lost Odyssey aren't ever going to be on PS3.
 
I've never implied that they should make games on Vita, and yet I've received 4 replies telling me how much worse they'd do if they did. You guys need new material.

They should make a wiiu/vita game and be the bomba of all bombas
 
I've never implied that they should make games on Vita, and yet I've received 4 replies telling me how much worse they'd do if they did. You guys need new material.

So what do you suggest Mistwalker does? Stop making games altogether?

Because releasing new IPs this late in the generation would be a disaster for then.

Their safest bet is the 3DS, or the Wii U if they want to continue making console games.

You're not being very rational calling an unreleased platform unproven, it's worse than the bashing the Vita gets which is somewhat justified. The Wii too was unproven before launch, and we all know how that ended.

And who cares what the "industry mentality" towards the Wii U is? Why would Sakaguchi or Mistwalker need to consider or care about that? They're not selling their games to the industry.

There is always going to be a market for JRPGs on the Wii U specially on launch or soon after in the inevitable "new console game drought".

With the exception of the Virtual boy and the 3DS which is now doing fine, all major Nintendo hardware releases have been a success right? They can make money there if they are smart and competent.

They own 8%, which makes them the largest single shareholder IIRC.

I never knew that, thanks for the info!

They're probably too expensive to be bought now.

I wonder if Sony considered buying then whole at the time.
 
I've never implied that they should make games on Vita, and yet I've received 4 replies telling me how much worse they'd do if they did. You guys need new material.
I think the point is, that if Mistwalker wants to close (your actual words from your first post in the thread), why not release them on a platform that's already dead instead of a platform whose fate is still unknown?
 
I keep on bringing up WKC because outside of Resonance of Fate it's the only "traditional" (WKC isn't all that traditional) new RPG IP to launch on PS3. We're talking hypothetical anyways, Xenoblade/The Last Story/Lost Odyssey aren't ever going to be on PS3.
I don't think it matters, Ninokuni's more traditional than either and it sold worse than every other game I just mentioned. WKC is still the lone shining exception, and it's sequel hit within the usual range I mentioned anyway.

Besides, if you're going to subgenre nitpick, then Last Story doesn't apply to your argument either, and even Xenoblade is somewhat debatable.
 
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/098/098911p1.html

Post-merger, they still have an 8.25% stake in Square Enix.

"We are not necessarily obligated to Sony, because of this deal," said Hisashi Suzuki, Square's president. "But we can gauge the situation in the future and offer software to the best selling hardware maker, and at this time there is no doubt that Sony is the best."

Wow man...Sony got a shitty deal...they should have dropped more cash at that time (it wasn't a issue for then at that moment right?) and bought a controlling interest in the company if possible.

I wonder how a Sony owned Square would have fared in the coming years. They have been good to most of their first party studios.

Maybe we would still have gotten the Enix merger, but I doubt Square would have bought Eidos which was one of the best deals they have ever made.
 
err what?

all unreleased platforms are unproven

That's not necessarily true. No one thought the 3DS was unproven prior to launch.

Don't you remember the hype during the E3 when they announced it? Every single gaming media was declaring Nintendo the winner...

Coming from the success the Wii had, and specially the success the "money printing" NDS had, no one would have called the 3DS unproven at that time.
 
I think the point is, that if Mistwalker wants to close (your actual words from your first post in the thread), why not release them on a platform that's already dead instead of a platform whose fate is still unknown?

Non-first party Japanese Vita games have had poor production values so far. I actually doubt making a Vita game would kill Mistwalker. But they've never shown interest in making a Vita game, and no one's going to give them the money to make one.

I don't think it matters, Ninokuni's more traditional than either and it sold worse than every other game I just mentioned. WKC is still the lone shining exception, and it's sequel hit within the usual range I mentioned anyway.

Besides, if you're going to subgenre nitpick, then Last Story doesn't apply to your argument either, and even Xenoblade is somewhat debatable.

But Nino Kuni's not a new IP. ;) WKC2's sales were a product of the first being trash. WKC International or whatever, selling what it did (Less than 20k I believe) proved that the IP was beyond repair at that point. I think a well marketed new IP targeted at the same people who buy Final Fantasy, and Tales could work on PS3. There just hasn't been one of those on the platform.

Wow man...Sony got a shitty deal...they should have dropped more cash at that time (it wasn't a issue for then at that moment right?) and bought a controlling interest in the company if possible.

If Sony fully owned SE than maybe you guys wouldn't bring up Vita when I posted in this thread. ;)

So what do you suggest Mistwalker does? Stop making games altogether?

Because releasing new IPs this late in the generation would be a disaster for then.

Their safest bet is the 3DS, or the Wii U if they want to continue making console games.

They should be making 3DS, or PS3 games. They'll likely just be making iOS ones though.

You're not being very rational calling an unreleased platform unproven, it's worse than the bashing the Vita gets which is somewhat justified. The Wii too was unproven before launch, and we all know how that ended.

wut

A new platform is the definition of unproven.

And who cares what the "industry mentality" towards the Wii U is? Why would Sakaguchi or Mistwalker need to consider or care about that? They're not selling their games to the industry.

Because their games are not system sellers and would benefit more from being on a platform where the genre has already been established. They tried to own the market on 360, and that didn't work. They tried the Wii, and that also didn't work. Right now Wii U has zero JRPGs announced and while that will change my opinion certainly could too.
 
If Sony fully owned SE than maybe you guys wouldn't bring up Vita when I posted in this thread. ;)

Yeah, I think Square would complement well Sony's first party developers, but nowadays they are just too big. They definitely would be a godsend for Sony's portables!

They should be making 3DS, or PS3 games. They'll likely just be making iOS ones though.

I don't know if they could be successful on the PS3...it has the install base on JP to sell good numbers, but they would have to invest a lot more to do a competent PS3 game in relation to a Wii one. Who knows about the Wii U? There's reports claiming that it's twice as powerful as the PS3 and others claiming it's half. It's to early to tell.

How successful are the Tales series on the PS3? I think that's a good analogy...successful enough to maintain an independent developer like Mistwalker? Because Namco is a lot bigger than then and can actually afford a bomb here or there or a lukewarm reception.

I think with the kind of games Sakaguchi wants to make Mistwalker cannot live without a strong publisher. Nintendo can be a good fit.

The 3DS should indeed be the safest choice, the bolded part just make me sad...

wut

A new platform is the definition of unproven.

As I said in a previous post I don't think this is necessarily true, but that's just my opinion. I'm usually wrong! ;-)

Because their games are not system sellers and would benefit more from being on a platform where the genre has already been established. They tried to own the market on 360, and that didn't work. They tried the Wii, and that also didn't work. Right now Wii U has zero JRPGs announced and while that will change my opinion certainly could too.

JRPGs are in such a sad state that I don't even know if FF can be considered a system seller anymore. I think the only one (at least on Japan) would be Dragon Quest, but let's see if that continues to be after their MMO.

They couldn't own the market with the 360 because frankly the market didn't exist in Japan for that platform. When they finally landed on the Wii it was already too late. A game like the Last Story would have sold a lot in the first years of the Wii IMO. USA is already lost to the FPS masses...
 
That's not necessarily true. No one thought the 3DS was unproven prior to launch.

Don't you remember the hype during the E3 when they announced it? Every single gaming media was declaring Nintendo the winner...

Coming from the success the Wii had, and specially the success the "money printing" NDS had, no one would have called the 3DS unproven at that time.

It doesn't matter what people think. You're arguing against the definition of unproven
 
I thought Enix merged with Square so they won't let Sony control the Final Fantasy IP.

Man that cannot be true...

Backstabbing someone who offered you a hand?

Actually, someone who you asked for help...

But who knows? Maybe Sony did try to forcefully buy the whole company. We will never know all the details.
 
How successful are the Tales series on the PS3? I think that's a good analogy...successful enough to maintain an independent developer like Mistwalker? Because Namco is a lot bigger than then and can actually afford a bomb here or there or a lukewarm reception.

Tales of Xillia vs. Mistwalker's entire console catalog (JP Sales):

[360] Blue Dragon (Microsoft Game Studios) - 82,286 / 203,740
[360] Lost Odyssey (Microsoft Game Studios) - 60,376 / 109,517
(Famitsu)

[WII]The Last Story (Nintendo) - 114,722 / 165,431
(Media Create)

Total: 478, 688

[PS3]Tales of Xillia (Namco Bandai Games) - 525,605 / 627,346
(Media Create)

By no means would they achieve those sales on PS3. But it would help their titles that there are games that can sell this much in that genre on the platform.
 
Thanks for those numbers Takao. Do you think the Last Story would have sold better if it had been released earlier when the Wii still mattered?
 
Thanks for those numbers Takao. Do you think the Last Story would have sold better if it had been released earlier when the Wii still mattered?

Yes, it probably would have. But then again other RPGs didn't do amazingly well during the Wii's early life either, but with the only notable example being a crummy Tales sequel maybe that shouldn't be used.
 
Man that cannot be true...

Backstabbing someone who offered you a hand?

Actually, someone who you asked for help...

But who knows? Maybe Sony did try to forcefully buy the whole company. We will never know all the details.
S-E created another company just to release Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles in the NGC. Sony wasn't that kind.
 
Top Bottom