
All we’ve heard about for what feels like an eternity are layoffs and job losses, so it’s a little unusual to see Koei Tecmo talking about doubling down on AAA titles and growing its workforce from 2,500 employees to 5,000.
Still, the Japanese publisher – which will release Dynasty Warriors: Origins early next year – believes there’s room for growth in the traditional console market, as it reckons mobile gaming has saturated and that consumers will gradually transition from smartphones to PC and systems like the PS5. In an investors Q&A, it pointed to a similar trend in China and Korea.
To support its ambitions, Koei Tecmo has already established an all-new AAA studio, and plans to steadily increase its headcount to realise its goal of major annual releases.
To be fair, it’s looking like there’s plenty of success ahead for the publisher. Rise of the Ronin, which it released in collaboration with Sony, became its fastest-selling title ever earlier this year, and Dynasty Warriors: Origins looks like it’ll reach plenty of players in January.
Beyond that, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land looks extremely promising, and while it’s only launching in Asia, we can see Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme proving popular, too.
[source koeitecmo.co.jp, via automaton-media.com]
Comments 22
Never played any Dynasty Warriors game but the next one looks very promising.
Can’t wait for atelier Yumia
Please for the love of all that is good. Make a Nioh 3. And also I wouldn't mind them attempting their own Elden Ring with an open world Nioh, now that they've done RotR
Also I'm loving that Dynasty Warriors demo so much. It looks and plays so good. First time since Pirate Warriors 3 that I actually had genuine fun with a musou
.ni.c.e.Give me a nioh 3 and i would be good.word up son
I'm actually super floored by Koei Tecmo and its subsidary companies. They seem to frequently release great games each year. Perhaps the industry should study what they are doing, because clearly they are doing something different and it appears to be working for them. Their titles are not triple AAA and usually quite niche, but the people that enjoy them.... really enjoy them.
Atelier Yumia is my most anticipated game hands down.
That's some good news for a change!
@Judal27 they already did say they did want the new nioh be open world I hope it gets announced soon
There really is no secret to success in the Triple A gaming market: Leave the toxic baggage at the door, do not spend more than the GDP of a small country on it, and most importantly of all, make a good game.
Eastern companies currently seem to understand this to a level over their Western counterparts that is quite frankly embarrassing.
Hope they Give us a fatal frame/ project zero 6 or remaster 1-3 🙏
Sony is helping KT grow and worked as the perfect platform for SU to gain massive attention before going public and make huge money tor the owner. Yes Nikke was already making a lot of money but the regular player didn't know what Nikke was before Stellar Blade, now they know and probably even play it.
That should be the story about third party exclusives for this year, not Square Enix struggling economically because of their own mistakes lol.
Bring Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme to the West - cowards.
I would be more happy if this means they gonna make new Ninja Gaiden, DOA, Deception, Rygar, or Nioh. But sadly those franchise aren't AAA well maybe Nioh?
If Sony doesn’t buy Kadokawa, I can see them buying tecmo or Square enix.
Horizon Warriors perhaps like how they worked with Nintendo for Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. Considering how often the Horizon franchise keeps appearing like from VR to Lego to whatever Horizon Online ends up being, I could see Sony wanting even more Horizon spinoffs.
@LifeGirl Also, know your target audience and don't close the studio the second a game isn't an immediate financial success. Some quality games take a while to bed in, and not all games have mass market appeal, but will nonetheless do very well with a certain demographic of gamers. A lot of publishers and investors seem to have an extremely short-term view on these things.
@C25CLOUD that's news to me, but very welcomed. I need them to announce it now 😩
Considering 3/5 of the GOTY nominees are Japanese and 1 is Chinese backed by Sony, I think the issue is AAA Western games industry, Japan is doing well
Layoffs happening mostly on one part of the globe that went on a hiring spree during the pandemic.
Rise of the Ronin was a PS3 game released on the PS4. Crazy that was their fastest selling game... just because it was exclusive I'm guessing.... cause the game looked like trash even in the trailers imo
Turbulent times for western games industry maybe, I heard capcom and from software increase their employee salary 😃
With the next Dynasty Warriors release, there should be a pack-in controller with auto-fire control options. The old thumbs on this guy (me) just can’t handle all the repetitive pew-pew-pew button-mashing action anymore.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...