Japanese Developers Safe Haven?

[Johnny Nighttrain]

ok, so here's what i think is happening with japanese developers right now...

i think they're pretty much starting to shit bricks because the fact that american developers are out selling them, they're tired of sequals, and getting tired of sony cause all they want is sequals, and pushing american developers a lot. i see a lot of japanese developers getting really turned off by the PS2 because of this.

obviously the main reason for this Square Enix merge is to compete with this american market. i think it's safe to say that the japenese don't want the US gaining more market share then it already has. but by continuing to support the PS2, it's only helping the US.

because of this, i think japanese developers are gonna start looking for a safe haven. obviously the xbox is out of the question, so an exodus to the GameCube doesn't seem unlikely to me at all right now. just hear me out...

Dragon Quest 8 is going to be unveiled around the same time that Nintendo's MegaTon Announcement is going to take place. coincidence? sure, but you can't blame me for thinking that Nintendo might have something to do with this recent merger. according to Bloomberg, Enix bought Square out, shareholders of Enix will have 55% share of the company. Sony's share of Square pretty much dropped down to 8%. not that the 18% that they owned before carried much weight since Nintendo found a damn good loop hole through FundQ. obviously Nintendo has a very good relationship with Square and Enix. they have subsidiary companys that are being completely funded by Nintendo with both developers (Game Designer's Studio for Square, and Genius Sonority for Enix).

ok, so let's move on to Capcom now. they're making it very obvious that they're huge GameCube supporters. they have 6 big games in development for the system, and say things like "For the growth of the industry, for Gamecube". when unveiling 5 of those games. i really think that says enough.

Namco. well, we have 2 RPGs, game being co-developed with Nintendo, co-developer of the TriForce Arcade Board, and the possibility of a new Ridge Racer game (note: i talking about a new Ridge Racer game, im not reffering to their new racing simulator). oh, and since august of this year, Nintendo has/will be publishing all their games released for Nintendo systems.

Sega. well, they're co-developing a game with Nintendo, and are also co-developers of the TriForce Arcade Board. also developing Virtua Fighter Quest, Skies Legend, and im sure they have other stuff in the works.

you guys can call this wishfull thinking from a Nintendo Fanboy if you want, but aside from the Square Enix speculation, everything i mentioned (even the Square Enix stuff) is all stuff that's currently in development for GameCube.
if the Enix Square speculation of mine turns out to be true, i can't help but think that this is gonna be a turning point in the industry. sorta the start of a split between japanese and american developers. i think if the Square Enix thing happens, GameCube will be a safe haven for japanese developers.

anyways, what do you guys think of all of this? but i guess what i really want to know is, how many of you guys see Enix and Square going back to Nintendo altogether and why?

anyways, let the speculation begin.

[Nikorasu]

A very astute observation Monsieur Barton.

Bravo!

[Jeremy]

Good stuff. I thnk that the industry is in yet another transition. The JPN developers ruled the 2D realm of gaming, now the U.S. teams are getting their crack at ruling the 3D realm of it. Gaming is cyclical.

[Nikorasu]

I guess, like TV, different developers need to find their own niches.

Quake 3 and Unreal take their franchises online and turn into 'cyber sports' for want of a better phrase.

Online RPGS are like Oprah or whatever - social entities.

You'll have your dominant US games with their licences = pap like Baywatch.

And Japanese stuff - akin to tracking down Shaolin Soccer on DVD. As long as the Japanese developers can carry on with their projects then I don't mind this turn around. But I can't imagine it will happen without job losses.

Unless of course Nintendo can become a Disney like entity using the cream of Japanese developers - it could happen.

[Dyne]

when did enix buy square? and sony let this happen?

[Yoshi]

Those are some interesting thoughts, Lucas. I, for one, will always support whatever system has the bulk of the Japanese support. My Wavebird makes me hope it is the GC.

[Captain Vegetable]

I tend to agree with Lucas.

But, for the record, I'd like to say that a great game is a great game. Who gives a damn where it comes from?

[xS]

Yeah ,it's a safe haven for some of the Japanese developers kinda like how the saturn was for, but I doubt there will be a mass exodus as the smaller GC market will easily saturated by a handful of giants.

[Yoshi]

Originally posted by Captain Vegetable
But, for the record, I'd like to say that a great game is a great game. Who gives a damn where it comes from?

That's obviously true. It's not being Japanese that makes them great. It's just that Japanese companies tend to make more great games in the genres that I enjoy.

[Jeremy]

Dyne, it's the other way around.

[Captain Vegetable]

That wasn't at all directed at you, Yoshi. Some people get downright indignant about where their games come from. I wanted to slip that micky in before any of them got here.

[Tracer]

Well, I don't think it is unreasonable to belive that Japanese developers are starting to be shaken by the West (though the quality of western games have not really gotten better.. they've always been great). But Sony, I don't think, butters thier bread with western games. Sure, thier strongest two titles are Scottish made, but titles like Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy have been staples too.

I don't think this represents some large Japanese consensus but certianly the Gamecube is mounting some pretty suitable Japanese support (developement wise) whereas Xbox is looking stronger and stronger in the West. The PS2 seems pretty much on even keel, but aside from many of Sony's games and GTA I have not been too impressed with the western output and prospetive output.

ºTracer

[SearchManX]

Anything's possible, and it seems like the GC needs a big time RPG to really give it the push it needs to appeal to the RPG-playing masses who mostly own a PS2 right now.

Personally, Capcom developing 6 new games on the Cube is already enough to make me happy.

[Tracer]

Originally posted by Jeremy
Dyne, it's the other way around.

No, I don't think it is the other way around.

[Captain Vegetable]

Originally posted by TracerBullet
(though the quality of western games have not really gotten better.. they've always been great)

I love you, Tracer!

...well, I love you sometimes. But this is definitly one of those times.

[Tracer]

If only I can please all of the time.

ºTracer

[Captain Vegetable]

Originally posted by TracerBullet
If only I can please all of the time.

ºTracer

I just read your sig. Let it be known far and wide that I, Captain Vegetable, now love you all of the time.

[Tracer]

Yay!

[Jimmy Carter]

I side with the Lucas-brand of speculation here. I see this as a huge boost for Nintendo.

You've got MEGATON coming up soon and a friend of mine (who's got his sources, but take what you will) said that he'd heard a while back that Square wanted to get all of it's FF games onto Nintendo systems (read: 1-9).

Dragon Quest VIII is going to be on a Nintendo platform. I will say that and hold to it, if I am wrong, look me up at E3 and if I have money, drinks are on me (if I don't have money, bugger off). But somehow, MEGATON seems even bigger than DQ8. MEGATON is supposed to move GC units across the globe. So... if you add Square into the mix, it looks like you could easily move units on every shore.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say:

Dragon Quest 8 is a GC/GBA game. It will connect across the systems to share data.

Final Fantasy remakes of 1-9 coming to GBA (1-6) and GC (7-9).

One side (Enix, I'm guessing) will focus new developments on Nintendo systems while Square remains on Sony (new FFs).

What else does the merger hold?

A regrouping of the "Dream Team" to create Chrono Break, a true sequel to Trigger. System? PlayStation 2, I'm guessing.

[xS]