MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Name a hit games franchise from the 1980s or ‘90s and it’s bound to be a Japanese creation: Mario, Final Fantasy, Zelda, Pokmon, Pac-Man. Recall one from after 2000 and it’s instead likely to be a product of the West: Halo, Call of Duty, Angry Birds, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed. It’s …
Read More »Yo-Kai Watch is ‘the next Pokémon’
Japanese smash hit 3DS game Yo-Kai Watch will take the UK by storm, predicts Viz Media Europe. The firm – which is handling the release of the recent TV show in Europe – expects the franchise to have the same effect on the West that Pokmon had in the late …
Read More »Animal Crossing stays strong at top of Japanese charts, sells over 170,000 units in third week
Zoological lifestyle simulator Animal Crossing has held strong at the top of the Japanese charts in a week dominated by Nintendo. The latest entry in the casual franchise, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, sold more than 172,000 units in its third week on sale – nearly triple the 60,832total of …
Read More »Margin Makers: Guide to Japanese games merchandise
They might not be as big as Call of Duty or FIFA, but cult Japanese franchises boast a highly passionate audience with a fondness for merchandise. MCV heads East to check out the biggest imports Japan is the land where video games matured. Now, three decades after the release of …
Read More »Fire Emblem clings on for a second top spot in Japan as Persona 4: Dancing All Night slips
The latest Fire Emblem title for 3DS has remained at the number spot in Japan, with returning Top Ten entry Splatoon seeing resilient sales figures. Fire Emblem Fates’ two SKUs – White Kingdom and Black Kingdom – easily spot to the top of the retail charts the week previous, shifting …
Read More »The perfect Storm: why you shouldn’t pass over this year’s Naruto game
When you peruse the list of games coming out this year, it’s fair to say that a title based on a Japanese comic series probably isn’t the first thing you jump to. Launching in the same Autumn period as FIFA, Pro Evo, Skylanders, LEGO Dimensions, Metal Gear Solid, Forza, Mad …
Read More »Japanese visual novel Danganronpa sells 200,000 units in the West
PlayStation Vita-exclusive franchise Danganronpa has helped to establish a market for Japanese visual novel games in the West. That’s according to Takuro Yamashita, CEO and president of NIS America, which is the publisher for the titles in the US and Europe. Combined sales of the first two Danganronpa titles – …
Read More »Fashion simulation game Style Savvy 3 doubles Dying Light sales during first week in Japan
If there were ever a week to highlight the disparity between the UK and Japanese games software markets, it would be this one. Last week saw the launch of Warner Bros’ open-world zombie-meets-parkour title Dying Light in Japan, almost two months after the game’s chart-topping success in the UK. The …
Read More »Dark Souls II remaster tops Japanese software charts as Bloodborne slips
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin was the best-selling game of last week in Japan, but its success couldn’t keep PS4 hardware sales buoyant. According to the latest data from Famitsu, From Software’s remastered and remixed PS4 edition of the 2014 title debuted at number one with just …
Read More »Koei Tecmo’s gaming dynasty
Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors has been going for over 18 years now, with eight numbered releases and countless expansions and special editions. And in spite of being – for lack of a better term – very Japanese, the series has been a moderate success in the West. Since the start …
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