It's significantly bigger than it used to be, I believe. Video game revenue is increasing, not decreasing in Japan. Where did you hear otherwise?
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Youkai Watch 2 sold over 1.2 million units during first 4 days in Japan (Famitsu)
- Thread starter L~A
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It's significantly bigger than it used to be, I believe. Video game revenue is increasing, not decreasing in Japan. Where did you hear otherwise?
he was excluding mobile
Youkai are ghosts based on japanese mythology and ghost stories.
Why do we expect the next Mario, DQ or FF game to do well? Because the previous ones did well.
Why do we expect the next media mix franchise by L5 to do well? Because the last one did well.
It was perfectly clear even before it launched that YW would follow the I11 pattern. First week was actually in line with that. The anime was already known to hit later, it was perfectly expected to do well. YW just managed to further build on I11's success, suggesting that L5 brand strength has risen as well.
Another factor would be that it is on the same platform as Pokémon. YW launched before Pokemon released, the anime and the sequel after it.
Even if Sony had courted L5 for YW though, like they're doing with all the mid range hunting game franchises, it wouldn't change the fact that the Vita doesn't appeal to kids.
Level 5 has had a good number of flops as well. I mean, in the general sense it's obviously good to have Level 5 on "your side", just as it's good to have EA on your side, or Take 2, or whomever. But expecting any specific game to go nuclear like this is a fool's errand.
With Inazuma 11 you 1) Have a sample size of 1, and 2) A franchise that is an order of magnitude smaller than Yokai Watch appears to be now.
It was not "perfectly clear" or else everyone here would have guessed it.
Black Republican
Member
misspelled Dark Cloud 3
Tetris sold more than 1 million in its first week right?
As did a ton of Famicom/Super Famicom games too I thought?
From 99.9% of this forum who keep saying "games are dead in Japan" for the past decade.
I think the only real cross-media flop was Gundam Age. Professor Layton and Inazuma Eleven were huge hits and even LBX was a decent success initially.
That's not up to Level-5 though.
If you followed the MC threads at the time, lots of people were comparing it to I11 to estimate how successful it might be. L5 less successful new IPs were considered but there were positive examples with FL as well and everyone was counting on the anime to have a similar effect as it had for I11.
YW just outdid the already cautiously high expectations.
ActuallyHulk
Banned
I want this to come to the west so I can see what that there hullabaloo is all about.
PotionBleue
Member
vicissitudes
Banned
This reminds me of when Monster Hunter blew up on the PSP. I was wondering if we were going to get a new IP that blows up this gen. Looks like Youkai Watch is it, at least for now. We'll see if it has staying power.
Unfortunately nothing like either has popped up on consoles for a very long time. I suppose GTA5 is the closest we've seen, but that doesn't really count.
Unfortunately nothing like either has popped up on consoles for a very long time. I suppose GTA5 is the closest we've seen, but that doesn't really count.
DXB-KNIGHT
Member
SQEX CEO: "This is absurd, how can you make money without Mobile!"
Its a joke about Duckroll distaste for Level 5, because outside of Layton the quality of their games is spotty. He also hates them because of Gundam AGE. Its all understandable really.
StreetsAhead
Member
It's interesting to me that it can go from relative obscurity to out-right phenomenon in a little less than a year - mostly thanks to the cartoon.
The amount of times I've seen 'Sold Out' signs around areas where Youkai Watch merchandise used to be in the last six months is crazy.
RyougaSaotome
Member
Let's not forget that just last year, Hino made a huge push for mobile with the announcement of Layton 7, Wonderflick, Majin Station, and that one flop they released last year. They were putting serious manpower into the mobile stuff, and downplaying everything else.
Hino managed a huge success with Youkai Watch, but let's not pretend that Level 5 isn't seriously eyeing the mobile space.
They announced Layton 7?! How did I completely overlook this?
Edit:nvrmnd, I looked it up. I remember now. it hardly looks like a Layton game at all.
wtf at that video. Never seen it before.
Had this been GIF'd yet? Or the part where they waived their arms around.
It's a dance for kids that's played at the end of the anime. That video is the full version.
Terrible_Majesty
Member
So this is the new pokemon/mon hun? Does it involve watches?
Official PR : http://www.youkai-watch.jp/yw2/topics/release140716.html