Koei Tecmo currently operates and profits from six different game development studios furthermore, they are adding a seventh studio this month that will completely focus on "AAA" games that are entirely independent of existing franchises which could explain their current financial situation as shown in their regular company reports. Legendary gameplay designer Yosuke Hayashi will be the leader of this new studio and he will also be serving as the executive vice president of Koei Tecmo's entertainment division.
Team NINJA's Master is so tight lipped on the subject to the point where he expressed nothing could be discussed pertaining to the new studio, not even with existing information. Which begs the question: will this studio really be independent of existing franchises? We will probably find out anytime now considering that it's extremely expensive to open a new studio; especially with no current project that would at least bring hype and ad revenue to help with losses from the new creation.
There is the possibility, especially when you observe the relationship of Sony Entertainment & Hayashi, that this studio will be designed to cater to Sony's AAA needs. Sony after all is investing a lot of money into the conglomerate and has increased its stock in Koei Tecmo Holdings over the past few years. This would be a great way for Sony exclusives to be funneled out of other existing studios such as Gust & Team NINJA so that they may continue to work on multi-platform experiences per usual.
The new studio could also be a way for Koei Tecmo to work on exclusive projects from other publishers such as Nintendo & Square Enix so that developers can be free of stacking too many projects on their regular work loads. Omega and Team NINJA have at times been bombarded with projects from Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Metroid and even One-Piece. This would alleviate Team NINJA's current working conditions and allow them to stick to their core franchises.
With the release of Rise of the Ronin Team NINJA is openly working on game updates for the title, Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Polar Night Liberator and Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation, we know that a new project must be coming soon as two (incredible) gacha games simply are not enough to have on the docket for a studio as prestigious as Team NINJA.
While Koei Tecmo's operating income has lessened by as much as 28% and their sales forecast by as much as 11% there are some fundamental reasons as to why without saying "Rise of the Ronin must be responsible for this." Atelier Resleriana was a foundation that was expensive to make and is one of their new products of 2024, as well as the creation of the new studio. Koei Tecmo was also paid handsomely by Sony over the past seven to eight years for exclusivity of Rise of the Ronin which offsets losses.
Koei Tecmo may look like they are on the struggle, but one thing that can be said about their business ethics is that they are excellent at controlling their budget and haven't made many crushing economical mistakes. With only one upcoming project at Koei Tecmo (Dynasty Warriors 8 Remake) on the docket we can safely assume that new projects will be announced soon. Anyone bored of the business talks can look forward to a Dead or Alive 6 side tournament this upcoming weekend at EVO Japan. Look forward to our coverage of that here at FSD!
Team NINJA's Master is so tight lipped on the subject to the point where he expressed nothing could be discussed pertaining to the new studio, not even with existing information. Which begs the question: will this studio really be independent of existing franchises? We will probably find out anytime now considering that it's extremely expensive to open a new studio; especially with no current project that would at least bring hype and ad revenue to help with losses from the new creation.
There is the possibility, especially when you observe the relationship of Sony Entertainment & Hayashi, that this studio will be designed to cater to Sony's AAA needs. Sony after all is investing a lot of money into the conglomerate and has increased its stock in Koei Tecmo Holdings over the past few years. This would be a great way for Sony exclusives to be funneled out of other existing studios such as Gust & Team NINJA so that they may continue to work on multi-platform experiences per usual.
The new studio could also be a way for Koei Tecmo to work on exclusive projects from other publishers such as Nintendo & Square Enix so that developers can be free of stacking too many projects on their regular work loads. Omega and Team NINJA have at times been bombarded with projects from Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Metroid and even One-Piece. This would alleviate Team NINJA's current working conditions and allow them to stick to their core franchises.
With the release of Rise of the Ronin Team NINJA is openly working on game updates for the title, Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Polar Night Liberator and Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation, we know that a new project must be coming soon as two (incredible) gacha games simply are not enough to have on the docket for a studio as prestigious as Team NINJA.
While Koei Tecmo's operating income has lessened by as much as 28% and their sales forecast by as much as 11% there are some fundamental reasons as to why without saying "Rise of the Ronin must be responsible for this." Atelier Resleriana was a foundation that was expensive to make and is one of their new products of 2024, as well as the creation of the new studio. Koei Tecmo was also paid handsomely by Sony over the past seven to eight years for exclusivity of Rise of the Ronin which offsets losses.
Koei Tecmo may look like they are on the struggle, but one thing that can be said about their business ethics is that they are excellent at controlling their budget and haven't made many crushing economical mistakes. With only one upcoming project at Koei Tecmo (Dynasty Warriors 8 Remake) on the docket we can safely assume that new projects will be announced soon. Anyone bored of the business talks can look forward to a Dead or Alive 6 side tournament this upcoming weekend at EVO Japan. Look forward to our coverage of that here at FSD!
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