Falcom's President Talks Working on Switch, Ys IX Localisation - News
by Thomas Froehlicher , posted on 16 July 2019 / 4,240 Views
Falcom's President recently had a long talk with gaming news site US Gamer. He was asked some key questions, including about the company's current stance towards the Nintendo Switch and when Ys IX Monstrum Nox could come to the West.
On Ys IX Monstrum Nox, Mr. Kondo reveals that Falcom "doesn't like to talk to licensing or publishing partners until the game goes gold and is fully complete". He says this is due frequent last-minutes changes in the development. Consequently, talks to localize Ys IX Monstrum Nox will only begin this autumn, after the game hits the shelves in Japan.
As for Nintendo Switch, Mr. Kondo admits that Falcom "doesn't have the knowhow to really develop on Switch". The Switch port of Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana happened because NIS America stepped in and helped with both development and publishing, and he remains open to similar opportunities materialising in the future. For now, Mr. Kondo points out that "Falcom's main user base is located on the PlayStation platform".
Indeed, when Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana was released for Switch in Japan, it sold around 10,000 units, compared with the PSVita version's 100,000 shipped and the PS4 port's roughly 60,000 shipped.
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At least they know where their fanbase is. Can't wait for Ys IX and Cold Steel 3
I really like Falcom, but this is why their games have been extremely niche in the west for decades. I bet they could double their sales if they released day and date worldwide.
Seems clear that they should be developing the game for Switch if the Vita version was their most popular platform. The Switch version likely sold below the other platforms simply because it came out two years after the original release.
