Cognition Dissemination: Nippon Ichi Software Is Still in the Game

It’s been difficult not to be concerned about the continued existence of Nippon Ichi Software, a small Japanese development company that hasn’t been in ideal shape for a while. It’s been years since they’ve had a reliable hit franchise they could rely on, as few of their experiments have taken off in a big way. Worse, it was a little under five months ago when Japanese sites reported that NIS was selling stock at a reduced price to raise their capital, so they’d have the money to pay their employees. They haven’t released much new software since then, so it’s tough to figure out where they’re making most of their money.

Missteps like releasing Disgaea RPG for mobile platforms in a disheveled state, and then having to use more resources to fix it up, didn’t help matters. There’s a good chance that development collaborator ForwardWorks was equally (if not more so) responsible for the initial release, but NIS took a chunk of the blame since they published it, and it bears the name of their most popular IP.

Yet somehow, they’re still in the overall game. Things seem dire for NIS, but they still have upcoming projects worth watching. In fact, two of them show how they’re still willing to take experiment despite some not working out.

The most peculiar among their upcoming games, and perhaps one of the most unique games in NIS’ history, is Bokuhime Project for PlayStation 4 and Switch. This is a crossdressing-themed game aimed at all ages, the development for which was green lit after the comics attracted a devoted fan following through the company’s Japanese Twitter account. The main character, Arika, crossdresses to become Erika in order to become a more beautiful girl than the four main princesses in school help the main character’s sister in some unspecified way. The current scenario description isn’t too clear.

This is a risky venture, since crossdressing is a sensitive subject for video games to tackle, and most games have failed at. There’s nothing wrong with the concept of crossdressing, but it’s a problem when it’s played for gags and jokes, something this game will hopefully avoid. There hasn’t been much info about this project since its reveal in July, and no release date was provided. It should resurface soon.

The most recent game NIS announced is the latest in their beautiful hand-drawn 2D experiments: void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium, which I assume will simply be pronounced “Void Terrarium.” This is coming from the same team as NIS’ previous 2D games with this art style, htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary and A Rose in the Twilight. A central character here will be Toriko, apparently the last girl in the human world, who’s awoken by a special machine. The game’s universe is polluted with poisonous fungi, so the robot creates a terrarium in which she can live. But she’ll need food and items to survive, which the playable robot will have to go on a quest to find.

Unlike the previous 2D games, this will be a roguelike RPG with an overhead view instead of a puzzle platformer. It’s a good idea for games with these art styles to explore multiple genres, since the audience would eventually tire of receiving a similar kind of experience with each of them. The levels will be randomly generated, with the robot starting at level 1 each time they enter. But players will keep the stats and techniques gained from each time they explore, and the robot can learn multiple skills.

Void Terrarium will release on January 23rd for PS4 and Switch. This one has an actual release date, so there should be more details in the near future. It’s tough to imagine this game remaining in Japan.

NIS’ other key upcoming game is Labyrinth of Galleria: Coven of Dusk, the sequel to Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk. It would have been a surprise if this wasn’t in development before it was announced earlier this year, given that its predecessor was the most successful game in the company’s recent history. Galleria was originally planned for release this past July, but was delayed until spring 2020. They also haven’t mentioned the game in a couple of months, but it’s likely receiving a slight reworking at best. Strangely, the game is coming to PS4 and Vita, despite the latter system not being in the best position regarding sales and the active userbase in the last few years, and it’s not getting any better. It would be a surprise if it didn’t get a Switch port, given the level of support NIS has given it.

NIS also released several mobile games in Japan, though it’s tough to tell whether they’ve performed well. They’ve provided “Game Variety” titles based on popular common Japanese games like Shogi, Go, and Reversi, and have ported games like isometric horror title Yomawari and horror visual novel Shin Hayarigami. Hopefully they are doing well, because recent console titles like To All of Mankind and Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers sure didn’t. Heck, the latter didn’t chart at all the week it released.

In all this discussion of their releases, it’s funny that Disgaea is rarely mentioned. It’s still their most notable franchise, but it’s not receiving any new installments. The last brand-new installment in the series was Disgaea 5, which released in Japan in March 2015, and there have only been rereleases since then. A new installment doesn’t seem to be on the horizon either. Strategy RPGs have dwindled in popularity in Japan and are rarely made outside Fire Emblem (though even Three Houses sold less than Awakening and Fates), but they’re still popular in western territories. Either the developers simply don’t want to make another one, or NIS is focused on the Japanese market. Perhaps we’ll get an answer after Disgaea 4 Complete+ releases.

It’s difficult to tell just how good NIS’ financials are from the outside, but at least they’re continuing to make games as they are. Whether that will benefit or cost them is the big question, and hopefully the ending is a happy one for their sake.