While the large publishers continue pumping out sequels and remakes, Nippon Ichi Software’s new CEO Kenzo Saruhashi says mid-sized companies should be taking more risks if they're to survive.
In a Famitsu interview translated by Automaton, Saruhashi and Yomawari series creator Yu Mizokami discussed the company's policy when it comes to making new IPs in the face of rising development costs and risk of failure. This followed the publisher's March 2025 "Untitled" stream, where it revealed six new titles, of which five were brand-new IP.
Saruhashi notes that although making sequels is the easier and safer option, NIS does things differently. "In our case, we’re more driven by whether our fans want a sequel. If there’s demand for it, we’ll make it.”
In regards to making new IP, he said that it's imperative for a mid-sized company to dare to do things big companies can't risk in order to survive. He added, "If we were to stop taking on new challenges, we would be like a fish out of water--I think we’d die.”
These new and experimental titles are however being given limited budgets, which means developers need to come up with creative solutions. But in the interview, Mizokami commented that she prefers the thrill of problem-solving within a tight budget, saying that she'd "probably get bored halfway through" if suddenly given a multi-million budget. Saruhashi and Mizokami instead liken NIS's approach to "speedrun/real-time attack-style game development.”
NIS nonetheless still has some notable franchises it continues to release, including the Disgaea series, while its Western counterpart NIS America publishes the international release of the Trails series.
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In a Famitsu interview translated by Automaton, Saruhashi and Yomawari series creator Yu Mizokami discussed the company's policy when it comes to making new IPs in the face of rising development costs and risk of failure. This followed the publisher's March 2025 "Untitled" stream, where it revealed six new titles, of which five were brand-new IP.
Saruhashi notes that although making sequels is the easier and safer option, NIS does things differently. "In our case, we’re more driven by whether our fans want a sequel. If there’s demand for it, we’ll make it.”
In regards to making new IP, he said that it's imperative for a mid-sized company to dare to do things big companies can't risk in order to survive. He added, "If we were to stop taking on new challenges, we would be like a fish out of water--I think we’d die.”
These new and experimental titles are however being given limited budgets, which means developers need to come up with creative solutions. But in the interview, Mizokami commented that she prefers the thrill of problem-solving within a tight budget, saying that she'd "probably get bored halfway through" if suddenly given a multi-million budget. Saruhashi and Mizokami instead liken NIS's approach to "speedrun/real-time attack-style game development.”
NIS nonetheless still has some notable franchises it continues to release, including the Disgaea series, while its Western counterpart NIS America publishes the international release of the Trails series.
Source