This brings up a question I've had for a while... does anybody know why Falcom has done such a reversal on PC support this gen? Not counting localizations/ports of older Ys/Kiseki games, they haven't really spearheaded any PC projects in a long time.
I don't mean to just randomly post links from my site, but it might be easier to post them here, instead of just throwing tons of quotes and spamming the whole thread.
Link # 1:
http://www.esterior.net/2011/03/falcom-and-publishing-pc-games/
Several years back, someone on Falcom's BBS (which doesn't exist anymore. I think it was finally taken down about a year ago or so), put a lot of details together on what may have happened with the PC game development, based on the information from their financial reports. This details some stuff with the publisher as Aeana mentioned earlier.
It’s from none other than their own Investor Relations documents. Look at their 2008/09 marketable securities report here:
http://www.falcom.co.jp/kaisya/ir/library_pdf/yuho0809.pdf
On Page 5 in the section on the company’s development, under November 2001 it says ‘With the aim of separating the business of PC game planning, production, development and sales, old Falcom was transitioned into a new company with these areas split.’
On Page 9, in the section on production, orders and sales, Softbank’s sales successes are shown as having gone down from being 47.9% of the total to only 5%. However, they’re still clearly marked as an important client.
This can also be seen by what Kondo said in an English interview with GameInformer:
In 2006, just before Kondo took over as president, Falcom made a sudden and surprising development shift. Where they had previously created games almost exclusively for PC, they realized the market was starting to dry up and started looking toward other platforms.
"Back when I was still on the development staff, the founder of Falcom told us: Don't think it's going to be like this forever. We're not going to be able to keep releasing our games on PC forever", Kondo explains.
Despite skepticism from the staff, the president's warning proved true. A shrinking market for PC titles in Japan made it increasingly difficult for Falcom to break even on its games. Clearly, they had to take a chance.
Link #2:
http://www.esterior.net/2013/02/fal...or-smartphone-tablet-and-pc-game-development/
Falcom may be dabbling a bit in the PC development area again, but if the Innovation Unit is doing Mobile AND PC dev, then they probably
currently have their hands full.
Before that last innovation unit link, though, Falcom has shown that they haven't quite abandoned PC entirely. (
Testing Zero no Kiseki PC In-House, and the
the title itself for sale on Falcom's shop - which actually has the DRM of the Chinese version stripped from it, as well.)
While they're not actively developing for PC, because the money isn't there, I think they still have a few things up their sleeves, and they definitely seem to show some interest towards the PC- but a company needs to develop where they get the best Return of Investment for their work. (Kondo has stated something similar to this in interviews with NHK World.)
The 2013 stockholders meeting has
more information on potential PC development, though, especially as XSEED's releases of the games have done so well on Steam:
They were also asked about plans to release a PC version of Ao no Kiseki, like how they ported the Joyoland PC release of Zero no Kiseki. The shareholders also expressed an interest in future titles being released either multiplatform with PC and console, or straight to PC. The Ao no Kiseki port is still being considered, as they’re still researching the market conditions to ensure that it’s feasible. Regarding PC titles, the Steam releases of Ys 1+2 Chronicles, Ys the Oath in Felghana, and Ys Origin in North America was mentioned- these titles have managed to have over 100,000 downloads. As a result, they are currently investigating the viability of releasing to Steam domestically in Japan.
EDIT: and I somehow still manage to spam the thread. Sorry.
