Bandai Namco Games talks Gundam talk
Nikkei Trendynet posted the second of a two-part interview with Bandai Namco Games' COO and Representative Director, Shin Unozawa. Gundam gets one full page worth of Q&A devoted to it. In summary:
- When asked about the lack of big hits lately for Gundam games (compared to the PS2-era, when such titles could reliably hit 500,000 copies in sales), Unozawa cites the PS3's slow takeoff and the lack of business overseas due to the anime not catching on in the West. As a result, they're expecting to turn domestic development towards the PSP, with Menace Of Axis being cited as one example.
- With its portability and convenient network capabilities, he feels the PSP is the legitimate successor of the PS2 and that it's the most suited for game series that had been developed on that previous console.
- Unozawa denies that Gundam Musou SP was released on the PS2 at least in part to recoup development costs for the PS3 version. The game was not originally developed as a multiplatform title and as such a PS2 version couldn't be released immediately. Once they confirmed a port to the older system was feasible, work on it began after the PS3 Musou went on sale.
- Finally, regarding Operation Troy's continued delays, he apologizes and notes at the beginning of every year, they keep saying it'll be done in the Summer and jokes that coming into its 3rd year, they may as well say once again it'll be done by Summer. He then reveals, rest assured, they've currently already begun debugging the game.
frm gunota