Level-5 on Yo-kai Watch sales and potential for big success overseas
The first Yo-kai Watch game did alright when it arrived in North America last year. However, it’s not quite the same sensation as it is in Japan currently.
Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino noted in an interview with The Verge that the series is on the same path as when it debuted in Japan a few years ago. Much like in the states, Yo-kai Watch only sold adequately. It was when the second entry released that the franchise really picked up steam, and Hino thinks something similar could happen overseas.
According to Hino:
“We have to understand that it takes time. But then at the same time we have to work as hard as we can to shorten the time as much as possible.”
“I think we’re following the same kind of sales trend as Japan. Meaning that our first game in Japan had OK sales, but it only became a huge phenomenon when we released the second game. I think our launch here in the US is kind of the ideal sales that we had expected.”
“For the markets where it takes more time, we have to change the messaging, trying to push the aspects that are more familiar to those markets. Not just push the game as-is, but pick the unique aspect that will be familiar.”
“We do believe that Yo-kai Watch can be as big of a social phenomenon [in the West] as it is in Japan.”
Hino also said that in European countries like France, “who are very open to Japanese culture, and accepting of Japanese culture” Yo-kai Watch has done very well. On the other hand, territories like the United States have experienced slower sales.
Of this, Hino said:
“I think those are areas where we have to sell our product as more of a fantasy story, rather than a Japanese story. And those are the areas where it takes a little bit of time for us to build the brand within the market.”
Aside from Hino’s remarks, Nintendo chimed in with the following:
“The franchise has gotten off to a solid start in the US. Now that it has some momentum, we’re aiming to help it grow with two new games on the way. We expect, as is the case with new franchises of this type, that sales will grow steadily over time. And in particular, Yo-kai Watch should benefit from Nintendo’s established history of ‘long-tail’ software sales over an extended period of time.?”
