Level-5

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Images | 0 comments

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Videos | 0 comments

We posted this way back when Fantasy Life originally launched in Japan. With the game’s English release on the horizon though, there’s no perfect time to share this again!

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 1 Comment

Youkai Watch 2 launched in Japan on July 10th and managed to sell 1.3 million copies during the first few days of availability. Incredibly, Media Create reveals that the “Honke” version sold through 95.53 percent of its initial shipment while the “Ganso” version experienced an 88.77 percent sell-through rate.

Essentially, people really want to play Youkai Watch 2. And even though Level-5 pushed out well over a million copies for the game’s launch, that wasn’t nearly enough to satiate demand.

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 3 Comments

With 1.3 million copies sold in its first week, Youkai Watch 2 experienced the highest debut for any game in Level-5’s recent history.

At the moment, Inazuma Eleven, Professor Layton, and The Little Battlers are Level-5’s other big franchises. Here’s a look at the highest openings from each of these series:

(2008) Professor Layton and the Unwound Future – 347,360
(2010) Inazuma Eleven 3: Lightning Bolt/Bomb Blast – 505,161
(2011) The Little Battlers – 166,187

As you can see, none of these games come close to the success of Youkai Watch 2.

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 2 Comments

According to a Famitsu report, Youkai Watch 2 has managed to sell more than 1,281,096 copies in its first four days. Just before launch, pre-orders were said to have been at over 800,000 units. The game was expected to be Japan’s first million-seller, and it has accomplished that feat in less than a week.

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More: Level-5, sales, top, Youkai Watch 2

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 12 Comments

Youkai Watch 2 is expected to be a huge seller for Level-5. And based on pre-order data, that definitely seems to be the case.

Media Create reveals that pre-orders for Youkai Watch 2 were initially at 786,000 units before climbing to 814,000 copies. That number could have been even higher given continued inquiries from consumers, but the game sold out before launch and retailers closed reservations.

Media Create anticipates that Youkai Watch 2 will be Japan’s first million-seller of 2014.

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More: Japan, Level-5, sales, Youkai Watch 2

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 4 Comments

In the latest issue of Famitsu, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino commented on a wide array of topics pertaining to the Youkai Watch franchise. This includes the creation of the actual IP, the anime, Youkai Watch 2, and more.

Head past the break for Hino’s comments.

“We’ve created a lot of different IPs, and I figured it was about time that we made something like Doraemon, that could be loved by many people over a long period of time. That was the start of it. I researched what would give something appeal and longevity, and pondered what would be relatable to people and developed the open world RPG that children could play, Yokai Watch. I think title’s popularity is the fruits of trial and error.”

“Anime is content that is offered for free, and I strongly promote its use. The [Yokai Watch] anime focuses on problems that modern children face and is made so that the audience can laugh off such problems and be entertained as well.”

“Keita isn’t a child who always does the right thing, but has his own flaws as well, like trying to watch naughty TV shows late at night or making fun of people. Keita’s actions are depicting what is ‘normal’ for modern children. He’s not a good boy, but someone who says what he thinks. I believe that character setting made him very relatable to people.”

“I’m working on bringing out a third yokai that is different from those 2. It’s like with a variety show – you don’t continue with the same members all the time, but switch them out every now and then to change the atmosphere. That’s what makes a show last longer. I believe that Yokai Watch needs such a device.”

“When planning the first Yokai Watch, I already thought to release the sequel as 2 different versions. Children like having things that other people don’t have, so from a marketing perspective, having 2 versions is a good idea. Also, a lot of people play Yokai Watch with their parents. Where people would have some hesitation about getting 2 copies of the same game, if you have different versions, it’s a lot easier for them to buy both.”

“The key for a long-lasting hit piece of entertainment is whether the business side like merchandise, games, and movies is successful. That’s why you develop commercial goods necessary for cutting edge entertainment and include the latest features in your games.”

On another important note, international expansion for Youkai Watch is “in consideration in a big way.”

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Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments

Level-5 is launching Youkai Watch 2 tomorrow with a patch. The update addresses a bug that says the game doesn’t recognize save data when you first start the game.

Youkai Watch 2’s 1.1 patch will be available for retail copies on the eShop. It will be automatically included with the downloadable version.

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