The Falcom Thread

[Nester the Lark]

Ys X is due out in the West on October 25.

[Nester the Lark]

GameSpot has a good interview with Toshihiro Kondo, who gave some very detailed responses.

Here are some highlights.

On Falcom branching out into different genres and new IP:

What else should we look forward to?

More likely than not, fans--when they think of Falcom--they think of our series, like Ys and Trails. However, looking at the past and Falcom's history, you'll see that we used to release games in multiple, different-yet-related genres. And you might notice that those have gone down over the years. However--thanks to the fact that so many of the developers at Falcom have been there for a while and there's a lot of accumulated knowledge and know-how--we can start to make games like we used to, in many different genres that aren't part of these two main series.

It might take a few years yet, and in the meantime, I'd love for people to keep playing Ys and Trails. But please do look forward to new IPs as they come out slowly. But I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years time, people will say positively, "Oh, wow. Falcom's really changed. They've really broadened and they're doing more and more."

You know, game development costs just get larger and larger. And it's kind of come to a point where every project has to succeed in order to move forward. But because Falcom is relatively small compared to a lot of other studios, that gives us a lot more flexibility and more ability to challenge ourselves and try many different things.

So that's exactly what we want to do. We want to use the unique position that we're in to be able to continue to create JRPGs and to bring them to people, so they always exist and they're not solely tied to some of the larger companies that have a budget.

On the Trails series coming to an end:

Right now in the Trails games, we're on the fourth arc. Is there a planned number of arcs left? Is there a planned end of the series?

Actually, the series has progressed to the point where its main story is about 80-90% complete. And so while there will be games that come out, and those could be in the form of another arc after this, it won't continue on too much longer. And you won't see an arc as big as Cold Steel again. Though we're currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of the series, you won't see a 30th or 40th anniversary.

On releasing games faster in the West:

Do you think that the company will ever reach a place in which the Japanese and the English versions of the games are released simultaneously? Is that a goal that the company has?

Yes, we would love for the games to come out at the same time. That is actually one of the things that we're working with with NIS America to do--to decrease that time as we go forward in the future. We understand the necessity to have the games come out as soon as possible.

I hear it occasionally from the Western fanbase that they would love if games could come out sooner. We know that fans want to play the game as soon as possible--it is something we really want to do and will work on going forward.

You will notice though that we have been trying to decrease the amount of time. Daybreak, for example, came to the United States much sooner than titles in the past. And Ys X will, comparatively, be coming out not long after its release date in Japan.

But it's important to say that we have a standard of quality that we need to maintain as well. Our priority is to bring a high quality game for [English-speaking] fans so that they experience the same thing as our Japanese fans do. We will never sacrifice that quality in order to get a game out quickly. So it's been about finding that balance.

On the term "JRPG".

You mentioned the term "JRPG" a moment ago and I'm curious, because there has been some debate on if "JRPG" pigeonholes games made in Japan, is that label one you embrace? Would you prefer that people say, "turn-based RPG" or "action RPG?"

Originally, JRPG was kind of used as a pejorative and, obviously, we didn't like it. There was this initial reaction against it. But gradually, it feels like it's almost begun to mean the opposite. I mean, take something like Miyazaki-san's Elden Ring. I've asked myself "Is that a JRPG?" Well, maybe not quite. But at the same time, one of the things you can kind of identify in JRPGs are these influences from anime and manga. Knowing how to incorporate those elements and themes into games gives them that distinct Japanese flavor, which is not only a good thing, but creates a sort of cultural bond too. Japanese people can kind of come together and rally around this specific thing and make it our own.

So while in the past I might have kind of shied away from that terminology or kind of cringed at it, it's now something I embrace. There is a thing that only the Japanese creators can create by using these elements that we discussed. And by doing so, it creates something worthy of celebration. Rather than solely make RPGs, we make JRPGs--we're proud to say it.

I love that you mentioned Elden Ring and that sort of "well, is it a JRPG?" feeling because it does feel like a hard genre to define. How would you describe it?

That's difficult. Obviously the easy answer is, "Well, if it's made in Japan…" But when you look at what is made in Japan, it's trickier. There's action RPGs--can those be JRPGs? Are only turn-based games JRPGs? Well, no, not necessarily. There's kind of an ineffable thing that makes games in Japan, specifically JRPGs, what they are. It can't really be described. But it's the core and the essence of what a JRPG is. It's why I loved them from the time I was a child and why all of the people at Falcom feel it necessary to share that love for the next generation. So that people can continue to love them and to get involved with them.

[nocturnal YL]

I know next to nothing about Trails, but it's surprising to hear it's coming to an end. It's hard to imagine Falcom without Trails.

Also seriously, find a different publisher if you want simultaneous worldwide releases.

[Nester the Lark]

From what I understand, Trails always had a planned story, so it was always going to come to a conclusion. But the whole Trails series is just a sub-series of The Legend of Heroes (itself, a sub-series of Dragon Slayer, if you consider that a series). The original Trails in the Sky was already preceded by five other Legend of Heroes games, including the "Gagharv trilogy," which influenced the Trails series. So, even after Trails comes to an end, I could see Falcom creating a spiritual successor under the Legend of Heroes name.

[Nester the Lark]

Here's some interesting new info on the Trails in the Sky the 1st remake from Gematsu.

Game is planned for launch worldwide in 2025.

According to a Falcom representative:

Platforms – “While the game has been announced for Nintendo Switch, a release on PlayStation and PC platforms is currently ‘to be determined.’ There is a possibility that it could be released on these platforms, and if that decision is made, it will be announced in a press release at a later date.”

Western Publisher – “At this time, the western publisher is ‘to be determined,’ which is why our company name was mentioned in the announcement. There is a possibility that we may handle distribution ourselves, but if arrangements are made with a local publisher, they would be responsible for distribution instead.”

There are also more English screenshots in the Gematsu article. I wonder if Falcom purchased the rights to Xseed Games' localization. Also, if Falcom publishes the game themselves in Western regions, I wonder if this is part of their effort to move closer to simultaneous worldwide launches for future games.