Whelp Nippon Ichi is dead

[magus]

they had a good run i guess?

http://www.ideaf.co.jp/news/2013/0930/

Idea Factory has announced that they have contracted Masahiro Yamamoto to lead a new RPG project for the PS Vita which will be published by Compile Heart in 2014. Masahiro Yamamoto was previously a long time Nippon Ichi developer who worked as the main programmer and a game designer on many lead titles starting from Disgaea 2, before leading the design and direction of recent Nippon Ichi titles such as Zettai Hero Project, Disgaea 4, and The Guided Fate Paradox.

This is a teaser of the design images from the new RPG he's working on for Idea Factory:

Edit: Update.

Japanese blogs picking up on this story have pointed out that there was a big Nippon Ichi scandal rumor on 2ch way back in June. Someone posted details about a mass exodus from "Company N" with the following details (I've filled in the blanks for obvious references):

    Mr.Y (Masahiro Yamamoto) who was in charge of D (Disgaea) and KP (KamiPara), along with almost all the development staff including the main programmer have resigned. The Executive Mr.K and the North American Corporate Head Mr.A, along with their subordinates have also left the company. The above mentioned are making something similar for Company I (Idea Factory).

    Mr.K who worked on the D (Disgaea) spinoff D2 has also left the company with a subordinate who was working on the recently announced project A (Arcadias). They have joined Company M.

    About half of the development team currently developing a game for the eternal next game protagonist A (Asagi) have also left the company. The project is at a stand still.

Considering the confirmation of the first part of the rumor, this sounds pretty bad for the future of the company.

[hampster]

Why'd everyone leave

[Joe Molotov]

they had a good run i guess?

Did they?

[Himu]

The released some good games on PSP. I loved Disgaea when it came out. Got it instead of Soul Calibur II. Dumped dozens of hours into it. Don't regret it. Horse penis.

[thisismyusername]

Except D1-D2 just came out... so... Nippon Ichi will be fine without this dude?

Oh, skimmed past the part about D1-D2. Well... seems they're in a Capcom situation but I doubt it effects NISA too strongly and worst case scenario, they'll pump out a portable version of D1-D2 quickly to try to get cashflow before bombing everything else.

[DCharlieJP]

i was half considering that new N1 game just for shits/giggles - i assume i should wait for the stock liquidation then?

[Sho Nuff]

Welp that's a wrap

[Mr. Gundam]

Welp that's a welp.

Seriously, who started this stupid phrase?

[mjemirzian]

Looks like Nippon Ichi and Idea Factory have some soiled panties between them.

[Mr. Gundam]

Even though the games are mostly terrible, Idea Factory/Compile Heart's ability to continuously push out console JRPGs with a cult-following is pretty impressive.

[hampster]

Welp that's a welp.

Seriously, who started this stupid phrase?

My money is on Charlie Brown

[Great Rumbler]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[demi]

Even though the games are mostly terrible, Idea Factory/Compile Heart's ability to continuously push out console JRPGs with a cult-following is pretty impressive.

They might as well be shitting on your face. You are praising them for turding out these games on PS3? Lol.

[Mr. Gundam]

Even though the games are mostly terrible, Idea Factory/Compile Heart's ability to continuously push out console JRPGs with a cult-following is pretty impressive.

They might as well be shitting on your face. You are praising them for turding out these games on PS3? Lol.

Saying it's impressive is not necessarily praise. I think the games are awful and don't buy them, but they're doing something that pretty much no one else is doing anymore.

[demi]

That's not really praise either!

[Takao]

if you don't pay your employees you can't exactly be shocked if they leave

I really enjoyed ZHP, and will probably play Guided Fate Paradox once it's ported to Vita. Hopefully Idea Factory doesn't kill that team.

[tiesto]

NIS is great, Idea Factory/Compile Heart are garbage though.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Still would rather play their games than Bioware!

[close]

[Rahxephon91]

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/30/idea-factory-company-behind-hakuoki-neptunia-opens-u-s-branch/

Sadly the worse of these two evils is spreading.

[Rahxephon91]

Jesus I had no idea IF even had fans.

[Trent Dole]

They made Rhapsody. Rhapsody was kind of a cool idea. Also JIGSAW MADNESS.

[chronovore]

Jesus I had no idea IF even had fans.

I thought I was, but then I remembered it was Dream Factory.

Ah, Tobal...

[mjemirzian]

IF fans take their uguu seriously.

I get a lot of personal attacks over my Agarest War and FE: Awakening reviews in particular. Apparently saying that waifus and lolis are creepy (aka a normal person's opinion) is a declaration of war to these people.