The company had previously made feature phone games long before smartphones took off and is now coming back.
Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) had been involved in mobile gaming for quite some time, having had a great deal of luck back when feature phones were the big thing in Japan – the step in technology between the old flip-phones and the current smartphone – but their popularity rapidly fizzled out as mobile tech changed and brought a tidal wave of game developers into the mix.
The company has now announced their return into smartphone games, with a specific goal in mind.
NIS will now be stepping back into providing mobile gaming products, but will be doing so for PlayStation TV and Vita. It will be recreating some of its most popular games so that consumers will be able to play them over these channels. The time of the feature phone trend in Japan wasn’t very long, but when it happened, many consumers owned these devices and NIS saw a tremendous market in mobile games, as the competition in that market wasn’t nearly as large as is currently the case for smartphones.
The company now sees an opportunity to take advantage of mobile gaming nostalgia from its most popular titles.
Though the feature phone wasn’t nearly as technologically advanced as a smartphone, it did offer a number of interesting and unique advancements over what had been available to old cell phone and flip phone owning consumers. Mobile games were certainly among the most beloved features on those devices.
One of the most popular games that NIS had put out for those mobile devices was called “Duologue”. That will now be among the titles that will be released in Japan for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV as a part of its “App Archives” service. That service is being launched within that country and Duologue will be the first title released under its brand. It is expected to cost 556 yen.
This mobile gaming experience was first launched in 2006, and the new launch will allow gamers to be able to return to the adventures of its protagonist, Alius, on the continent of La Zik, with more than 1,000 different objectives to be reached.
Sony has made a major move in the mobile games space. The acclaimed Japanese company has been struggling to promote its Playstation Vita, which was launched last year and has since underperformed in the global market. The Vita was billed as a new generation for mobile gaming, but failed to attract any significant attention from consumers. Sony believes it may have found the solution to this problem and has begun tapping into the mobile games space.
Vita may find some traction in mobile gaming
Mobile games have been a resounding success among consumers. Millions of people around the world have mobile devices and most of these people play mobile games at some time during their day. The popularity of mobile games could be a saving grace for the Vita, but encouraging mobile developers to make games for the handheld console has been somewhat tricky in the past.
Sony waives licensing fee for indie developers
Sony has announced that it will be waiving the $99 licensing fee for the Vita for mobile developers. This will allow developers to make games for the Vita without having to invest any money into the console or its software development kit. Sony believes that this will open up the Vita to a wide range of independent developers, many of whom often receive strong support from consumers. These developers, who often work with limited budgets, may be able to find the success they seek by creating ambitious games for the Vita platform.
Mobile games may not secure success for Vita
Though mobile games are popular, there is no way to guarantee that these games will bring success to the Vita. The handheld console has, thus far, failed to compete against Nintendo’s mobile consoles. While the Vita does offering some attractive hardware, its limited number of games and relatively high price tag have not been well received by gamers.
