Elma for Smash Ultimate: Strength comes from experience. That’s true on any planet.

[chocolatejr9]

I don't have the time to watch this right now, so I'll just ask right away: Who's Jeff Grub again? And why should we listen to him?

I want to say he's the guy who leaked the March Direct, but I might be remembering that wrong. Either way, the Geno thread treats his word like God, so he CLEARLY got something right.

 

[I.D.]

I don't have the time to watch this right now, so I'll just ask right away: Who's Jeff Grub again? And why should we listen to him?

March mini direct man

 

[Calamitas]

March mini direct man

Aye, cheers. Thanks.

 

[PSIGuy]

I don’t expect any news on further Wii U ports until Pikmin 3 DX is out there and even then, I feel like they’d want more time between XBDE and any other Monolith Soft releases. XBX port announcement next year at the earliest.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

I mean they could still announce it this year but it'll release next year... maybe summer 2021 at the earliest

 

[a random user]

I mean they could still announce it this year but it'll release next year... maybe summer 2021 at the earliest

given how a xenoblade game just came out, no way they announce it this year, why start advertising a new game, when the old one hasn't even had Christmas sales yet, you can even sometimes see xenoblade DE adds on youtube sometimes so they are still paying to advertise it

 

[PSIGuy]

They're trying to push XB1 and 2 together hard (like giving them ads on opposing pages in that Nintendo summer pamphlet and elsewhere). Once they both slow down saleswise they could probably try push anyone who's bought either game to get X as well, if they don't go straight into a new game entirely.

Edit: Speedrun of XBX in Japan.

RTAinJapan - Twitch

大規模オフラインRTAイベント『RTA in Japan』の公式チャンネルです。RTA in Japanを開催していない時は日本のRTAイベントにチャンネルをお貸ししています。

www.twitch.tv

Even made XBX 29th trending in Japan;

 

[Rie Sonomura]

It always makes me happy to see Xenoblade X trending

 

[Michael the Spikester]

Man if only we were living in the timeline where Elma was chosen over Corrin for Sm4sh, we would already have our gal by now...

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Not to mention Elma would have been a prime opportunity since the game was coming out in the west that same month. Fates was due a couple months later

 

[Calamitas]

Not to mention Elma would have been a prime opportunity since the game was coming out in the west that same month. Fates was due a couple months later

Don't even get me started on Fates' Wester release date. You know how that game came out in (I believe) February in the US? Well, Europe had to wait a whole three months longer, until May 20th. Even though X released on the same day in Europe as it did in the US, and the translation work that those two games must've been roughly the same. It was stupid.

But hey, at least Europe got Bravely Second quite a while earlier than the US.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

The closest we ever got to a online open world Xenoblade game. https://t.co/nYyDfh7V5d

— Digi (@NoponDigi) August 15, 2020

Interesting that they don’t like to describe it as a JRPG...

 

[Bebe Mignon]

I mean they could still announce it this year but it'll release next year... maybe summer 2021 at the earliest

Honestly, I would give up any hopes of it coming out this year or even the next two years. Nintendo generally doesn’t release more than one game from a single series within the same fiscal year. Xenoblade Definitive Edition just came out a couple months ago, so that rules out anything this year. There are rumblings of a new Xenoblade game coming out by the end of next year. I wouldn’t be surprised by another Torna-styled DLC expansion in 2022. If I were in Nintendo/Monolith Soft’s shoes, I would wait until 2023 or 2024 when there’s a lull in between major Xenoblade releases. This would also line up with the potential release of the successor to the Switch, making it the perfect launch game. Cultivating such an audience from the beginning of a new hardware console would also allow Monolith Soft to develop direct sequels to X.

 

[Pinguino21v]

Or release XCXDE next year and XCX2 the following!

 

[Calamitas]

I wouldn’t be surprised by another Torna-styled DLC expansion in 2022.

. . .For what, though? We don't even know yet if DE is going to get DLC of any kind, and right now it's honestly looking like it isn't getting any at all. And I think you don't need to share my. . . less than positive views on 2 to agree that that game doesn't need any more DLC.

Edit:
And if you mean this hypothetical new Xenoblade game releasing next year - let's wait and see if that's even a thing before we entertain the possibility for a DLC expansion of it, I'd say.

 

[Bebe Mignon]

. . .For what, though? We don't even know yet if DE is going to get DLC of any kind, and right now it's honestly looking like it isn't getting any at all. And I think you don't need to share my. . . less than positive views on 2 to agree that that game doesn't need any more DLC.

Edit:
And if you mean this hypothetical new Xenoblade game releasing next year - let's wait and see if that's even a thing before we entertain the possibility for a DLC expansion of it, I'd say.

I was referring to the next entry and whatever Torna-style DLC expansion it might have.

Basically what I’m saying is...

2020: Xenoblade DE
2021: New Xenoblade game
2022: New Xenoblade game DLC
2023: Either a gap year or X port
2024: X port if nothing in 2023

There are multiple signs that point to a new entry coming out fairly soon. Based on the information we have, I summarized the development timeline below.

May 2018: Game concept pitched to Nintendo

May 2018: Series Director and Producer Koh Kojima expressed an interest in making Xenoblade 3, Xenoblade X2, and something totally new.

August 2018: Development officially begins

September 2018: Torna ~ The Golden Country uses a new engine to render the game. The team was still in the transitional period of refining it for use in future games.

September 2018: Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi confirms that there are no firm plans for a new entry in the Xenoblade series. Note: The interview was likely conducted a few weeks prior to the official development of the project

October 2018: Production Group 1 (aka Takahashi/Xenoblade team) starts hiring for an RPG project in the style of previous Xenoblade games. They are expanding the team in various ways for a higher-quality product.

October 2018: Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi said he gets bored with whatever it was he did last. He explains that if there’s an opportunity to continue the series, it might go down a path it hasn’t explored yet.

May 2020: Future Connected released. There are unresolved mysteries, meaning certain elements will more than likely reappear in the next entry.

June 2020: Takahashi states that Nintendo and Monolith Soft are committed to building up the Xenoblade brand even further.

July-August 2020: The ACE music duo are recording music for an undisclosed project. One of the recording studios was also used for Xenoblade DE OST in early 2020. Yasunori Mitsuda is seemingly also busy producing music. Note: This is purely speculation.

 

[Bebe Mignon]

To add on to the above post, its already been 2 full years since the project fully started. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public less than 2 years after the project began. I suspect we will get an announcement some time next year.

 

[Calamitas]

To add on to the above post, its already been 2 full years since the project fully started. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public less than 2 years after the project began. I suspect we will get an announcement some time next year.

2 was generally massively rushed to be out in the Switch's first year, though. Given that Monolith Soft is currently (hopfully) under no such pressure, I think the next game might have some more time in the oven.

 

[Senatiator]

Honestly, I would give up any hopes of it coming out this year or even the next two years. Nintendo generally doesn’t release more than one game from a single series within the same fiscal year. Xenoblade Definitive Edition just came out a couple months ago, so that rules out anything this year. There are rumblings of a new Xenoblade game coming out by the end of next year. I wouldn’t be surprised by another Torna-styled DLC expansion in 2022. If I were in Nintendo/Monolith Soft’s shoes, I would wait until 2023 or 2024 when there’s a lull in between major Xenoblade releases. This would also line up with the potential release of the successor to the Switch, making it the perfect launch game. Cultivating such an audience from the beginning of a new hardware console would also allow Monolith Soft to develop direct sequels to X.

Time to tell Nintendo to slow down with the Mario Games releases. We just got Paper Mario the Origami King a few months ago.

The Paper Mario series arrives on #NintendoSwitch with an origami twist! What evil paper shenanigans does the Origami King have planned? Find out when #PaperMario: The Origami King releases on 7/17!https://t.co/Zw9epBSIZp pic.twitter.com/4fUGYDcGjG

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 14, 2020

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Time to tell Nintendo to slow down with the Mario Games releases. We just got Paper Mario the Origami King a few months ago.

The Paper Mario series arrives on #NintendoSwitch with an origami twist! What evil paper shenanigans does the Origami King have planned? Find out when #PaperMario: The Origami King releases on 7/17!https://t.co/Zw9epBSIZp pic.twitter.com/4fUGYDcGjG

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 14, 2020

Isn’t Mario 35th Anniversary Collection a hot rumor among insiders this year? If they can crank out several Mario games a year they can announce XCXDE a few months after XCDE came out

 

[Calamitas]

Hey, I was having a thought: Maybe the reason why there isn't an X port yet is because Monolith Soft wants to take what they already have for X, and "finish" it to be more in line with their vision for it before it had to be scaled back? Sort of a port and sequel in one, if you will.

I mean, I don't actually believe that, but it could be some food for discussion.

 

[Bebe Mignon]

2 was generally massively rushed to be out in the Switch's first year, though. Given that Monolith Soft is currently (hopfully) under no such pressure, I think the next game might have some more time in the oven.

Right.

If the hypothetical Xenoblade game is released at the end of 2021, then it will have been in development for as long as Xenoblade 2 and Torna combined. Any longer than that will bring it to XCX territory, which had an unusually lengthy development cycle.

Time to tell Nintendo to slow down with the Mario Games releases. We just got Paper Mario the Origami King a few months ago.

The Paper Mario series arrives on #NintendoSwitch with an origami twist! What evil paper shenanigans does the Origami King have planned? Find out when #PaperMario: The Origami King releases on 7/17!https://t.co/Zw9epBSIZp pic.twitter.com/4fUGYDcGjG

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 14, 2020

Mario = One of Nintendo’s largest and most important franchise with multiple spin-off series. Paper Mario developed outside of Nintendo EPD. Not to mention the fact that this year is the franchise’s 35th anniversary.

Xenoblade = A fairly niche RPG series solely developed by Monolith Soft.

...???

 

[a random user]

Right.

If the hypothetical Xenoblade game is released at the end of 2021, then it will have been in development for as long as Xenoblade 2 and Torna combined. Any longer than that will bring it to XCX territory, which had an unusually lengthy development cycle.

there is the possibility that it ends up being x2, although that seems unlikely given how x1 should be ported before then

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Bebe Mignon try not to double post, use the edit button instead c:

 

[Senatiator]

Right.

If the hypothetical Xenoblade game is released at the end of 2021, then it will have been in development for as long as Xenoblade 2 and Torna combined. Any longer than that will bring it to XCX territory, which had an unusually lengthy development cycle.



Mario = One of Nintendo’s largest and most important franchise with multiple spin-off series. Paper Mario developed outside of Nintendo EPD. Not to mention the fact that this year is the franchise’s 35th anniversary.

Xenoblade = A fairly niche RPG series solely developed by Monolith Soft.

...???

Xenoblade Definitive Edition has a collaboration with Tetris so not really “niche”. It’s growing, and I’m pretty sure Monster Games was credited with the Xenoblade New 3DS Version.

 

[a random user]

Xenoblade Definitive Edition has a collaboration with Tetris so not really “niche”. It’s growing, and I’m pretty sure Monster Games was credited with the Xenoblade New 3DS Version.

xenoblade DE has sold 1.32 million, as of august 10 (and clubhouse games). The switch had 27 million sellers as of may, so it is within the top 29, that is hardly nich.
sources
xenoblade DE sales https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2..._clubhouse_games_both_surpass_1_million_sales
list of switch million sellers- note first party only

Switch has 27 million sellers - 18 from Nintendo, 9 from other publishers

As part of its financial results today, Nintendo revealed that Switch currently has 27 million sellers. While 18 are from its own games, there are actually 9 from other publishers. The latest lineup of first-party million sellers was revealed today. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently the...

nintendoeverything.com

 

[Abade]

Some people seem to be dismissive or underestimate Monolith Soft’s growth.

There were a small group behind Chrono Trigger and Xenogears

The History of Xenogears and Xenosaga – Part 4: Monolith Soft and Nintendo

This is a repost of an incredibly in-depth article about the development of Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade after them. The article is impressive, it’s excellently written and is based on hours upon hours of research. It’s separated in four parts, and all of them will be reposted here...

betweenlifeandgames.com

They expanded

What Has Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Staff Been Up To?

Ishaan investigates to find out what exactly the Xenoblade Chronicle X’s staff has been up to.

sourcegaming.info

and keep expanding and growing:

Xenoblade Studio Monolith Soft Actually Helped Out With Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Embracing island life

www.nintendolife.com

Xenoblade Developer Monolith Soft Has Grown to 243 Employees

Monolith Soft has been staffing up for multiple projects. Here's a recap of what they've been up to over the last few years.

www.siliconera.com

 

[Calamitas]

there is the possibility that it ends up being x2, although that seems unlikely given how x1 should be ported before then

X2 still seems more likely to me than a Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Let's not forget:

October 2018: Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi said he gets bored with whatever it was he did last. He explains that if there’s an opportunity to continue the series, it might go down a path it hasn’t explored yet.

I'm not sure just how involved Takahashi was with DE, but that's basically still twice that they were doing the same kind of game. Either the next game is X2, or something new entirely.

 

[a random user]

xenoblade DE has sold 1.32 million, as of august 10 (and clubhouse games). The switch had 27 million sellers as of may, so it is within the top 29, that is hardly nich.
sources
xenoblade DE sales https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2..._clubhouse_games_both_surpass_1_million_sales
list of switch million sellers- note first party only

Switch has 27 million sellers - 18 from Nintendo, 9 from other publishers

As part of its financial results today, Nintendo revealed that Switch currently has 27 million sellers. While 18 are from its own games, there are actually 9 from other publishers. The latest lineup of first-party million sellers was revealed today. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently the...

nintendoeverything.com

it seems there are actually a few more million sellers, Nintendo just didn't mention them on that list for some reason
here is one with a few more games, xenoblade de is in 25th place, xenoblade 2 is in 24th. Given how xeno 2 was with 2 years of sales, and xeno DE was around a month, it is likely DE has passed 2 by now, and will likely see a bit of an increase come Christmas. It is also possible 2 has sold more, from people just finishing the first game, either way we won't hear about it until the next investors meeting
more accurate list, this one has 37, instead of 27 https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Nintendo_Switch_games

 

[RebelMaren]

I wouldn't exclude the possibility of X showing up sooner rather than later. The reason developers spread out game releases of the same franchise is generally due to long development times making that a certainty, but theres a desire for more frequent releases by the publishers of some larger franchises. Notably, Nintendo stated they wanted yearly Zelda, Capcom want yearly Resident Evil, and Ubisoft used to do Assassin's Creed yearly before slowing down to innovate more with each iteration. Zelda looks to be aiming to achive a yearly cadence through rereleases and spin offs, while Resident Evil developed 2 remakes at the same time as the next major title.

My point is, they won't avoid 'Too many Xenoblades', and in fact, I think they'd prefer to have the next one out within a year. To that end... Mario, Sonic, Resident Evil, Pokemon. All huge franchises even today that found popularity after a period of very frequent releases, it honestly might make sense to bombard the Switch userbase with Xenoblade games until the name sticks. It's also worth remembering the Torna was elevated out of simply being more content for Xenoblade 2 players and into the space of being a seperate, marketed, stand alone title. Kinda feels to me like Nintendo is pushing the series to be consistant and relevant for now and telling it's consumer base "You will know our games".

 

[Bebe Mignon]

Xenoblade Definitive Edition has a collaboration with Tetris so not really “niche”. It’s growing, and I’m pretty sure Monster Games was credited with the Xenoblade New 3DS Version.

It’s undeniable that the series has been increasing in popularity and recognition lately, but it’s nowhere near as mainstream as Final Fantasy, Pokemon, etc. The series is well-known among hardcore video game enthusiasts. Not so much for the casual gamers. That’s why I called it niche. I would classify Fire Emblem and Metroid (to a lesser extent) as “niche” series.

X2 still seems more likely to me than a Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Let's not forget:

I'm not sure just how involved Takahashi was with DE, but that's basically still twice that they were doing the same kind of game. Either the next game is X2, or something new entirely.

Takahashi did say that X2 is possible, but the way he phrased his answer (see below) leads me to think that it’s something else.

Though Takahashi says he's not yet ready to talk about what we might see in a future installment of Xenoblade Chronicles, I asked him if there's a chance the series will return to the harder science fiction setting we saw in Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U—i.e. will we return to exploring planets and piloting mechs instead of travelling on the backs of the huge, living Titans that define Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Takashi says it's possible, but a "third option" isn't off the table, either.

"I'm someone who gets bored of whatever it was I did last," he says. "If the [Xenoblade Chronicles] series continues, you just might see it take a third option. It might go down a path it hasn't gone down before."

It should be noted that the above interview happened MONTHS AFTER they pitched the concept to Nintendo. I believe Takahashi already knew what direction the series was headed. He was just being coy at the time.

Also, I mentioned earlier that ACE, the music duo from XC1 and XC2 OST, are in the middle of mixing/recording for an undisclosed project. There are some strong evidence of them returning for a new Xenoblade game. If they come back to compose music for the next game, I don’t see them doing it for an X-styled game.

Don‘t get me wrong, I want an X port and XCX2 more than anything. Although I’m not too optimistic on those two happening within the next few years, I believe they will come some day.

 

[Copnaut]

It’s undeniable that the series has been increasing in popularity and recognition lately, but it’s nowhere near as mainstream as Final Fantasy, Pokemon, etc. The series is well-known among hardcore video game enthusiasts. Not so much for the casual gamers. That’s why I called it niche. I would classify Fire Emblem and Metroid (to a lesser extent) as “niche” series.



Takahashi did say that X2 is possible, but the way he phrased his answer (see below) leads me to think that it’s something else.



It should be noted that the above interview happened MONTHS AFTER they pitched the concept to Nintendo. I believe Takahashi already knew what direction the series was headed. He was just being coy at the time.

Also, I mentioned earlier that ACE, the music duo from XC1 and XC2 OST, are in the middle of mixing/recording for an undisclosed project. There are some strong evidence of them returning for a new Xenoblade game. If they come back to compose music for the next game, I don’t see them doing it for an X-styled game.

Don‘t get me wrong, I want an X port and XCX2 more than anything. Although I’m not too optimistic on those two happening within the next few years, I believe they will come some day.

Reposting this so it's easier to see (image source from @MonolithNews).

"(I/We) want to continue the Xenoblade numbering. So, before that about "XenobladeX", (I/we) think it is also important.

So (I/we) want to release a 3rd Xenoblade, and a 2nd X." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gX1uzdLEhr

— ⛩MB⛩ Composer | 作曲家 @mbgov.bsky.social (@MBgov1133) May 24, 2018

To add on to the above post, its already been 2 full years since the project fully started. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public less than 2 years after the project began. I suspect we will get an announcement some time next year.

This isn't accurate. Xenoblade 2 began development in July 2014. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public on January 13, 2017.

If it started in July 1, 2014 That would be 2 years, 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, or 927 days till the public reveal of Xenoblade 2.


Monolith Soft has already expressed interest in making Xenoblade X2, yes.

Monolith Soft Wants To Make Xenoblade Chronicles 3 And Xenoblade Chronicles X2 | NintendoSoup

In the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 original soundtrack booklet, Monolith Soft director Kou Kojima penned down his thoughts on the future of the Xenoblade franchise. Read more

nintendosoup.com

Monolith Soft wants to continue building the Xenoblade brand, also interested in a smaller-scale project

If there’s one thing Monolith Soft is known for these days, it’s the Xenoblade series. The company has churned out three massive RPGs between the first and second Xenoblade Chronicles titles along with Xenoblade Chronicles X. We also just received a new version of the series’ debut entry for...

nintendoeverything.com

Xenoblade Definitive Edition begun development alongside Torna: The Golden Country and a "new project".

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition planning started at the end of 2017, was in the works alongside Torna and new project

Monolith Soft tends to have a lot of work on its hands. Of course, the studio is well-known for its Xenoblade series. It also goes out of its way to help Nintendo on certain projects like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Monolith Soft definitely knows how to balance different games, and...

nintendoeverything.com

Even a so-called "niche series" like Fire Emblem saw the release of more then one title in the span of one year.


Monolith Soft is capable of producing more then one title at a time:

GAMES｜モノリスソフト

モノリスソフトの開発実績をご紹介します。

www.monolithsoft.co.jp

According to Monolith Soft's website, the year 2015 saw the release of Xenoblade on the New 3DS which was revealed in a Japanese Only Direct that also featured Shulk's Smash reveal as well as the release of Xenoblade X.

Like Intelligent Systems, Monolith Soft has grown to have around or more then 200 employees and they organized the large group with separate "development teams" handling different projects.

Monolith Soft Development Pipeline & Speculation Thread Nintendo

Games: Employee count:

www.resetera.com

It is strange for Final Fantasy to be considered "mainstream" where it can be recognized among "casual gamers" when only a few livestreamers such as Maximilian Dood is able to recognize Opening Theme, Bombing Mission and the Cloud vs Sephiroth duel for Cloud's Smash reveal trailer when compared to these others:

 

[Calamitas]

Reposting this so it's easier to see (image source from @MonolithNews).

"(I/We) want to continue the Xenoblade numbering. So, before that about "XenobladeX", (I/we) think it is also important.

So (I/we) want to release a 3rd Xenoblade, and a 2nd X." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gX1uzdLEhr

— ⛩MB⛩ Composer | 作曲家 @mbgov.bsky.social (@MBgov1133) May 24, 2018

This isn't accurate. Xenoblade 2 began development in July 2014. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public on January 13, 2017.

If it started in July 1, 2014 That would be 2 years, 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, or 927 days till the public reveal of Xenoblade 2.


Monolith Soft has already expressed interest in making Xenoblade X2, yes.

Monolith Soft Wants To Make Xenoblade Chronicles 3 And Xenoblade Chronicles X2 | NintendoSoup

In the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 original soundtrack booklet, Monolith Soft director Kou Kojima penned down his thoughts on the future of the Xenoblade franchise. Read more

nintendosoup.com

Monolith Soft wants to continue building the Xenoblade brand, also interested in a smaller-scale project

If there’s one thing Monolith Soft is known for these days, it’s the Xenoblade series. The company has churned out three massive RPGs between the first and second Xenoblade Chronicles titles along with Xenoblade Chronicles X. We also just received a new version of the series’ debut entry for...

nintendoeverything.com

Xenoblade Definitive Edition begun development alongside Torna: The Golden Country and a "new project".

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition planning started at the end of 2017, was in the works alongside Torna and new project

Monolith Soft tends to have a lot of work on its hands. Of course, the studio is well-known for its Xenoblade series. It also goes out of its way to help Nintendo on certain projects like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Monolith Soft definitely knows how to balance different games, and...

nintendoeverything.com

Even a so-called "niche series" like Fire Emblem saw the release of more then one title in the span of one year.


Monolith Soft is capable of producing more then one title at a time:

GAMES｜モノリスソフト

モノリスソフトの開発実績をご紹介します。

www.monolithsoft.co.jp

According to Monolith Soft's website, the year 2015 saw the release of Xenoblade on the New 3DS which was revealed in a Japanese Only Direct that also featured Shulk's Smash reveal as well as the release of Xenoblade X.

Like Intelligent Systems, Monolith Soft has grown to have around or more then 200 employees and they organized the large group with separate "development teams" handling different projects.

Monolith Soft Development Pipeline & Speculation Thread Nintendo

Games: Employee count:

www.resetera.com

It is strange for Final Fantasy to be considered "mainstream" where it can be recognized among "casual gamers" when only a few livestreamers such as Maximilian Dood is able to recognize Opening Theme, Bombing Mission and the Cloud vs Sephiroth duel for Cloud's Smash reveal trailer when compared to these others:

Good post. But over all this talk about future Xenoblade games, we shouldn't forgot that Monolith Soft also still have this unnamed fantasy game that they have been working on. . . unless that one's going the way of whatever Retro Studios has been doing between Tropical Freeze and Prime 4.

 

[Bebe Mignon]

Reposting this so it's easier to see (image source from @MonolithNews).

"(I/We) want to continue the Xenoblade numbering. So, before that about "XenobladeX", (I/we) think it is also important.

So (I/we) want to release a 3rd Xenoblade, and a 2nd X." (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gX1uzdLEhr

— ⛩MB⛩ Composer | 作曲家 @mbgov.bsky.social (@MBgov1133) May 24, 2018

This came from Koh Kojima, the producer/director of the series. Sadly, he is not above Tetsuya Takahashi who is the executive director. Takahashi has the final say.

This isn't accurate. Xenoblade 2 began development in July 2014. Xenoblade 2 was revealed to the public on January 13, 2017.


If it started in July 1, 2014 That would be 2 years, 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, or 927 days till the public reveal of Xenoblade 2.

This isn’t entirely accurate.

The article states that planning for XC2 began in July 2014. Official development likely didn‘t start until around the time XCX came out (April 2015). Regarding the new game, this interview with Takahashi says that Takahashi hosted a presentation on the new game concept in May 2018, which means that the planning stage started months prior that date. Knowing how Takahashi operates, he likely started brainstorming as early as December 2017.

Like Intelligent Systems, Monolith Soft has grown to have around or more then 200 employees and they organized the large group with separate "development teams" handling different projects.

Monolith Soft Development Pipeline & Speculation Thread Nintendo

Games: Employee count:

www.resetera.com

It‘s weird seeing you link that to me. I’m the OP of that thread lol. Not sure how that’s relevant to the conversation.

Good post. But over all this talk about future Xenoblade games, we shouldn't forgot that Monolith Soft also still have this unnamed fantasy game that they have been working on. . . unless that one's going the way of whatever Retro Studios has been doing between Tropical Freeze and Prime 4.

I‘m leaning towards no for the existence of the fantasy project. There are only 2 Production Groups that we know of at the moment. PG1 is working on a new Xenoblade game and the newly formed PG2 is working on Zelda. There is a third “group” in Kyoto, which acts as an art studio for Nintendo/MS produced games (Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Splatoon, etc.) They don’t develop games, sadly.

Other than the initial recruiting page from August 2017, there are no clear signs of it being worked on atm.

 

[Copnaut]

This came from Koh Kojima, the producer/director of the series. Sadly, he is not above Tetsuya Takahashi who is the executive director. Takahashi has the final say.



This isn’t entirely accurate.

The article states that planning for XC2 began in July 2014. Official development likely didn‘t start until around the time XCX came out (April 2015). Regarding the new game, this interview with Takahashi says that Takahashi hosted a presentation on the new game concept in May 2018, which means that the planning stage started months prior that date. Knowing how Takahashi operates, he likely started brainstorming as early as December 2017.



It‘s weird seeing you link that to me. I’m the OP of that thread lol. Not sure how that’s relevant to the conversation.



I‘m leaning towards no for the existence of the fantasy project. There are only 2 Production Groups that we know of at the moment. PG1 is working on a new Xenoblade game and the newly formed PG2 is working on Zelda. There is a third “group” in Kyoto, which acts as an art studio for Nintendo/MS produced games (Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Splatoon, etc.) They don’t develop games, sadly.

Other than the initial recruiting page from August 2017, there are no clear signs of it being worked on atm.

It was in development as the Core Crystals make an appearance in Xenoblade X:

What happened to the Iidabashi studio?

Monolith Soft Opens Fifth Studio In Japan

This year, we have seen Xenoblade developer Monolith Soft on a hiring spree, quickly expanding its workforce to 200 employees in a matter of months. Now it seems that Monolith Soft has already open…

nintendosoup.com

Monolith Soft Opens New Studio in Iidabashi | TechRaptor

Monolith Soft, the developers behind the Xenoblade series, has opened up a new studio in Iidabashi, a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo. The announcement was made via twitter by Monolith Soft artist Yasuyuki Honne, who has worked on the Xenoblade Chronicles games and previously did artwork for the...

techraptor.net

今月から、弊社 飯田橋スタジオ 稼働開始しました( ^ω^ ) #モノリスソフト pic.twitter.com/3I9EURexvk

— 本根 康之 (@honnesan) June 7, 2018

They are always growing
https://nintendoeverything.com/monolith-soft-adds-new-osaki-studio/
https://www.siliconera.com/xenoblade-developer-monolith-soft-has-grown-to-243-employees/

I'm pretty sure Tetsuya Takahashi is still interested considering despite his claim of "getting bored with whatever it was he did last", he still produces Role Playing Games with the name "Xeno" in it, using the same elements.

https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/22/...lding-an-rpg-for-multiple-audiences/view-all/
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/11/soraya-saga-on-xenogears-and-xenosaga/
In an interview Takahashi says that "Xeno" is essentially his signature. Another interview , this time with Soraya Saga, Takahashi's wife who worked on Xenogears and Xenosaga, describes the "Xeno series" as "rivers and lakes that once sprung from our mind, eventually became independent. They sure are kin, but not lineal."
You could argue that while the "Xeno series" isn't official because of how the rights are split, Takahashi and Saga pretty much consider Gears, Saga, and Blade to be parts of a greater whole.
https://nintendowire.com/news/2015/11/28/a-brief-history-of-xeno/
https://www.polygon.com/features/20...ry-tetsuya-takahashi-auteur-creators-in-games

Spoiler: Xeno recurring elements

rather then producing a first person shooter, platformer, or a horror game.

The familiar characters who appeared in Xenoblade 2

Spoiler

そしてもうひとつ！「チャレンジバトル」に新たな課題が追加されますも。
そこに登場するのは…『ゼノブレイドクロス』からのゲストキャラクター、「エルマ」（ボイス：桑島法子さん）！
課題をクリアすると、ブレイドとして仲間になってくれますも。
ぜひ挑戦してほしいも！ pic.twitter.com/EpB7SLdTNM

— ゼノブレイド総合 (@XenobladeJP) August 24, 2018

Tetsuya Takahashi said in this interview when he attended the Xenogears 20th anniversary concert: "Fans of Xeno games want the same thing."
https://xeno-underground.net/media_xenogears_concert.html
https://imgur.com/eXPIyg1

The characters whom appeared in the anniversary artwork produced by Monolith Soft:

Monolith Soft 20th anniversary website launched

Monolith Soft has opened its 20th anniversary commemoration website. The studio, whose works span franchises such as Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos, and Xenoblade Chronicles, first opened its doors on Octo…

gematsu.com

本日6月10日は『ゼノブレイド』誕生10周年です！
先月は『ゼノブレイド ディフィニティブ・エディション』も発売されました。
こうして長く愛されるシリーズとなったのは、ひとえに、遊んでくださったみなさんのおかげです！
これからも「ゼノブレイド」シリーズをよろしくお願いいたします！ pic.twitter.com/5CCptEsywI

— 株式会社モノリスソフト (@MONOLITHSOFT) June 10, 2020

Producing remasters or ports of the same game and sequels as listed on Monolith Soft's website
Takahashi has expressed interest in porting Xenoblade X on Switch and goes back to it:

Monolith Soft President Wants To Bring Xenoblade Chronicles X To Switch - Siliconera

All eyes are on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 with its release tomorrow, but those of you wondering if Xenoblade Chronicles X will ever a Switch release, Monolith Soft president had a little to share on that.

www.siliconera.com

4Gamer: Just as Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was made available on the New 3DS, are there any chances we’ll see Xenoblade Chronicles X on other hardware?

Tetsuya Takahashi, Monolith Soft President: “Personally speaking, there are times I feel like playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and think about how nice it would be to play it on the Nintendo Switch. Of course that will depend on demand and such, but I will think about it while discussing future plans with Nintendo.

Not to mention the reason why Monolith Soft was founded in the first place:

Monolith Soft Was Founded to Try and Make Xenogears 2 Happen

A Monolith Soft founder said in a Famitsu interview that one of the goals when creating the studio was to carry on the Xenogears 2 dream.

www.siliconera.com

 

[PSIGuy]

According to Monolith Soft's website, the year 2015 saw the release of Xenoblade on the New 3DS which was revealed in a Japanese Only Direct that also featured Shulk's Smash reveal as well as the release of Xenoblade X.

Except they didn't actually do anything for XB3D. That was a port made by an outsourced studio.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, a port handled by Monster Games, was released worldwide in April 2015 for the New Nintendo 3DS.

Not to mention the reason why Monolith Soft was founded in the first place:

Monolith Soft Was Founded to Try and Make Xenogears 2 Happen

A Monolith Soft founder said in a Famitsu interview that one of the goals when creating the studio was to carry on the Xenogears 2 dream.

www.siliconera.com

Yeah, they already made "Xenogears 2".

There was a problem fetching the tweet

There was a problem fetching the tweet

None of this necessarily means Xenoblade X will get revisited soon - it just as easily justifies them skipping to Xenoblade 3, or Xeno-somethingelse. The interests of higherups don't even necessarily mean anything when Koh Kojima doesn't call the shots, and Takahashi has flat-out stated Xenoblade X would be difficult to port and would take money (that presumably Nintendo doesn't want to pony up for).

 

[Bebe Mignon]

It was in development as the Core Crystals make an appearance in Xenoblade X:

I’m not sure why this is being used as an argument? It’s just showing one person’s theory about how some concepts from X might have been reimagined for XC2. This has nothing to do with game development.

What happened to the Iidabashi studio?

Monolith Soft Opens Fifth Studio In Japan

This year, we have seen Xenoblade developer Monolith Soft on a hiring spree, quickly expanding its workforce to 200 employees in a matter of months. Now it seems that Monolith Soft has already open…

nintendosoup.com

Monolith Soft Opens New Studio in Iidabashi | TechRaptor

Monolith Soft, the developers behind the Xenoblade series, has opened up a new studio in Iidabashi, a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo. The announcement was made via twitter by Monolith Soft artist Yasuyuki Honne, who has worked on the Xenoblade Chronicles games and previously did artwork for the...

techraptor.net

There was a problem fetching the tweet

They are always growing
https://nintendoeverything.com/monolith-soft-adds-new-osaki-studio/
https://www.siliconera.com/xenoblade-developer-monolith-soft-has-grown-to-243-employees/

The Iidabashi studio was one of the satellite studios for the main original office in Meguro Tokyo. It was established because they couldn’t afford or didn’t have enough space to expand inside their original office building. Also, the Iidabashi office is no longer listed on the MS website since they opened another larger satellite studio in Osaki a year later in 2019. Their satellite studios don’t signify different development teams. They only assist the main office, for either PG1 (Xenoblade) and PG2 (Zelda).

I'm pretty sure Tetsuya Takahashi is still interested considering despite his claim of "getting bored with whatever it was he did last", he still produces Role Playing Games with the name "Xeno" in it, using the same elements.

https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/22/...lding-an-rpg-for-multiple-audiences/view-all/
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/11/soraya-saga-on-xenogears-and-xenosaga/
In an interview Takahashi says that "Xeno" is essentially his signature. Another interview , this time with Soraya Saga, Takahashi's wife who worked on Xenogears and Xenosaga, describes the "Xeno series" as "rivers and lakes that once sprung from our mind, eventually became independent. They sure are kin, but not lineal."
You could argue that while the "Xeno series" isn't official because of how the rights are split, Takahashi and Saga pretty much consider Gears, Saga, and Blade to be parts of a greater whole.
https://nintendowire.com/news/2015/11/28/a-brief-history-of-xeno/
https://www.polygon.com/features/20...ry-tetsuya-takahashi-auteur-creators-in-games

Spoiler: Xeno recurring elements

rather then producing a first person shooter, platformer, or a horror game.

The familiar characters who appeared in Xenoblade 2

Spoiler

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Tetsuya Takahashi said in this interview when he attended the Xenogears 20th anniversary concert: "Fans of Xeno games want the same thing."
https://xeno-underground.net/media_xenogears_concert.html
https://imgur.com/eXPIyg1

The characters whom appeared in the anniversary artwork produced by Monolith Soft:

Monolith Soft 20th anniversary website launched

Monolith Soft has opened its 20th anniversary commemoration website. The studio, whose works span franchises such as Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos, and Xenoblade Chronicles, first opened its doors on Octo…

gematsu.com

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Producing remasters or ports of the same game and sequels as listed on Monolith Soft's website
Takahashi has expressed interest in porting Xenoblade X on Switch and goes back to it:

Monolith Soft President Wants To Bring Xenoblade Chronicles X To Switch - Siliconera

All eyes are on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 with its release tomorrow, but those of you wondering if Xenoblade Chronicles X will ever a Switch release, Monolith Soft president had a little to share on that.

www.siliconera.com

4Gamer: Just as Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was made available on the New 3DS, are there any chances we’ll see Xenoblade Chronicles X on other hardware?

Tetsuya Takahashi, Monolith Soft President: “Personally speaking, there are times I feel like playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and think about how nice it would be to play it on the Nintendo Switch. Of course that will depend on demand and such, but I will think about it while discussing future plans with Nintendo.

Not to mention the reason why Monolith Soft was founded in the first place:

Monolith Soft Was Founded to Try and Make Xenogears 2 Happen

A Monolith Soft founder said in a Famitsu interview that one of the goals when creating the studio was to carry on the Xenogears 2 dream.

www.siliconera.com

Thanks for the write up, but this doesn‘t go against my original argument. Yes, I’m aware Monolith Soft has significantly grown over the last few years. They have become much more efficient in game development.

All I said was that Takahashi’s team is working on a new Xenoblade game. They have been planning it since late 2017 and started actual development on it since August 2018. In my previous posts, I’ve already stated reasons why I don’t think this specific project is likely to be an X port. Once they wrap up their current project, they might decide to allocate some of their staff members for an X port. Who knows?

 

[Aetheri]

Personally I feel like at the very least a Xenoblade X port is in the works, and likely will be released next year since XCDE just came out. I know it was said that it would be too costly to do so, but that was two years ago and Torna and XCDE weren't released yet. What they say back then can easily change over time especially if demand increases over time, which it definitely is with XCX and it's not like they're going to announce it, at least not until it's ready to be announced. It would make the most sense for them to get all of their Xenoblade games on a system that is doing as well as the Switch. And seeing as they still have interest in moving forward with a hypothetical X2 it would be beneficial to expose more people to the first game first since it's likely going to be following some sort of continuity unlike how XC2 did with XC (sortof).

I doubt that even if a port is in the works it would have anything to do with Elma being added to Smash or not. Very rarely do game releases correlate with a Smash inclusion and its more often just a happy accident if it does.

 

[Stormy Rain]

Except they didn't actually do anything for XB3D. That was a port made by an outsourced studio.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, a port handled by Monster Games, was released worldwide in April 2015 for the New Nintendo 3DS.


Yeah, they already made "Xenogears 2".

There was a problem fetching the tweet

There was a problem fetching the tweet

None of this necessarily means Xenoblade X will get revisited soon - it just as easily justifies them skipping to Xenoblade 3, or Xeno-somethingelse. The interests of higherups don't even necessarily mean anything when Koh Kojima doesn't call the shots, and Takahashi has flat-out stated Xenoblade X would be difficult to port and would take money (that presumably Nintendo doesn't want to pony up for).

It bothers me with the vague claims such as "too difficult" and would "take money" as they ported Xenoblade on the New 3DS as if they expect it to be a system seller as the New 3DS has a limited number of games that can only be played on it.

As well as how Xenoblade X outsold Xenoblade.
https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/...lade-wii-in-first-week-of-japanese-sales/amp/
https://www.dualshockers.com/xenobl...te-enormous-difference-in-installed-base/amp/

What makes Xenoblade X "difficult to port"? Level design? Too reliant on the Wii U's Gamepad and without it, it will hinder the gameplay? Too big?
Switch ports that are allegedly "impossible" for various reasons are Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Burnout Paradise, Crysis, The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Just Cause 2, Bioshock, Wolfenstein II, L.A. Noire, DOOM, etc.
“Too big” games when a bunch of “too big” games are already on the Switch.

https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/the-beauty-of-the-impossible-nintendo-switch-port
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_Switch_games_(A–L)#
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_Switch_games_(M–Z)#
https://www.ignboards.com/threads/j...ronicles-x-video-comparison-inside.454629463/

There was a problem fetching the tweet

https://segmentnext.com/2016/06/15/...-almost-as-big-as-xenoblade-chronicles-x/amp/
https://www.gamezone.com/news/xenob...nd-the-witcher-3-s-maps-combined-3427561/amp/
https://mynintendonews.com/2015/11/...igger-than-fallout-4-skyrim-or-witcher-3/amp/
http://n4g.com/news/2098235/the-size-of-open-world-games-compared

There is demand for Xenoblade X to be ported onto the Switch

Poll: What Other Wii U Games Do You Want To See On Switch?

The pickings are getting slimmer, but some still remain...

www.nintendolife.com

Was it those investors who made these decisions?
https://gamnesia.nintendoenthusiast...investors-are-hilariously-dumb-sometimes/amp/

https://www.destructoid.com/stories/nintendo-shareholder-hates-games-says-stupid-things-204999.phtml

https://kotaku.com/nintendo-investor-i-do-not-understand-video-games-1599625657/amp

It feels like they pressured Monolith Soft/Nintendo to make these decisions.

This is my mood from those investors:

 

[a random user]

the only ways i can see an x port being to expensive is if they want to rebalance the game: there is to much grinding post game for the best augments/skell parts, and all the high lv enemies you have to jump over rocks to sneak past in the early game story missions, or possibly reducing the completion % needed to progress the story. If they plan on adding a notable amount of new story content (there are a lot of lose story threads, just filling some of them out a little could help a lot) or if the music is not owned by them, so they have to pay to use it