The Professor Layton for Smash Ultimate support thread! See OP for where to meet us next after the boards close. Thank you for all your support!

[Curious Villager]

Square's history mostly amounts to telling Hashimoto to shut up and stop tweeting.

Didn't Square apparently had this whole thing going on where they spread "leak bait" in order to find out who is spreading information online or something along those lines?
Which was why Vergeben had all these names of Square characters and whatnot?

Then again, I guess that would have been counterintuitive than to just remain silent altogether, which was why the rumour of a new Square character coming being one of Smash Ultimate worst kept secrets....


Edit: Oh also...

+ Yes, 1000 posts ! (Although I didn't contribute much to this number... XD) Next goal : 2000 posts !

Mission accomplished, now to see if we can reach page 60 before March.

 

[fogbadge]

Didn't Square apparently had this whole thing going on where they spread "leak bait" in order to find out who is spreading information online or something along those lines?
Which was why Vergeben had all these names of Square characters and whatnot?

Then again, I guess that would have been counterintuitive than to just remain silent altogether, which was why the rumour of a new Square character coming being one of Smash Ultimate worst kept secrets....


Edit: Oh also...


Mission accomplished, now to see if we can reach page 60 before March.

well alright then lets talk about bgm for a reveal trailer

 

[Curious Villager]

well alright then lets talk about bgm for a reveal trailer

I think the series main theme would be perfect for his reveal trailer. Most likely a remixed version of it.

By the way, a trailer for the German dub of the Layton anime got released today.

Hopefully we will be hearing about an English dub soon too.

 

[Matthjass]

> But yeah imagine if Nintendo dun goofed again and there was suddenly DLC copyright info for Level-5 or something....

That would be so awesome and so funny at the same time ! XD

> Mission accomplished, now to see if we can reach page 60 before March.

Wow I didn't realize the thread actually went that far since June...

 

[Curious Villager]

> But yeah imagine if Nintendo dun goofed again and there was suddenly DLC copyright info for Level-5 or something....

That would be so awesome and so funny at the same time ! XD

> Mission accomplished, now to see if we can reach page 60 before March.

Wow I didn't realize the thread actually went that far since June...

I don't even know what I would think if there was a copyright leak for Level-5 like what happened with SNK. I'd probably assume it would be someone like Jibanyan, Oliver or the Dark Cloud/Chronicles lass or something just to not feel let down if the Layton series gets passed over, even if Vergeben and Sabi would back Layton instead...

Yeah I'm pretty surprised we moved this fast in a span of a few months. We're only about 9 pages away until we have finally caught up with the last Layton support thread from the Smash 4 days. Which took us about three years to get there before all support threads there had to be shut down. If we reach that page by mid March then we would have surpassed the last thread within two years this time. Which is quite interesting to know.

I do feel that we have been overall more active in this thread than the last one for sure, which is great.

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

I don't even know what I would think if there was a copyright leak for Level-5 like what happened with SNK. I'd probably assume it would be someone like Jibanyan, Oliver or the Dark Cloud/Chronicles lass or something just to not feel let down if the Layton series gets passed over, even if Vergeben and Sabi would back Layton instead...

Yeah I'm pretty surprised we moved this fast in a span of a few months. We're only about 9 pages away until we have finally caught up with the last Layton support thread from the Smash 4 days. Which took us about three years to get there before all support threads there had to be shut down. If we reach that page by mid March then we would have surpassed the last thread within two years this time. Which is quite interesting to know.

I do feel that we have been overall more active in this thread than the last one for sure.

Wow really? I hadn’t realized that we’ve been that active.

General opinion I’ve seen thrown around is that Layton support has kind of died off since Smash 4 days, but honestly I feel like the contrary has happened. Especially with the fighter pass and the promise of more characters, more and more Layton fans are realizing the possibility of Layton in Smash bros.

 

[amageish]

I think as soon as they see the character, they will get the idea, plus Sakurai has been doing the whole explaining thing about the characters origins lately in his new DLC showcase video's so I'm sure he would clear up the whole deal between Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons

True. It's something that is both very simple and hard to keep track of...

In regards to leaks, at least for DLC, it seems to mainly happen at the last minute, like a week or two to a day or two beforehand. The only one we knew far in advance was Hero which is ironic considering Square's apparent history with dealing with leakers.

But yeah imagine if Nintendo dun goofed again and there was suddenly DLC copyright info for Level-5 or something....

That is very true. Realistically, any future leaks will probably come in the form of some insider making a cheeky Twitter/GameFaqs/ResetEra post like "I'd give you a Smash leak, but I think I should Layton off for now" a couple days before a direct.

One would hope they wouldn't leak copyright info again, but they've made the same mistakes multiple times in the past I suppose. It would become a debate about Jibanyan vs Layton for sure though, which would be equal parts interesting and stressful to see. Let's just hope that, if Jibanyan gets in, we don't get a trailer that actively shows Layton being unable to get an Smash invitation.

I almost wonder if it'd be worth just revealing a bunch of the characters coming out post-pass at, like, TGAs and repeating the Joker strategy of "Can't leak it if it's not fully in development yet." It would curtail the free advertising that is speculation, so they probably wouldn't do it, but it would at least prevent the wind being taken out of their sails...

Silliness is negatively associated with "X theory" memes like the box theory and, oh, why do I bother.

I mean, who's laughing now about box theory! Google theory, meanwhile... uh... different story.

By the way, a trailer for the German dub of the Layton anime got released today.


Hopefully we will be hearing about an English dub soon too.

Layton must be really popular in central Europe if they're doing a German dub as the first dub! I would an English one soon too...

 

[Curious Villager]

Wow really? I hadn’t realized that we’ve been that active.

General opinion I’ve seen thrown around is that Layton support has kind of died off since Smash 4 days, but honestly I feel like the contrary has happened. Especially with the fighter pass and the promise of more characters, more and more Layton fans are realizing the possibility of Layton in Smash bros.

I think the reason why Layton support felt more active back then was because the series itself was involved in its fair share of rumours back then.
Spanning all the way to post Brawl/pre Smash 4, there was that whole tweet about Layton receiving some letter to a grand Smash battle and that he was facing Megaman and Little Mac. Hino was much more talkative about his want to see Layton in Smash as well.

And during the Smash 4 day's gaming journalists like ONM where pushing for the Prof too to the point that one of their crossover wishlists was mistaken for a leak of Layton coming to Smash, then we can't also forget the whole deal with Christopher Miller during the ballot period. Layton definitely had much more of a presence with the Smash community back then.

For Smash Ultimate, there hasn't been any notable rumours or insider info that point towards the Prof so outlook on him is a lot more pessimistic as a result.
I've seen a lot of Layton fans feeling like Level-5 would rather push Yokai Watch over the Layton series but to be honest. Looking at how Sakurai has handled third party negotiations, I don't think that decision is entirely on their hands to make.

After all, Sakurai did state that he wouldn't have included Pac Man at all if Namco forced him to use his Ghostly adventures design, Square also tried to suggest him some other Final Fantasy characters with more of a history with Nintendo, but yet he still opted for Cloud regardless.

Even now, we've learned today that Square apparently tried to suggest Sakurai to use Slime instead over Hero and even then he stuck to his guns.
Basically, wether Sakurai would go for Layton or Yokai Watch, that decision is up to him and Nintendo to make more than anything.
Level-5 themselves also adore the Layton series so I wouldn't really see them arguing much with him anyway and would be happy to see them getting content in Smash regardless..

That being said though, I do agree that support for Layton has risen again slowly but surely as more fans starting to realize that Level-5 does have a real chance of getting some content into the game sooner or later. Especially after their comments to wanting to push for more collaborations and more Japanese companies are getting involved.

Whoops sorry for the wall of text there...

True. It's something that is both very simple and hard to keep track of...



That is very true. Realistically, any future leaks will probably come in the form of some insider making a cheeky Twitter/GameFaqs/ResetEra post like "I'd give you a Smash leak, but I think I should Layton off for now" a couple days before a direct.

One would hope they wouldn't leak copyright info again, but they've made the same mistakes multiple times in the past I suppose. It would become a debate about Jibanyan vs Layton for sure though, which would be equal parts interesting and stressful to see. Let's just hope that, if Jibanyan gets in, we don't get a trailer that actively shows Layton being unable to get an Smash invitation.

I almost wonder if it'd be worth just revealing a bunch of the characters coming out post-pass at, like, TGAs and repeating the Joker strategy of "Can't leak it if it's not fully in development yet." It would curtail the free advertising that is speculation, so they probably wouldn't do it, but it would at least prevent the wind being taken out of their sails...

I mean, who's laughing now about box theory! Google theory, meanwhile... uh... different story.

Layton must be really popular in central Europe if they're doing a German dub as the first dub! I would an English one soon too...

Yeah if anything, I hope its more of a straightforward leak like what happened with Banjo rather than a copyright leak like what happened with Terry, otherwise we'd probably end up being at war with fans of other Level-5 franchises...

 

[fogbadge]

otherwise we'd probably end up being at war with fans of other Level-5 franchises...

id never be able to pick a side

 

[GoodGrief741]

Yeah if anything, I hope its more of a straightforward leak like what happened with Banjo rather than a copyright leak like what happened with Terry, otherwise we'd probably end up being at war with fans of other Level-5 franchises...

Is there a war if there's no opposition?

 

[Curious Villager]

Is there a war if there's no opposition?

Hey now, don't talk to the three Snack World supporters like that, they do their best!

 

[fogbadge]

Is there a war if there's no opposition?

geez way to bate the yokai fans

 

[GoodGrief741]

geez way to bate the yokai fans

Well yeah, I'm sure there's bound to be some of those, but size-wise there's no comparison. Same with Ni No Kuni fans.

 

[amageish]

That being said though, I do agree that support for Layton has risen again slowly but surely as more fans starting to realize that Level-5 does have a real chance of getting some content into the game sooner or later. Especially after their comments to wanting to push for more collaborations and more Japanese companies are getting involved.

Yeah. I feel like the confirmation of DLC characters has kind of raised everyone's hope for the notable-but-not-constantly-requested characters, especially as Terry was just announced.

Well yeah, I'm sure there's bound to be some of those, but size-wise there's no comparison. Same with Ni No Kuni fans.

I assume Jibanyan does still have considerable support in Japan, even if the fourth game crashed harder then Nate when the player ignores traffic safety laws.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Yeah. I feel like the confirmation of DLC characters has kind of raised everyone's hope for the notable-but-not-constantly-requested characters, especially as Terry was just announced.



I assume Jibanyan does still have considerable support in Japan, even if the fourth game crashed harder then Nate when the player ignores traffic safety laws.

Did Yo-Kai 4 outright bomb? I assumed it hadn't done well, but do you have sources or something?

 

[amageish]

Did Yo-Kai 4 outright bomb? I assumed it hadn't done well, but do you have sources or something?

Okay, I was definitely being hyperbolic. It sold through 60% of its initial shipment, which isn't bad, but also most people would expect the new game to do better then the last ones (the most popular game was 2, which sold 92% of its original shipment, while 3 sold 77%). In terms of actual sales numbers, 4 sold one tenth of what 2 sold.

It's very possible the decline is just due to the jump to Switch when its young audience doesn't own the newest console yet, but also it's not a good sign if your games are becoming larger and more expensive to develop while also selling less... This is also generally agreed to be why the game is being announced to be ported to PS4, in spite of Nintendo having been an integral part of selling the games in the west.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Okay, I was definitely being hyperbolic. It sold through 60% of its initial shipment, which isn't bad, but also most people would expect the new game to do better then the last ones (the most popular game was 2, which sold 92% of its original shipment, while 3 sold 77%). In terms of actual sales numbers, 4 sold one tenth of what 2 sold.

It's very possible the decline is just due to the jump to Switch when its young audience doesn't own the newest console yet, but also it's not a good sign if your games are becoming larger and more expensive to develop while also selling less... This is also generally agreed to be why the game is being announced to be ported to PS4, in spite of Nintendo having been an integral part of selling the games in the west.

Yikes, that's poor news for the series. That's a pretty obvious downright trend and I would expect it to keep going save for a miracle. At this point I wonder if they're actually expecting sales on PS4 or if they're just doing it to placate investors, because I can't see it making much of a difference. Maybe mobile's the way to go for this franchise? Japan loves mobile games and that's pretty much their only audience.

 

[amageish]

Yikes, that's poor news for the series. That's a pretty obvious downright trend and I would expect it to keep going save for a miracle. At this point I wonder if they're actually expecting sales on PS4 or if they're just doing it to placate investors, because I can't see it making much of a difference. Maybe mobile's the way to go for this franchise? Japan loves mobile games and that's pretty much their only audience.

I feel like they may just be doing it to placate investors, but also if a port can be done cheap enough, it can't hurt sales-wise.

Yeah, I think that would be a safe bet. I think they could also probably survive as a franchise primarily focused on anime/merch? It would kind of go against Level-5 Games focus on, well, games though...

 

[GoodGrief741]

I feel like they may just be doing it to placate investors, but also if a port can be done cheap enough, it can't hurt sales-wise.

Yeah, I think that would be a safe bet. I think they could also probably survive as a franchise primarily focused on anime/merch? It would kind of go against Level-5 Games focus on, well, games though...

Well, if the games don't sell but the merch and the anime does, it's the least they can do for fans to at least keep that going.

 

[Curious Villager]

Yeah I think even Inazuma Eleven gained most of its popularity from the anime than the actual games. If that's the direction they need to go to keep these series active, then it may be for the best to push for those I suppose.

Even Pokemon usually nets its biggest profits through the merchandise than the actual games. Which is why they can't afford to delay the games and are doing annual releases, much to the annoyance of a number of fans...

 

[amageish]

Yeah I think even Inazuma Eleven gained most of its popularity from the anime than the actual games. If that's the direction they need to go to keep these series active, then it may be for the best to push for those I suppose...

Even Pokemon usually nets its biggest profits through the merch than the games. Which is why they can't afford to delay the games and are doing annual releases, much to the annoyance of a number of fans...

I suppose Kat's anime being better-received then her game also is a sign towards a more multimedia approach to Level-5's franchises too.

Pokemon is kind of a special case as the highest-grossing media franchise of all time - like, based on Wikipedia numbers, you could combine the total profits made from Yokai Watch, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Shonen Jump, My Little Pony, and Fate/ and still only tie with Pokemon. It's pretty much a juggernaut that seemingly is unlikely to die, mixed reactions to the game or not. Yokai Watch, meanwhile, has remarkable success for its age (I mean, it has made billions off of merch while being a bit of a flop outside of Japan), but I don't know if it will keep itself going in the same way...

 

[fogbadge]

Well yeah, I'm sure there's bound to be some of those, but size-wise there's no comparison. Same with Ni No Kuni fans.

now youre just being mean

 

[Curious Villager]

I suppose Kat's anime being better-received then her game also is a sign towards a more multimedia approach to Level-5's franchises too.

Pokemon is kind of a special case as the highest-grossing media franchise of all time - like, based on Wikipedia numbers, you could combine the total profits made from Yokai Watch, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Shonen Jump, My Little Pony, and Fate/ and still only tie with Pokemon. It's pretty much a juggernaut that seemingly is unlikely to die, mixed reactions to the game or not. Yokai Watch, meanwhile, has remarkable success for its age (I mean, it has made billions off of merch while being a bit of a flop outside of Japan), but I don't know if it will keep itself going in the same way...

If the puzzles keep being as low quality as they where in LMJ, which unfortunately couldn't be helped due to the original Puzzle Master having passed away and they had to scramble for a new guy, then it may eventually be for the best to take the multimedia approach for the Layton series as well I suppose.
At least with the anime they can take a more quality over quantity approach as there aren't as many puzzles to solve there.

Yeah I know it's basically comparing golden apples to oranges but the point is basically that sometimes there may be other methods that can net more profits for certain franchises and they just excel better with overall.
The main selling point of Yokai Watch are the Yokai's of course, which net themselves very well for merchandise like with Pokemon, well most of them anyway..

 

[Curious Villager]

Sorry for the double post but I think we've got some good news.

アニメの最終回を前に今後のゲームについて開発ブログを更新しました。ぜひ読んで頂ければと思います。 https://t.co/MwpAnJyEOF

— 日野晃博 (@AkihiroHino) September 27, 2019

Seems like development on Inazuma Eleven Ares is back on track again, it has a scheduled release for Spring 2020 in Japan at least.
From what I'm gathering apparently the reason why this game was in development hell for so long was because they where working extensively on the game's balance in order to get it set for tournament play and miscalculated how long it would take.

I didn't know this series had a competitive scene but I suppose it makes sense.

But this is just me using Google translate so don't take my word for it, the full post about this game can be found here.


Now that this game has a set release deadline, hopefully they will finally be announcing some new games soon. Here's hoping for a new Level-5 Vision announcement soon...

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

The fact that Ares' development moved to Level-5's in-house studio reminds me a bit of Metroid Prime 4's situation. Main difference being that unlike Retro Studios, it doesn't take 4 years for L5 to make a game...

Yeah I think even Inazuma Eleven gained most of its popularity from the anime than the actual games. If that's the direction they need to go to keep these series active, then it may be for the best to push for those I suppose.

Even Pokemon usually nets its biggest profits through the merchandise than the actual games. Which is why they can't afford to delay the games and are doing annual releases, much to the annoyance of a number of fans...

Yeah I know it's basically comparing golden apples to oranges but the point is basically that sometimes there may be other methods that can net more profits for certain franchises and they just excel better with overall.
The main selling point of Yokai Watch are the Yokai's of course, which net themselves very well for merchandise like with Pokemon, well most of them anyway..

Ironically, the Yokai Watch anime had the sense to actually let its hero age up, meanwhile Ash is stuck in an eternal Simpsons time loop. Pokémon anime's a shambling zombie at this stage.

Is there a war if there's no opposition?

Best to belay that kind of talk, @Zack E. scolded me for being paranoid about the Ninten and Porky fans eventually fighting each other over which of the only supported Mother characters left that should get in.

Meanwhile, support for other Rare characters was completely drowned-out by the BK/Steve feud until the duo got in.

 

[Curious Villager]

The fact that Ares' development moved to Level-5's in-house studio reminds me a bit of Metroid Prime 4's situation. Main difference being that unlike Retro Studios, it doesn't take 4 years for L5 to make a game...






Ironically, the Yokai Watch anime had the sense to actually let its hero age up, meanwhile Ash is stuck in an eternal Simpsons time loop. Pokémon anime's a shambling zombie at this stage.

I still wonder what Retro was up to the five years between DKC Tropical Freeze and Metroid Prime 4, I wonder if we will ever find out....

I would normally remark on that too, though being fair, Hershel himself has largely remained ageless too for a few decades now, and his timeline actually moves. I know there is a reason for that in one certain part of the series timeline of it, but still... I suppose its just to preserve his iconic appearance.


Also been looking around on a few polls online, Layton seems to be generally the most popular Level-5 character for Smash, which is nice to know.

Also Level-5 seems to be a close second favourite Japanese company without a character behind Koei Tecmo, at least on Gamefaqs and their current poll, which is quite surprising to see,

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

Sorry for the double post but I think we've got some good news.



Seems like development on Inazuma Eleven Ares is back on track again, it has a scheduled release for Spring 2020 in Japan at least.
From what I'm gathering apparently the reason why this game was in development hell for so long was because they where working extensively on the game's balance in order to get it set for tournament play and miscalculated how long it would take.

I didn't know this series had a competitive scene but I suppose it makes sense.

But this is just me using Google translate so don't take my word for it, the full post about this game can be found here.


Now that this game has a set release deadline, hopefully they will finally be announcing some new games soon. Here's hoping for a new Level-5 Vision announcement soon...

Ah that is good to hear. Honestly one of the things worrying me the most about Layton's chances is how unstable Level-5 has been in the past year or two.

Kind off topic, but lately I've realized how much adventure games like Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright are some of my all time favorite game series, So I've decided to start making my own visual novel. I don't plan on selling it or anything, but I feel like it would be a fun project to pour my creative energy into.

 

[Curious Villager]

Ah that is good to hear. Honestly one of the things worrying me the most about Layton's chances is how unstable Level-5 has been in the past year or two.

Kind off topic, but lately I've realized how much adventure games like Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright are some of my all time favorite game series, So I've decided to start making my own visual novel. I don't plan on selling it or anything, but I feel like it would be a fun project to pour my creative energy into.

Yeah same, I was growing quite concerned about the state of the company, as well as some of the rumours that where floating about with them. But I'm happy to hear that whatever was holding them back, they managed to pull through. Hopefully we will be hearing more from them again in the near future,

That's great to hear! I did as well actually, I had a little concept going on that was inspired by the Layton and Zelda series, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it since it seems to be a pretty big task for one person to do, but oh well, guess that will remain a dream for now...

Eitherway though, I wish you the best of luck with your project!

 

[fogbadge]

Ironically, the Yokai Watch anime had the sense to actually let its hero age up, meanwhile Ash is stuck in an eternal Simpsons time loop. Pokémon anime's a shambling zombie at this stage.

the yokai watch anime has actually gone back the old format so hes not ageing any more

 

[amageish]

If the puzzles keep being as low quality as they where in LMJ, which unfortunately couldn't be helped due to the original Puzzle Master having passed away and they had to scramble for a new guy, then it may eventually be for the best to take the multimedia approach for the Layton series as well I suppose.
At least with the anime they can take a more quality over quantity approach as there aren't as many puzzles to solve there.

Yeah I know it's basically comparing golden apples to oranges but the point is basically that sometimes there may be other methods that can net more profits for certain franchises and they just excel better with overall.
The main selling point of Yokai Watch are the Yokai's of course, which net themselves very well for merchandise like with Pokemon, well most of them anyway..

I do primarily play Layton for the story, so I don't exactly mind having animes run in tandem with the games if it means we get more Layton plots with less "We poorly explained the instructions and therefore you were surprised by the answer" puzzles.

That is very true. Yokai Watch has also, if we believe Wikipedia numbers, sold less games then Layton while also making $3.484 billion in merch. So, yeah, they're successful in different ways haha.

I still wonder what Retro was up to the five years between DKC Tropical Freeze and Metroid Prime 4, I wonder if we will ever find out....

I keep on expecting this to be announced then it just... never happens. It's just so weird.

Also Level-5 seems to be a close second favourite Japanese company without a character behind Koei Tecmo, at least on Gamefaqs and their current poll, which is quite surprising to see,

Wow. I mean, I suppose it has a lot of franchises people want characters from in Smash, while I imagine all 8 of the Spike Chunsoft voters are hoping for Monokuma.

 

[Curious Villager]

Wow. I mean, I suppose it has a lot of franchises people want characters from in Smash, while I imagine all 8 of the Spike Chunsoft voters are hoping for Monokuma.

Yeah besides Layton and Yokai Watch, I do see Inazuma Eleven, Ni No Kuni and Dark Cloud brought up as well from time to time.
I think there is quite a bit more interest for a Level-5 character to make it in overall even if Layton and Jibanyan basically dominate the whole bunch in terms of demand.


Also here's an interesting bit of trivia I apparently didn't know about until now that was brought up over at the character discussion thread.

Q13:
I'd like to hear about the future of your big hit titles released during October to December last year. The initial response was extremely strong, but will that be met with a drop in sales momentum? Or will the strength of that initial momentum on release help download sales and purchases based on word-of-mouth to grow, resulting in a net positive effect on future sales?

A13:
Satoru Shibata (Director, Senior Executive Officer): We feel very fortunate that the initial sales pace for Super Mario Party, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!,and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been so strong. However, that doesn't exactly mean we're satisfied. Before their release, we challenged ourselves to see how we could expand our consumer base with each of these titles. For Super Mario Party, the question was “How could we reach people other than children and parents?” With Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, we asked “How could we reach people who had played Pokémon GO, for example, but never played Nintendo Switch?” With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, we asked “How could we reach not only fans of the Super SmashBros. series, but also those who had never played it before?” If you look at the demographics of the consumers who purchased each of these titles, Iʼm not convinced weʼve completely overcome these challenges yet. So our aims are to keep working on them this year, to expand sales of these titles to new consumer demographics, and to keep selling these games for a long time, which is one of our strengths.

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2019/190208e.pdf

Apparently it was Satoru Shibata that talked about reaching out to new audiences and demographics for Smash Ultimate DLC. Not Furukawa.

Shibata was the former president of Nintendo of Europe before he got promoted to a higher position over at Nintendo of Japan like last year or so if I recall.
If I'm not mistaken, he mainly handled the marketing department, which was why the Layton series was so successful in Europe, the guy knows his stuff.

If he's one of the higher ups that helped decide on the DLC for Smash, then this might potentially bode well for us, Shibata was after all a huge fan of the Layton series and helped promote and popularize the series in Europe in the past, heck I wouldn't be surprised if he's the reason that Layton and Ace Attorney are featured on the Nintendo character hub on Nintendo of Europe's official website.

I might be looking too much into this but hopefully this will mean good things for us...

 

[fogbadge]

good ol shibata

 

[Flyboy]

I've constantly been bringing up that and similar quotes in my argument for characters like Layton, Phoenix, or others that appeal to a more casual audience, but I didn't realize that was who said it. This is pretty exciting. Here's hoping it means good things for us!

 

[Curious Villager]

I've constantly been bringing up that and similar quotes in my argument for characters like Layton, Phoenix, or others that appeal to a more casual audience, but I didn't realize that was who said it. This is pretty exciting. Here's hoping it means good things for us!

Yeah same, I kept being under the impression that it was Furukawa that said this (Probably because he's the guy the Smash community talks about the most if its not Sakurai) but the fact that this statement actually came from good ol Shibata makes this even more exciting!

We know his history with the Layton and Ace Attorney series as well as Miyamoto, so hopefully they will indeed have a good chance of making it into the game.

 

[AmphabulouSnake]

Layton probably won't be fighter #5 but if he was.......oooh boy

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Apparently it was Satoru Shibata that talked about reaching out to new audiences and demographics for Smash Ultimate DLC. Not Furukawa.

Shibata was the former president of Nintendo of Europe before he got promoted to a higher position over at Nintendo of Japan like last year or so if I recall.
If I'm not mistaken, he mainly handled the marketing department, which was why the Layton series was so successful in Europe, the guy knows his stuff.

If he's one of the higher ups that helped decide on the DLC for Smash, then this might potentially bode well for us, Shibata was after all a huge fan of the Layton series and helped promote and popularize the series in Europe in the past, heck I wouldn't be surprised if he's the reason that Layton and Ace Attorney are featured on the Nintendo character hub on Nintendo of Europe's official website.

I might be looking too much into this but hopefully this will mean good things for us...

Yeah same, I kept being under the impression that it was Furukawa that said this (Probably because he's the guy the Smash community talks about the most if its not Sakurai) but the fact that this statement actually came from good ol Shibata makes this even more exciting!

We know his history with the Layton and Ace Attorney series as well as Miyamoto, so hopefully they will indeed have a good chance of making it into the game.

Of course Furukawa wouldn't be proactive enough to do that, he's out of touch enough to think mobile-only is a viable option for the post-Switch future.

In any case, it's a good sign if Shibata was involved in Nintendo's selection process for DLC suggestion.

Wow. I mean, I suppose it has a lot of franchises people want characters from in Smash, while I imagine all 8 of the Spike Chunsoft voters are hoping for Monokuma.

Meanwhile, the Shiren fans quietly cry in a corner over Monokuma getting the attention. Still luckier than the Nippon Ishi fans though...

 

[amageish]

Of course Furukawa wouldn't be proactive enough to do that, he's out of touch enough to think mobile-only is a viable option for the post-Switch future.

In any case, it's a good sign if Shibata was involved in Nintendo's selection process for DLC suggestion.

To be fair, Furukawa's comment about a mobile-only future was his response to an interviewer asking something like "What would Nintendo do if the entire console market collapsed?" and not a concrete plan. I mean, obviously Nintendo enjoys its mobile dollars (we're looking at you Mario Kart Tour's monetization model), but I wouldn't write him entirely off like that.

But, yeah, Shibata being involved is definitely a hope-inspiring indication.

Meanwhile, the Shiren fans quietly cry in a corner over Monokuma getting the attention. Still luckier than the Nippon Ishi fans though...

Sorry to any Shiren fans. He'd be a cool pick; I just don't see the same amount of demand for him while travelling the internet. I mean, I'd also take someone from Zero Escape if it were up to me...

Are NIS fans in a particularly though spot?

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Are NIS fans in a particularly though spot?

Well, the company they support has been going through rough times lately.

https://www.dualshockers.com/disgaea-nis-financial-trouble/

 

[amageish]

Well, the company they support has been going through rough times lately.

https://www.dualshockers.com/disgaea-nis-financial-trouble/

Uh, yikes. Needing to raise funds to pay employees for work already performed is definitely not a good sign. I've been playing Labyrinth of Refrain lately and it's been great... Hopefully they pull through!

 

[fogbadge]

after all these years ive finally got to play ni no kuni and honestly it makes me want a big level-5 corss over with layton, nate and oliver teaming up