Nioh is undoubtedly a very important success for Koei Tecmo in the West, receiving critical acclaim from both critics (have you read our review?) and by the public. The game has sold more than one million copies around the world in just over a month too, confirming that it was a very important product for the company and a good way to open up the Western market a bit more. This excellent result has prompted the company, and more specifically Yasutomo Watanabe, Koei Tecmo's general manager, to be more proactive with regard to future investments for the company in the West.
Regarding Nioh's success, Watanabe said: "This position essentially validates our strategy to expand our brand and user-base in the long term and proves that our titles can reach the highest spots in the charts. With overall positive player feedback and media reception we are very pleased by this result and hope to repeat it in the near future."
Given this great optimism by Koei Tecmo, should we expect a revival of the Ninja Gaiden series? After all, it's probably the most likely to reproduce Nioh's success in the West. In addition, the creative director Tom Lee said recently that Nioh could represent a "gateway into the next chapter for Ninja Gaiden."
Watanabe didn't want to say too much on the subject, but added: "We know a lot of our fans in the world have been waiting for the next Ninja Gaiden and it is one of the most important projects for us as well," he said. "At the moment, we are not in a position to announce anything, but we are hoping to share good news with you once we are ready."
We really hope Koei Tecmo continues to invest in the West in the near future. Would you be happy if the company would release a new Ninja Gaiden chapter, or would something else be preferable?
Thanks, MCVUK.