Targeting 150k sales
[Update: NIS of America has reached out to us to update this story. According to the publisher, the statement made by president Sohei Niikawa was originally meant to be self-depreciating humor. The original spirit of the quote was meant to convey that Niikawa might be fired if Disgaea 5 didn’t hit its sales target.
NIS released another quote from Niikawa to clarify, saying “If Disgaea 5 does not sell as planned, I, as the producer, might need to leave the Japanese gaming industry. (LOL)” He added that the original comment “in no way mean(t) or impl(ied) that Nippon Ichi Software as a company is going bankrupt or is in financial difficult(y).”]
To commemorate PlayStation’s 20th anniversary, Japanese gaming magazine Dengeki PlayStation is asking 107 Japanese developers to comment on Sony’s platform and to post updates about their studios. Predictably, most are positive and upbeat. However, Nippon Ichi Software has a surprisingly grim message.
As translated by NeoGAF, NIS’ future hinges on the performance of upcoming Disgaea 5. “If Disgaea 5 doesn’t sell as planned, then we might not still be in business the year after,” the publisher said. To make matters worse, Disgaea 5 releases the same day as Bloodborne — a highly anticipated PS4 exclusive.
NIS is shooting for 150,000 sales in Japan. That seems like quite the tall order — especially for a country that isn’t great at supporting console games, and with Bloodborne as a direct competitor. Things aren’t exactly looking up, but hopefully something fortunate happens to keep this beloved niche company around.
[Dengeki PlayStation via NeoGAF]
