It's been an interesting three years for Xenoblade and supporters of Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a surprise hit for the studio. It's closing in on 2m in sales, did well enough to get a stand-alone prequel release and was well-supported with patches and additions post launch. It's the best selling Xeno game and despite its flaws, it has undoubtedly grown the fan base and paved the way for the upcoming Xenoblade rerelease. Nintendo's decision to close out their latest general direct with the definitive edition shows their confidence in the series. Perhaps a Fire Emblem-style push is on the cards in the future? And three games in, Xenoblade is well ahead of where Fire Emblem was.
Monolith Soft's recent successes have coincided with their rising prominence within Nintendo. Xenoblade Chronicles made people sit up and pay attention, while the developer's subsequent work on the series has earned them a dedicated fan following. But it's their work on other Nintendo franchises that has seen them gain wider exposure. Having worked on the likes of Zelda and Splatoon, Monolith Soft has become an important part of the Nintendo family. Many questioned the acquisition of Monolith Soft by Nintendo, but it's turned out to be a shrewd business move.
So my question is - what's next?
A more mainstream, bigger budget Xenoblade that builds on the success of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and leverages the growing reputation of Monolith Soft sounds like a smart bet.
Maybe they need to keep the music, the environments and stories we've come to expect, but meld them with more intuitive mechanics and systems. Does Xenoblade need to keep its cooldown driven combat, or can it become an action game?
Maybe you feel Takahashi and co must leave Xenoblade behind to really hit the big time and hope talk of a new IP is true.
Or is the studio destined to remain on the cusp of reaching its full potential, helping Nintendo with their biggest franchises, but forced to operate within smaller budgets to produce their own niche games.
It's interesting to think about all of this now because I hope the success of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 didn't just come as a surprise to Nintendo, but has emboldened the Big N to really get behind Monolith Soft in the future. As a result, it could be interesting to see where Xenoblade and Monolith Soft go next.
Thoughts?
Monolith Soft's recent successes have coincided with their rising prominence within Nintendo. Xenoblade Chronicles made people sit up and pay attention, while the developer's subsequent work on the series has earned them a dedicated fan following. But it's their work on other Nintendo franchises that has seen them gain wider exposure. Having worked on the likes of Zelda and Splatoon, Monolith Soft has become an important part of the Nintendo family. Many questioned the acquisition of Monolith Soft by Nintendo, but it's turned out to be a shrewd business move.
So my question is - what's next?
A more mainstream, bigger budget Xenoblade that builds on the success of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and leverages the growing reputation of Monolith Soft sounds like a smart bet.
Maybe they need to keep the music, the environments and stories we've come to expect, but meld them with more intuitive mechanics and systems. Does Xenoblade need to keep its cooldown driven combat, or can it become an action game?
Maybe you feel Takahashi and co must leave Xenoblade behind to really hit the big time and hope talk of a new IP is true.
Or is the studio destined to remain on the cusp of reaching its full potential, helping Nintendo with their biggest franchises, but forced to operate within smaller budgets to produce their own niche games.
It's interesting to think about all of this now because I hope the success of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 didn't just come as a surprise to Nintendo, but has emboldened the Big N to really get behind Monolith Soft in the future. As a result, it could be interesting to see where Xenoblade and Monolith Soft go next.
Thoughts?
