Monolith Soft is certainly a developer worth keeping a close eye on. In 2007 Nintendo became the studio's parent company by acquiring an 80% stake in the business, and since then the developer has made titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii and Project X Zone — a Japan only crossover RPG combining Capcom, SEGA and Namco characters on the 3DS.
Monolith Soft has also helped develop certain elements of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, showing just how much faith Nintendo has in the team. It has recently built a new studio in Kyoto, Japan in order to be closer to Nintendo, and is now in the process of developing a top secret Wii U game.
The developer is definitely on the up and it appears it has big ambitions for the future. Speaking in an interview series that was conducted internally, Monolith expressed its feeling that working alongside Nintendo in this next generation of gaming will be a huge advantage. It believes that it can really make some fantastic games for Wii U, seeing as it has a better understanding of its capabilities than most.
Hirohide Sugiura, executive producer at Monolith Soft, said he believes the Japanese gaming industry has lost its touch and he wants to do something to change that. Programmer Michihiko Inaba also chipped in to say that Monolith is very ambitious and has a fair few goals for the future:
I’d like to make an HD game that will wow the players. I want to show that Japan can still keep up with the USA when it comes next gen technology. Our goal is to become something like the developers of the Fallout series, Bethesda Softworks.
Monolith Soft is being very tight-lipped on its upcoming Wii U game, but if its anything like Xenoblade Chronicles it's bound to go down will with Nintendo gamers.
What are you hoping for from Monolith Soft? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source siliconera.com, via monolithsoft.co.jp]
Comments 56
I hope they don't mean that literally. Fallout 3 was fun, but Bethesda games have way too many bugs in them.
Imagining a HD version of Xenoblade, would be nothing less than epic. Far better than most games in the market. I've been a fan of Monolith Soft for years since Baten Kaitos. I love there work. I'm excited for the future.
I was excited before but I'm really excited! Big ambitions, hope they succeed!
I'm glad to hear it's just the ambition they want to aquire and not that they want to make the same kind of games.
Bethesda games bore me to death D:
Maybe that killer app that the naysayers constantly whine about
we all know what this means... 'we want to make a game like skyrim'. not complaining by the way
Nah. Just stay monolith soft. Way better than bethesda anyway.
"Xenoblade Chronicles" is not only my favourite games on the Wii (and I have played quite a few Wii games over the past 6 years) but one of the finest games I ever played in my life. Really looking forward to what theyre producing on the Wii U.
I would love a Xenoblade Chronicles-esque game for the Wii U. Hell, I'd even buy a rehashed "new play control" version of the game.
YEAH!
Monolith wants to be a well-kown, great studio like Bethesda. Not BE like Bethesda. Every studio wants to be on top with their own unique style in every way. That's to be expected because Bethesda is a top-notch developer in the west and Monolith wants to be that way in Japan. )
In any case I'm really looking forward to their next work for Wii U/3DS. I hope they can show something by next year.
What am I hoping for? A hassle-free North American release this time!
Spell check: " but if its anything like Xenoblade Chronicles it's bound to go down will with Nintendo gamers." Will should be well on that second to last paragraph.
Lookin forward to it Rikiblade chronicles plz!
A western release of Project X Zone would be a good start.
If their next game is anything like Xenoblade, then they should have no problem with their ambition.
Sounds like they are quite bitter of not winning any GotYs. I'd be quite bitter too.
Definitely looking forward to what they've got in production. Xenoblade was excellent, I'd love to have more :3
Maybe an open world TLOZ? >:3
They've done nothing but impress me with nearly every game. Baten Kaitos deserves new life on the Virtual Console and Xenoblade was awesome. Can't wait to see whats next.
Oh that's easy then - just release your games much earlier with lots of glitches. :3
I have seen that a lot of people react on this like monolith want bugs in their game. I must say that I am pretty sure that they mean that they want to be as big and well known as bethesda.
It seems that, on top of the comments about showing that Japan still "has it", that Monolith is seeking that western style of gaming. IMO, Xenoblade Chronicles exuded alot of western RPG influence and less JRPG influence, and the result was a winning combo. I doubt it will happen but I would love to see a MMORPG of XC... it's the only thing I found missing from that game. Looking forward to the secret project...
Everything Monolith touches turns to gold. Coated with platinum. With diamonds spelling out words words so beautiful that, should you attempt to read them, you would immediately go blind and forget what you just read, but the message would solve all the problems in the world and everyone would be pretty dang happy.
Back on topic, I feel they surpass Bethesda in terms of quality but I think they mainly want to become as well known as Bethesda. Monolith mostly has created cult hits, probably because they are developing Nintendo exclusives, but they could be one of Nintendo's big guns. I'm glad they're dreaming big and look forward to what else they bless us with.
Xenoblade was fabulous and with the power of the Wii U it would be even better. I'd happily throw down for an enhanced version of that game as an appetiser to their next.
I want a sequel to Xenoblade, I can only imagine the awesomeness of such a game & the wildly different direction it would most likely go from the first game & yet still be mind-blowingly amazing... Now I wanna replay Xenoblade Chronicles
games like dishonored are allways welcome to me! but bethesda also had some bad games like brink, the overrated rage and the most awful ps3 game rogue warrior... just to keep in mind folks bethesda is not a perfect game company, but they do mostly very great games like the elder scrolls series or their best game ever dishonored keep your style monolith, you did an amazing JRPG to be very proud of =)
@Haxonberik
Funny that you point that out. I checked out some of your other comments, and it seems that at the end of your previous comment on Unchained Blades you typed "boughy" instead of "bought." No need to nitpick.
@Scarkaiser
But the bugs make them more fun.
That's what I want to hear. Take back the video game dominance Japan! I'm really looking forward to what this team has planned for Wii U. Ambitions abound!
@seronja
Rage was by Id software
Rouge warrior was by rebellion games
There's a difference in development and publishing
Imagine a Legend of Zelda game, but with an open world and tons of sidequests like Skyrim...
I love Xenoblade. I am eager to see what other masterpieces that Monolith can whip up.
@Sony_70 - I'm pretty sure you mean "Rogue", not "Rouge".
@Scarkaiser
Took the words out of my mouth mate. New Vegas was worse though, had to wait a whole year for the patches to be released and it was still glitchy.
If they keep makin' them as good as Xenoblade I don't care about what they want to show. Just keep'em comin'!
@seronja
In addition to what Sony_70 mentioned, Brink was developed by Splash Damage.
@The_Fox @Sony_70 sorry my mistake, i tought it was bethesda that doe's all the games they publish
Xenoblade Chronicles was amazing! I wish them a very succesful future.
@AltDotNerd yes yes thats the one
I second the "new play control" version. I haven't played XC yet b/c it was a Gamestop Exclusive and I was waiting for the WIi U so it would be better looking w/ the HDMI (Iwouldn't play Zelda until I bought th ecomponent cable) and a faster system to help run thru the rough patches. But now it seems the Wii U won't help any as it will just switch to Wii mode. So please make an HD version that can be bought someplace other than GS. Hell make it DL only, just make it HD.
I don't even know anything else from the current team, or much about the previous Xeno games but just from Xenoblade alone, I genuinely hope their next big project can get anywhere near the level of success Skyrim did. And if they can do their thing while learning from Skyrim's use of sidequests they could have the greatest console JRPG ever made. Assuming they don't already.
I admire their ambition.
"go down will with nintendo gamers" I think you mean "well".
"Monolith Soft has also helped develop certain elements of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword"
Cool, I didn't know that!
I guess they are working on a Xenoblade chronicles sequel! And I guess it will look sweet!
Xenoblade is my favourite game ever, so whatever Monolith craft next I'll be the first one to play it!
@Henmii : A Xenoblade sequel is pretty much out of the question, this will be either an entirely new game or a spiritual sucessor most probably.
You're too good Monolith Soft. Be BETTER than Besthesda, which you will.
If they make a game even near as good as Xenoblade they will be alright with me. Being a cult classic has its perks too. Some of the greatest and most famous games of all time could still at its core be considered cult games.
We can only hope. Nintendo NEEDS something like this to happen.
I'll be keeping my interest on them, & their work.
This is the Monolith's power!!!!!!!!!!! Please more epic games like Xenoblade
yay top secret new game. Great news, see you in the future
The biggest difference between skyrim and xenoblade is that skyrim had a firm release date months in advance and a publisher that advertised and marketted the hell out of it and xenoblade was a gamestop exclusive that just showed up oneday.
I loved xenoblade as much as anyone, but this seems more like something thats in the hands of nintendo and what they feel like doing moreso than monoliths talent level. Id love to see more from them, i just dont know if their games will get the attention they deserve in the west due to circumstances beyond their control.
@Scarkaiser Agreed.
Aside for the funny jokes, it would be nice to have an RPG dedicated company inside of Nintendo, i love RPGs sooo much.
Who doesn't want to be like Bethesda? They get away with releasing bug and glitch ridden games and people accept that fact and buy it anyway. Your only hope is to buy it for PC and "fix" the game with mods and console commands (which is what I do). It has gone to the point for me though, that playing Bethesda games without mods for me just doesn't happen.
Whatever they do, they should not copy the "glitch-habit", lol!
Ah, I have good hope! Xenoblade chronicles was awesome (I have yet to finish it, but it is gigantic!)!
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