Nippon Ichi Software, the Japanese developer and publisher best known in recent years for its tactical role-playing series Disgaea, is reportedly facing serious financial troubles. This information comes from multiple Japanese media outlets, as translated by the Twitter user HDKirin.
For some time now, the long-running company has been dealing with low game sales domestically – to the point, it can no longer recoup the required funds to pay staff. To stay afloat, it has begun to sell stocks at a cheaper price in order to raise money and pay for labor costs. The main reason for the deficit is due to Disgaea RPG – a mobile game service released earlier this year in March.
NIS worked on this service in collaboration with the Sony subsidiary, Forward Works. The title struggled on release and suffered major technical issues, resulting in "long-term" maintenance. To date, the game is still not available to download – meaning NIS has been unable to pay its employees.
Sony's subsidiary issued an apology and the Disgaea mobile game Twitter account released a tweet in March, informing anyone who purchased in-game items to submit an email inquiry if they wanted a refund. Neither company has supposedly followed this up.
NIS previously released Disgaea 1 Complete and Disgaea 5 Complete on the Switch and has also published multiple other games on Nintendo platforms over the years.
[source dualshockers.com]
Comments 58
That's what happens when you decided to go out and make a garbage mobile game over supporting the actual gamers with more triple A offerings for consoles.
@retro_player_22 Harsh.
"To date, the game is still not available to download – meaning NIS has been unable to pay its employees."
Wait, no. That's not how paying your employees work.
Do they really have zero liquidity?
EDIT: ok i just read the source of this news and indeed, they do not have a single penny for them if they're selling their stocks. yikes.
Big oof. I really have enjoyed lots of NISA games, I hope they can pull through dood!
I REALLY hope we'll still get The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III and IV in the west...
@GrailUK They wouldn't be in this situation if they didn't waste time focusing on creating this mobile game. Now they are as in debt trouble just as Sega are due to having too many mobile focus business plan that failed. I guess we won't be seeing a Disgaea 6 any time soon unless Nintendo or Sony buys them.
@retro_player_22 Nah. If that were the case, so many game companies wouldn’t bother putting their games on mobile. Granted, NIS is not that well known in the West and the game probably doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before. But in Japan it would likely be a huge revenue boost for them, if it is half decent at least.
QUICK PUT EVERY DISGAEA GAME ON SWITCH. BRING BACK PHANTOM BRAVE. I'LL BUY IT!
This is what happens when you bet on garbage mobile games.
@NotTelevision Those companies that put their games on mobile had not got into that debt situation yet, eventually once they do they'll be in the same boat. Mobile gaming just isn't fun or interesting like it use to be. Also many game companies failed to realize that in-dept gaming doesn't work in the mobile market. If your game isn't simple and addicting it won't make the bucks on a mobile platform. Simple and addicting gameplay is what sell on mobile and is the only way to persuade them mobile player to keep coming back and buying micro transaction out of them.
Wow... i am astonished about this! I can't believe one of the best RPG making company is suffering so much, they have released so many gems one after another and yet they been getting so little support this entire time... this is really heart breaking, i am a huge fan of NIS games 😔
Oh no!!! This is sad news indeed. I hope Destiny Connect is not affected by this. I’m very much looking forward to that game.
Whelp, it's hardly a suprise. They just made a series of bad decisions.
I say let Nintendo buy them out, then we get their stuff on switch!
@RickD Cool. Another blade runner fan
Oh man, I love NIS. They make some of my favorite games, it's really sad to read about this. Hope they survive this so they can keep supporting the Switch in the future.
I'm playing Disgaea 5 now. And to think no Disgaea 6, ever. 😲. This is where Nintendo should step in with a rescue package of sorts.
Every Switch owner go out today and buy a Disgaea game. Use your Resident Evil money if you have to. If you have Twitter, tweet a message. At least get some wages back for the employees.
Man that sucks that they have to sell off stocks to pay employees for their work (at least I hope that's the priority.) As for games, I hope Disgaea 6 is still on the way, and NISA publishes games from one of my favorite developers, Falcom in the west. Hopefully they'll finish translating Trails of Cold Steel 3 and they or XSeed or DotEmu pick up ToCS4 and Ys IX. And bring more Ys and Legend of Heroes to Switch! Dood.
That's really sad. They are one of a minority of companies that really has their own style instead of following trends. I was dreaming of a Disgaea 6 at some point but this makes such a thing doubtful...
Sad to hear this news. Hope they can pull through
Wow, is this why their recent PSN sale was so cheap? Really sad to hear; they bring some interesting, niche stuff to Western shores.
I fell in love with Disgaea 5 so I’m a recent convert. I’ll have to get Disgaea 1 on Switch now to show my support. (Although it’s untouched so far on my PSP).
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a downvote, in the comments section of this site, until I saw the first comment!
That's really unfortunate. I haven't played all of their games, but I'd be bummed if they fell.
Mobile is a tricky business! It's either hit or miss, mostly misses, especially with 90% are FTP in game purchase match 3 crap! Nintendo has more than enough cash flow to experiment in the mobile market but it's by no means the only eggs in its basket. If NIS was banking everything on this mobile project then they were fools.
No more Danganronpa dood 😭
@retro_player_22 SEGA is in debt for a lot more reasons than just mobile gaming. Too many exclusives(they can make exclusives but they need to make a lot less.), too many japanese only games (such as phantasy star online 2), too much sonic focus, and making too many games in short spans.
I just bought Disgaea 1 Complete. I'd be sad to see the end of Nippon Ichi.
After my post above I’ve just ordered Disgaea 1 Complete.
It was very cheap, so probably not helping their cause unfortunately. But at least I have it if reprints are less likely now.
I guess I'm going to need to Disgaea 5 Complete sooner rather than later
Well, if all else fails, port everything you've got!
@retro_player_22 Since when has NIS been known to put out triple A games?
@retro_player_22 NiS really doesn’t put out triple A games though. They really never have, Disgaea has always been niche. What they do do is publish a lot of AA in the west that otherwise would never see the light of day. I think Disgaea is their biggest in house. However if you care so much the recent LapisxLaybrinth will be released and that’s classic NIS. I actually think NiS does better on the west with publishing... I really hope Alliance. Alive remastered gets published.
I love NISA.
Edit: it’s still a couple weeks away >.<
This is awful. I really hope something can be worked out. I love what NIS has been doing and releasing, aside from this mobile failure. The Disgaea games are awesome, dood!!!
If they cant get out of this then they should just join with nintendo.
A mix of trying to peddle a broken mobile game, while more or less being a fan service one trick pony with Disgaea does not appear to be a good choice for financial success.
Honestly they should of been working on Disgaea 6 then maybe do that mobile game.
@retro_player_22 Please no to Sony buying them.
They have actually been pretty good about supporting the Switch.
I never played the original Disgaea. I'm going to get it.
I will be stocking up on my remaining NIS games on the wishlist though. ...just in case.
@Agent721 They are paying them by lowering the cost of their stock, thus freeing up funds to pay their employees. FACEPALM
A broken Mobile game and rehash ports on Switch and PC most Fans were not paying top dollar for again.
Financial trouble?... Shocking!
Just make Disgaea 6
it doesn't help that they keep releasing the same games.
...So no Disgaea 6 then?.... :c
fck this IS SERIOUS BAD NEWS for me! I love their games, I enjoy their games, Disgaea 5 is one of my favorite game on the switch, DIsgaea 1 is one of my favorite game on my DS. I have played over 700 hundreds hours on D1 and right now over 250 hours on D5. I have a few other NIS games on my Switch and DS and am looking forward to any new games... Damn they make funny games with sometimes funny and silly jokes, I love the art style and the gameplay/gamepflow... I hope they get over it or... One part of my fun world will die RIP
@BlueKnight07 you should get it I have it on my DS and played over 700 hours... Might get the one for the Switch too... They are one of my favorite developers would be harsh seeing them going down. Especially since they don't do stuffs like microtransaction it will be a big hit and loss for the gaming industry...
Oh no! An obscure Japanese company that makes niche games no ones heard of is in financial trouble?
Maybe if more of these "mobile" companies masquerading as game developers go out of business, the quality on the eshop will increase.
No one wants full priced software with the production values of a phone/3ds game anyways. Maybe if they spent more time on their actual games instead of the anime girls on their eshop thumbnails.....
@retro_player_22 Exactly. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, MARIOKART TOUR.
@Itzdmo Another brodude Call of Duty drone confirmed...
@retro_player_22 lol I remember breath of fire mobile that I hope Capcom cancelled.
All I can think now is to parody Tsunami Bomb with Poverty bomb: https://youtu.be/rcBfdFn0sU8
Bankruptcy it's mobile games x4
Why not, squeeze out a mobile game
Make the workers work extra...
The ugly wish has made us unable to pay
We blew it all!
@Agramonte dont start trolling man.
Sad to hear they're sinking, and sinking fast. I don't care if it's Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, or someone like Sega or Bandi, just hope someone buys them, to at the very least keep Disgaea alive.
Sucks considering some developers think mobile is the future.
I share the sentiment regarding mobile games here, but. How the hell did they f*** up a mobile game so bad?
It would suck to see them go, I really enjoy the Disgaea series.
Disgaea is a series I really want to try getting into I've bought a couple games, but just have not spent the time to get into yet because I feel a little intimidated knowing how big/long the games can be. I do have Disgaea 5 for switch, and even have one of the games for my original PSP I no longer have.
@Lizuka
Why are people worried about the publisher. They have other developer's games that they publish. Also does Spike Chunsoft develop all their own games? I seen the news today that "YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world" is being distributed by NIS. I'm not very familiar with how that all works but inst the publisher "Spike Chunsoft" suppose to manufacture the developers games?
@Lizuka exactly. And generally NiS of America usually publishes fantastic physically collector editions of what they do publish. Usually with CDs, which in many cases is the only way to get the soundtracks. There are a few exceptions but by far they tend to prefer physical. Which I can see that stopping...
Oh wow! Its like screwing over your customers on Disgaea 5 PC was a BAD idea!
And I'm not just talking about the 'irreconciable issues' that led to the removal of multiplayer content, which is something that was decided when they started doing the game. But the fact that they didn't mention the fact that they had removed the content until TWO WEEKS after the game came out. After it was too late to get a refund.
@jly1987 spike chunsoft handles that now, it's not NIS
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