How GungHo launched its bubblegum combating sport Ninjala within the pandemic

I interviewed Kazuki Morishita, president of GungHo Leisure, throughout the Digital Leisure Expo (E3) in 2018 in Los Angeles. That looks like ages in the past, and GungHo was on the brink of launch its bubblegum combating sport Ninjala.

It was a light-hearted title that was aimed toward a broad viewers, the place you may play as a child with humorous weapons that you may use to whack different youngsters within the sport. It’s a bit like Nintendo’s Splatoon hit, however as a substitute of taking pictures with paint, you hit one another with bats and craft new weapons from bubblegum.

However the challenge had some delays and GungHo needed to delay its unique launch throughout the begin of the pandemic. But it surely managed to launch it in June 2020. A 12 months later, the sport has greater than seven million downloads, and GungHo is now kicking its advertising and marketing into greater gear because it tries to achieve that broader viewers in markets such because the U.S. To date, the North American market has been rising sooner than every other area, and GungHo has some partnerships that may assist convey extra consideration to the sport.

Morishita has had huge hits like Puzzle & Dragons in Japan, however he’s hoping GungHo will change into higher identified in locations just like the U.S. because of video games like Ninjala. I talked to Morishita about his plans for Ninjala and the way it feels to launch a sport that makes individuals really feel comfortable within the midst of a pandemic.

Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.

GamesBeat: How a lot progress have you ever made with Ninjala over time right here?

Kazuki Morishita: Once we final talked in 2018, we have been planning to launch the sport a lot earlier, however due to COVID the scenario modified, particularly as a consequence of creating remotely. It was like a complete new growth. However we have been capable of launch the sport in June 2020. We simply reached our one-year anniversary final month.

GamesBeat: How has it met your expectations? What progress do you continue to wish to make?

Morishita: The obtain numbers grew a lot sooner than we anticipated. That’s one factor we have been stunned and comfortable about. It’s a progressing title, so the work is ongoing. We’re trying to meet the expectations of our customers and maintain the sport rising as a lot as potential. In June of this 12 months, we reached 7 million downloads, and the North American aspect has been rising the quickest of any area.

GamesBeat: What do you assume the fundamental attraction of the sport is? Why do gamers come again to it?

Morishita: One of many largest issues is that it’s a detailed fight motion sport. There are numerous shooter-type video games on the market, PvP video games, and there are some shut fight experiences, however Ninjala has a sort of shut fight expertise you could’t expertise in taking pictures video games. One other huge level is that the sport isn’t a win or lose expertise. Win or lose, you’ll develop as a participant. It makes you wish to play increasingly more, gaining extra expertise and getting higher on the sport.

GamesBeat: Who did you wish to goal with the artwork type for the sport? Was there a specific sort of participant you had in thoughts if you have been designing the characters and environments?

Morishita: The artwork type was aimed toward a worldwide, international viewers. We didn’t wish to make it appear simply Japanese. We had one thing like Pixar or Disney in thoughts, however with our personal originality. It wasn’t actually focused to a selected nation. We needed everybody to have the ability to settle for the artwork type.

GamesBeat: You talked about North America receiving nearly all of downloads. Has it confirmed to be in style in any explicit nations?

Morishita: If we have been to place it so as, america could be the primary, then Japan, then France, then Spain. Truly, Spain was shocking to us, that it was taken so nicely there.

GamesBeat: How did you method making the sport into a bigger franchise? It’s difficult to create a brand new IP. How did you attempt to construct extra consideration round it as you launched?

Morishita: The sport is free to play, so it’s straightforward for anybody to put in and play. Besides, after we have been constructing the story and the background of the characters, we thought that it might be higher to inform the story exterior of the sport, by way of animation, so it might be simpler for individuals to achieve. We thought that animation could be an excellent promotional device to achieve out and construct consciousness since anybody can watch it on YouTube.

GamesBeat: Do you view this as a transmedia property, one thing that may change into greater than only a sport?

Morishita: We had that in thoughts from the start, sure, after we began constructing the sport.

GamesBeat: Have been there any examples you adopted, different properties the place you needed to do one thing related?

Morishita: There wasn’t any particular technique like that relating to the transmedia method. There’s numerous back-end story to the sport. It’s a really lengthy story, in my thoughts, which is why we’re taken with doing extra throughout completely different media. A number of that scenario has modified due to COVID. In case you evaluate earlier than and after, extra persons are watching streaming video on issues like Netflix or Amazon Prime. That bigger setting has modified. Our future work in animation will most likely be influenced by these modifications.

GamesBeat: What has modified in regards to the sport as you’ve up to date and improved it over the previous 12 months?

Morishita: It’s laborious to enter actual particulars so far as how a lot it’s modified, however in comparison with the beginning, I’d say it may be at the least 1.5 occasions as a lot enjoyable because it was after we began. We’ve put in numerous new modes like Ninja Striker, which remains to be four-on-four battle, however you’re enjoying soccer in opposition to one another. We’re persevering with so as to add extra new content material like that. We’ve already put in as a lot new content material as we’d with a brand new sport.

GamesBeat: For this sort of sport, how do you develop the viewers at this level, a 12 months after launch? How do you get extra individuals taken with enjoying for an extended time?

Morishita: One factor is common updates, new methods of enjoying the sport and giving gamers a brand new expertise with the world of Ninjala. We’re additionally collaborating with different IP, which we predict will assist broaden the viewers.

GamesBeat: One sport that I’ve seen do very nicely past its preliminary launch interval was Dauntless, the monster-fighting sport. They expanded to new platforms and enabled cross-play and issues like that. Is {that a} technique you’d wish to comply with? Do you wish to transcend the Swap to different platforms and allow cross-communication between these platforms?

Morishita: We don’t wish to limit the sport to at least one platform, however to be trustworthy, Ninjala goes very well with the Nintendo Swap. I don’t assume that increasing to different platforms is a foul concept, however at the moment Ninjala has numerous drive from Nintendo behind it, and we predict the Swap is probably the most appropriate platform in the intervening time.

GamesBeat: Do you assume the brand new Swap that’s on the best way will assist construct the sport’s viewers?

Morishita: One of many largest issues that I believe will assistance is the larger display screen. Ninjala is a really colourful sport, and with the brand new display screen I believe it’ll be nearer to what we have been hoping to point out after we have been initially conceiving the sport.

GamesBeat: So far as monetizing the sport, do you are feeling that’s working nicely, or do you propose to attempt something new so far as monetization?

Morishita: We didn’t wish to make this a pay-to-win sport, which is why we needed to give attention to issues like avatars, skins, and the season cross for monetization. That’s nonetheless our fundamental focus. However in future updates, we don’t essentially wish to simply do the identical factor again and again. We’re planning to implement some new concepts so gamers can attempt one thing new.

GamesBeat: I’m wondering if collectibles will be an attention-grabbing path for monetization. Are you interested by issues like NFTs, blockchain-based collectibles?

Morishita: I’d wish to focus extra on the sport itself. Merchandising will probably be a separate theme for the sport. However I do assume there are alternatives round merchandising and different spin-offs like manga. We don’t have any plans round NFTs in the intervening time. I don’t know if now could be the time, on condition that it’s laborious to standardize that sort of factor proper now. However sooner or later we would look into it.

GamesBeat: While you give attention to what players are saying so far as suggestions, what do your gamers need extra of so far as modifications or updates to the sport?

Morishita: The largest factor we hear from customers is they need voice chat, extra methods to speak with different individuals enjoying the sport. Presently we don’t have in-game chat, however that’s one of many largest items of suggestions from the group. They’re additionally asking for extra completely different sorts of character costumes.

GamesBeat: What do you propose to do sooner or later with the Demon Slayer collaboration?

Morishita: The collaboration will begin on July 20 in Japan. Lots of people are very excited. It’s not simply in Japan and America, however numerous different nations as nicely. We’re additionally seeing numerous returning gamers because of the collaboration with Demon Slayer.

GamesBeat: What do you attempt to do to ensure this sort of IP tie-in has probably the most influence and attracts probably the most gamers?

Morishita: One of many largest issues is implementing it very carefully to the unique IP, the unique animation. That was one factor we have been very cautious about. We have been capable of make the costumes, the emotes, and the abilities as very similar to the unique materials as potential.

GamesBeat: What number of staff does GungHo have, and what number of work on Ninjala?

Morishita: GungHo altogether, with all of our teams, is round 1,300 individuals. For Ninjala itself, there are numerous methods completely different individuals work together with the sport, however in case you add everybody concerned in promotions and issues like that it might be round 100 individuals.

GamesBeat: What else is GungHo planning on doing for followers within the coming 12 months?

Morishita: We’ll proceed engaged on new initiatives and problem making new video games that aren’t like all the pieces else available on the market.

GamesBeat: Are you excited about sequels to Ninjala but, or different instructions the franchise might go?

Morishita: That’s a tricky query. Sooner or later there will probably be numerous modifications with the arrival of latest platforms and new generations of {hardware}. However we’re excited about doing extra spin-offs of Ninjala sooner or later.

GamesBeat: How did the workforce adapt to distant work and dealing throughout the pandemic?

Morishita: Our firm selected to shift to distant work and moved all our work conferences on-line earlier than the State of Emergency was declared in Tokyo. There have been some developmental delays that occured as a consequence of this variation in setting, however we’ve made optimistic modifications in our work type and our techniques to resolve these issues. We consider that our experiences on this never-before-seen sport growth setting, resembling working the beta check from residence, will assist us discover options to unprecedented crises sooner or later.

GamesBeat: Is the workforce capable of meet in individual but?

Morishita: Our employees continues to work remotely, as we’re nonetheless below a State of Emergency, as we don’t wish to transfer our tools round. We’re additionally working a office vaccination program and providing vaccines to candidates.

GamesBeat: Was it satisfying to offer individuals with a enjoyable sport throughout a time after they couldn’t exit?

Morishita: Usually we wish to present a enjoyable sport for gamers whatever the scenario. Throughout these occasions, with the ability to present leisure that may be loved whereas staying residence was nice, because it felt like we have been fulfilling our responsibility. Nonetheless, there are issues we’re disenchanted about, resembling not with the ability to host in-person occasions for our gamers and work together with them as nicely. We hope the COVID-19 scenario improves as quickly as potential, as we wish to meet our gamers from everywhere in the world.