With some of the handheld IPs Level 5 has (Prof. Layton, Fantasy Life...), the company opens the doors for massive sales on mobile sector for franchises that sold really well already on handheld. That makes me wonder, if Level 5 can manage great sales for those games (even if it angers their regular userbase), what would happen if Youkai Watch, one of the biggest franchises in the last years, abandons handhelds to go mobile? Most of its userbase are young kids that already have mobile devices, so this is possible. What would that mean for the future of Level 5, mobile and handhelds in Japan?

Looking at the popularity of the franchise and looking at the amount of smartphones out there, its hard to argue against the move from a business perspective.

I was ready to post many details but I'm bored!No because they wouldn't match the revenue...
The 6m seller yokai watch 2 costs 50 euros,in mobile it should cost 3m...In order to match the revenue of the handheld version it should sell 100m...
And that's impossible in a country with 127m population,they don't have all smartphones,not all interested in mobile gaming,the audience of yokai can't be 100m...
Yeah I know level 5 pays royalties to nintendo,shipping charges and the retailers but in mobile game you don't take all the money too,apple gets the 40% of the revenue of ios games looool...
They can have spin offs on mobile and they already have but the main series will stay on nintendo handhelds!

P.s Mobile gaming is full of games that are super popular once and then die,so the move to which you refer,it's way risky!

They're already doing so.

Yokai Watch: Puni Puni is mobile only, Yokai Sangokushi is specualted to be for mobile as well.

The question was never will they, it was when will they.

I think after the mobile spin offs we will probably see a mainline YW "multi-plat" game. It will take some time until we know wether or not L5 makes a suitable profit on mobile platforms.

Probably, it will be lame but probably

Sadly, it will probably jump or have a spinoff onto mobiles.
Level 5 are becoming another typical Japanese developer....

They will once they've milked Youkai to death on handhelds.

From watching their event some time ago, it seems level 5 may eventually make the shift to mobile. It`s already happening now, with multiple games being announced for mobile only. It`s likely a matter of time before they make the full jump.

No, at least not the main title. They might do a spin-off though.