By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Plans for Astral Chain had been made with Nintendo since before Neir Automata...

https://nintendoeverything.com/astral-chain-was-in-the-works-before-nier-automata-started-development-original-plan-was-for-triplets-more/

It would also appear that Nintendo had a lot more to do with development of the game than just publishing it.  It appears that the original concept was to be a medieval game, but Nintendo wanted it to be more unique.  It also is evident that Nintendo approached Platinum to work together on their own new IP.  With that in mind, this pretty much nixes the idea of a simple money hat.

I think this is a brilliant way to work with 3rd parties.  They did not just buy an IP, they helped create one and was heavily involved in what the game came to be.  This further justifies their ownership of it, and I could see them continuing to outsource their own ideas for their own IPs to 3rd parties to further strengthen 3rd party support for the console.

After all, who needs the games on every other device when you can just create new IPs through outsourcing to keep from you in jouse devs from being spread too thin?



Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5643-2927-1984

Animal Crossing NH Dream Address: DA-1078-9916-3261

Around the Network

Long time in development. Hope it makes its money back.



Great game, and a great surprise for the year. I wish there were more surprises like this to help fill out release calenders, rather than the usual routine of 'expected in 20XX' and crossing our fingers that they mean it this time year after year (especially when most the games aren't worth the wait).



Hiku said:
Shiken said:

I think this is a brilliant way to work with 3rd parties.  They did not just buy an IP, they helped create one and was heavily involved in what the game came to be.

Yes and no.
This can (and has) also resulted in games straying from the original concept in negative ways, when the publishers impose themselves on the creative freedom of the developer.

For example, Bandai had Monolith strip Xenosaga 2 of a lot of elements that Bandai wanted to save for the next game. They also fired Soraya Saga from the project, who was the lead writer, and is married to Tetsuya Takahashi. (Source, Soraya Saga's blog after she got fired.)
This resulted in poor reception for Xeno 2, and contributed to the shortening of the originally planned 6 game series down to only 3 games.

Another example which is more recent, and more close to home since it involves Platinum, is Scalebound.
Although in this case we don't know exactly what went wrong, but we do know that quite some time before the game got cancelled, Kamiya posted on Twitter "Damn Microsoft, are you f***ng kidding me?"

The rumor is that MS wanted them to change the direction of the game to be more multiplayer/online focused, and this lead to a number of development problems, which in turn lead to the cancellation of the game.

So when it comes to publishers being heavily involved in the development of an outsourced game, it really depends on how it is handled. When the ideas are implemented (sooner some times means less potential issues), and if the ideas are for the better, or worse.

This probably works best when there's proper trust between the developer and publisher, where both can express their ideas, without neccesarily enforcing them against the developers wishes.

Oh absolutely!  Everything you said is absolutely true.  Luckily Nintendo and Platinum Games seem to have such a relationship that you expressed in the bolded part of your post.

It is not just PG either, as we have seen them do good work with Ubisoft as well with use of their 1st party IPs in crossovers.  It just seems like Nintendo is approaching these partnerships right, where maybe MS did not.

In any case, Nintendo and PG seem to be close enough now that it is almost reminiscent of Sony and Insomniac for example, before Sony bought them outright.



Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5643-2927-1984

Animal Crossing NH Dream Address: DA-1078-9916-3261

I think saying it's been "in development" since Nier Automata gives an inaccurate connotation. It was not 5 years of production. The article goes out of it's way to say that plans started before Nier Automata started development. That to me indicates that Astral Chain was created as a concept for a new action IP for Nintendo, then was put on hold while the team worked on different Platinum titles (mostly on Automata), then came back to fulfill their obligations.

All in all, production time was probably only 2-2.5 years.



Around the Network
AngryLittleAlchemist said:
I think saying it's been "in development" since Nier Automata gives an inaccurate connotation. It was not 5 years of production. The article goes out of it's way to say that plans started before Nier Automata started development. That to me indicates that Astral Chain was created as a concept for a new action IP for Nintendo, then was put on hold while the team worked on different Platinum titles (mostly on Automata), then came back to fulfill their obligations.

All in all, production time was probably only 2-2.5 years.

That sounds about right, and I got the same thing vibe from the article.  Perhaps I need to word the title better.



Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5643-2927-1984

Animal Crossing NH Dream Address: DA-1078-9916-3261

What is crazy and exciting to me, is that it was just announced and released in an 8 month span. I love when they announce games that aren't far off.



1doesnotsimply

Astral starts slow, frankly the first two hours is meh and had me worried. But it does get going and is quite something special.



Chrkeller said:
Astral starts slow, frankly the first two hours is meh and had me worried. But it does get going and is quite something special.

I felt the same way.  The game does not really start until File 3, and man does it really take off.  Overall it sits right next for Fire Emblem for my top GotY contenders so far.

Anything before chapter 3 seems like world and character building as well as a steady introduction of gameplay mechanics.  While worrisome at first, I feel that is the way to go with this game overall as the combat system does have a lot put into it, and some players may have been overwhelmed otherwise.  So yeah, I was worried too.  But in retrospect I can appreciate how they started the game out overall.



Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5643-2927-1984

Animal Crossing NH Dream Address: DA-1078-9916-3261

Shiken said:
Chrkeller said:
Astral starts slow, frankly the first two hours is meh and had me worried. But it does get going and is quite something special.

I felt the same way.  The game does not really start until File 3, and man does it really take off.  Overall it sits right next for Fire Emblem for my top GotY contenders so far.

Anything before chapter 3 seems like world and character building as well as a steady introduction of gameplay mechanics.  While worrisome at first, I feel that is the way to go with this game overall as the combat system does have a lot put into it, and some players may have been overwhelmed otherwise.  So yeah, I was worried too.  But in retrospect I can appreciate how they started the game out overall.

It does have a pretty steep learning curve.  I finally got to the point where I can pull off crazy combos and move sets.  The combat is beyond satisfying, excellent game.  I love Platinum.