Yokai Watch was all the rage in Japan during the summer of 2014 but it would appear as though interest in the title is now waning. This could be down to the fact that Level 5 has been milking the title by releasing a number of spin-offs. That’s not to say that the franchise isn’t doing well, it is just that Japanese distributors say that the fever has died down and that Yokai Watch products are lingering on store shelves for longer. However, the franchise is launching in the west during the coming months and this could prove to be a massive hit. I suspect it’s all down to how well its marketed. You can read the insightful article regarding the current struggles of the Yokai Watch franchise, here.
Japanese Distribution Insiders Say Yokai Watch Is Now Struggling
Of course…. 3 main title games in the span of 2(?) years and a bunch of spin offs would make anyone tired. Although as far as I know it’s still a really, really huge thing in Japan and has even given Pokemon a run for it’s money. Maybe this is just an upset or something that would have happened eventually.
2 main games since 2013. There’s only one spin-off out right now and everything else is on development or free apps.
YW 3 will be released next year.
Ahhh okay! Sorry must have gotten dates and games mixed up.
Anyways I don’t think it’s as bad as the title is implying. Yokai Watch is still going realllyyyy strong.
No problem. There’s a lot of misinformation going on, specially with this article out.
…yet Five Nights at Freddys had 4 titles in one year and still has its fanbase wanting more :P
yet you can finish all 4 games in one hour or less
People don’t realize that this article makes it seems worse than what it is. Everything is still selling well, Yo-kai Watch is still up there as one of the most selling products in Japan right now.
“This could be down to the fact that Level 5 has been milking the title by releasing a number of spin-offs.”
There’s only one spin-off out on the 3DS right now. All of the other ones are free apps or are in development yet.
There are no new relevant products out besides the new Watch that kills the incompatibility issue with an SD Card slot to update it…
It’s mentioned on the article that USAPYON is selling more than Jibanyan now. That’s awesome because he is basically the female protagonist’s mascot and will be a huge part of the third game that will come next year.
Buster, the only 3ds spin-off, is doing extremely well and sold more than 1 million copies now.
I expect everything to go back to normal once YW 3 releases next year as there will be new youkais that can create new merchandising and the push will be at full again.
Shut up rat
lol
You have to admit they are milking it a little. YW 3 is coming out next year, and the series started in 2013? That’s one game a year, plus a spinoff. That’s four games in three years. Hell, COD don’t even go that far…
Look at Assasins Creed. When you make a hit game a yearly franchise the people will get bored of it… It’s a fact, no matter what franchise it is…
You wanna keep a franchise strong, leave a little space in between releases…
I actually think they released YW 2 asap because it has multiplayer modes and that’s what most people wanted on YW 1 and the Buster mode in YW 2 happened and it was a success and people loved playing it so they made the Buster game but maybe a breathing time is gonna happen now because we don’t really know when YW 3 is coming and there’s the International release and all.
It would be really really hectic if the released everything together now…
The title isn’t struggling. Its not selling as much as it did, but is still selling way above average in Japan.
Maybe they (in Japan) are mad Yokai Watch came to the U.S, so they got mad, and they are boycotting Yokai Watch!! Just imagine how well all other Nintendo game would have sold there if they didnt come to U.S!!
Lol, I doubt. Youkai Watch 3 will even take place in the U.S. And I tell you, It’s gonna sell just as good as the first and second game.
3 WILL take place in the US. The plot is the family moving to the US.
3 will take place in the US and Japan. There will be two protagonists in two different countries.
wow what a click bait article :/
I was about to say the same thing. Damn sickr get your shit together!
Sorry! Maybe struggling was the wrong term to use.
This website is the butt joke of the whole gaming community. XD
it really is, isn’t it?
what the fuck…wtf. who the heck is this troll lol sickr haters.
The games are great tho, and different from Pokémon in good ways. But Pokémon is still better. I’m not just saying that because it came first. It all comes down to the game mechanics. Yokai Watch did many great things ( I’ve played both 1 and 2 ) but Pokémon is just more challenging and engaging especially for adults. Yokai Watch is just a good game, a good kids game, and fun for adults who know Japanese culture. But I don’t see it doing too well with adults in the west either.
Lingering on store shelves? When a game has sold Millions and Millions of copies in the country, then that shouldn’t come as a surprise that it has slowed down.
Monster Hunter may follow the same path… they are milking it WAY too much
Naw their side games tend to sell just as well and they don’t seem to be slowing down.
I see Level5 a bit rushing and Yokai Watch seems has been slowing down as time goes(naturally). It might be a little soon to worry but sure it would be safer. I wonder how part 3 will turn out. Also depends on the outcome in the US as you say.
It will bomb in the west. This is definitely a niche title specifically tailored towards Japanese gamers.
They literally have partnerships with Disney and Hasbro it bombing is very very doubtful.
It really isn’t as Japanese as you think it is. While a portion of the yokai are based on Japanese folklore, the general concept of “monsters hiding in plain sight and messing with people” is pretty universal, and most of the yokai in the game are original designs based on what they do. Even the ones that are explicitly Japanese in origin aren’t too niche in their appeal – American kids may not know what, say, Orochi was based on, but they can appreciate a ninja dude who fights with living dragon scarves because that’s pretty neat on its own merits.
Title says it’s struggling…article says “it’s not that it isn’t doing well”. Who writes this bullshit? lol
Struggling Eh? So THAT’S what Pokemon’s been up to! Taking out the competition.
No way… People actually got tired of a soulless, committee-designed, interchangeable cash cow whose oversaturation and overexposure was ridiculous even by “fickle Japanese audience” standards? Who’d have guessed it?
||Those creations are something even amateur children could design in their sleep, the appeal for that franchise is unreasoned……
Simplicity is always superior to complexity. A child’s mind is simple, and a simple concept with a good story will always succeed in the gaming world..
Why do you think Mario does so well? Your a guy that runs around and jumps on monsters heads….. Simple, easy, fun…
||Simplicity was they key to success in the past, the lack of complexity as a whole is what drives Nintendo closer to adjacent failure……
||However, the injudicious application of multiplexed elements the other defective factions conduct more each generation also leads to their utter failure in the end……
||Nothing can stop the coming downfall of them all now……
Are you flipping-flopping, Tetris? Seriously?
||I don’t play Tetris?…..
I see you do. Let’s live it alone, though.
I do t see this franchise being a massive hit here in the west.
The can sell it as much as they want tho for all i care.
Just looks like another Pokémon/Digimon ripoff.
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