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2014 proved that the big dogs in the industry such as Ubisoft, Capcom, Activision, EA, and even Sega were out for blood with the titles they released. Many of them grabbed the attention they wanted and held it last year. This year will be no exception to that with Sony themselves joining the ring and throwing down some of their largest third party support as well as first support yet. Even with EA lining up two of their biggest title for this year with Battlefield Hardline and even Battlefront, it’ll not be a surprise when we see the triple ‘a’ titles thin out before the holidays due to last years bombardment and this summers. Though the companies to watch won’t be these big names that are entering the ring unless we see Bethesda come out swinging with DOOM and a successful launch of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for consoles. So who do we feel will be the threats for a string of releases this year?
5. NIS America
Well known for their releases of games such as Disgaea, NAtURAL DOCtRINE, Fairy Fencer F, and Hyperdimension Neptunia V, it won’t be surprising to see NIS America once more take the world by storm by expanding on fan favorite franchises such as Danganronpa (hypothetical at this point), Criminal Girls: Invite Only, Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, and htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary when all of the titles release this spring. However, even with video games, NIS (Nippon Ichi Software) has quite a bit of anime to keep their friends busy with, and will assuredly have a lot to offer when the time comes.
4. Namco Bandai Games
With as many franchises as they have under their wings, a lot of players have been eyeballing them due to their franchise’s they have, and one in particular is where the eyes are set now: God Eater 2: Rage Burst. This title in specific has caused fans to stand up in wait to see if the fan favored title will get a release in North America, and with the clamoring of voices, it won’t be surprising since the company is also beginning to localize more of their upcoming rare titles.Though with their games One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, and even their upcoming NN3DS exclusive Ace Combat, we can only hope to see a lot more coming out of them in the near future, which means fans may get what they want if the company sees a chance with God Eater 2 due to the success of titles such as Soul Sacrifice/Delta, Toukiden: The Age of Demons, Freedom Wars, and even Monster Hunter.
3. XSeed Games
If last year and even 2013 was anything as a note, XSeed Games is a company that is not shy at storming the trenches with a barrage of amazing and well rounded games. With their noticeably well done localizations for such franchises as Rune Factory, Ys, the new and fan favorited Akiba’s Trip, Senran Kagura, and even Brandish; XSeed Games is no stranger to giving the fans what they desire most. 2015 already seems to be one they are preparing to start off strong with their upcoming release of Story of Seasons, which has already become highly applauded by those whom experienced it.
If last year, as stated, is anything to look back upon and expect in 2015, those handhelds and consoles will be happy with what is being played on them by fans.
2. !f Idea Factory
Well known for their smash hit series Hyperdimension Neptunia: Re;birth as well as their upcoming spinoff titles that will surely set a fan base to enjoy and want to play the games even more. At this time it is not going to be surprising to see if the company begins to create new franchises or even publish them to see how far their fan base will span and what platforms they will target in order to do so.
But one thing is for certain, Idea Factory is doing all the right moves in order keep their fans busy.
1. Koei Tecmo
Koei Tecmo is well known among gamers new and old to the scene. Most will remember them for their famed Tecmo Bowl (Tecmo that is) while others will remember Koei for their titles such as as their publishing of Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and even Dead or Alive, which has become a fan favorite within the fighting genre. It will not be surprising to see them take off this year thanks to their franchises such as Toukiden: Kiwami, Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, and possibly a hopeful expansion upon Samurai Warriors 4 (hypothetical and not announced by Koei Tecmo at this time).
With their success with both Toukiden: The Age of Demons, Dead or Alive 5, Dynasty Warriors 8 Ultimate Edition, and even Samurai Warriors 4, it will not be surprising to see the company once more bombard consoles and handhelds alike with content that will help show that Sony’s sleeper hit handheld the PlayStation Vita and it’s companion ‘console’ the PlayStation TV take advantage of these titles. Now we can only wait and see if the company releases a new Ninja Gaiden that will take advantage of the PlayStation 4’s massive console power.
Out of all the companies who do you see should be some of the most watched for this year? Let us know on the comments!