TGS 2001 Fall: Koei press event wrapup

Koei held a small press event before the TGS to give journalists a look at some of the company's upcoming titles and outline its future plans. Koei's future plans, like those of many third-party developers, will include a concerted focus on both multiplatform support and region-specific software development. Recognizing that the company's growth has been tied to the PlayStation 2, Koei will focus its efforts on that console to increase its market share. Its upcoming games will include Dynasty Warriors 3, the sequel to the popular PS2 launch game that is set to ship in November in the US; Gitaroo Man, a music-action game slated for a January 2002 US release; and Fengshen Yanyi, an RPG based on events that occurred during a revolution in ancient China that is set to ship in Japan next year. A brief tape of Fengshen showcased the game's real-time battle engine, character design from well-known illustrator Takeshi Ozkazaki, and customizable mystical weapons called bao bei.

Koei will also support Microsoft's Xbox with two titles, the already announced 2702946 Crimson Sea in 2002 and a console version of its PC title Nobunaga's Ambition: Chronicles of Chaos. [Nobunaga is a historical simulation that will offer nine scenarios to play through and feature real-time 3D battles and the ability to create personal warlords with a character editor. The title is expected to be available at the Xbox's Japanese launch. In addition, Koei revealed its intentions to support Nintendo's GameCube and Game Boy Advance platforms, though no titles were named.

The company's multiplatform support will be influenced by its development of titles for specific regions. Titles such as Kessen 2, Yanya Cabalista, Gitaroo Man, and Dynasty Warriors 3 were held up as examples of software the company would target at the US and European markets. Koei's flagship titles, such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and Nobunaga titles, were shown as examples of software for the Asian market.

In terms of Koei's general future plans, the company's intention is to diversify its software lineup to include sports (its first planned title will be a baseball game) and network titles (it is currently developing individual online games for the PS2 and Windows-based PCs). In addition, the company plans to branch out into other forms of media such as film and animation.