Koei Tecmo wants a Star Wars themed "Warriors" game

Source: GS

Traditionally, the company behind the Dynasty Warriors and Dead or Aliveseries has been a niche player. But with the critical and commercial success of Team Ninja's Nioh and its focus on delivering titles to the Nintendo Switch, Koei Tecmo suddenly cracked into the AAA games space.

At a recent Koei Tecmo event, we had the chance to speak with the president of Koei Tecmo, Hisashi Koinuma, about the company's recent successes, and its current outlook on the gaming market. Last February's Nioh, a new IP from Koei Tecmo that suffered a lengthy development, turned out to be a rather stellar game that coupled the systems of a Souls game with the deep combat mechanics from Team Ninja's past work--which includes Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. With Nioh behind them, Koinuma spoke briefly about what its success meant for Koei Tecmo.

"It's been a while since a new IP became so successful like that. So based on that experience, we definitely want to continue to makes games that offer different challenges that push us. [Nioh's] success has had an impact on us."

With the success of the Switch over the last year, Koei Tecmo's President praised the system's accessibility and library of games, while also affirming the publisher's commitment to the console. Its plans include releases of Attack on Titan 2--seeing simultaneous launch on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch--along with a port of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3.

"I believe that the Switch was well-received and became popular because it's really suited for the modern lifestyle, not only in Japan, but the US and also European countries as well," stated Koinuma. "So we are readily available to make titles available on Switch, and either our own IPs or some other company's IPs. I feel we've been working on making the titles available on Switch much faster than the other publishers. If there is any need or wishes to be played on Switch, then definitely, we will work on that."

While Dynasty Warriors 9 is moving into the open-world space, set to be the biggest upgrade the series has had in sometime, the developers behind the game are still eager to work with other IPs and design them to fit Koei Tecmo's particular style. With recent Warriors titles diving into the Fire Emblem, Gundam, Legend of Zelda, and Berserk universes, the Koinuma still has his eye on a particular sci-fi universe that he thinks would make for a great action beat-em-up game.

"I'm always saying this, but I think Star Wars has been really successful and I would love for us to make that game."

Meh. Like I said, not a fan of the Warriors series and if Zelda, as much as I like Hyrule Warriors, couldn't make me one, then I doubt Star Wars will.

What about you?

Their games satisfied a certain itch and I don't see why not. It seems like it would feel right at home if done correctly.

Not for me for two reasons. Star Wars and Dynasty Warriors.

i'd buy it on switch or PC

Just give me Jedi vs a swarm of Sith (before The Rule of Two) and you got yourself a buyer.

I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing something like that myself. I loved Hyrule Warriors and am looking forward to picking up Fire Emblem Warriors as well.

I am surprised that idea has yet to brought up. What is next after Star Wars? Justice League Warriors/DC/Marvel Comics Warriors?

are the musou games good? I never played one but I want to play hyrule warriors

Probably more microtransactions than EA.

Who wouldn't want to play a game where you are a freak OP Jedi or Sith laying waste to dozens of enemies at a time? I don't see how this could go wrong.

Uh, those who disliked the Force Unleashed games and how much they hate Galen 'Starkiller' Marek? Or those who don't necessarily like Super Saiyan level Jedi, ala Clone Wars 03?

They'd probably do a better job than EA too. Koei-Tecmo already knows how to make big and small battlefields.

yea, i never played one before hyrule warriors and i loved it. the feeling of mowing down hunderds of enemies with your favourite character is super satisfying!

@nintendoboy16: Your video had 6k likes and a hundred something dislikes. I rest my case.

Not really. Not when the Star Wars fandom is as broken as the Nintendo fans. Especially even more so with Disney buyout and Last Jedi's reception.

Don't mind it..if release & come to Switch...as long as they don't lock Darth Vader behind Amiibo. :P

Uh... what?

Meh.

I would hate to see a Star Wars video game influenced by Japanese entertainment of any medium.

No, I don't hate Japan.

If they made the 'Star Warriors' game adult rated so the light sabres completely mutilated people I would buy it.

Run into crowd let your special move off and watch the body parts fly and blood spatter everywhere including on your own character, mmm.

So... why watch Star Wars at all? One of Lucas influences was Akira Kurosawa's samurai films.

Star Wars videogame. Please do not be so quick to take things personally, I'm not hating on the Japanese (nice how you took out my third sentence when quoting me, by the way...)

I totally dig Akira Kurosawa, he makes some of my favorite movies. I love Takashi Miike as well. Studio Ghibli is also amazing. I've traveled to Japan three times for vacations.

I just have yet to find a recent Japanese video game I have thoroughly enjoyed, that also avoids what one might call stereotypical Japanese aesthetics.

I enjoyed most of their Musou collaboration, so I wouldn't mind playing a Star Wars Musou game.

It looks like the "Warriors" plague may take another victim.

Never found Musuo stuff to look or sound appealing.

Wouldn't work. Maybe something like Kessen, then.

I love Star Wars but I’m afraid Hyrule Warriors burned me out for life on this braindead button masher concept.

It was fun during the roughly 80 hours I put in, but unless they spice it up and polish it better I’m good without.

I would LOVE to play that. It's time Disney takes the exclusivity from EA and gives it to many devs to play with it... like Warhammer.

Sounds cool so would a total war star wars.

Dang, I must be different since I love Dynasty Warriors and Hyrule Warriors. It must be my Aries Mars (astrology), but I love hack and slash games. Nothing more satisfying than slicing through enemies. Though I hate that the new Dynasty Warriors has reappearing enemies. I love to completely wipe out all enemy forces. Nothing's better than complete annihilation!

With that said, I don't care too much for Stars Wars, so I won't be picking this game up. Though I'm proud of Koei Tecmo's newfound success. I wish them all the best.

No. Don't want to have a Star Wars game with a lot of rereleases.

They made a dozen of those games on PS2 and they never evolved since then.

If I wanted that fix ever again, I'll spend the $1 on ebay to pick up a used copy LOL

You should have put "Dynasty" in the title cause this was what imediately came to mind when I read Warriors:

No. Hard pass lol

Bring it on!

As long as the combat looked and felt like SW, not just hacky slashy generic swordplay.

would any fans be willing to sign a petition to support the idea? https://www.change.org/p/koei-tecmo-star-wars-the-next-dynasty-warriors-game

You mean, as long as its not a Dynasty game? XD

That idea has potential. I'd love to see them tackle a WH40K themed Warriors game, I feel the kind of games the X Warriors games are that the scale of a WH40K themed anything would be fitting for it. Probably will never happen as not a popular IP to begin with, at least not compared to a big name like Star Wars.

EA executives:

Star Warriors, a hack & slash MOBA-esque Warriors game set in the Star Wars universe.

Warriors games need to evolve.

I don;t know why Hyrule Warriors even got a 7 ... or FE Warriors.... they're both brain dead... the maps are tiny and un-inspired.

We are talking 1990's style grids with A.I that LITERALLY does nothing.

Even the hero-AI is terrible...

Really proof that some gamers just like being given a "gold star" feeling every 5 seconds..... all gratification... no substance.

I thought EA had an exclusive rights contract to Disney's Star Wars for years. Hey they can't do worse than BF2 so I'm all for them undoing that contract and giving it to Koei Tecmo.

I hope Tecmo Koei is comfortable with working with EA. Otherwise, I would instead ask for a Musou game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (either during the Great Crusade/Horus Heresy or the 41st Millennium)

Eh, sure why not? Could actually be enjoyable-ish.

I enjoyed HW as a guilty pleasure game. It's packed to the brim with content and fan service, but from an objective stand point it's got soooooooooooooooo much repetition. But it's something nice to play when you want to turn your brain off or you're frustrated and need to take some aggression out on something. I'd probably feel the same about a Star Wars Warriors game, although I have towonder how they'd incorporate guns into the mix

I think Hyrule Warriors is a solid 7, 6 if you're being even more strict. It's not a bad game. Though it does have its flaws. I hated how small the maps were and the story sucked. Dynasty Warriors has recently had better maps where you can climb mountains and jump into an actual base. I didn't see that in Hyrule Warriors. They were watered down maps, similar to Dynasty Warriors 3 actually. I hated Cia and Lana. I'm sorry, but better characters could have been there and it would have made for a better story. Lana is like a fanfiction character come to life, a Mary Sue at that. She has the tri force and she's powerful; did we mention that she has blue hair! Only thing missing is her ending up with Link. Instead of Lana: Saria, Nabooru, and/or Medli. Cia is generic Femme Fatale villain. Instead of Cia: Twinrova and/or Veran.

At the same time, it had decent combat and it served the purpose of bringing Zelda characters together and fighting with different characters.

I don't.

Ew. Star Wars games are sucking enough these days without there being a dynasty warriors spinoff.