Level-5’s back on track with Fantasy Life 1: The Time Thief Girl, selling over a million units in no time. But the studio’s known for frustrating fans with frequent delays and lengthy announcements years before games drop. In a chat, Level-5 boss Akihiro Hino shared why delays happen and how they won’t fix ’em by announcing games later. See, Level-5’s all about putting out projects that shine after releasing Yo-Kai Watch games like hot cakes without ensuring everything was just right. As Hino put it, “We refine the game as a whole, even when criticized for being late.” They pick a date ’cause they truly believe they can finish on time. Things go smoothly if no big problems pop up during development, but sometimes flaws show up only after making a game version, which can cause complications. If they realize the game’s not as fun as intended, they can’t move to the next stage until they fix its quality.
It’s unrealistic to plan a schedule that might require remaking a game during development, and announcing games can be tricky – even more so for projects like Yo-Kai Watch and Inazuma Eleven that cover various media. Announcing games together with partners and revealing something that takes years to come out can lead to different partner plans, which Level-5 has experienced before. Now, they prefer to announce games due within a reasonable timeframe.