コーエーテクモ←この会社がうっすら馬鹿にされてる理由ｗｗｗ
Koei Tecmo Games is often "subtly mocked" online, primarily due to numerous DLCs, stagnant popular series, and reused graphics. This sentiment stems from questions about pricing and "affectionate critiques" from dedicated fans. Ultimately, such reactions might even reflect the high expectations players have for the company.
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DLC Sales Tactics and Season Passes
Not limited to Koei Tecmo Games, DLC (Downloadable Content) and season passes are common sales strategies in the modern game industry, but the company's aggressive adoption sometimes makes it a subject of debate. DLC offers additional characters, costumes, scenarios, or game modes for a fee after the main game's release, and a season pass allows players to purchase these DLCs collectively at a discounted price. In Koei Tecmo's case, there's a tendency to sell numerous additional costumes, scenarios, and characters as DLC, especially in their historical simulation and action games (such as the Musou series).
For example, in "Nioh 2," the story is complemented by multiple paid DLCs, and in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" series, warlord facial graphics and scenarios are sometimes offered as individual DLCs. This often requires an additional investment of several thousand yen to over 10,000 yen beyond the main game, leading to complaints from fans like, "It costs more than the main game for a complete experience," or "I wish everything was included from the start." Furthermore, some players are often dissatisfied with the high cost of additional content or the release of "complete editions" or "deluxe editions" shortly after the main game, feeling that "I'd accept that price if it were set from the beginning, but breaking it up like this is questionable." These sales tactics are one reason for the "subtle dissatisfaction" or "irony" expressed about the company online.
Stagnation of the Musou Series
The "Musou series," one of Koei Tecmo Games' flagship titles, is an action game characterized by the exhilarating feeling of "one against a thousand" as players mow down numerous enemies on vast battlefields. Starting with "Dynasty Warriors" in 1997, numerous spin-off titles collaborating with various IPs, such as "Samurai Warriors," "Warriors Orochi," "Gundam Musou," and "Hyrule Warriors," have been released. However, the success of this series has simultaneously created an environment for criticism of "stagnation."
Because a common game system and controls are maintained across many Musou series titles, even when new numbered titles or collaboration works are released, comments like "It's ultimately the same thing," or "Only the graphics have changed, there's no novelty" often arise. For example, "Dynasty Warriors 9" attempted new challenges like an open world, but there were opinions that it didn't feel as changed as expected, and some felt that the traditional Musou essence was diluted. Whenever a new title is announced, fans often express mixed feelings of expectation and resignation, such as "Another Musou game?" or "I wish they would change it fundamentally." This is also a reverse expression of the wish from long-time fans who love the series to "be better," and this "affectionate critique" against the "stagnation" is one reason for the expression "subtly mocked."
Reused Graphics and Assets
In game development, the reuse of graphic assets (character models, backgrounds, effects, sounds, etc.) is an indispensable method for cost reduction and development efficiency. However, for Koei Tecmo Games, especially certain development teams that operate many series within the company, criticism regarding "noticeable reuse of graphics and assets" is frequently heard online. This is often pointed out mainly in historical simulation games like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Nobunaga's Ambition," or action games like the "Musou series."
Specifically, examples include warlord facial graphics that have barely changed from several generations ago, reused map objects, and generic effects. For instance, in the "Nobunaga's Ambition" series and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" series, warlord graphics, with the exception of some main characters, often remain largely unchanged for long periods. This leads to disappointed comments and affectionate sarcasm like "These graphics again?" or "When will they finally be new?" whenever a new title is released. Of course, it's not realistic to completely recreate all assets for every new title, but in the modern era where technological advancements and diversification of expression are progressing, users tend to demand higher quality and freshness. This criticism of "reuse" is a point that easily becomes a target of dissatisfaction and ridicule, precisely because of the high expectations for new titles and the resulting gap.