Aside from series like Dragon Ball, Bakugan, and Naruto, the number of localized games based on an anime have dropped over the last few years. Europe got One Piece Unlimited Cruise 2: Awakening of a Hero while North America missed out on it, for example.
How come? Xseed offered some insight while responding to a request for Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s Portable: The Battle of the Aces.
“We do take game requests, but games based on anime are very difficult to do – unless it’s a Dragon Ball or Naruto title, retailers refuse to carry them,” an Xseed staffer posted on Facebook.
Of course, there are exceptions. Xseed published The Sky Crawlers: The Innocent Aces earlier this year and retailers are saving shelf space for Hudson’s Beyblade games. Still, the lack of retail interest could explain why anime licensed titles are less common. Publishers, perhaps, may want to release them, but stores don’t want ‘em.
