Exclusive: Picross developer Jupiter on nearly 30 years of puzzling prowess
In a rare interview, the studio’s president and managing director explain why it’s still hip to be square…
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Discussion VGC - Picross developer Jupiter on nearly 30 years of puzzling prowess
- Thread starter mazi
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Here's to another 30 years of picross from this wonderful company!
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I cannot believe Picross just became the new Dragon Quest XI by being the first game confirmed for Nintendo’s new hardware
I wish more companies would go to Jupiter and say “hey how about a picross game using our IP?” Especially Indies. I feel like there are a bunch of popular indie games that’d make for great Picross titles. Imagine how well Undertale Picross would do!
I wish more companies would go to Jupiter and say “hey how about a picross game using our IP?” Especially Indies. I feel like there are a bunch of popular indie games that’d make for great Picross titles. Imagine how well Undertale Picross would do!
OP
OP
a hollow knight picross game starring myla is literally one of my biggest dream games.
sadly tho with the picross name being trademarked by nintendo, i feel like most companies don't feel like contracting jupiter for a picross game is worth it if they don't get to use the name. if you want to make a nonogram game there are probably cheaper ways to do it at that point.
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nonogram more like yesyesgram
OP
OP
slide's
Lucky bumper
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lmao this is by far what I want to know most from these people and this is the most non-answer possible! perhaps these executive types don't know much about the actual puzzle design process, or maybe it's a trade secret
I wonder how they go about designing the puzzles all the time when I'm playing, e.g. because some of them have such an interesting progression and require a particular discovery process, but still manage to kinda look like an object
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Imagine Picross Musou, the possibilites!
fiendcode
Like Like
Nintendo ownership of the Picross IP may complicate things. I'm guessing that's how SE ended up with Pictologica.
winstein
Bob-omb
Given how the Picross video games started with the Mario name, would it be appropriate for Picross to have another Mario Picross game in the future? Maybe they won't need that because they sell well even without Mario to help it, but it would be nice to see it once.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for reading.
OP
OP
some tidbits i found interesting:
my main takeaway from this interview is that it's gotten very hard to work with Nintendo on new collaborations and other than licensing the name to Jupiter, Nintendo seems pretty disinterested in being involved, which is very sad.
- Nakayama started the company in 1992 after being inspired by a lecture given by Hiroshi Yamauchi.
- the studio's first two members (Nakayama and Meguro) are still working there.
- Nintendo greenlit their pitch for a video game version of nonogram puzzles, which were popular at the time. due to their lack of experience with game development, Nintendo introduced them to Tsunekazu Ishihara from Ape (co-developer of Earthbound, later renamed to Creatures) who helped guide the game's development. Miyamoto oversaw the development and proposed adding Mario to the game.
- with the collab picross games (Pokemon, Zelda, Sega, etc) it’s almost always Jupiter who approaches the license holder. with Final Fantasy, it was SE who pitched the idea to Jupiter.
- Nintendo owns the Picross trademark Jupiter borrows it from them, but they own the game system (?).
- that’s why the Final Fantasy game on mobile couldn’t use the name and was called Pictlogica.
- "we’re confident that we’re the best Picross creators in the world, because we’ve been working on this series for nearly 30 years".
- they’re open to exploring mobile and other consoles and collaborations with other popular IP, but any Picross game outside of the Switch would have to be renamed.
- due to the 3DS eShop closing down, nearly 15 of their games were essentially delisted, but they have internal systems to preserve the games and want to utilize the old games in some way in the future.
- they think it’s better to release new puzzles in new releases instead of making a GaaS Picross game with new puzzles as DLC ("Once you allow the user to keep downloading from a single unit, you have less of a chance to appeal to new users").
- the interviewer asks if they would be interested in making something like Tetris 99 for NSO but with Picross, they say it’s up to Nintendo. they were trying to go for a live service game with Picross X but high server costs made them change it to what it is.
- they’re interested in more Nintendo collabs like zelda and Pokemon. "Absolutely. We’ve pitched Nintendo many times. It’s not easy to get a ‘yes’ from Nintendo, but we’re trying."
- they pitched Picross 2 (a sequel to picross DS) for 3DS to Nintendo, but they asked "Are you sure you’re going to reach 1 million sales?", they weren’t able to answer this, so that was the first time they did a licensing deal instead of a direct collaboration, and that’s how the e series for 3DS started.
- "We’re not pitching to Nintendo as much as we used to, knowing that it’s not easy to convince them to say yes. Our expectation is that as long as the Picross game is based on one of their IPs, they’re going to be the publisher, not Jupiter. So it’s very difficult to turn it around."
- "Going through their approval process has become more difficult than ever, so the easier way to work with Nintendo is to publish something with our own IP, not the other way round where a developer pitches Nintendo and waits for Nintendo to provide the IP to make the collaboration happen."
- We want to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Picross in 2025, and we’ve been pitching Nintendo for this, but it’s been really hard to get them to say yes. (WTH Nintendo?)
- "Picross has traditionally been more popular in Europe than in the US, but it’s the other way around now. We now make more money in the US than in Europe."
my main takeaway from this interview is that it's gotten very hard to work with Nintendo on new collaborations and other than licensing the name to Jupiter, Nintendo seems pretty disinterested in being involved, which is very sad.
read the summary above, it seems like nintendo is not being very open to working with them on new Nintendo-branded Picross games.
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A fascinating look at a company that primarily works on games that are simultaneously theirs and not theirs. Nintendo helping them out early on almost feels like a double-edged sword - Nintendo got Jupiter's games out there initially, but now they own the name to the franchise and, for better or for worse, have a very hands off approach to the brand. It's nice that Jupiter has the autonomy to produce as many original and other collaborations as they want (even if releasing it outside of a Nintendo console means a name change), but I wish Nintendo would play ball more on internal collaborations. Let's get that 2025 anniversary game, Nintendo!
winstein
Bob-omb
I hope that they manage to get something out with Nintendo by their 30th anniversary! It's a while before it's there, but hopefully something could be greenlit by then. Even a Nintendo-themed Picross would feel fresh since the last one was just a single IP (Twilight Princess themed, if I recall).
Thank you for reading.
Tye
All-around Nintendo enjoyer
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They can make Picross games based on non-Nintendo licensed properties while still using the Picross name, provided the game stays exclusive to Nintendo systems—see Picross S GENESIS & Master System edition, Picross Lord of the Nazarick, Kemono Friends Picross, and Sanrio characters Picross. They only had to call the Final Fantasy one Pictlogica because it wasn’t for a Nintendo system.
Koren Lesthe
Turrican, Terranigma and ESO lover
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Picross
In Japan, cross is often showcased as a X.
Nintendo X, Nintendo NX.
Pi-X
Pi
[Redacted] is Nintendo π
OP
OP
true true, but i assume idk, if toby fox wanted an undertale picross game he'd rather it be on pc and other consoles than be a switch exclusive with the only upside being that it gets to have the picross name. in the case of nazarick, kemono and sega it seems like it was jupiter who approached the license holders, not the other way around.
Gatchan
Rattata
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To tell the truth, these games are addictive but I had never even thought about their developers. So this interview was really interesting! It's a shame Nintendo isn't very interested in lending their properties for more games. The games are great even if you are making some random images, but I would love a DK picross game!
But how do you say Picross? Like Pik-ross, Pie-cross, or Pee-cross?
edamame
Paratroopa
It's a blend of the words "picture" and "crossword," so "pik-ross" is the correct pronunciation.
ammonite
agent chieftain here
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I remember seeing their name on TWEWY, Spectrobes, and Picross DS in the space of a few months and figuring they were the busiest, biggest, most in demand company out there.
D
Deleted member 1896
Guest
Releasing these simple games with minimal changes for decades has got to be one of the most successful and longest running scams in gaming.
And I'm part of the problem! Half of my NSO SNES hours are from Picross!
And I'm part of the problem! Half of my NSO SNES hours are from Picross!
D
Deleted member 2258
Guest
I didn't realize until this article that only Jupiter games carry the Picross name. That's wild since it feels more like a genre name at this point, but now I know that when I play Kemono Friends Picross, it's coming straight from the source.
