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StarTopic Monolith Soft Development and Speculation |ST|

TheMoon said:
that's just a Zelda game.

it's cool if all of that stuff is your personal theory about their project and you're welcome to have that theory but whenever you share it, please make sure to not present it as some kind of fact-based info.

right now literally the only fact we have is that the hiring page is still up for this project and thus it can be assumed that the project is ongoing.
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This is a speculation thread and when something is a personal theory then I write it down.

"An epic story"... If Monolith Soft is making a Zelda game, wouldn't it have a more developed story than the other Zelda games? Don't the Xenoblade games have a more epic story than the Zelda games? Isn't that a fact? And don't tell me it's just my personal opinion, because the Xenoblade games have more story than the Zelda games and that's a fact.

If Monolith Soft is making a Zelda game then it will have a more epic and developed story than the other Zelda games.

"Hack and slash"... I think you meant to write "that's just a Hyrule Warriors game" because I don't know of any other Zelda games that are hack and slash.

If Monolith Soft is making a Zelda game then it wouldn't have a combat system like Xenoblade, turn-based combat is out of the question and the only genre left is hack and slash because it's an action game.

And as I said before, I'd be happier if it is a new IP.

ILikeFeet said:
in any case, it's not likely Monolith are making a Zelda game. when the action game started hiring, Hyrule Warriors was poised for another sequel, filling the slot.
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Hyrule Warriors is a spin-off, so it doesn't fill the slot. And I'm sure the action game was meant to be a next-gen game from the start.
ILikeFeet said:
and they started up a whole separate division dedicated to assisting Zelda.
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With the same job list.
ILikeFeet said:
also given the timing, Xenoblade 3 was already planned as Takahashi came up with it during Xenoblade 2.
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Xenoblade 3 was planned before Xenoblade 2 began development, i.e. before 2015.
 
LitKai said:
Xenoblade 3 was planned before Xenoblade 2 began development, i.e. before 2015.
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To be clear, a concept for what would become 3 was conceived before 2 - specifically the image of the Mechonis sword and Uraya. Development didn't begin until fall 2018. Exactly how much planning went into 3 between that art and 2018 is unknown. For all we know they were like "what if we put that whale in the next game, then some game after that we can combine that game with the first one and make that art the title screen" and that was it for three years.

Regarding the hack and slash point, I think people are misunderstanding you a bit because hack and slash doesn't have a clear definition. It's sort of just a vague description of action combat - or even just action relative to something else. There was a time when the combat in MUDs was considered hack & slash compared to regular text adventures, the same combat that would inform Everquest and similar MMO tab-target systems. Hell, Takahashi called Xenoblade X hack & slash in an interview once (https://www.gamereactor.eu/tetsuya-takahashi-talks-xenoblade-chronicles-x/).

Admittedly, I'm still a bit confused what you mean. You say Zelda combat isn't hack & slash and that Hyrule Warriors is, then say the only option for a Monolith Zelda is hack & slash since it can't be Xenoblade-like or turn based. But if normal Zelda combat is different than hack & slash, wouldn't that be an option too? Because it's not Xenoblade-like or turn based. And you dismiss that idea of Hyrule Warriors looking for a sequel when the hypothetical action game started hiring as being a spin-off even though it's the one game here you do consider hack & slash. Wouldn't your suggested game be a spin-off as well? I'm just a little lost what you mean.
 
AoiHana said:
I’d rather EPD themselves beef up the writing on Zelda, but a more story-driven spinoff or even mainline game by Monolith Soft probably wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. If I’m being honest, though, I would rather see them do a new original IP for their next in-house project than Zelda.

I still don’t know what to make of the action game hiring notice, TBH. I don’t think it’s for a Monolith-helmed Zelda game. As to what it could be, that’s just about anyone’s guess, because right now I’m not feeling too confident in their chances of getting an original IP past whoever at Nintendo’s responsible for greenlighting that stuff.
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I'm wondering if we're looking at a situation a little like Astral Chain, where Platinum's initial idea about the game shifted a fair bit with EPD's involvement. So while Monolith Soft are developing, perhaps EPD have had a bigger role in setting the parameters for a new IP?

A good scenario for me would be another partnership between EPD3 and Monolith Soft for a new IP. Get a handful of Zelda brains in there, because EPD3 aren't otherwise ever going to work on anything new.
 
EtherPenguin said:
To be clear, a concept for what would become 3 was conceived before 2 - specifically the image of the Mechonis sword and Uraya. Development didn't begin until fall 2018. Exactly how much planning went into 3 between that art and 2018 is unknown. For all we know they were like "what if we put that whale in the next game, then some game after that we can combine that game with the first one and make that art the title screen" and that was it for three years.

Regarding the hack and slash point, I think people are misunderstanding you a bit because hack and slash doesn't have a clear definition. It's sort of just a vague description of action combat - or even just action relative to something else. There was a time when the combat in MUDs was considered hack & slash compared to regular text adventures, the same combat that would inform Everquest and similar MMO tab-target systems. Hell, Takahashi called Xenoblade X hack & slash in an interview once (https://www.gamereactor.eu/tetsuya-takahashi-talks-xenoblade-chronicles-x/).

Admittedly, I'm still a bit confused what you mean. You say Zelda combat isn't hack & slash and that Hyrule Warriors is, then say the only option for a Monolith Zelda is hack & slash since it can't be Xenoblade-like or turn based. But if normal Zelda combat is different than hack & slash, wouldn't that be an option too? Because it's not Xenoblade-like or turn based. And you dismiss that idea of Hyrule Warriors looking for a sequel when the hypothetical action game started hiring as being a spin-off even though it's the one game here you do consider hack & slash. Wouldn't your suggested game be a spin-off as well? I'm just a little lost what you mean.
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When you say hack and slash, people imagine DMC, NieR, Bayonetta.... I think it's clear.

"Normal" Zelda combat is not an option, because if you want visually stunning combat, hack and slash is the only option left.

I never dismissed the idea of Hyrule Warriors looking for a sequel and I don't know if Monolith Soft's Zelda game would be a spin-off. I see TotK and A Link Between Worlds and I think one of them is a spin-off. Link's Awakening remake was developed by Grezzo and is a mainline Zelda game.
 
LitKai said:
I never dismissed the idea of Hyrule Warriors looking for a sequel and I don't know if Monolith Soft's Zelda game would be a spin-off. I see TotK and A Link Between Worlds and I think one of them is a spin-off. Link's Awakening remake was developed by Grezzo and is a mainline Zelda game.
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Well Nintendo doesn't see it like that. Especially since A Link Between Worlds is a sequel
 
LitKai said:
When you say hack and slash, people imagine DMC, NieR, Bayonetta.... I think it's clear.

"Normal" Zelda combat is not an option, because if you want visually stunning combat, hack and slash is the only option left.

I never dismissed the idea of Hyrule Warriors looking for a sequel and I don't know if Monolith Soft's Zelda game would be a spin-off. I see TotK and A Link Between Worlds and I think one of them is a spin-off. Link's Awakening remake was developed by Grezzo and is a mainline Zelda game.
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diablo is a hack and slash game too. video game genres are literally one of the stupidest thing in our universe. ^^
 
The action game either was TotK(but I doubt that since they still have hirings up for it and hired specifically for TotK separately) or it's a new IP/reinvented IP that has been in pre-production for awhile until, idk, after Xenoblade 3?

I don't see any way they'd start a game aiming at Switch before Switch itself released(the project started in 2016, but even 2017 I don't see neither them aiming for future hardware nor Nintendo greenlighting a game that had 6+ years of development).

I think they've had a few leads working on pre-production, and used the hiring for the action game to expand further to work on Xenoblade Chronicles DE/3/TotK, and only actually started full development on the project when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was content complete by 2021 or after DE was content complete by late 2019.

I think whatever it was it started as a Switch project and shifted to Switch 2 mid dev, which would add more time to development.

We've had Animal Crossing New Horizons beginning pre-production in 2012 and releasing in 2020, definitely full development didn't start in 2012, I assume it started by 2016. We've had Metroid Prime 4 publicly announced very early on, started development by 2016, then was rebooted by late 2018, announced in January 2019, odds are it's releasing somewhere between late 2023 and late 2024. Pikmin 4 was being thought of by 2015, a few people took their time prototyping and idealizing it for years, until it was rebooted and the current iteration started development by 2018/2019 to release in 2023.

I think it's a mix of all of the things above, actual development didn't start until much, MUCH later than 2017, it's in full development now, should release in 2024 or 2025, either cross gen or Switch 2 only. I think a new IP is the most likely scenario. No reason for them to start development on a Zelda game before BotW was out and before TotK development itself started already aiming at next gen launch when Switch was so young. Also, actual 5-6 years developments were never a thing for Nintendo and are probably things that wouldn't have happened to TotK, MP4, the next 3D Mario and etc had COVID not happened and them knowing how larger development would be in late Switch era vs early Switch era.
 
monolith update their website challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)
 
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Hino*: I want to change my DQ, more violent and adult-oriented in terms of storytelling and combat
Monolith Soft.: Misteriously working on an action RPG

favorite-facts.gif



DQXII to be announced at the State of Play as PS5 timed-exsclusive
Holyblade (new action IP, set in Medieval setting, until the very end when you discover that everything was an immersive VR simulation managed by an alien AI) to be announced at the switch 2 pres conference

lol

EDIT: *Horii
 
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I know alot of talk has been on the potential action game but I feel like inspite of everything there's a decent chance Xenoblade 4 could also be one of their next games. Hell it could probably be their first game on the Drake all things considered.

As of now we know key staff members like Koh Kojima weren't involved on the Expansion Pass content and Genki Yokota was just a producer for Future Redeemed so they probably have a good shot at leading the next game which seems likely it's gonna be XC4 based off the content in Future Redeemed. Ontop of that Takahashi has already been talking about that the stories of XC3 and the DLC would tie into the future of Xenoblade before XC3's release and one of the interviews they did for XC3 also talked about how the series would continue and Yokota in particular wants to keep making Xenoblade games as much as they can.

I think another key aspect for why I think XC4 could be coming sooner than expected is for the previous system launches Nintendo and Monolith had specifically made plans and deals to get Xenoblade games out early on their system's lifecycles. Granted it didn't work with X but they were able to finish XC2 within the first year of the system's lifespan and I could imagine Nintendo and Monolith could try the same thing again for XC4 with Drake. XC2 also started in the middle of XCX's development so it's not like they couldn't have started the project in the latter half of XC3's development as well.
 
I'd imagine if XC4 was a game they were pushing hard to release in the Drake's launch year they'd probably be building off of existing Xenoblade framework and possibly assets again as the setting would likely be the merged world in FR so I don't exactly know how or why they'd suddenly make XC4 an action game. XC2 introduced a whole lot of new mechanics and revamped the battle system but ARPG seems a step off for a project like that. I could see implementing more action elements but that's as far as it'd go I'd imagine.
 
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Ignoring the potential action game, Shigekazu Yamada is the big question mark for me right now. Planning Lead and one of the producers for DE, as well as directing Future Connected.

Was the project he‘s working on stuck in pre-production for two years until XB3 released? Or potentially even cancelled? Is it the same project Kojima/Yokota are working on? Is it another remaster (XBX?) or something completely different? Is he even still at Monolith?
 
N75 said:
Ignoring the potential action game, Shigekazu Yamada is the big question mark for me right now. Planning Lead and one of the producers for DE, as well as directing Future Connected.

Was the project he‘s working on stuck in pre-production for two years until XB3 released? Or potentially even cancelled? Is it the same project Kojima/Yokota are working on? Is it another remaster (XBX?) or something completely different? Is he even still at Monolith?
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Would it be safe to assume Kojima and Yokota would be on whatever the next big Takahashi project is?

Where does the info on that Future Connected guy having a project come from? This is the first I've heard of it. I can't imagine they'd be able to work on too many projects at the same time.
 
Quoted by: N75
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EtherPenguin said:
Would it be safe to assume Kojima and Yokota would be on whatever the next big Takahashi project is?

Where does the info on that Future Connected guy having a project come from? This is the first I've heard of it. I can't imagine they'd be able to work on too many projects at the same time.
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I’m not saying that he’s necessarily leading a project, but I doubt he was doing nothing for those two years.

With Future Connected done, I wouldn’t be surprised if PG1 is working on two projects again like DE/3.
 
N75 said:
I’m not saying that he’s necessarily leading a project, but I doubt he was doing nothing for those two years.

With Future Connected done, I wouldn’t be surprised if PG1 is working on two projects again like DE/3.
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Okay, I see what you mean. I'm curious how production group 2 is looking now that Zelda's done and if they really are working on something like the rumored action game. Combined with the possibility of PG1 working on two projects like 3/DE that would mean the Tokyo team alone would be working on three in-house projects which seems a bit much for them, especially as a whole new game would be more demanding than a remaster, but who knows.
 
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I feel like it makes more sense the remaining team members perhaps got started on the project after XC3. I don't think PG1 are working on two projects right now especially as the reason they were able to do that was because one of the games was a remaster and also to act as a prelude to build up to XC3. It makes more sense that PG1 got preliminary work done for the next Xenoblade game as they wrap up XC3 development and set up a smaller team for it's Expansion Pass content.
 
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pachamelon said:
Then there is only the mystery of Honne and the two employees from your previous post who have worked on something and what is unknown.
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Is there any indication, e.g. tweets by him, that he's actually still directly working on games? Since establishing the Kyoto studio in 2011 Honne has transitioned into a manager role and it strikes me as realistic that he only further transitioned into that role when he moved back to Tokyo, so that his tasks are now less related to any specific game as much as keeping the studio running from behind the scenes.
 
wrowa said:
Is there any indication, e.g. tweets by him, that he's actually still directly working on games? Since establishing the Kyoto studio in 2011 Honne has transitioned into a manager role and it strikes me as realistic that he only further transitioned into that role when he moved back to Tokyo, so that his tasks are now less related to any specific game as much as keeping the studio running from behind the scenes.
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Xenoblade 2 and Project X Zone 2
 
Before people claim this is the action game:
They appearently only supervised new arts and changes in the game, it doesn't seem they helped programming or developing itself.
 
Hauke_von_Arding said:
Before people claim this is the action game:
They appearently only supervised new arts and changes in the game, it doesn't seem they helped programming or developing itself.
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not sure why anyone would say the BK remasters are the action game since BK is nothing that qualifies as an action game under any sort of lens.

here's the blurb translated
sceMEAk.png


it's pretty much as I suspected from the jump, basic supervision from MLS (probably Honne's department) to make sure things look legit.
 
EtherPenguin said:
Why are we stalking Honne's whereabouts?
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I think the thought is that if he's in Tokyo at their main location then he's probably making a new game, but if he's in Kyoto at their Nintendo support studio then he's probably not.

I think.

He hasn't been credited (for anything aside from "special thanks") on a game since Xenoblade 2. So the hope is that some of the rumblings of a semi-secret third MonolithSoft game (one that isn't Xenoblade or Zelda) is something fresh and different that he has been leading.
 
chocolate_supra said:
I think the thought is that if he's in Tokyo at their main location then he's probably making a new game, but if he's in Kyoto at their Nintendo support studio then he's probably not.

I think.

He hasn't been credited (for anything aside from "special thanks") on a game since Xenoblade 2. So the hope is that some of the rumblings of a semi-secret third MonolithSoft game (one that isn't Xenoblade or Zelda) is something fresh and different that he has been leading.
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There's no need to read that much into it at all though. Don't forget that he ran the Kyoto studio when it first opened, it's not strange at all that he would frequently visit them.
 
Dunban said:
There's no need to read that much into it at all though. Don't forget that he ran the Kyoto studio when it first opened, it's not strange at all that he would frequently visit them.
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Yeah I agree, just stating why I assume people are stalking him. 😅
 
gamebiz-jp.translate.goog

モノリスソフト、2023年3月期の決算は最終利益が98％増の8億円…『ゼノブレイド3』を開発、『Splatoon3』にも参加【追記】 | gamebiz

モノリスソフトの2023年3月期(第24期)の決算は、最終利益が前の期比で97.8％増の8億円だった。前の期(2022年3月期)の実績は、最終利益が4億0400万円だった。7月6日付の「官報」に掲載された「決算公告」で判明した。同社は、任天堂<7974>のゲーム開発子会社で、ゼノサーガシリーズやバテン・カイトスシリーズなどが代表作となっている。この期は、『ゼノブレイド3』の開発を担当したほか、『…
gamebiz-jp.translate.goog gamebiz-jp.translate.goog

Do you think that with TotK they will have the largest net income? They have contributed more in the development of TotK than in Animal Crossing and there is still Baten Kaitos left. And Future Redeemed must have given them some profits.

Hmmm
 
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LitKai said:
gamebiz-jp.translate.goog

モノリスソフト、2023年3月期の決算は最終利益が98％増の8億円…『ゼノブレイド3』を開発、『Splatoon3』にも参加【追記】 | gamebiz

モノリスソフトの2023年3月期(第24期)の決算は、最終利益が前の期比で97.8％増の8億円だった。前の期(2022年3月期)の実績は、最終利益が4億0400万円だった。7月6日付の「官報」に掲載された「決算公告」で判明した。同社は、任天堂<7974>のゲーム開発子会社で、ゼノサーガシリーズやバテン・カイトスシリーズなどが代表作となっている。この期は、『ゼノブレイド3』の開発を担当したほか、『…
gamebiz-jp.translate.goog gamebiz-jp.translate.goog

Do you think that with TotK they will have the largest net income? They have contributed more in the development of TotK than in Animal Crossing and there is still Baten Kaitos left. And Future Redeemed must have given them some profits.

Hmmm
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They didn't work on Baten Kaitos. Special thanks for art supervision.

I'm not sure how the pay gets distributed between Nintendo's internal R&D and their collaborative subsidiaries (SRD, Monolith, Mario Club) on the production of ToTK. For Animal Crossing, they were more on the art asset production side of things -- which has to figure in smaller dividends.
 
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