We’ve been covering Aksys Games releases here for about ten years now, including the publisher’s older iOS releases such as 999 (now discontinued) to output on Nintendo Switch and most recently Steam Deck. Aksys Games is best known for zero escape and Blue Wings These games were already on consoles before their original Japanese publishers established their own branches. Since then, Aksys has been producing otome visual novels, horror games, dungeon crawlers, and more on console and PC platforms. It just launched Tengoku Struggle -Strayside- on Nintendo Switch this week, and I had the chance to chat with Aksys Games COO Frank “Bo” deWindt II about the publisher’s work, otome games, and moving from PS Vita to Switch , the upcoming Switch version I’m excited to play Tokyo Xanadu eX+, potential ports, and more.
TouchArcade (TA): Tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Aksys Games.
Frank “Bo” deWindt II (Bo): I’m the COO of Aksys Games and I handle some things across all of our departments, but I’m also the head of production.
face: Aksys has been around for a while, and there was a feeling a few years ago that the franchises that hit the West through Aksys were now being transferred to the original publishers setting up their own Western offshoots or localization companies for new games. How did the team feel throughout the process? How do you decide which games to localize now?
Bo: Yes, it’s understandable to see various Japanese developers/publishers starting to expand into the West.
While this does eliminate some potential localized titles, it also allows us to be more selective about what we decide to publish. We keep a close eye on all upcoming games and fan requests, so we take everything into consideration when trying to develop a game.
face: One of the constants is otome games. Back on PS Vita, we’ve seen a lot of localized content, and the genre is now thriving on Switch. How well is Aksys handling the cross-platform transition? Did you consider porting the game elsewhere then and now?
Bo: The PlayStation Vita is definitely a good start for the Otome brand, but we find the Nintendo Switch is better suited for our fans to play games right now. As for ports, that’s usually up to the developer/IP holder, but we’d love to see otome games on other platforms as well.
face: Aksys now releases multiple otome games every year, with some even getting limited edition releases or store exclusive bonuses. Have you ever thought about the potential for market saturation with multiple releases per year?
Bo: Now that Aksys and other Western publishers are releasing otome games, it does give consumers more options. So, to help balance things out, we try to find the otome games that are the most engaging and exciting for our user base.
face: Otomate and Idea Factory are obviously strong partners, so how do you decide which games to localize from them? I ask this question because some Otomate games are released in the West through Idea Factory International.
Bo: If we know about a game and are interested in it, we contact them directly, but on the other hand, they also let us know about potential games that could be used for localization.
So if we have a title that we want to pursue, we typically evaluate it internally as a company and make a decision based on that.
face: What was the decision made about when to make a limited edition versus a standard edition? Have you considered sales in Japan?
Bo: There are several factors that go into making this decision. Typically, if this is the first time a game is released, it will depend on the level of hype and demand surrounding the game. As far as sequels go, it makes more sense to do a limited edition since there’s already a fan base.
face: What is your favorite game to develop in recent years?
Bo: It’s hard to pick just one, but I really like the Soul Hunters series on Switch (Marked for Death, NG, Marked for Death II), Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi, and the upcoming Kingdom Come – Strayside-” and “Tokyo Arcadia eX+”, as well as the “Muramasa Rebirth”, “Shiren The Wanderer 5” and “Zero Escape” series among our past titles.
face: Tell us a little about the otome gaming community, which has been booming over the past few years with a number of otome-focused websites covering the genre. How important is this to Aksys?
Bo: Otome fans have always been important to us, and we’re excited to see the community continue to expand and grow while also introducing new fans to otome games. We hope to continue to release more otome games for fans old and new to enjoy.
face: Aside from otome games, I’m glad to see some games taking over the West with Aksys’ help. I want to talk about them now. The first one is Tokyo Arcadia eX+. The game will be released on Switch in June with localization modifications. I’m glad to see this finally hitting the West. Are there any plans to bring updated localized versions to other platforms?
Bo: Yes, I’m also very excited about Tokyo Arcadia eX+ on Switch, and we’re excited for fans to be able to play the game in an updated localized version. A little birdie told me the release date will be in July, so we’re hoping our fans can wait a little longer. As for bringing localization to other platforms, that’s something we’re considering, but there aren’t any plans yet.
face: What led to the decision to localize the update instead of just releasing it with the version we played on PS4 and PC back in the day?
Bo: When we originally released Tokyo Xanadu and Tokyo Xanadu eX+, there was no specific standard or style for Falcom-related games, but things have evolved for the better since then, so we wanted to improve Tokyo eX+” localization to make it closer to reality. Meets the standards of today’s Falcom games. We hope everyone enjoys it!
face: Tokyo Arcadia is one of Falcom’s few localized games without English dubs. Have you ever planned it?
Bo: Voice acting was considered when the game was originally launched, but due to the volume of text and speech and the time involved, it was decided to use only Japanese voices.
face: Experience Inc’s Spirit Hunter and Undernauts games are great. I’m excited to see the team bringing them to multiple platforms in the West at the same time, but I wonder if the team has considered porting games from Experience Inc in the West that aren’t currently released on Xbox to Xbox?
Bo: Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to port these games to Xbox.
face: How have players responded to these games?
Bo: All of the Spirit Hunter games, as well as Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi, have received a lot of positive reviews and reviews, so we’re excited to see fans enjoying them!
face: Aksys has made a lot of games in the past but hasn’t re-released them. I would like to express my interest in the port of Muramasa Rebirth for Switch, PC, Xbox and PS5. I know Marvelous might make this decision, but I hope this shows that there are people willing to replay or play this game for the first time on modern platforms since everyone loves Vanillaware now.
Bo: As much as we’d love to see a port of Muramasa reborn, that’s up to Marvelous and Vanillaware.
face: Coming back to otome, how is it expanding Aksys’ products into Europe, EMEA, Australia and more?
Bo: So far things are going well on the European side, but we hope to continue to expand and spread the word about otome games in other regions as players become more familiar with the genre.
face: Did you find any particular genres performed better in these areas than you expected?
Bo: Role-playing games seem to be getting a good response in Europe. Usually more mainstream games, especially those in multiple languages.
face: When you bring a game to the West, how do you decide which platforms to port to, aside from the main Japanese version?
Bo: Normally we release for the same platforms as the original Japanese version, but if we port to another platform it will usually be for Steam.
face: Here at TouchArcade we focus on mobile games, but also cover Switch and Steam Deck games. How has the response been to your games on the Steam Deck over the past year or so?
Bo: Our latest Steam Deck-compatible release is Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II, and the response has been great so far, so we hope to see more Steam games running on the Steam Deck in the future.
face: Did you complete any additional work for the system?
Bo: For Steam Deck, developers have to do some extra work to ensure the correct SDK etc. are implemented and the game runs properly.
face: Aksys released some iOS versions, such as 999: Novel, a few years ago, but has never released one since. Is there any chance we’ll see some otome games or soul hunter games?
Bo: Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to port or release the game on mobile platforms.
face: What do you think of the current state of the console and PC industries in your specific field?
Bo: Console and Steam/PC games have performed well for us so far, both physically and digitally, so we’re excited to continue releasing games supporting these platforms.
face: What should players expect from Aksys Games in 2024?
Bo: As you may have seen from the All Aksys event earlier this year, we had a few announcements like Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on Switch and a few otome games, but we’ll definitely have more to come later in the year Lots of content, so stay tuned!
face: What was your favorite game last year? What is your favorite thing so far?
Bo: I’ve been playing The Legend of Heroes: Aeon’s Trail since last year, and I’ve finished it. I’m currently playing Shiren The Wanderer 6 on Switch, and plan to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth later. As a Kickstarter backer and a huge fan of Yoshitaka Murayama (may he rest in peace), I’m also very excited about the upcoming release of Eternal Chronicles: One Hundred Heroes.
face: Do you like your coffee?
Bo: I don’t drink coffee, which might surprise some people haha.
I would like to thank Frank “Bo” deWindt II of Aksys Games and Kate Hedstrom of MMPR for their time and help.
You can follow all of our interviews here, including our recent interviews with Dave Oshry of New Blood, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, and Team NINJA, sonic dream team, hi-fi sprint, repentance, and more. As always, thank you for reading.