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[Bullet Club]

Via Reddit.

AlphaDream, who worked primarily on the Mario & Luigi RPGs just announced bankruptcy.

There doesn't seem to be an English source yet, but here's an article from Yahoo Japan. I'll try to update with more info as soon as there's an English source.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20191002-00010002-teikokudb-ind

Google Translate:

Alpha Dream Co., Ltd. (TDB Company Code: 984272595, capital 90 million yen, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 2-19-19, representative Yoshihiko Maekawa) received a decision from the Tokyo District Court to commhold bankruptcy proceedings on October 1.

The bankruptcy trustee is Kuma Hayato, 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Andy Bear Hayato Law Office, tel. 03-5224-6627. The Company was established in May 1991 with the trade name of Maintenance Tomo and Ai Co., Ltd. for the purpose of interior and exterior construction. Then, in January 2000, the company changed its name to Alpha Star Software , and in July of the same year, the company changed its business model to the planning and development of game software, and was entrusted with the planning and development of game software, mainly mobile game consoles, from major game console manufacturers. As a result of game software development, we have been developing such as mario luigi RPG series and "Totoko Hamtaro" character game "4" and later, [Mario Luigi RPG3 DX], [Totoko Hamtaro] Ham Ham Challenge! It's a hot one! There is a masterpiece, such as].

Although the development was partly outsourced, the company's employees consistently entrusted the series with its development capabilities as a strength, and in the fiscal year ended March 2014, the company posted an annual revenue of approximately 300 million yen. In recent years, however, while income swelled, the burden of development costs was heavy, forcing the financial statements to continue to be overdue.

After that, business performance did not recover, and it became difficult to continue the business, and this was the measure. As of the end of 2018, the liabilities were approximately ¥100 million.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Wow.

I don't know what to say. M&L is one of my all-time favorite franchises.

 

[Bakkus]

M&L games have been a waste of time ever since Bowser. If this means Nintendo can get Paper Mario back to it's roots, then this is a good thing. Hopefully all the employees will find new jobs soon.

 

[-Arcadia-]

What the hell? The M&L games were doing ridiculously great for them.

Curious to know what happened here.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Development costs are cited here, but they made ridiculously simple games in terms of tech, then turned around and sold millions upon millions of units. Granted, those funds would go to Nintendo, but I presume they were well compensated.

Cocaine and strippers in the office every day?

 

[Andyliini]

Oh, that's a shame. I loved Mario & Luigi games, altough lately they only did remasters of their previous games. Hopefully Mario-related RPG's will return in some other form sooner rather than later, the series have usually been enjoyable to play (but please no Paper Mario RPG, didn't like it's gameplay at all).

 

[bitbydeath]

What the hell? The M&L games were doing ridiculously great for them.

Curious to know what happened here.

Think they released their last title on a dying handheld instead of Switch.

 

[Spukc]

No surprise there .
They had one great mario&luigi game.
The OG on the gba.

All other games after that where worse.
I hope the people that lost their jobs find something new

 

[Teslerum]

Development costs are cited here, but they made ridiculously simple games in terms of tech, then turned around and sold millions upon millions of units. Granted, those funds would go to Nintendo, but I presume they were well compensated.

Cocaine and strippers in the office every day?

Why? No they probably weren't.

For third party developers the *well compensated* part means work/contracts to pay the bills. If you don't have work, you're a dead man walking. Otherwise any additional money you get might keep the lights on for a bit, but the burn rate is way too high to do so over a longer period of time.

 

[TUROK]

Development costs are cited here, but they made ridiculously simple games in terms of tech,

This is a ridiculous oversimplification of how game development works.

 

[Holammer]

As a developer they kinda deserved it, banking everything on licensed brands and exclusively on one system.
That's great as long as it works, but if Nintendo hiccups, they fall.

 

[iconmaster]

Development costs are cited here, but they made ridiculously simple games in terms of tech, then turned around and sold millions upon millions of units.

Dev costs would shoot up in the move to Switch.

Also, their last game (Paper Jam) didn't do so hot critically or in sales.

 

[-Arcadia-]

This is a ridiculous oversimplification of how game development works.

Enlighten me, master. Do top-down sprite-based games somehow rival full 3D, controllable camera games in development costs, or are they a great deal cheaper?

 

[Yoshi]

As a developer they kinda deserved it, banking everything on licensed brands and exclusively on one system.
That's great as long as it works, but if Nintendo hiccups, they fall.

So, HAL, Intelligent Systems and Next Level Games also deserve the same?

Very sad to hear that, I love Mario & Luigi. I hope the devs land on their feet quickly.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Why? No they probably weren't.

For third party developers the *well compensated* part means work/contracts to pay the bills. If you don't have work, you're a dead man walking. Otherwise any additional money you get might keep the lights on for a bit, but the burn rate is way too high to do so over a longer period of time.

Yes, well compensated as in the additional money, and Nintendo continuing to pay the bills, up until (I believe, time flies) that Mario and Luigi remake recently. Obviously the studio needs to continue to be funded, but given that was happening until relatively recently, on top of a string of smash hit successes, that’s a little surprising.

 

[Alexios]

Last news was they were hiring staff for multiplatform HD development. And they also had a lackluster mobile game done for somebody else. Should have stuck with what they did best but maybe that wasn't possible. At least Nintendo enabled them to stay afloat up to this point.

 

[Teslerum]

Yes, well compensated as in the additional money, and Nintendo continuing to pay the bills, up until (I believe, time flies) that Mario and Luigi remake recently. Obviously the studio needs to continue to be funded, but given that was happening until relatively recently, on top of a string of smash hit successes, that’s a little surprising.

That released in 2017.

2 years to pay for licenses (especially), production and other costs is a ton of money.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

It sounds like they didn't have efficient cash flow.

If they had kept contracted work yearly then they must know how to keep costs down if a game flops.

Sad to hear but it sounds like they assumed that the games would keep selling at a steady pace because Mario makes money for the most part.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

Someone should buy them to save them.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I never play them.

I have to download for "Free" in my magic Nintendo 3ds Xl to play them =P.

They should launch Super Mario RPG 2 with new stuff and not square things for the copyright problems.

 

[Sweets]

Partners in Time was peak M&L and I cannot be convinced otherwise

 

[-Arcadia-]

That released in 2017.

2 years to pay for licenses (especially), production and other costs is a ton of money.

January 11, 2019 (U.S., other regions similar) is the latest one.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Curious to hear the inside story.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Curious to hear the inside story.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Nintendo should have bought them like how they should have bought Cing before they were closed down in 2010

 

[SantaC]

bowsers inside story was good. The rest, meh.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Im gonna start to play them.

What is the best in Nintendo 3ds?

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

No surprise there .
They had one great mario&luigi game.
The OG on the gba.

All other games after that where worse.
I hope the people that lost their jobs find something new

Peak for me was Partners In Time.. The fact that PiT takes place in the mushroom kingdom and explores the "timeline" was a big nostalgia trip, whereas SS was in that stupid Beanville world. Combat in PiT is the most complex in the series before every special attack became its own minigame. Bowser's Inside Story was better than SS too, but Dream Team and Paper Jam weren't the best.

I'd rank PiT > BIS > SS > PJ >>>> DT

 

[iconmaster]

Curious to hear the inside story.

I'm sure you will in time, partner.

 

[ZeroGravity]

Nintendo really did them dirty, sadly. Sent their games to die at the end of the 3DS lifecycle, and meddling much like they did with the Paper Mario games to remove any uniqueness or creativity in favor of sticking strictly to established Mario canon elements.

 

[Spukc]

Peak for me was Partners In Time.. The fact that PiT takes place in the mushroom kingdom and explores the "timeline" was a big nostalgia trip, whereas SS was in that stupid Beanville world. Combat in PiT is the most complex in the series before every special attack became its own minigame. Bowser's Inside Story was better than SS too, but Dream Team and Paper Jam weren't the best.

I'd rank PiT > BIS > SS > PJ >>>> DT

Wrong

 

[Dirk Benedict]

M&L games have been a waste of time ever since Bowser. If this means Nintendo can get Paper Mario back to it's roots, then this is a good thing. Hopefully all the employees will find new jobs soon.

Man, fuck Paper Mario. We need SquarEnix and Nintendo to get Super Mario RPG 2 off the ground and into our lives. It's long overdue.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Wrong

It's time to let Fawful go.

 

[Bakkus]

Peak for me was Partners In Time.. The fact that PiT takes place in the mushroom kingdom and explores the "timeline" was a big nostalgia trip, whereas SS was in that stupid Beanville world. Combat in PiT is the most complex in the series before every special attack became its own minigame. Bowser's Inside Story was better than SS too, but Dream Team and Paper Jam weren't the best.

I'd rank PiT > BIS > SS > PJ >>>> DT

Partners in Time is the most repetitive game in the franchise. Every puzzle is a variant of: 'throw the babies to places M&L can't reach and make them open up the locked path forward'. Thankfully, BIS was better.

Man, fuck Paper Mario. We need SquarEnix and Nintendo to get Super Mario RPG 2 off the ground and into our lives. It's long overdue.

The M&L games are for all intents and purposes the sequels. Most of the same employees moved from that game to Alphadream

 

[MagnesG]

Nintendo really did them dirty, sadly. Sent their games to die at the end of the 3DS lifecycle, and meddling much like they did with the Paper Mario games to remove any uniqueness or creativity in favor of sticking strictly to established Mario canon elements.

Whoa, is this from the interviews?

 

[TLZ]

What if they are all employed at Nintendo now?

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Partners in Time is the most repetitive game in the franchise. Every puzzle is a variant of: 'throw the babies to places M&L can't reach and make them open up the locked path forward'. Thankfully, BIS was better.

So? I didn't play any of the Mario RPGs for their puzzles. I played for their nostalgic references and the fun combat.

 

[Yoshi]

What if they are all employed at Nintendo now?

Then I would be happy. I doubt it though.

 

[Enjay]

This is a ridiculous oversimplification of how game development works.

If development costs for those games was really that high then flat out they DESERVED to go out of business.

 

[TUROK]

Enlighten me, master. Do top-down sprite-based games somehow rival full 3D, controllable camera games in development costs, or are they a great deal cheaper?

Well, didn't take you very long to move the goalposts.

But hey, I'll engage you anyway. Wouldn't be surprised if they're generally less expensive, but that doesn't mean much if you don't take the budget, team size, game scope, managerial effectiveness, development time, or any of the countless other variables at play.

Making 2D games is NOT inherently easy.

If development costs for those games was really that high then flat out they DESERVED to go out of business.

Your expert testimony has been taken under consideration.

 

[TLZ]

Then I would be happy. I doubt it though.

I never knew they were 3rd party. I thought they were all 1st party. I'm glad I have them all, or most of them I think.

 

[ZeroGravity]

Whoa, is this from the interviews?

No, this is entirely speculation, but you look at what happened with the Paper Mario series, and how they directed them to only used established Mario characters, you can see the exact same shift in direction with the M&L series too. Paper Jam was entirely devoid of the personality that made the first few games special. They even changed a lot of the sprites in the Superstar Saga remake to match more current Mario designs instead of sticking to the more unique ones the original game had.

 

[synchronicity]

It's time to let Fawful go.

I love M&L. That's a real shame.

 

[MagnesG]

I really hope they would bounce back, and fix the financial problems. It's really weird they would come to this unless they already have some issues at their strategy core process.

 

[Enjay]

Well, didn't take you very long to move the goalposts.

But hey, I'll engage you anyway. Wouldn't be surprised if they're generally less expensive, but that doesn't mean much if you don't take the budget, team size, game scope, managerial effectiveness, development time, or any of the countless other variables at play.

Making 2D games is NOT inherently easy.

Your expert testimony has been taken under consideration.

You sound just as experienced as I do on the subject.

 

[McRazzle]

Man, fuck Paper Mario. We need SquarEnix and Nintendo to get Super Mario RPG 2 off the ground and into our lives. It's long overdue.

Nintendo has Monolith Soft.
I want, Mario and Luigi Chronicles

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Nintendo has Monolith Soft.

They also have Camelot pretty much. Instead of forcing them to do sports over and over let them do an RPG or SRPG with Mario.

 

[Punished Miku]

I remember reading some interviews talking about how they were masters of working on sprites, but even on 3DS they barely even had employees who could do any 3D modeling work at all.

They always seemed like a really unique studio that was just kind of barely hanging on to the things they were really good at.

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Shocking news.


Nintendo owns Mario AND Luigi? Say it isn't so bros.

http://www.alphadream.co.jp/

The dream is officially dead.