Ask John: Why No New Azumi Video Game?

Question:
When will Tecmo’s Team Ninja make a current generation Azumi game? Tecmo has proven they can do ninja games with Ninja Gaiden that are popular among hardcore gaming crowd.

Answer:

Prior to doing a bit of research for this question I hadn’t been aware that D3 Publisher actually did release an Azumi action game for the Playstation 2 back in April 2006. Simple 2000 Series Ultimate volume 32: Azumi hit the PS2 console twelve years after the manga series it’s based on premiered, and a year after director Shusuke Kaneko’s live action film Azumi 2: Death or Love, the sequel to director Ryuhei Kitamura’s successful 2003 feature film adaptation. D3 Publisher’s cheap (2,100 yen including tax) game was doubtlessly developed to cash in on the surge of popularity in the Azumi franchise at the time. But now, several years later, Azumi may not still have enough consumer interest to support even an inexpensive game.

I’ll specifically address Yu Koyama’s Azumi manga, but the principle behind my answer applies to countless manga titles of similar circumstances. Azumi is not a hot new manga franchise, nor is it a widely acknowledged multi-generational staple series like Lupin the 3rd or Astro Boy that are always viable for new installments. It’s certainly true that Tecmo has demonstrated its ability to develop successful ninja themed video games. However, it’s for that exact reason that a video game developer like Tecmo may be better served by developing its own original characters and story for a female ninja game rather than adapt an existing moderately successful franchise. Creating an entirely original concept and character allows the developers full creative freedom and may introduce a successful new franchise that the developer can exploit into the future. Adapting an existing manga limits the game developer to working within the setting and tone of the original work, and may limit the game’s potential audience to consumers interested in the title character and franchise.

The Azumi manga series may be good, but there are an endless number of other manga that are also good. Azumi may seem like it lends itself to easy adaptation into the video game format, but there are doubtlessly many other female ninja manga series equally or even more suitable for video game adaptation. Tying a new video game production to an established franchise generates immediate name recognition, but also anchors the new video game to the perception of the franchise it’s based on. Creating a new video game based on a popular, trendy new manga allows the video game to coattail on the franchise’s popularity. Creating a new video game based on a franchise that’s already niche and already perceived as somewhat old may doom the game to limited market share before it’s even released.