Mid-sized companies need to create new IPs to survive, NIS CEO says

While the big publishers continue to draw out sequels and remakes, Kenzo Saruhashi, new CEO of Japan’s ICHI Software, said mid-sized companies should take risks if they survive.

Translated in Famitsu interview AutomaticYu Mizokami, creator of the Saruhashi and Yomawari series, discussed the company's policies as it develops a new IP in the face of rising development costs and risks of failure. This is after the publisher's March 2025 “Unt title” Stream, revealing six new champions, five of which are brand new IPs.

Saruhashi noted that while making a sequel is an easier and safer option, NIS does something different. “In our case, we're more driven by whether fans want a sequel. If there's a demand, we'll do it.”

Regarding making a new IP, he said it is essential that a medium-sized company must dare to do something that big companies cannot risk their survival. He added: “If we stop taking on new challenges, we are like a fish, I think we will die.”

However, these new experimental titles have a limited budget, which means developers need to come up with creative solutions. But in the interview, Mizokami commented that she prefers the stimulus of solving problems when she is tight, saying that if she suddenly has millions of budgets, she “may be bored halfway through”. Saruhashi and Mizokami, Liken NIS adopts the “SpeedRun/Real-Time Attack Style Game Development” approach.

NIS has some notable franchises, including the Disgaea series, while NIS America in the West has released an international release of the Trails series.