Bandai Namco and mobile company DeNA will partner once more to produce an English-language version of the mobile game based on the Takt Op multimedia project, Takt Op. Symphony.
Takt Op is a multimedia project encompassing both an anime series and a Japan-only mobile title, under the name of Takt Op. Unmei wa Akaki Senritsu no Machi o. The game will now be available for English-speaking users when it launches at some point later in 2023 on both iOS and Android platforms.
The title features the characters from the titular Takt Op anime, which is set in a world where music attracts the attention of destructive alien forces, called the Despair Dolls. As is standard with many anime spin-offs the gameplay is a turn-based narrative title, with different characters bringing different abilities to the table.
Continued success of multimedia
The launch of Takt Op in the West is another example of the success in Japan’s multimedia approach to developing projects into cross-platform hits with mobile being an especially lucrative avenue, as Japan is arguably responsible for the most successful gacha-style titles, such as Fate: Grand Order. More than that it indicates how English-speaking audiences are becoming an increasing consideration for developers and publishers.
Although anime, and anime culture, is inextricably linked with Japan, its enjoyment is not as ubiquitous as many may think with only 33% of Japanese people regularly consuming anime media. However, a similar percentage abroad would offer a much greater audience – and thus paying customers – than simply concentrating on the domestic market.
Certainly it’s not just Japan that’s looking to spread their net wider, as companies such as Tencent have begun exploring non-English speaking countries such as Brazil. With their launch of Honor of Kings proving to be a smash-hit due to their attempts to localise the title for Brazilian audiences, it indicates that international audiences may be the way of the future for many previously domestically-focused companies.