Bandai Namco has been known for many inventive and niche gaming franchises over the years. One of the more famously niche projects was Xenosaga and its various spinoff titles. The Monolith Soft game blends classic JRPG mechanics with mech battles and an alien invasion to create a video game that’s equal parts absurd and classic in feel.
Fans were determined to see this particular franchise come back into the new console era, so there’s been a lot of buzz about a possible Xenosaga HD Collection. But sadly for those of us hoping to see the classics come back, Katsuhiro Harada, who serves as producer of the Tekken series, has some disappointing news.
The core problem with a new release in the franchise is that Bandai Namco doesn’t see the interest to make the effort profitable. According to a tweet prompted by fan questions, Harada dashed hopes of a possible release of a Xenosaga HD Collection. Fans were hopeful for such a release after the resurgence of the franchise following the success of the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 made a pretty big splash on the Switch, so fans remained hopeful for new efforts. But sadly, the tweet revealed that the market just isn’t there.
“Sorry guys,” Harada continued. “This plan will be difficult to resurface…” Harada also pointed out that this analysis wasn’t restricted to one market, as he said “we always analyze the global market,” illustrating that this project could have had a global release, if there was enough consumer demand.
There is still some good news for hardcore fans though, as a Definitive Version of the original Chronicles is set to arrive on Nintendo’s portable console next year. There’s not much details on what will be included in the re-release though. The original Wii game from 2010 will likely get some form of new content and gameplay options as part of the Switch release.
Its sequel, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, received an extensive expansion pack called Torna ~ The Golden Country. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country has a new story arc as well, being set centuries before the main game. The new story follows primary antagonist Jin as he strives to exact revenge on the Aegis after it destroys his homeland of Coeia.
