Rune Factory developer is filing for bankruptcy

[T-ELOS]

Sad news to all the Rune Factory fans, it looks like the developer (Neverland Co) that makes the game has filed for bankruptcy, so unless another publisher acquires them no more Rune Factory

Rune Factory and Lufia series developer Neverland Co. has ceased operations and will file for bankruptcy soon, the studio revealed on its website. Siliconera reports that Neverland's statement cites recent "changes in the business environment" as one of the studio's difficulties. Attempts to secure funding for Neverland's future development have been unsuccessful.

The news follows a statement in August from Yoshifumi Hashimoto, a producer with Rune Factory 4's publisher, Marvelous AQL. Weeks after its release, Hashimoto stated that RF4 had performed well enough to "greenlight a sequel." Hashimoto also posted on Marvelous AQL's blog for RF4 after Neverland announced its closure, teasing that while the publisher's next title will "remain a secret," the staff members are doing well.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/30/rune-factory-lufia-developer-neverland-co-to-file-for-bankrupt/

 

[HatoriTakaya]

... Wow... I play a lot of Rune Factory and this basically just makes me... I really don't know what to say. The games was a good mix between fighting and farming life. I guess I won't find another one any time soon.

May someone acquire it and produce more of these games or may it just... be a legend I guess.

 

[おぎくも]

i've been meaning to get rune factory frontier for months now...im sure when i play it and find how good it is i will be devastated for this news

 

[Langesha]

I hope someone will save them, just like it was done for Atlus.

 

[zad38]

T.T i hope this turns around i love the series...

 

[T-ELOS]

I hope someone will save them, just like it was done for Atlus.

Maybe Sega will buy them also

 

[Jezebel]

Maybe Sega will buy them also

Maybe...or a big notable company who understands and respects Japanese games, especially JRPGs. Neverland and SquareEnix developed Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals, maybe Square(?), then again for awhile Square wasn't doing too well either. OMG, what is going on with all these companies???

 

[zad38]

well if a company thinks it will make them profit then the probability is high, but i think they would want to expand the audience so more people would be likely to buy it... well i hope for the best i do like the series but im not gonna have have my hopes too high because the likely-hood if that happening is probably really slim

 

[Timing]

Dang...And just when they started letting you play as a girl. I too hope some company will buy them. Fun games, so this is sad.

 

[chiru]

Eeeeh... Rune Factory series is one of my favorite
Maybe because a lot of people doesn't buy the original games and play the roms instead?
I hope someone save them...

 

[おぎくも]

geh...now i feel guilty for trying to rom it >.> even tho i failed

 

[HatoriTakaya]

I just went with the Japanese version so... I wasn't supporting the Translated released that much.

 

[T-ELOS]

[MENTION=38786]Hinode[/MENTION]; [MENTION=60305]zad38[/MENTION]; [MENTION=73007]Langesha[/MENTION]; It looks like Rune Factory 4 won't be coming to Europe after all :( Sorry for everyone who lives there that was waiting for the game

The European production line for Rune Factory 4 churned to a stop this morning, after publisher MarvelousAQL canceled the game for the continent. The first 3DS entry in the Harvest Moon spin-off series was due in Europe this spring, having already been released in Japan and North America. Of course, that announcement came before the bankruptcy and closure of RF4 developer Neverland.

"We regret to inform you that the European release of Rune Factory 4 for Nintendo 3DS has been canceled," reads a MAQL Europe statement on distributor Zen United's Rice Digital site. "While MarvelousAQL has made every effort to secure the title's release for this territory, it is, unfortunately, not possible to do so at this time. MAQL and MAQL Europe would like to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm for their European releases. Please look forward to announcements on new MAQL titles over the coming months."

We've reached out to MAQL Europe for more info. As for the Rune Factory series, there's been no news since Neverland's closure in November. Beforehand, MAQL series producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto exclaimed RF4 performed well enough to greenlight RF5. After the closure, Hashimoto said (via Siliconera), "As of now, it'll still remain a secret as to what kind of title we'll be releasing next, but I can say that the staff members are still doing great."

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/20/rune-factory-4-isnt-coming-to-europe-after-all/

 

[Hinode]

/me kills himself

 

[zad38]

/me commits seppuku

that is just unfair T.T

 

[Langesha]

*just in time a project deadline appeared which will one-hit-kill Langesha

Saw it this morning, wasn't fun. This was the first Rune Factory game since SF1 that I wanted to play D:

 

[Otokonoko]

I was raging so much when i saw RF4 is for DS-only. Now i don't know if i should happy or sad haha.

 

[Shir0]

the game isn't region locked, is it?

 

[Langesha]

the game isn't region locked, is it?

EVERY game on the 3DS has a regionlock... :(

 

[Shir0]

oh.. right.. somehow forgot about this.. =/

 

[Langesha]

oh.. right.. somehow forgot about this.. =/

Yeah, it's pretty annoying. SO many games we can't play because of this...

 

[T-ELOS]

I believe [MENTION=38786]Hinode[/MENTION]; got a 3DS just to play RF 4 sorry you won't get a chance

 

[bizarre]

I'm sure they will find a way to rectify the situation for the better.