Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo recently spoke with Japanese outlet Ascii Japan about the developer’s growing focus on PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch and what that means for future The Legend of Heroes releases.
Nihon Falcom, founded in 1981 and best known for the Ys and The Legend of Heroes franchises, has a long history on Japanese home consoles and has increasingly expanded to global platforms in recent years.
In the interview, Kondo framed the remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky as a turning point for the company’s platform strategy.
He said the Trails in the Sky remake was the first title where Falcom intentionally pursued a worldwide, multiplatform launch under the studio’s direct oversight, including releases on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Kondo explained that having assets ready for multiple platforms made localization and international release planning easier, and the company received a very positive response when it attempted that approach.
Paraphrasing Kondo’s remarks for clarity: he said Falcom learned that when a game is prepared with international platforms in mind, it’s possible to expand globally across several systems, and that approach will be the company’s basic strategy going forward.
He noted that many development schedules compress right up to the master version, which historically left little time for overseas releases.
When a title already has cross-platform assets, however, Falcom can manage global launches more effectively.
Kondo also pointed out that the majority of Falcom’s recent new users are coming from Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam).
He stated that to sustain long-term growth, the company needs to continue supporting those platforms, release titles properly on each storefront—including the eShop and Steam—and work to expand brand awareness worldwide.
Those comments reinforce a broader industry trend in which legacy Japanese developers are prioritizing simultaneous, multiplatform availability to reach global audiences.
For Nihon Falcom, the Trails series remains a pillar of the studio’s catalog, and the company’s evolving platform strategy will shape how future The Legend of Heroes and other Falcom titles reach players on Switch, Steam, and other systems.
Nihon Falcom, founded in 1981 and best known for the Ys and The Legend of Heroes franchises, has a long history on Japanese home consoles and has increasingly expanded to global platforms in recent years.
In the interview, Kondo framed the remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky as a turning point for the company’s platform strategy.
He said the Trails in the Sky remake was the first title where Falcom intentionally pursued a worldwide, multiplatform launch under the studio’s direct oversight, including releases on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Kondo explained that having assets ready for multiple platforms made localization and international release planning easier, and the company received a very positive response when it attempted that approach.
Paraphrasing Kondo’s remarks for clarity: he said Falcom learned that when a game is prepared with international platforms in mind, it’s possible to expand globally across several systems, and that approach will be the company’s basic strategy going forward.
He noted that many development schedules compress right up to the master version, which historically left little time for overseas releases.
When a title already has cross-platform assets, however, Falcom can manage global launches more effectively.
Kondo also pointed out that the majority of Falcom’s recent new users are coming from Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam).
He stated that to sustain long-term growth, the company needs to continue supporting those platforms, release titles properly on each storefront—including the eShop and Steam—and work to expand brand awareness worldwide.
Those comments reinforce a broader industry trend in which legacy Japanese developers are prioritizing simultaneous, multiplatform availability to reach global audiences.
For Nihon Falcom, the Trails series remains a pillar of the studio’s catalog, and the company’s evolving platform strategy will shape how future The Legend of Heroes and other Falcom titles reach players on Switch, Steam, and other systems.
