LogFAQs > #972338975

Metalsonic66 posted...

Most of the big indies (oxymoron?) come to consoles anyway

Yeah, absolute PC exclusives are pretty rare. The console market is big enough that neglecting it is throwing away a sizable amount of money for any indie developer, so if they have the resources to make a console port, they almsot always will.

wpot posted...

Nintendo still manages to do this decently well, so it's possible...but no, I can't imagine SE or whoever succeeding (unless they can repurpose the DQ folks, although they're currently trying to toughen them up for an 'adult' DQ).

Squenix has done DQ Builders and Harvestella recently. I'm not sure Harvestella would count, since while it's a foray into the world of farming sims it's very obviously a darker tone than most (which is perfectly fine and by most accounts it's a decently enjoyable game), but DQ Builders could certainly qualify. It's not necessarily accurate to roll every crafting or farming sim up as "cozy" games, as much as that's where a lot of people's minds go, but I think it fits the bill, given that it's mostly just a matter of messing around with the power of friendship.

But yeah, Nintendo's got a good grasp on it, mostly because they've really never made any pretense of chasing "mature" audiences. The most recent Animal Crossing in particular is often credited with kicking off the trend, where it launched at exactly the right time (within a week of most north american lockdowns beginning) and really opened people's eyes to the value of games that are just plain comforting to play because they're so relaxed and cheerful. I don't see Nintendo trying overly hard to chase the trend the way the usual AAA culprits can be expected to, if only because they tend to ignore what the market as a whole is doing (for better or worse).