While many long-in-development games are met with public disappointment, Nioh managed to avoid that fate, despite its troubled production history.
In an interview with Denfaminicogamer, Koei Tecmo Games founder and CEO Yoichi Erikawa stated that the game’s 12-year development was his fault. Erikawa, known for personally reviewing all of the company’s projects, demands that games be remade if they do not meet his standards. This happened twice with the action title Nioh, as Erikawa felt that the first two versions didn't offer "new forms of entertainment value." Thankfully, the developers found the right approach on their third attempt.
"The production took 12 years. If anyone under me had taken that long, they would have been fired."
Despite the lengthy development, Erikawa is not remorseful, expressing satisfaction that his company managed to release a good game after so many years.
Each version of Nioh was made by a different team. The first attempt, a JRPG-inspired game, was developed by Koei in 2004. The second iteration was led by Omega Force. It was Team Ninja's approach that finally impressed Erikawa. The first game was released in 2017, with the sequel following in 2020.
