Brief Summary
The Takt Op project, a multimedia venture by DeNA, aimed to blend classical music with anime and gacha gaming. Despite a promising start with high-quality animation, music, and industry talent, the project was plagued by delays, strategic missteps, and ultimately, a poorly received game. The game's failure led to significant financial losses for DeNA and the project's shutdown within a year.
- High initial hype due to anime quality and music.
- Game delays and a shift to 3D development.
- Poor game design, story, and monetization led to rapid decline.
- Financial losses and project shutdown.
Introduction
The video introduces the anime Takt Op Destiny, which, despite its beautiful animation and music, was followed by a poorly received gacha game that shut down in 10 months, costing the company 28 billion yen. The Takt Op project was first revealed in March 2021 by DeNA, accompanied by a teaser website and Twitter account. The initial image featured popular illustrator LAM and pianist Marasy, hinting at a large-scale project involving an anime, a gacha game, and special music compositions.
Project Announcement and Initial Hype
In a grand live stream three months later, DeNA explained the multi-media project plan, which centered on "Musicarts," waifus embodying the power of famous classical musical scores. The project boasted a lineup of industry veterans like Oji Hiroi, Aya Takaha, and Hideki Sakamoto, with the anime produced by a collaboration between MAPPA and Madhouse. The premise was unique, the art was incredible, and the classical music element stood out. The anime was slated for the fall season, with the gacha game intended to release alongside it, mirroring the success of Umamusume.
Anime Reception and Game Delay
The anime received generally positive feedback, particularly for its animation and music, although some criticized the plot and ending. The plan was for the anime to promote the game, but the game's release was delayed beyond 2021 due to the need for further improvements. Despite opening pre-registrations in late December, no new release date was announced, leaving fans in anticipation.
Game Development and Relaunch
The alpha version of the game had been completed in spring 2021, but due to the anime's hype, the team felt the game wouldn't meet expectations and decided to overhaul it, changing it from 2D to 3D. DeNA planned to release the game by September 2022. After the anime concluded, fans were left waiting until September 2022, when the producer announced a further delay to spring 2023, along with a closed beta in December 2022.
Game Launch and Initial Performance
The game was announced to launch in late June 2023, reaching 1.5 million pre-registrations. Unlike many gacha games, Takt Op planned for a simultaneous worldwide release. On June 28th, the game launched and initially performed well, reaching number one on the iOS App Store free download chart with over 1 million downloads in three days. However, revenue-wise, it debuted at #14 in Japan, which was considered disappointing given the hype.
Game Problems and Negative Reception
The game suffered from the same issues as the anime, with everything besides the animation and music being subpar. Long loading times, glitches, localization issues, a poor UI, and a bad overworld plagued the game. The audio quality was also criticized, and the game lacked a sweep option, making grinding a chore. The story was a major issue, as it altered the main character's personality from the anime, alienating fans.
Decline and Shutdown
The game's revenue quickly dropped from $4 million in July to less than $1 million in August. The production committee attempted to salvage the situation with updates and events, but it was too late. On February 8th, 2024, it was announced that Takt Op would shut down, a little after its half-year anniversary. The producer apologized and announced that fans could collect all limited gacha characters for free and experience the rest of the story before the shutdown in April 2024.
Financial Impact and Conclusion
The game's failure resulted in significant financial losses for DeNA, with an operating loss of 27.6 billion yen (186 million USD) between April and December 2023. The project, intended to be the next big gacha game, failed due to delays and poor decisions. Takt Op became another ambitious project that failed, joining the ranks of many other unsuccessful gacha games.
