NWR writes: "Natsume is taking advantage of WiiWare this year with a number of different games, one of which is Harvest Moon: My Little Shop. This is a nice addition for any Harvest Moon fan, or someone who just enjoys silly little mini games that employ a nice design scheme and storyline. The game takes place in Clover Town, which is made up of paper-style art and filled with old friends, as well as the new Mayor Jarvis. Players can choose to be either a boy or a girl character that owns a new shop in Clover Town that makes fruit juices, ice cream cones, and decorated eggs."
"Not too long ago, we were able to catch up with the guys over at Natsume for a quick Q&A. Graham Markay was kind enough to respond to our questions. Read on as we inquire about their current approach towards WiiWare, some of the titles they've released thus far, and what their plans are for the future." -- Wiiloveit.com
The other week Examiner got some insight straight from CEO Hiro Maekawa on how Natsume has managed to ride out these tough times. With no interest in spending big budgets on mainstream genre IPs and rewarding their loyal fanbase with a steady stream of niche titles, the company has certainly held their own in a time where other publishers are laying off employees by the hundreds, sometimes thousands. In fact, Natsume has not laid off a single employee in the past 13 years. Admittedly, it helps that they keep things small, with a staff of 6. Vice President of Operations Graham Markay chimed in with his own perspective on what is it has been like to work for this company for over 12 years, starting out as a humble translator but learning quickly the benefits of taking on other responsibilities.
From the review:
"The highly-anticipated third installment of the Bit.Trip series reminds us all of what is so great about WiiWare. Lately, WiiWare has seemed to make somewhat of a decline as more and more subpar titles are accepted into the overpopulated library. But then a game like Bit.Trip Void comes along and suddenly, you can forgive Nintendo of its past indiscretions. Or perhaps you're the bitter unforgiving type; even so, there's no denying that this is a definitive title for the Wii, surpassing even many of the large retail games, and yet the game is so incredibly simple compared to much of what is out there. It truly proves that sometimes, less really is more."
