Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Rune Factory Developer Neverland Ceasing Operations
In a bit of bad news this morning for fans of the Rune Factory series, developer Neverland has announced via its website that it will be ceasing operations. The series, which is a more fantastical take on the Harvest Moon franchise, has been around since 2006 on the Nintendo DS.
The statement published on the company’s website indicates that it has failed to raise additional investment funds despite the strong performance of Rune Factory 4 (released in October here in North America). The company will cease operations immediately and start bankruptcy proceedings.
Marvelous AQL has previously stated that Rune Factory 5 was in the cards. We’ve reached out to Marvelous AQL to see what the publisher has to say about the future of the franchise. For more on Rune Factory, check out our review of the fourth installment from last month.
[Source: Neverland via Siliconera]
Our Take
Our thoughts are with the Neverland team. The Rune Factory series might not be wildly popular here in the United States, but it does have a following. Given the success of the most recent title, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Marvelous AQL finds another home for it, giving this story the thinnest of silver linings.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
