Shift Up's Goddess of Victory: NIKKE x Neon Genesis Evangelion collaboration, launched in August 2024, fell short of expectations, according to a recent interview with the game's producer. Let's examine what went wrong.
The Collaboration's Shortcomings:
The collaboration featured Rei, Asuka, Mari, and Misato in designs intended to remain true to their original appearances. However, this faithfulness wasn't enough to captivate players. Initial designs created by Shift Up were deemed too suggestive by the Evangelion creators, leading to alterations. While the revised designs satisfied the licensors, they failed to resonate with the NIKKE player base.
Player Feedback:
The underwhelming costumes weren't the only issue. Players lacked sufficient incentive to invest in limited-time characters or skins, particularly given the lack of significant visual differences between some skins and the base models. Asuka's gacha skin, the most expensive option, was criticized for being too similar to her default appearance.
The NIKKE community values the game's distinctive style of stylized anime characters and engaging narrative. Recent collaborations, however, have been perceived as diluting this identity, diminishing player enthusiasm.
While NIKKE boasts a strong foundation, the uninspired designs and drawn-out nature of the Evangelion event were major criticisms. Shift Up acknowledges the feedback and plans to incorporate it into future collaborations.
Both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE are available on the Google Play Store. Hopefully, Shift Up will learn from this experience and deliver more compelling content in the future. For more gaming news, check out our coverage of Wuthering Waves' Version 1.4 update.
