Koei Tecmo Holdings announced today that it will be making Atelier series developer Gust into a subsidiary. 
 
Koei Tecmo Holdings will be acquiring all 495 shares of Gust stock from current 100% shareholder Keiken Holdings, making the small independent publisher into a wholly owned subsidiary. 
 
The involved parties signed a deal for the stock purchase earlier today. The transfer is planned for the middle of this month. The purchase price for the stock will be 22 million yen.

In a brief report on Tecmo Koei's buyout of Gust, Nikkei writes that the publisher plans on turning Gust's Atelier series into a social game. 
 
Atelier has most recently appeared on the PlayStation 3 through the Arland subseries, which includes games like Atelier Meruru, Atelier Totori and Atelier Rorona. The games combine adventure, RPG and item synthesis elements. 

For fans worried that the Atelier series as we know it may be coming to an end, it should be noted that Nikkei's report did not say that the series will be exclusively social from here on out. It's possible (and likely given recent sales) that Tecmo Koei is planning social developments in addition to standard games.

Atiler Warriors!!!!!

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

What the hell does this mean? That the series will become Persona 4? Or a dating sim? Or a Facebook game?

@Icemael said:

Well, this is... unexpected. I never thought we'd see cutesy JRPGs and social games with the Tecmo label.

Actually, Koei's already done this. They created a social game called Nobunyaga no Yabou, which is basically a social game version of Nobunaga's Ambition, but all of the officers are cute anthropomorphic cats.

@kingzetta said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

you can't find any? they do make a lot of games.

Granted I do live in a small isolated town with few stores to purchase games.

What the hell does this mean? That the series will become Persona 4? Or a dating sim? Or a Facebook game?

A social game is one of those Japanese cell-phone games students play on the trains, right?

A social game is one of those Japanese cell-phone games students play on the trains, right?

@kingzetta: Well, I'm thinking within the context. I'm not sure how popular facebook is in Japan.

@kingzetta:

Well, shit. I'd be pissed, but I've never played an Altair's Iris game.

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

@kingzetta said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

you can't find any? they do make a lot of games.

Granted I do live in a small isolated town with few stores to purchase games.

You basically have 3 choices for new. NISA's own website, Gamestop or Amazon. And Amazon doesn't always keep them around long. Individual Gamestops don't always get copies.

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

@Chop said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

Fuck no. Stay away from Gust...unless you're a big fan of underage naked cartoon pussy.

Uh...way to stereotype?

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

They make some cool niche JRPGs. Atelier Iris 2 on the PS2 is one of my favourite JRPGs. Some shit can be said about the Ar Tonelico games too but I had a good time with the first one. Not so much the third...

I've been meaning to get Hyperdimension Neptunia for awhile too. Everywhere I looked had it for $60-$100 :(

Also, I really hope this doesn't turn into GUST being shut down. The Tales studio was shut down recently, right? If GUST goes I'll have to play Final Fantasy or something for a JRPG fix.

EDIT: Aww shiiiit. I just checked out NIS's store and they have some mother effing copies of Hyperdimension Neptunia! $30! Brand new! Maybe because the sequel is coming out, they are printing more? That shit is $65 minimum on amazon right now. Some prices as high as $180 but that is effing crazy. Crazy people would pay that.

@Chop said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

Fuck no. Stay away from Gust...unless you're a big fan of underage naked cartoon pussy.

They are Rated T for Teen, not quite sure what games you have been playing.

@Vorbis said:

@Chop said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

That is unexpected. Are Gust game any good? I've been wanting to play one for a while but can't find any.

Fuck no. Stay away from Gust...unless you're a big fan of underage naked cartoon pussy.

They are Rated T for Teen, not quite sure what games you have been playing.

Ar Tonelico 3 is rated M and is, I believe, the second most recent release by GUST (I'm probably wrong about that, BUT it was recent). It is also one of those games that knows who it is selling to and pulls no punches...

The main point in the battle system is to strip your female companion to make her stronger. Also, each character who doesn't normally strip, strips down to their undies after performing a special attack. Dudes too, not just the ladies.

@SuperWristBands: My mistake, I wasn't aware Ar Tonelico was made by Gust and was talking about the Atelier series. Even so I highly doubt there is any "naked underage pussy" even as an M rated game.

Also, I really hope this doesn't turn into GUST being shut down. The Tales studio was shut down recently, right?

@Vorbis said:

@SuperWristBands: My mistake, I wasn't aware Ar Tonelico was made by Gust and was talking about the Atelier series. Even so I highly doubt there is any "naked underage pussy" even as an M rated game.

Nah, you are totally right. It's a giant bomb "thing" to write "naked cartoon pussy". I doubt he meant it literally. If he did, then, yeah, he is wrong.