Sega and NHN’s Japan-only free-to-play mobile and browser game Valkyria Chronicles Duel, which launched in July 2012, is scheduled to end operation on April 22. Unlike its predecessors, the game was essentially a card-battle game without an actual storyline. The goal was primarily to collect cards of the characters featured in the three original Valkyria Chronicles games and to use those cards to build a squad, which you then pit against your opponent’s squad in an effort to take control over their territory. The fight was then visualized in a short 3D battle scene. There was also a limited base-management aspect to the game where you could build and upgrade facilities.
Of course, a free-to-play game still has to make money. Around every two weeks, the game scheduled special events where new cards were released. These cards could be obtained in-game if you were good enough at the game and/or had enough time to play it, but for most players acquiring them meant spending real money. The quality of the artwork varied, but as you can see from this article’s featured image, some of them were of a rather high quality. Over time though, the new cards received an increased focus on fanservice. The game’s female cast were featured in bikini events, hot spring events or in other events showing them in various state of wardrobe failure. However, it seems this wasn’t enough to drive card sales and keep the game’s servers running.
In light of the game’s closing, the staff has posted a series of wallpapers on the official website featuring some of the key characters of the past Valkyria Chronicles games (it’s not quite NSFW, but be warned that some of them are rather risqué): You can find the link here.
Shame that they never tried pushing it on the 3DS since they acknowledged it as a means to share FTP games and Initial D has been doing well so far. (And I have a Japanese 3DS please!)
At the least, they will take the chance to build on the audience they reached with PC releases and other ports of the VC series with any luck.