The development of Nier started after the release of Drakengard 2. The original concept was for a third entry in the Drakengard series. It was intended to be for seventh generation consoles due to the lessening importance of the PlayStation 2, which Drakengard 2 had been made for. However, as the project evolved, the original ideas were reworked and the game eventually became a spin-off from the main series. Despite this, the game's director Taro Yoko continues to think of it as the third Drakengard game.