Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo . Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo Games that was founded in 1978 as Koei. Known as Tecmo Koei until the names were reversed in 2014, the company had occasionally used the "Koei" and "Tecmo" brand names on new video games until 2016 for marketing purposes.
41-516: The company is best known for their Atelier , Dead or Alive , Dynasty Warriors , Fatal Frame , Monster Rancher , Ninja Gaiden , Nioh , Nobunaga's Ambition and Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchises. They are also known for their work on external video game franchises, namely on Square Enix 's Final Fantasy and Nintendo 's Fire Emblem . Koei Co., Ltd. (株式会社コーエー Kabushiki gaisha Kōē, formerly 光栄 (Kōei))
82-521: A Lithuanian subsidiary was formed. Tecmo, Ltd. , formerly known as Tehkan Ltd. , was founded by Yoshihito Kakihara on July 31, 1967, as a supplier of cleaning equipment. Two years later, in 1969, it started to sell amusement equipment . Tecmo had its headquarters in Kudankita , Chiyoda , Tokyo . Tecmo's United States offices were located in Torrance, California . In March 1981, a U.S. division
123-420: A discussion with Tecmo as well. But Tecmo's founding family and Koei's founders' family have actually had a good relationship for many years, which is why we were able to make a deal in such a short time! We started the discussion on September 1st, and it was agreed two days after! Tecmo's founders and management team understands that while it is nice to stand alone, it is risky, and scale is critical. In November,
164-450: A lawsuit, when Indianapolis Colts running back Eric Dickerson sued the NFLPA over use of his likeness in the game Tecmo Bowl . In January 2006, Tecmo president, Junji Nakamura, resigns from the company while Yoshimi Yasuda was named his successor. In 2006, Founder Yoshihito Kakihara died of interstitial pneumonia . On June 3, 2008, Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki resigned from
205-481: A portion of that time. Failure to accomplish the game's main tasks in time may cause the game to end abruptly or lead to a bad ending , though these time limits tend to be rather lenient. The first entry in the "Mysterious" Atelier subseries Atelier Sophie does away with the time limit system, but the second entry Atelier Firis has a time limit for completing the game's first major story objective, after which players can play at their leisure. The third entry in
246-470: Is a Japanese video game development department of Koei Tecmo founded in 2007. Similar to Team Ninja, the group was formed to develop high-profile games, some of which relate to Tecmo Koei's classic franchises. The company says that they chose the name, "Team Tachyon", because a tachyon is a particle that exceeds the speed of light. Key members include Tecmo producers Keisuke Kikuchi ( Rygar , Fatal Frame ) and Kohei Shibata. So far, Team Tachyon has aided in
287-533: Is a division of Koei known for developing hack and slash games , monster-hunting action games, among other genres. Omega Force are most well known for its Dynasty Warriors series, including spin-offs such as Samurai Warriors , Warriors Orochi , amongst others. As well as non- Warriors titles such as Dragon Quest Heroes , WinBack , Attack on Titan and Toukiden . Ruby Party specializes in games labeled as Neoromance: otome game visual novels and dating sims , usually with extra side-quests. Out of
328-504: Is simply a spoonerism of the school's. The company initially focused on personal computer sales and made-to-order business software . In 1983 it released Nobunaga's Ambition (信長の野望 Nobunaga no Yabō ), a historical strategy game set during the Sengoku period of Japanese history . The game went on to receive numerous awards, and Koei produced several more such games set against the backdrop of world history, including Romance of
369-603: The PlayStation line of consoles. Main entries in the series have seen consistent releases for Microsoft Windows since 2015 and the Nintendo Switch since 2017. New games are released in the series on an almost yearly basis. The series was solely released in Japan and Asia until 2005, after which the series has seen worldwide releases. The franchise centers around the concept of an atelier specialising in alchemy ;
410-491: The stage name of Koei's founder. It has handled the historically-based titles such as Nobunaga's Ambition series, Romance of the Three Kingdoms series , Uncharted Waters series and Nioh series, as well as horse racing simulation Winning Post series. The division also worked as lead developer with Intelligent Systems on Fire Emblem: Three Houses . "midas" is a new division aiming to produce titles for smartphones and to create new IPs. Omega Force (ω-Force)
451-511: The Board Yasuharu Kakihara as of September 1. On August 28, Square Enix announced plans for a friendly takeover of Tecmo by purchasing shares at a 30 percent premium with a total bid of ¥ 22.3 billion. They gave Tecmo until September 4 to either accept or reject the proposal. Upon hearing this news on August 31, Kenji Matsubara, President and COO of Koei, called a board meeting for the next day, September 1. The board discussed
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#1732780353586492-535: The Dusk Sky was adapted into a manga series by Chako Abeno . It features some arrangements to the story in order to let supporting characters play a bigger role. As of January 2015 two tankōbon volumes was released. It has also been adapted into a 12-episode television anime series, produced by Studio Gokumi and directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki, aired on Tokyo MX between April 10, 2014, and 26 June 2014. A manga adaptation of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness &
533-745: The Iris series, two games in the Mana-Khemia series, four games in the Arland series, three games in the Dusk series, four games in the Mysterious series, three games in the Secret series, and one entry in the ongoing Memory series. The 25th main game is a mobile game crossover that does not belong to any specific sub-series. In addition to the main games, several side games have been released. Several of
574-617: The Mysterious subseries, Atelier Lydie & Suelle , only briefly included a time limit for one objective in the middle of the game. Starting from Atelier Lulua , the time limit system was completely removed from following main installments of the series. There have been 27 main games in the Atelier franchise which are subdivided into 10 sub-series. There are three games in the Salburg series, two games in Gramnad series, three games in
615-561: The Secret Hideout , written and illustrated by Riichu started serialization in Shūkan Famitsū on September 17, 2020. A manga adaptation of Atelier Rorona also exists. An anime television series adaptation of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout was announced on March 19, 2023. It is animated by Liden Films and directed by Ema Yuzuhira, with Yashichiro Takahashi and Kazuki Yanagawa reprising their roles from
656-672: The Three Kingdoms , set during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history , and Uncharted Waters (大航海時代 Dai Kōkai Jidai ; lit. Great Navigation Era ), set in Portugal during the Age of Exploration . In 1988, Koei established a North American subsidiary , Koei Corporation , in California . This subsidiary localized Koei games for export to all territories outside Japan, as well as producing original games and concepts with
697-490: The character's abilities, or for offensive, defensive, or support items. The games' stories are typically light-hearted and humorous, often deriving conflict from a source other than an antagonist , and the player ends up with a large group of characters to explore the world with. In many earlier games in the series, the player are given a limited amount of in-game days to accomplish one or more main objectives and actions like gathering items, traveling or synthesizing spend
738-439: The companies announced their specific plan of action, to complete the merger on April 1, 2009, forming Tecmo Koei Holdings. Koei stock was to be exchanged for Tecmo Koei stock at a rate of 1:1, and Tecmo stock exchanged at .9:1, giving Koei shareholders, in total, a three-quarter stake in the new company. Though the combined profits in 2007 were 8.5 billion yen, they anticipated that the merged company would net over 16 billion yen in
779-415: The company and filed a 145 million yen ($ 1.3 million) lawsuit against Yoshimi Yasuda for "unpaid completion bonuses" and "emotional distress". This was followed by another lawsuit filed on 16 June by two plaintiffs on behalf of Tecmo's 300 employees for unpaid wages amounting to ¥8.3 million. On August 20, 2008, Tecmo announced the resignation of president Yoshimi Yasuda, to be replaced by current Chairman of
820-399: The company to make a judgment on the merger, such as the feasibility of their plan to raise shareholder value." On February 12, Kenji Matsubara liquidated KOEI France SAS . On February 13, Tecmo announced it had received a repurchase claim (a request for the company to buy stock back) from a major shareholder, 15.64% of the stock (3,890,700 shares) from a shareholder that stood in opposition to
861-461: The company would continue to create games in the future under the Tecmo and Koei brands. On July 1, 2014, the company and its related subsidiaries were renamed from Tecmo Koei to Koei Tecmo . On February 18, 2016, Koei Tecmo announced a second reorganization of the company, to support the expansion of the company. Brand names Team Tachyon, Koei and Tecmo, amongst others, were dropped. Gust Co. Ltd.
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#1732780353586902-683: The development of the 2008 Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse game for the Wii , 2008 Wii game Rygar: The Battle of Argus , has released Undead Knights for the PlayStation Portable , and Quantum Theory for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 , released in 2010. As of February 18, 2016, Team Tachyon was absorbed into Team Ninja , with some staff now moved to Gust. Founded in 2001 as Koei Canada , Koei Tecmo Canada
943-417: The firm's upcoming merger with Koei. While the requesting shareholder was not mentioned, Reuters stated that it was likely Effissimo. Despite these misgivings, the holding company formed on April 1, 2009, as planned. Kenji Matsubara became CEO of the new company, and former Tecmo CEO Yasuharu Kakihara became board chairman. As of May 26, Tecmo Koei had still not reached an agreement with Effissimo, prompting
984-663: The first subsidiary to publish games under the new moniker, starting with Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 . In August 2009 Tecmo Koei announced that it was setting up a subsidiary in Hanoi, Vietnam. In January 2010, Tecmo's sole subsidiary, the American Tecmo Inc., and Koei's American branch, Koei Corporation, were moved under a newly formed Tecmo Koei America Corporation , itself a direct subsidiary to Tecmo Koei Holdings. Koei's Canadian, Korean, and Taiwanese subsidiaries were re-branded Tecmo Koei, and also moved to direct subsidiaries of
1025-440: The fiscal year ending March 2012. Effissimo Capital Management Pte, Tecmo's second-largest shareholder at 17.6%, openly opposed the merger. On January 26, 2009, the shareholders for both Koei and Tecmo reached separate agreements in favor of the merger. Effissimo raised some dissent during the meeting, and implied they may seek to sell their shares. Effissimo's director Takashi Kosaka stated "We have not had sufficient information from
1066-404: The gameplay involves finding, collecting, and combining items in recipes to create better items, which allows the player to advance further in the game. Most of the games tend to focus on female characters, something of which is rare among other Japanese role-playing franchises, while sometimes giving them strong characterizations at the same time. A few manga and two anime adaptations of titles from
1107-429: The games feature a method of transferring properties of one item from the recipe to the synthesized item. Recipes also often allow the substitution of items, which can either lend better properties to the final synthesized item, or can lead to the character thinking of a completely new recipe. The games generally feature a turn-based combat system, in which the items made through alchemy come into play, either to boost
1148-528: The holding company. Later that month the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced that Tecmo Koei was now a member. On April 1, 2010, Tecmo was declared disbanded in Japan. Koei absorbed Tecmo the same day to become Tecmo Koei Games . The development divisions of both companies were spun-out into separate subsidiaries of Tecmo Koei Games, created specifically for the planning and development of software. Koei Singapore
1189-478: The investment fund to seek mediation with the Tokyo District Court. While Tecmo Koei favored a stock value in the mid-600 yen range, Effissimo was expected to ask for at least 900, in part due to the rejected Square Enix offer of 920 per share. On June 23, 2009, Tecmo Koei announced a planned restructure of its international subsidiaries. Koei Europe was renamed Tecmo Koei Europe in 2009 and became
1230-577: The leadership of designer Stieg Hedlund , like Liberty or Death , Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye , and Gemfire . After Hedlund's departure, this subsidiary ceased game development in 1995, focusing instead on localization, sales and marketing. A Canadian subsidiary, Koei Canada, Inc. was established in early 2001, and a European subsidiary, Koei Limited was established in early 2003 in Hertfordshire , United Kingdom . In 2004,
1271-408: The possibility of a merger with Tecmo, and began discussions with Tecmo that same day. On September 4, 2008, Tecmo officially declined Square Enix's proposal, and later that same day announced plans to merge with Koei. To survive and compete in this market, we need to have some sort of scale - it's critical. And that's the trigger of this consolidation. Square Enix had made an offer, and we had started
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1312-523: The series have been created so far. As of August 2023, the series has shipped more than 7.5 million units worldwide. Alchemy is the distinguishing theme of the Atelier series. Players control the game's character, roaming the game world to collect objects to use in alchemy recipes to create new objects, including cooking ingredients, recovery items, tools, weapons, armor, and accessories. Synthesized objects are commonly required in order to create more powerful or potent objects through alchemy. Many of
1353-622: The series' titles were remade or ported, mostly for portable devices. Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch Atelier Marie and Elie - The Alchemist of Salburg ( マリーとエリーのアトリエ ザールブルグの錬金術士 ) by Yoshihiko Ochi is a five volume manga adaptation first published in Japan by Enterbrain , published in German by Egmont , published in French by Ki-oon , and four of the volumes were published in English by Tokyopop . The series
1394-425: The three Neoromance series, the best known is Angelique series, which has been in production since 1994. The first game of Angelique series was the first otome game (visual novel and dating sims for women) in the world. Team Ninja (stylised as Team NINJA) is a video game development studio of Tecmo founded in 1995 who develops masocore games , fast-paced action games , fighting games , among other genres. It
1435-661: Was also re-branded as Tecmo Koei. The continued operating loss prompted Kenji Matsubara, the former president and CEO of both Tecmo Koei Holdings and Tecmo Koei Games label, to render his resignation in November 2010. Yoichi Erikawa, co-founder of Koei, took over the four positions vacated by Matsubara. On February 8, 2011, Tecmo Koei Holdings announced that the new individual developers Tecmo and Koei that were formed in March 2010 would be merged into Tecmo Koei Games in April 2011, though
1476-784: Was formerly led by Tomonobu Itagaki and is best known for the Dead or Alive , Ninja Gaiden , and Nioh series. Koei Tecmo also operates various international branches and offices, such as Koei Tecmo Europe in Hertfordshire , England , Koei Tecmo America in Burlingame, California , Koei Tecmo Taiwan in Taipei , Koei Tecmo Vietnam in Hanoi , Koei Tecmo Singapore, as well was two offices in China , located in Tianjin and Beijing . Team Tachyon
1517-404: Was founded in 1993 and is known for developing RPGs like its long-running Atelier series, and other series including Surge Concerto , Nights of Azure , and BLUE REFLECTION . Koei Tecmo bought Gust Co. Ltd. in 2011 and absorbed it in 2014. On February 18, 2016, as part of the companies reconstruction, Koei Tecmo announced the establishment of Kou Shibusawa [ ja ] , named after
1558-522: Was founded in July 1978 by husband-and-wife duo Yōichi [ ja ] and Keiko Erikawa [ ja ] . Yōichi was a student at Keio University , and when his family's rural dyestuffs business failed he decided to pursue his interest in programming. The company was (and, as Koei Tecmo, still is) located in the Hiyoshi area of Yokohama along with Yoichi's alma mater, and the company's name
1599-475: Was inaugurated as U.S. Tehkan, Inc. . A month later, in April 1981, Tehkan released in Japan its first arcade video game titled Pleiades (which was distributed in America by Centuri ). When it was still called Tehkan, the company also released such classic games as Bomb Jack and Tehkan World Cup . On January 8, 1986, Tehkan officially changed its name to Tecmo. In 1989 Tecmo was named as co-defendant in
1640-475: Was later re-edited and re-released in two tankōbon volumes on July 25, 2007. The manga later received a sequel titled Marie to Elie Atelier: Salburg no Renkinjutsushi Second Season ( マリーとエリーのアトリエ ザールブルグの錬金術士 Second Season ) , as of February 2018 Enterbrain released eight tankōbon volumes. In 2005 Enterbrain also released a one-shot manga titled Viorate no Atelier: Kiteretsu Muraokoshi ( ヴィオラートのアトリエ きてれつ村おこし ) . Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of
1681-638: Was the North American development arm of the company based in Toronto . It started out as a CG studio for Koei games but expanded into video game development in 2005, developing Fatal Inertia , Prey the Stars , and Warriors: Legends of Troy . The studio was closed at the end of March 2013. Atelier (video game series) The Atelier series is a franchise of role-playing video games developed by Gust Corporation since 1997, primarily for