From software

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From software

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legal form Kabushiki kaisha (joint stock company)
founding November 1, 1986
Seat Tokyo , JapanJapanJapan 
management Hidetaka Miyazaki (President)
Number of employees 218
sales 5.2 billion yen
Branch Software development
Website www.fromsoftware.jp
Status: May 2012

KK From Software ( Japanese 株式会社 フ ロ ム ・ ソ フ ト ウ ェ ア , Kabushiki kaisha Furomu Sofutowea ) is a Japanese developer and publisher of computer games .

history

The company was founded on November 1, 1986 by Naotoshi Zin as a developer of business applications for the PC, before entering the computer game industry in 1994 with the release of the self-developed computer role-playing game King's Field . Since then, the company has published in-house and third-party developments for numerous platforms, including Dreamcast , Nintendo DS , GameCube , PlayStation , PlayStation 2 , Playstation 3 , Xbox , Xbox 360 , Playstation Portable , Wii , Windows and various mobile phones. In addition to the King's Field series, the company is known for developing the Armored Core and Otogi series as well as the titles Demon's Souls and Dark Souls . From Software also publishes the Tenchu series from Acquire . For distribution outside of Japan, From Software works with various other publishers, including Activision , Atlus , Bandai Namco Games , Sega and Sony .

Since it was first published, the King's Field series has produced four parts and various offshoots as well as a fan development tool called Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tool . From Software's largest franchise with currently 15 published titles (as of 2013) is the mech simulation Armored Core . In 2006, In collaboration with Sega, From Software published the mech simulation Chromehounds . In Europe and North America, the company is particularly known for its role-playing games Demon's Souls and Dark Souls , which are characterized by a particularly high level of difficulty. Demon's Souls , published in 2009, turned out to be a surprise success for US publisher Atlus. From Software's publishing partner originally expected sales of 75,000 units in the USA, with 280,000 units this forecast was exceeded by almost four times. In 2011 From Software released Dark Souls, an ideal successor to Demon's Souls . Despite its niche character, the game sold over 2.3 million copies, 500,000 copies in Japan and 1.8 million in North America and Europe.

In April 2014, the Japanese publisher Kadokawa (including Kadokawa Shoten ) announced the acquisition of 80% of the company shares in From Software. The publisher had been a games publisher with its subsidiary Kadokawa Games (including Lollipop Chainsaw , Killer Is Dead ) since 2009 and hoped that the purchase would strengthen its position in the games market.

In 2015 From Software released a new game in collaboration with JapanStudio called Bloodborne . The title remains a Playstation exclusive to this day.

Published in-house developments

  • 1994: King's Field ( PlayStation )
  • 1995: King's Field 2 (PlayStation)
  • 1996: King's Field 3 (PlayStation)
  • 1997: Armored Core (PlayStation)
  • 1997: Armored Core: Project Phantasma (PlayStation)
  • 1998: Shadow Tower (PlayStation)
  • 1998: Echo Night (PlayStation)
  • 1999: Armored Core: Master of Arena (PlayStation)
  • 1999: Spriggan: Lunar Verse (PlayStation)
  • 1999: Frame Gride ( Dreamcast )
  • 1999: Echo Night 2 (PlayStation)
  • 2000: Eternal Ring ( PlayStation 2 )
  • 2000: Evergrace (PlayStation 2)
  • 2000: Armored Core 2 (PlayStation 2)
  • 2000: The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (PlayStation 2)
  • 2001: Armored Core 2: Another Age (PlayStation 2)
  • 2001: Evergrace 2 (PlayStation 2)
  • 2001: King's Field 4 (PlayStation 2)
  • 2002: Armored Core 3 (PlayStation 2)
  • 2002: Lost Kingdoms ( GameCube )
  • 2002: Otogi: Myth of Demons ( Xbox )
  • 2003: Armored Core: Silent Line (PlayStation 2)
  • 2003: Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit (Xbox)
  • 2003: Thousand Land (Xbox)
  • 2003: Lost Kingdoms 2 (GameCube)
  • 2003: Shadow Tower Abyss (PlayStation 2)
  • 2003: Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (Xbox)
  • 2004: Nebula: Echo Night (PlayStation 2)
  • 2004: Armored Core: Nexus (PlayStation 2)
  • 2004: Kuon (PlayStation 2)
  • 2004: Armored Core: Nine Breaker (PlayStation 2)
  • 2004: Armored Core: Formula Front ( PlayStation Portable )
  • 2004: Metal Wolf Chaos (Xbox)
  • 2005: Yoshitsune Eiyūden: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune (PlayStation 2)
  • 2005: Another Century's Episode (PlayStation 2)
  • 2005: Yoshitsune Eiyuuden Shura: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune Shura (PlayStation 2)
  • 2005: Adventure Player (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2005: Armored Core: Last Raven (PlayStation 2)
  • 2006: Enchanted Arms ( PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 )
  • 2006: Another Century's Episode 2 (PlayStation 2)
  • 2006: Chromehounds (Xbox 360)
  • 2006: King's Field: Additional (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2006: King's Field: Additional 2 (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2006: Armored Core 4 (PlayStation 3)
  • 2007: Numpla VOW ( Nintendo DS )
  • 2007: Iraroji VOW (Nintendo DS)
  • 2007: Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (PlayStation 2)
  • 2008: Armored Core: For Answer (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
  • 2009: Inugamike no Ichizoku (Nintendo DS)
  • 2009: Ninja Blade (Xbox 360, Windows)
  • 2009: Demon's Souls (PlayStation 3)
  • 2009: Yatsu Hakamura (Nintendo DS)
  • 2010: Another Century's Episode: R (PlayStation 3)
  • 2010: Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2011: Another Century's Episode Portable (PlayStation Portable)
  • 2011: Dark Souls (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows )
  • 2012: Armored Core 5 (PlayStation 3)
  • 2012: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (PlayStation 3)
  • 2012: Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor (Xbox 360)
  • 2013: Armored Core: Verdict Day (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
  • 2014: Dark Souls 2 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows )
  • 2015: Bloodborne ( PlayStation 4 )
  • 2015: Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the first sin (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows )
  • 2016: Dark Souls III (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows )
  • 2019: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows )

In development

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated June 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fromsoftware.jp
  2. ↑ http://www.ign.com/companies/fromsoftware
  3. ↑ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99980-Demons-Souls-Sales-Triple-Expectations
  4. ↑ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123255-Dark-Souls-Sells-2-3-Million-Copies
  5. ^ From Software acquired by Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corporation . Retrieved April 28, 2014.