|
is a video game developer and publisher based in Fukuoka, Japan. The company, which employs around 280 individuals, was founded in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino, after he departed from the now defunct Japanese developer Riverhillsoft. Hino designs, plans, or produces nearly all of Level-5's games, and is also the CEO and President of the company. Early in its history, Level-5 enjoyed a close relationship with Sony Computer Entertainment, with many of its titles funded by and produced in conjunction with them. Since the release of ''Professor Layton and the Curious Village'' in early 2007, the company began diversifying its product portfolio, and focusing more on self-funding and self-publishing its titles in Japan with Nintendo's overseas subsidiaries distributing Level-5's games on Nintendo systems. As of 2013, Level-5 was one of the ten largest video game companies in Japan, where it held a 3.2% market share. ==History== Level-5 was established in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino and his development team. They had left Riverhillsoft following the release of ''OverBlood 2'' for the PlayStation in 1998, so that they could focus on creating 3D software. Since Hino did not originally believe that his team could become an independent developer, he formed a partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment, who would allow him to develop for their upcoming PlayStation 2 under the condition that he set up his own company.〔 The name, "Level-5", was a reference to Japanese school report cards, where "Level-5" is the highest possible mark. Soon after being created, the company had eleven employees.〔 Level-5's first full-scale production was the action RPG ''Dark Cloud'', developed under contract by Sony Computer Entertainment, originally for the Japanese launch of the PlayStation 2 in March 2000. However, it was delayed before the console's launch to allow further development, and eventually released in Japan on December 14, 2000, and elsewhere in 2001. Work immediately began on a sequel titled ''Dark Chronicle'' (''Dark Cloud 2'' in North America). While not as successful as the first game, ''Dark Chronicle'' still gained critical acclaim and sold over half a million units worldwide. Midway through 2002, the company had a substantial boost in recognition as it began development on three high profile titles: *''True Fantasy Live Online'' for Microsoft, an MMORPG which was to become one of the premier titles for the Xbox and Xbox Live service in Japan before it was abruptly canceled in 2004. *''Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'' for Square Enix, who had handpicked Level-5 to develop the title under the supervision of series designer Yuji Horii and his team at Armor Project. *''Rogue Galaxy'', the studio’s third RPG for Sony Computer Entertainment, with a larger budget and more creative freedom than its previous productions with the publisher. In just four years, Level-5 went from small startup studio to one of the premier RPG developers in Japan, and have since enjoyed immense critical and commercial success. In early 2007, the company released its first fully self-funded and self-published title in Japan, ''Professor Layton and the Curious Village'', which has since enjoyed incredible commercial success, shipping more than 840,000 copies to retail, and has officially transitioned Level-5 into both a developer ''and'' publisher of interactive video game entertainment in Japan. Yasumi Matsuno, director of ''Vagrant Story'', ''Final Fantasy Tactics'', and the ''Ogre Battle'' series, briefly joined Level-5 in June 2011,〔(How Yasumi Matsuno Ended Up at Level-5 )〕 who left the company after completing work on ''Crimson Shroud'' for the Nintendo 3DS.〔(Yasumi Matsuno leaves Level 5 )〕 In October 2015, Level-5 founded a spin-off company in Santa Monica, California, in cooperation with Dentsu, called Level-5 abby. Its purpose is to develop multimedia entertainment for the western demographic.〔http://www.level5.co.jp/abby/〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Level-5 (company)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|