ASCII (company)

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ASCII Corporation (株式会社アスキー, Kabushiki-gaisha Asukī^?) is a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan, and was one of the key players in the creation of the MSX standard, home computer in Japan. It is a subsidiary of Kadokawa Holdings, Inc., and a member of Kadokawa Group.

The company publishes ASCII as the main publication, which is one of the oldest and the most prestigious magazines.

[edit] History

ASCII was founded by Kazuhiko Nishi Nishi partnered with NEC executive Kazuya Watanabe to create the MSX, the first home computer for the Japanese market.

ASCII's early work was mainly in hardware development and creation. As the popularity of home videogame systems soared 1980s ASCII turned its attention towards the development and publishing of software for popular consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.

ASCII became so popular in the software market that it branched out and created an American satellite in 1991 known as ASCII Entertainment.

Soon though ASCII's market in Japan declined while improving in the U.S.. To focus on supporting the interactive entertainment channel in America, startup company Agetec was spun off as an independent corporation in 1998 and later became a fully independent publisher one year later.

In 1998, ASCII's North American software publishing company became known as Agetec, or "Ascii Game Entertainment TEChnology".

As of March 2002, ASCII ceased all videogame development and publication in Japan. The company now focused on IT and computer magazine publishing. Before it stopped its tie to videogames, however, the gaming branch broke off into its own independent development and publishing house known as Media Leaves, Inc..