Nippon Ichi

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Nippon Ichi Software

Type	Private company
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Gifu, Japan
Industry	Computer and video game industry
Products	Makai Kingdom series
Revenue	N/A
Website	http://www.nippon1.co.jp/index.html

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. (日本一ソフトウェア, Nippon Ichi Sofutowea^?) is a Japanese developer and publisher of game software titles such as Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, La Pucelle: Tactics, and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure.

1 About The Company
2 About The Games
3 Other Media
- 3.1 Anime
- 3.2 Toys and figurines
4 External links

[edit] About The Company

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. was founded in 1994 in Gifu, Japan, as an entertainment software company. Since then Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. has grown into an international company focused on creating video game products across modern console platforms. NIS America, Inc. subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. of Japan, established its North American operations on December 24, 2003. Based in Santa Ana, California, NIS America, Inc. handles operations including localization, marketing, and publishing of Nippon Ichi titles.

NIS America was the result of the company's wish to focus on internal publication of their works in the US, given the increased popularity of their titles. Prior to the creation of this subsidiary, NIS software titles that appeared in the US were localized and distributed by outside publishers. Notable examples would be Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, published in North America by Atlus and in Europe by Koei, La Pucelle, published in North America by Mastiff Inc, and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure which was also published in North America by Atlus.

[edit] About The Games

Though the company has developed a number of traditional RPGs (such as those found in the Marl Kingdom series), Nippon Ichi's latest releases have primarily been a series of turn-based strategy games. Many characters from previous titles make their way into later games as secret characters, even though their respective titles may not be directly connected.

Other games of separate genre, such as Cooking Fighter Hao, have been published by Nippon Ichi though they have never been released outside Japan.

[edit] Game Releases in North America (by date)

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (Developer) (Published by Atlus) - PSX (03/30/00)
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (Developer) (Published by Atlus) - PS2 (08/27/03)
La Pucelle: Tactics (Developer) (Published by Mastiff)- PS2 (05/04/04)
Phantom Brave (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (08/31/04)
Phantom Brave - Special Edition (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (08/31/04)
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (Developed by Gust) (Publisher) - PS2 (06/28/05)
Makai Kingdom: Chronicles Of The Sacred Tome (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (07/26/05)
Generation of Chaos (Developed by Idea Factory) (Publisher) - PSP (02/28/06)
Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny (Developed by Gust) (Publisher) - PS2 (04/25/06)
Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light (Developed by Hit Maker) (Publisher) - PSP (07/18/06)
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories (Developer) - PS2 (08/29/06)
Spectral Souls (Developed by Idea Factory) (Publisher) - PSP (09/26/06)
Ar Tonelico (Developed by Gust Inc.) (Publisher) - PS2 (2/7/2007)

[edit] Game Releases in Japan (by date)

Jigsaw World (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (02/03/95)
Oni Taiji, The: Mokushi Se! Ni Yome Momotarou (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (10/13/95)
Jigsaw Land: Japan Graffiti (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (09/13/96)
Souryu: Logical Mahjong (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (12/20/96)
Doki Doki Shutter Chance (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (10/23/97)
SatelliTV (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (01/08/98)
Cooking Fighter (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (05/21/98)
Adventure of Puppet Princess, The (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (12/17/98) localized as Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Logic Mahjong Souryu (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (05/04/99)
Little Princess: Maru Oukoku no Ningyou Hime 2 (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (11/25/99)
Tenshi no Present: Marle Oukoku Monogatari (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (12/21/00)
Marl de Jigsaw (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (11/15/01)
La Pucelle (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (01/31/02) localized as La Pucelle: Tactics
Marl Jong!! (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (04/24/02)
Makai Senki Disgaea (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (01/30/03) localized as Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Marujan!! (Developer/Publisher) - PSX (04/24/03)
Phantom Brave (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (01/22/04) localized as Phantom Brave
Iris no Atelier: Eternal Mana - Limited Edition (Developed by Gust) (Publisher) - PS2 (05/27/04) localized as Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
Hayari Gami (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (Q3 2004)
Hayarikami (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (08/05/04)
La Pucelle: Hikari no Seijo Densetsu Nishuu (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (10/21/04)
Phantom Kingdom (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (03/18/05) localized as Makai Kingdom: Chronicles Of The Sacred Tome
Eien no Aseria: The Spirit of Eternity Sword (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (05/12/05)
Hayarikami Revenge (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (07/14/05)
Aoi no Tristia (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (08/11/05)
Rasetsu Alternative (Developer) (Published by Kogado Studio) - PS2 (10/13/05)
Hayarikami Portable (Developer/Publisher) - PSP (12/15/05)
Makai Senki Disgaea 2 (Developer/Publisher) - PS2 (02/23/06) localized as Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
Makai Senki Disgaea Portable (Developer) - PSP (11/30/06)
Soul Cradle (Developer) - PS2 (01/25/07)

[edit] Cancelled Titles

Makai Wars (Developer) - PS3

[edit] Future releases

Makai Wars (Developer) - PSP
Aedis Eclipse (Developed by Idea Factory) (Publisher in U.S.) (Spring 2007 U.S.)
Atelier Iris 3: Grand Fantasm (Developed by Gust) - PS2 (May 2007 U.S.)
DS Game
Wii Game

[edit] Other Media

Nippon Ichi have begun to branch out into different media recently. Their first project is an anime based loosely on the story from Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. The success of the Disgaea anime has influenced N1 to consider adapting some of their other properties to the small screen. Possible projects are La Pucelle, Phantom Brave, and Makai Kingdom.