From Software

From Software, Inc.
株式会社フロム・ソフトウェア
Subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation[1]
Industry Video game industry
Founded November 1, 1986
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people
 Yoshimi Yasuda (Representative Director and Chairman)
Hidetaka Miyazaki (President)[2]
Naotoshi Zin (Advisor)
Products King's Field
Armored Core
Tenchu
Lost Kingdoms
Lost Kingdoms II
Otogi
Chromehounds
Metal Wolf Chaos
Ninja Blade
Demon's Souls
Dark Souls
Dark Souls II
Bloodborne
Number of employees
 230 (October 2013)[3]
Parent Kadokawa Corporation
Website fromsoftware.jp

FromSoftware, Inc. (株式会社フロム・ソフトウェア Kabushikigaisha Furomu Sofutowea) is a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 that is known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Bloodborne, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.

In April 2014, Kadokawa Corporation announced the intention to purchase the company from former shareholder Transcosmos. The deal was finalized on May 21, 2014.[4]

Games

From Software have developed for a wide range of platforms, including the Dreamcast, Nintendo DS, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Microsoft Windows and various mobile phones. With fifteen titles developed, the Armored Core series is the studio's longest running franchise. The most recent title, Armored Core: Verdict Day was released in Japan on September 26, 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Earlier, less notable outside of Japan, titles include Enchanted Arms, King's Field, Chromehounds, Otogi and Tenchu series, all of which have been met with mostly favorable reviews. The studio also has strong ties to Sega, which distributes most of these titles overseas.

In 2009, they released Demon's Souls, which brought them unprecedented exposure in North America. Its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, was released in 2011. In March 2014, the sequel, Dark Souls II, was released. The studio's latest title, Bloodborne, was released worldwide in March 2015, to critical acclaim.

These four aforementioned titles have all received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and general audience alike as well as strong sales,[5][6][7] both domestically and internationally. They have also received a number of awards, primarily those for the role-playing game genre, from both professional critics and general audience, including multiple "RPG of the Year" and Game of the Year awards.[8][9][10][11] As such, they are often dubbed some of the best role-playing games ever made.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "From Software acquired by Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corporation". Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "FromSoftware Company Info". Retrieved 25 May 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ↑ "Corporate Information | FromSoftware".
  4. ↑ "From Software acquired by Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corporation". Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Ben Dutka (2009-02-12). "Demon's Souls Caps Impressive First Week Of Sales In Japan". PSX Extreme. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
  6. ↑ May 8, 2014, Financial Highlights for the Fiscal Year Ended March 2014, NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc.
  7. ↑ May 7, 2014, Dark Souls II Ships 1.2 Million In U.S. And Europe, Siliconera
  8. ↑ den Ouden, Adriaan. "RPG of the Year". RPGamer. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  9. ↑ Marchello, Sam. "Best Graphics". RPGamer. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  10. ↑ Staples, Ken. "Best PS3". RPGamer. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  11. ↑ "Community Choice Game of the Year". Game Revolution. December 23, 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "IGN Top 100 Modern Games". IGN. Retrieved 2012-06-11.

External links