GungHo Online Entertainment

GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc.

Native name	株式会社ガンホー・オンライン・エンターテイメント
Romanized name	Kabushikigaisha Ganhō Onrain Entāteinmento
Type	Public (JASDAQ: 3765)
Industry	Video games
Founded	July 1, 1998 (1998-07-01)[1]
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Key people	Taizo Son, Chairman Kazuki Morishita, President & CEO
Services	Video game Development, Distribution, Operation
Number of employees	333[2]
Parent	Formerly SoftBank Group, which still controls 35.03%
Subsidiaries	Gravity Game Arts GungHo Mode Broccoli Acquire GungHo Works Grasshopper Manufacture
Website	www.gungho.co.jp

GungHo Online Entertainment (Japanese: 株式会社ガンホー・オンライン・エンターテイメント, Hepburn: Kabushikigaisha Ganhō Onrain Entāteinmento, JASDAQ: 3765) is a Japanese video game corporation. They are primarily known for hosting the Japanese server of Ragnarok Online, as well as their development of Ragnarok DS for the Nintendo DS. More recently, the company has reported huge financial success thanks to its mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, which, in 2013, was reportedly responsible for 91% of the company's $1.6 billion revenues for the year.^[3]

History

Established as ONSale Co., Ltd. on July 1, 1998 (a joint venture between Softbank and onSale Inc. in the US) to engage in the online interactive auction business.

• In 2000, the company moved its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan and changed its focus to providing auction systems, etc. using ASP.^[4]
• In 2002, the company once again changed its focus, this time to Online Game Services. Primarily hosting the Japanese server of Ragnarok Online.
• In 2004 the company began joint development of online games with Game Arts Co., Ltd..
• In March 2005, the company was listed on the Hercules Nippon New Market of the Osaka Securities Exchange.
• In August 2005, the company invested in G-Mode Co., Ltd. a game manufacturer for mobile phones.
• In December 2005, the MMORPG developed by GungHo, Emil Chronicle Online, was officially released.
• In August 2006, they completed the contract to distribute Ragnarok Online II.
• In October 2007, GungHo Works, Inc., behind the development of Ragnarok DS, was established.
• In November 2007, the company acquired the video game assets of Interchannel from Index Corporation.^[5]
• In April 2008, Gravity Co., Ltd. was acquired as a subsidiary.
• In January 2013, GungHo acquired Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio behind titles such as No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw.^[6]
• On June 3, 2016, Softbank agreed to sell most of its stake in GungHo (approximately 23.47%) for about $685 million, which would thus end Softbank's majority ownership of the company, resulting in Gungho no longer being an associate of Softbank.^[7][8][9] The offer was accepted by Gungho and completed by June 22, thus allowing Gungho to become a independent company.^[10][11]

Games

Currently Offered

GungHo offers services for the following games.
() is the official launch date or beta.

MMORPG

• Ragnarok Online (December 1, 2001)
• Tantra (March 10, 2004)
• Emil Chronicle Online (August 1, 2005)
• Hiten Online (April 19, 2007)
• Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine (June 26, 2007)^[12]
• ROSE Online (March 26, 2009)^[13]
• Lucent Heart (2009)
• Blade Chronicle (2009)
• Ragnarok DS (February 1, 2010)^[14]
• Eternal City 2 (June 23, 2010)
• DIVINA (September 9, 2010)
• Grand Fantasia
• ROSE Online
• Le Ciel Bleu

Shooter

• Toy Wars^[15]

Puzzle Games

• Fishdom: Seasons under the Sea
• Dokuro
• Puzzle & Dragons^[16]
• Summons Board

Future Titles

MMORPG

• Ragnarok Online II (β August 30, 2007 - September 27, 2007)
  • Open Beta was suspended for the redevelopment of the title. It is still undetermined when the title will once again be available.
• Codename: Rondo

Sports

• eXtreme Soccer (β August 11, 2006 – 2008)
  • Beta suspended in 2008. It is still undetermined when the title will be available.

Service Ended

These titles are no longer available.

• Survival Project (June 29, 2004 - August 31, 2006)
• A3 (October 15, 2004 - November 1, 2007)
• GetAmped (April 27, 2004 - January 31, 2006)
• Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (September 1, 2004 - January 31, 2006)
• Squirrel Pot 2 (May 25, 2004 - December 28, 2007)
• Mahjong (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Koi Koi Playing Cards (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Poker (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Millionaire (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Shanghai (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Chat (May 31, 2007 - March 26, 2008)
• Pachinko Slot (September 6, 2007 - November 4, 2008)
• Hakenden (June 4, 2008 - October 29, 2008)
• Yogurting (September 1, 2005 - May, 2010)
• Tetris Online (October 23, 2007 - July 5, 2011)
• Grandia Online (August 26, 2009 - September 28, 2012)^[17]

PC

• Grandia II: Anniversary Edition

PlayStation 2

• Nadepro!!: Kisama mo Seiyū Yattemiro!

PlayStation Portable

• Solfege: Sweet Harmony
• Mimana Iyar Chronicle
• Cho Aniki Zero
• P.W: Project Witch
• Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
• Ragnarok Tactics

PlayStation 3

• Ragnarok Odyssey Ace

PlayStation Vita

• Ragnarok Odyssey
• Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
• Picotto Knights
• Dokuro

PlayStation 4

• Let It Die

Nintendo DS

• Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!! (Nintendo DS version)
• Nakamura Tooru Kanshuu: India Shiki Keisan Drill DS (The Method of Indian Calculation)^[18]
• Aquazone DS
• Ragnarok DS
• Hero's Saga Laevatein Tactics
• Minna de Jibun no Setsumeisho: B-Gata, A-Gata, AB-Gata, O-Gata
• Ecolis: Aoi Umi to Ugoku Shima

Mobile

• Ragnarok Online: Violet
• Ragnarok Online: Card Battle
• Casino Komodo

References

External links

• GungHo Corporate Website
• GungHo Games