Nippon Ichi Software

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Nippon Ichi Software Inc.
Type Private company
Traded as JASDAQ: 3851
Industry Video game industry
Founded September 1991 (initial founding)
July 12, 1993 (reincorporation)
Headquarters Gifu Prefecture, Japan
NIS, America:
Santa Ana, California, United States[1]
Key people Souhei Niikawa
Products Disgaea series
Website www.nippon1.co.jp
www.nisamerica.com

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. (日本一ソフトウェア Nippon Ichi Sofutowea?) (known as Prism Kikaku Ltd. from July 1993 to July 1995) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. They are responsible for such titles as Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, La Pucelle: Tactics and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure.

Contents

History [edit]

Nippon Ichi Software was founded in September 1991 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan,[2] as an entertainment software company. It was relocated and reincorporated[2] on July 12, 1993.[3] 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. The first game to be released in North America by NIS America was Phantom Brave.

NIS America was the result of the company's wish to focus on international publication of their works in the U.S., given the increased popularity of their titles. Prior to the creation of this subsidiary, NIS software titles that appeared in the U.S. 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. The publisher has become a somewhat of a well-known presence in the North American market, having won RPGLand's "Stateside Publisher of the Year Award" in 2009.[4]

Nippon Ichi, meaning "Japan's Best" or "#1 in Japan," is often abbreviated as "N1".[5]

During years 2008 and 2009 the financial results for Nippon Ichi saw a huge drop. The January 2009 financial report for the company recorded a drop of more than 97% in income in comparison to the previous year.[6] Kotaku editor Brian Ashcraft reported that after the release of the financial figures "The company's closing price on the JASDAQ (Japanese NASDAQ) was ¥36,200 on Friday. When the market opened this morning, and investors began reacting to Nippon Ichi's financial statement, the stock price ultimately dropped ¥7,000 (US$78) as the stock was unloaded.".

Games [edit]

Though the company has developed a number of traditional role-playing video games, Nippon Ichi's latest releases have primarily been a series of tactical RPG 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. The Rhapsody series, Disgaea series, Phantom Brave, Makai Kingdom, and Soul Nomad are the games that are usually connected with each other through secret characters.

Other games of separate genres, such as Cooking Fighter Hao, have been published by the company though they have never been released outside Japan. The most popular games are the Disgaea games. All of these games have connections to each other, whether it be the same world, dimensional travel, same creatures, or the same über-hard tyrant, Baal.

Games developed [edit]

Title Japan North America Europe Australia
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness January 30, 2003 August 27, 2003 May 28, 2004 June 9, 2004
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories February 23, 2006 August 29, 2006 November 3, 2006 November 23, 2006
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice January 31, 2008 August 26, 2008 February 20, 2009 March 5, 2009
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten February 24, 2011 September 6, 2011 November 4, 2011 November 24, 2011
Disgaea Infinite November 1, 2009 June 8, 2010 November 17, 2010 Unreleased
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness March 20, 2013 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Doki Doki Shutter Chance October 23, 1997 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Jigsaw Land: Japan Graffiti September 13, 1996 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Jigsaw Madness Unreleased December 1, 2002 June 27, 2003 Unreleased
Jigsaw Party July 22, 1994 December, 1994 Unreleased Unreleased
Jigsaw World February 3, 1995 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
La Pucelle: Tactics January 31, 2002 May 4, 2004 April 1, 2005 April 15, 2005
Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome March 17, 2005 July 26, 2005 October 25, 2005 Unreleased
Phantom Brave January 22, 2004 August 31, 2004 February 4, 2005 Unreleased
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? November 20, 2008 February 17, 2009 June 26, 2009 Unreleased
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! March 25, 2010 January 10, 2011 Unreleased Unreleased
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure December 17, 1998 July 30, 2000 Unreleased Unreleased
Soul Nomad & the World Eaters February 15, 2007 September 25, 2007 June 20, 2008 Unreleased
Souryu: Logical Mahjong December 20, 1996 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Special Report Division August 23, 2012 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
The Guided Fate Paradox January 23, 2013 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
The Oni Taiji: Mezase! Nidaime Momotarou October 13, 1995 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman March 11, 2010 October 26, 2010 November 3, 2010 Unreleased

Game releases in Europe [edit]

Game releases in North America [edit]

Game releases in Japan [edit]

Title Japan North America Europe Australia
Jigsaw World February 3, 1995 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
The Oni Taiji: Mezase! Nidaime Momotarou October 13, 1995 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Jigsaw Land: Japan Graffiti September 13, 1996 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Souryu: Logical Mahjong December 20, 1996 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Doki Doki Shutter Chance October 23, 1997 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
SatelliTV January 8, 1998 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Cooking Fighter Hao May 21, 1998 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure December 17, 1998 July 30, 2000 Unreleased Unreleased
Logic Mahjong Souryu May 5, 1999 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Little Princess: Maru Oukoku no Ningyou Hime 2 November 25, 1999 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Tenshi no Present: Marle Oukoku Monogatari December 21, 2000 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Marl de Jigsaw November 15, 2001 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
La Pucelle: Tactics January 31, 2002 May 4, 2004 April 1, 2005 April 15, 2005
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness January 30, 2003 August 27, 2003 May 28, 2004 June 9, 2004
Marujan!! April 23, 2004 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Phantom Brave January 22, 2004 August 31, 2004 February 4, 2005 Unreleased
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana May 27, 2004 June 28, 2005 March 17, 2006 March 23, 2006
Hayari Gami August 5, 2004 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome March 17, 2005 July 26, 2005 October 25, 2005 Unreleased
Eien no Aseria: The Spirit of the Eternity Sword May 12, 2005 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Hayarigami Revenge July 14, 2005 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Tristia of the Deep-Blue Sea August 11, 2005 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Rasetsu Alternative October 13, 2005 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Hayarigami Portable December 15, 2005 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories February 23, 2006 August 29, 2006 November 3, 2006 November 23, 2006
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness November 30, 2006 October 30, 2007 December 14, 2007 December 20, 2007
Soul Nomad & the World Eaters February 15, 2007 September 25, 2007 June 20, 2008 Unreleased
GrimGrimoire April 12, 2007 June 26, 2007 September 27, 2007 September 28, 2007
Hayarigami 2 November 15, 2007 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice January 31, 2008 August 26, 2008 February 20, 2009 March 5, 2009
Cross Edge September 25, 2008 May 26, 2009 September 18, 2009 September 28, 2009
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? November 20, 2008 February 17, 2009 June 26, 2009 Unreleased
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days March 26, 2009 September 8, 2009 February 5, 2010 February 18, 2010
Let's Hitchhike March 31, 2009 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
A Witch's Tale May 28, 2009 October 6, 2009 Unreleased Unreleased
Trinity Universe October 1, 2009 June 29, 2010 June 25, 2010 Unreleased
Disgaea Infinite November 1, 2009 June 8, 2010 November 17, 2010 Unreleased
Last Rebellion January 28, 2010 February 23, 2010 March 26, 2010 Unreleased
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! March 25, 2010 January 10, 2011 Unreleased Unreleased
Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman March 11, 2010 October 26, 2010 November 3, 2010 Unreleased
Classic Dungeon: Fuyoku no Masoujin February 18, 2010 September 20, 2010 Unreleased Unreleased
Blue Roses: Yousei to Aoi Hitomi no Senshitachi September 16, 2010 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Criminal Girls November 18, 2010 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten February 24, 2011 September 6, 2011 November 4, 2011 November 24, 2011
Labyrinth Tower: Legasista March 15, 2012 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Special Report Division [7] August 23, 2012 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
The Guided Fate Paradox January 23, 2013 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness March 20, 2013 Unreleased Unreleased Unreleased

Cancelled titles [edit]

Future releases [edit]

Other media [edit]

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.

Anime [edit]

Releases in North America [10][11] [edit]

Toys and figurines [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "NIS, America Inc. -- About NISA". NIS, America Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-14. 
  2. ^ a b "NIS Company History". Nippon Ichi Software Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-29. 
  3. ^ "NIS Company Summary". Nippon Ichi Software Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-29. 
  4. ^ "RPGLand.com Best of 2009 Awards". RPGLand.com. Retrieved 2010-02-08. 
  5. ^ Kurt Kalata (2006). "NIS games at Hardcore Gaming 101". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved January 2, 2010. 
  6. ^ Brian Ashcraft. "Nippon Ichi Software, This Can’t Be Good (Part II)". Kotaku. 
  7. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2012/05/28/vita-game-from-nippon-ichi-puts-you-behind-a-newsroom-camera/
  8. ^ "NISAmerica Site". NIS America. 
  9. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2013/04/09/the-witch-and-the-hundred-knights-will-reach-japan-this-july/
  10. ^ "NIS AMERICA TO RELEASE ANIME TITLES IN NORTH AMERICA!" (PDF). NIS America. February 12, 2010. Retrieved July 01, 2012. 
  11. ^ "NIS America to Release Anime Titles in North America". Anime News Network. 

External links [edit]

Disgaea series
Main series games
Spin-off games
Anime adaptation
Related articles
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