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Japanese video game developer
"Yukes" redirects here. For the Canadian rugby player, see
Colin Yukes .
Yuke's Co. Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka . It was established on 26 February 1993 by Yukinori Taniguchi . The company is best known for developing the WWE video game series, based on the professional wrestling promotion of the same name , until 2018.
History
Founded in 1993, Yuke's was named after founder Yukinori Taniguchi's high school nickname. The first two games that the company developed were the platform game Hermie Hopperhead and the pro wrestling game Toukon Retsuden .[ 3] The latter title was a best-seller in Japan.[ 4] Though Activision purchased the rights to publish the game in North America and began localization work,[ 4] only the first game was localized, becoming Power Move Pro Wrestling with a different roster of wrestlers.
Beginning in 2000, Yuke's began to develop wrestling games for THQ based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE). They were recommended to THQ by Aki , who had developed their own line of wrestling games.[ 3]
From 2005 to 2012, Yuke's owned 54% of New Japan Pro-Wrestling , the top professional wrestling promotion in Japan.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
In August 2019, then-series publisher 2K Games announced it had moved WWE game development to California-based studio Visual Concepts .[ 8] Earlier that year, Yuke's had revealed its frustration over what it had been able to achieve with recent WWE 2K games and suggested that its relationship with publisher 2K Sports was partly responsible. Producer Hiromi Furuta revealed that Yuke's had established a new development team tasked with creating a rival wrestling IP, with the intention of reinvigorating its staff.[ 9] On November 10, 2020, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced an upcoming console game developed by Yuke's, led by Def Jam Vendetta and WWF No Mercy director, Hideyuki "Geta" Iwashita.[ 10]
Games developed
These are the list of games that the company developed.[ 11]
Year
Title
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)
1995
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden
Tomy
PlayStation
1995
Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic
SCEI
1996
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 2
Tomy
1997
Ucchannanchan no Honō no Challenger: Denryū Iraira Bō
Hudson Soft
Nintendo 64
1998
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Fighting Spirit Blazing Road BRAVE SPIRITS
1998
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 3
Tomy
PlayStation
1998
Soukaigi
SquareSoft
1998
Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Fighting Spirit Blazing Guidance 2 - The Next Generation
Hudson
Nintendo 64
1999
Evil Zone
Titus Software
PlayStation
1999
Last Legion UX
Hudson
Nintendo 64
1999
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 4
Tomy
Dreamcast
1999
Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage
ASCII Corporation
2000
WWF SmackDown!
THQ
PlayStation
2000
WWF Royal Rumble
Arcade , Dreamcast
2000
WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
PlayStation
2000
The Pro Wrestling 2
D3 Publisher
2001
WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It
THQ
PlayStation 2
2002
EOE: Eve of Extinction
Eidos Interactive
2002
Edit Racing
D3 Publisher
2002
WWE WrestleMania X8
THQ
GameCube
2002
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
PlayStation 2
2003
WWE WrestleMania XIX
GameCube
2003
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
PlayStation 2
2004
Online Pro Wrestling
Yuke's
2004
WWE Day of Reckoning
THQ
GameCube
2004
Berserk: Millennium Falcon Hen Seima Senki no Shō
Sammy Corporation
PlayStation 2
2004
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw
THQ
2004
Rumble Roses
Konami
2005
D1 Grand Prix
Yuke's
2005
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
THQ
GameCube
2005
D1 Grand Prix 2005
Yuke's
PlayStation 2
2005
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006
THQ
PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
2005
Wrestle Kingdom
Yuke's
PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
2006
The Dog: Happy Life
PlayStation Portable
2006
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
THQ
PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
2007
The Dog Island
Ubisoft
PlayStation 2, Wii
2007
Wrestle Kingdom 2
Yuke's
PlayStation 2
2007
Go! Sports Ski
SCEI
PlayStation 3
2007
Neves
Atlus
Nintendo DS
2007
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008
THQ
PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2007
Petz: Dogz 2 and Catz 2
Ubisoft
PlayStation 2, Wii
2007
Soukou Kihei Votoms
Bandai Namco Entertainment
PlayStation 2
2008
Double D Dodgeball
Yuke's
Xbox 360
2008
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters
Bandai Namco Entertainment
PlayStation 2
2008
Neverland Card Battles
Idea Factory
PlayStation Portable
2008
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
THQ
PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2009
WWE Legends of WrestleMania
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS
2009
UFC 2009 Undisputed
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2009
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
Nintendo DS , PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2010
UFC Undisputed 2010
PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
2011
Real Steel
Yuke's
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2011
WWE '12
THQ
PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
2012
UFC Undisputed 3
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2012
WWE '13
PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
2013
Pacific Rim
Yuke's
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
2013
WWE 2K14
2K Sports
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2014
WWE 2K15
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 , Xbox 360, Xbox One
2015
WWE 2K16
Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2016
WWE 2K17
2017
WWE 2K18
Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2018
WWE 2K19
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2019
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
D3 Publisher
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
2020
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers
Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
2023
AEW Fight Forever
THQ Nordic
Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 , Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
References
^ Andy Robinson (6 August 2019). "2K splits with veteran WWE studio Yuke's" . Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-08-06 .
^ "Company Profile" .
^ a b Ekberg, Brian (November 11, 2005). "Yukes Behind the Scenes" . GameSpot . Retrieved May 23, 2019 .
^ a b "Buyers Beware". GamePro . No. 98. IDG . November 1996. p. 24.
^ "Yuke's Media Creations" . Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-10 . . uk.games.ign.com
^ Yuke's Buys Controlling Share of New Japan Pro-Wrestling . Gamasutra.com (November 15, 2005). Retrieved on May 10, 2014.
^ Caldwell, James (January 31, 2012). "NJPW News: New Japan sold to new owners, change-over taking effect February 1" . Pro Wrestling Torch . Retrieved January 31, 2012 .
^ Robinson, Andy (August 6, 2019). "2K splits with veteran WWE studio Yukes" . Video Games Chronicle .
^ Robinson, Andy (May 13, 2019). "WWE 2K studio creating rival wrestling IP" . Video Games Chronicle .
^ Walker, Ian (November 10, 2020). "Three All Elite Wrestling Games In Development" . Kotaku . Retrieved November 10, 2020 .
^ "Game RELEASES" . TUKE'S Co., Ltd . Retrieved 8 November 2017 .
External links