trading as
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market (economics), market.
An early form of trade, barter, s ...
Monolith Soft, is a Japanese
video game development studio
A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...
originally owned by
Namco
was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
(later
Bandai Namco
also known as the Bandai Namco Group and generally Bandai Namco, is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, formed from the merger of Bandai and Namco on S ...
) until being bought out by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
in 2007. The company was founded in 1999 by
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
with the support and cooperation of
Masaya Nakamura, the founder of Namco. Their first project was the ''
Xenosaga
''Xenosaga'' is a role-playing video game series developed by Monolith Soft and primarily published by Namco. Forming part of the wider '' Xeno'' metaseries, ''Xenosaga'' is set in a science fiction universe and follows a group of characters as t ...
'' series, a
spiritual successor to the
Square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
-developed ''
Xenogears
''Xenogears'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger ''Xeno (series), Xeno'' franchise. ...
''. Multiple Square staff would join Takahashi at Monolith Soft including Hirohide Sugiura and
Yasuyuki Honne
is a video game artist, director and producer. He was employed by Square from 1993 to 1999 and is now working at Monolith Soft. He is known for his work on the ''Chrono'' series, '' Xeno'' games and '' Baten Kaitos'' series.
Early life
Yas ...
.
In addition to the ''Xenosaga'' series, Monolith Soft worked on other projects including ''
Baten Kaitos'' and ''
Namco × Capcom
(pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battles, ...
'', the precursor to their later ''
Project X Zone
(pronounced as "Project Cross Zone") is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft with assistance from Capcom and Red Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game is a follow up to the ...
'' series, along with assisting on projects from other developers. While several of its games have released on the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, the majority of its games have released on Nintendo platforms. As of 2019, Monolith Soft operates four studios. Its main studio is in
Meguro
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.
Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
that produces the company's original video game properties; the secondary Nakameguro GS and Osaki Studio similarly based in Tokyo, and a studio in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
with mainly artists as its employees, which acts as an assisting developer for both Monolith Soft and for some
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
games.
The design approaches of Monolith Soft have shifted over its lifetime, with early games such as ''Xenosaga'' and ''Baten Kaitos'' being distinguished by a narrative-heavy approach, while later games have focused more on gameplay. The company's stated goals are to create projects with wide creative freedom and to allow younger developers to contribute to these projects. The company is also notable for its focus on promoting a comfortable working environment with little to no overtime in contrast to the majority of other Japanese game developers, alongside collaborating with other studios and companies.
History
Origins
Monolith Soft was founded by
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
, a developer who had previously worked at
Nihon Falcom
is a Japanese video game developer, best known for their '' Ys'', '' The Legend of Heroes'', and ''Trails'' series. The company was founded in March 1981, making them one of the oldest active video game companies. They are credited with pioneer ...
and later at
Square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
, in which the latter was merged into
Enix
was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games.
The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...
in 2003 to form
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
.
While at Square, he and his wife
Kaori Tanaka
, also known by her pen name, , is a freelance Japanese illustrator, designer, and video game story writer.
Biography
Final Fantasy
Saga joined Squaresoft as a graphic designer in the early 1990s through an advertisement in ASCII (magazine), AS ...
(also known as Soraya Saga) would contribute to the development of multiple games including entries in the ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' series.
Following their work on ''
Final Fantasy VI
also known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' ...
'', Takahashi and Tanaka created a proposal for ''
Final Fantasy VII''; while deemed too dark for the ''Final Fantasy'' series, they were allowed to develop it as their own project titled ''
Xenogears
''Xenogears'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger ''Xeno (series), Xeno'' franchise. ...
''.
Takahashi's ambition and drive prompted ''Final Fantasy'' creator
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
, then Executive Vice President at Square, to appoint him as director.
Takahashi also wrote the script with Tanaka.
Following the release of ''Xenogears'', Takahashi became dissatisfied with Square's business approach at the time, which prioritized their major intellectual properties including ''Final Fantasy''. This left Takahashi with no funding or creative room to develop further independent projects or continue his planned ''Xenogears'' series.
In 1999, Takahashi talked with Hirohide Sugiura, who had likewise worked at Square and was beginning to feel frustrated due to a lack of creative freedom. After discussing the matter, the two decided to create their own company and pursue projects they wanted to create. When planning their new company, Takahashi and Sugiura decided that they needed a publisher with substantial market presence to help them rather than being an independent studio. Takahashi and Sugiura approached multiple companies for support, but most of the companies they contacted outright rejected their offer as they believed that Monolith Soft should be an independent company. However,
Namco
was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
were interested in investing into Monolith Soft as a dedicated subsidiary, whilst handling logistics and marketing so that the core staff could focus on game development.
An important supporter of Monolith Soft was Namco's founder
Masaya Nakamura, who shared many of Takahashi and Sugiura's goals and ideals.
Monolith Soft is noted as being one of a group of video game companies—alongside
Sacnoth
renamed in 2002, was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. The company was founded in April 1997 by Hiroki Kikuta with funding from SNK; its staff, including Kikuta, were veterans of Square. While their first releases were the '' ...
,
Love-de-Lic
was a Japanese video game developer founded in 1995 by Kenichi Nishi. Its staff included many former employees of Square. After producing three games, the company disbanded in 2000. Many staff members joined other small and independent game compa ...
and
Mistwalker
is an independent video game development studio. The company was founded in July 2004 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for his work at Square including creating the ''Final Fantasy'' series. The company has created both game franchises such as ' ...
—founded by Square staff who had worked on notable games produced during the 1990s.
The company was officially founded on 1 October 1999 by Takahashi, Sugiura, and
Yasuyuki Honne
is a video game artist, director and producer. He was employed by Square from 1993 to 1999 and is now working at Monolith Soft. He is known for his work on the ''Chrono'' series, '' Xeno'' games and '' Baten Kaitos'' series.
Early life
Yas ...
, who had worked at Square on both the ''
Chrono
Chrono may refer to:
Prefix
''chrono-'' a Greek combining form relating to time
* chronometry, science of the measurement of time
*"chrono", colloquialism for chronograph in watch and clock collectors' language
Games
* ''Chrono'' (series), a Ja ...
'' series and with Takahashi on ''Xenogears''.
The company's offices were originally based in
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
.
2000s
Namco era
Monolith Soft's first project was ''
Xenosaga Episode I
''Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht'' is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2; the game was released in 2002 in Japan and 2003 in North America. It is the first entry in the ''X ...
'', a role-playing game (RPG) for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
. ''Xenosaga'' was a
spiritual successor to ''Xenogears''; development began in 2000 when enough staff had been gathered, lasting approximately two years.
As with ''Xenogears'', the game was scripted by Takahashi and Tanaka, who planned out the ''Xenosaga'' series as a
hexalogy
A hexalogy (from Greek ἑξα- '' hexa-'', "six" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound literary or narrative work that is made up of six distinct works. The word apparently first appeared in English as a borrowing from German, in ...
.
In 2001, Namco producer Shinji Noguchi and Monolith Soft's Tadashi Nomura conceived a new IP for the
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
unconnected to ''Xenosaga''. Titled ''
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean'', development began six months after the concept was formed, with Honne acting as director.
The game development staff of the company was now divided between the ''Xenosaga'' series and ''Baten Kaitos'', the latter a project driven by the younger developers at Monolith Soft.
''Baten Kaitos'' was co-developed with
tri-Crescendo
tri-Crescendo is a Japanese video game developer. It was founded in February 1999 by Hiroya Hatsushiba, who still runs the company. Hatsushiba, originally being a sound programmer, carried his experience into tri-Crescendo; the company was initia ...
, which came about due to both submitting designs to Namco, which suggested they work together on the project.
In 2003, Honne was approached by then-CEO of
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
Satoru Iwata
was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, video game designer, and producer. He was the fourth President (corporate title), president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015. He was a major contr ...
about developing a new entry in the ''
Mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
'' series for GameCube. Honne created a pitch themed around a "
felt
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...
-style recreation of 80s America", but the idea was firmly rejected by series creator
Shigesato Itoi
is a Japanese copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. Itoi is the editor-in-chief of his website and company '' Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun'' ("Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper"). He is best known outside Japan for his work on Nintendo ...
.
Following the release of the first ''Xenosaga'' game, Takahashi and Sugiura reassessed the internal structure of Monolith Soft, determining that the current lead developers were too old, clashing with their intended goals for the company to foster young talent. With this mindset, Takahashi stepped down from his lead role in the ''Xenosaga'' series. He continued to work for the company in a supervisory role by providing the series' scenario drafts, while younger staff continued the series development. This move also allowed Takahashi a greater degree of creative freedom in a number of projects as opposed to being tied to a single series.
In May 2002, Monolith Soft moved from Yokohama to their current offices in
Meguro
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.
Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
.
The next entry in the ''Xenosaga'' series, ''
Xenosaga Episode II
''Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse'' is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2. It was published in Japan (2004) and North America (2005) by Namco, and in Europe by Sony Computer Entertainme ...
'', began development under a new team following the release of ''Episode I''. While developing ''Episode II'', the staff shifted their focus from the main series to help tell the story through multiple media.
Among these additional projects was ''
Xenosaga: Pied Piper'', a spin-off title for
mobile devices
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
co-developed with Tom Create and Namco Mobile.
''Pied Piper'' was Tanaka's last work on the ''Xenosaga'' series.
Beginning in 2003, Monolith Soft also developed ''
Namco × Capcom
(pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battles, ...
'', a PlayStation 2 crossover game featuring characters from various Namco and
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
video games. The idea was proposed by Monolith Soft, with development lasting two years.
In 2006, Monolith Soft was involved in four released games; ''
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII'', ''
Xenosaga I & II
''Xenosaga I & II'' is a 2006 role-playing video game co-developed by Monolith Soft and Tom Create, and published by Namco for the Nintendo DS. A spin-off of the '' Xenosaga'' trilogy and forming part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries, ''Xenosaga I & ...
'', ''
Xenosaga Episode III
''Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra'' is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It is the final entry in both the ''Xenosaga'' trilogy and the larger ...
'' and ''
Baten Kaitos Origins
''Baten Kaitos Origins'', also known as ''Baten Kaitos 2'', is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and Tri-Crescendo for the GameCube video game console. The game is a prequel to ''Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocea ...
''.
''Dirge of Cerberus'', was primarily developed by SQUARE ENIX with Monolith Soft providing development support.
''Xenosaga I & II'' was an expanded re-imagining of the first two games for the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
, and is notable for being Monolith Soft's first title for
handheld game console
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
s.
The game was co-developed by Tom Create in collaboration with multiple staff who had worked on the
anime adaptation for the first ''Xenosaga''.
''Xenosaga Episode III'' began development in 2004. While ''Xenosaga'' was planned as a hexalogy, the new team decided to restructure the series as a trilogy. ''Episode III'' was the last planned entry in the series, with further games depending on its commercial success.
The mixed commercial and critical performance of the ''Xenosaga'' series left Monolith Soft's development staff in a state of low morale.
''Baten Kaitos Origins'', again co-developed with tri-Crescendo, was released late in the lifespan of the GameCube shortly before the release of Nintendo's new home console the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
.
A ''Baten Kaitos'' game for the DS was also in development at Monolith Soft, but Namco, which by this point had merged with
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
to become
Namco Bandai
is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and ...
, cancelled the project.
A third ''Baten Kaitos'' game was in early development for "a long time" according to Honne, but was cancelled due to unspecified circumstances. Future efforts with the series depended upon both fan demand and the cooperation of IP owners Namco.
Nintendo era
According to Sugiura, Monolith Soft's relations with Namco had undergone a negative change after Nakamura retired as head of Namco in 2002, three years before the merger with Bandai.
The company underwent changes and Monolith Soft felt they were being given less creative freedom, and the newly-created Bandai Namco was less willing to take creative risks. The company then received consultation from Shinji Hatano, an executive director at Nintendo, who advised them to continue creating innovative projects. Spurred on by Hatano's supportive attitude, Monolith Soft decided to break away from Bandai Namco to become a Nintendo subsidiary; this provided Monolith Soft creative freedom in exchange for software development exclusivity for Nintendo platforms.
Nintendo's purchasing of the majority of Monolith Soft's shares from Bandai Namco Holdings was publicly announced in April 2007. Nintendo became the majority shareholder of Monolith Soft with 80% of shares, while Bandai Namco retained 16% and remained as a development partner. Namco Bandai stated that the exchange of Monolith Soft shares would strengthen their relationship with Nintendo.
The remaining shares were divided between Takahashi, Sugiura and Honne.
Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft contrasted against the company's previous publicized approach of not taking part in mergers and acquisitions of other studios and companies. In a statement on the matter, Iwata said that the deal was initiated due to the positive relations between Sugiura and Nintendo, and the two companies' parallel design and development philosophies.
Monolith Soft's first releases following its acquisition by Nintendo were ''
Soma Bringer
is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The player, controlling one of the eight main characters, explores dungeons and fights enemies in real-time combat across three-dime ...
'' and ''
Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier'' for the Nintendo DS and ''
Disaster: Day of Crisis'' for the Wii, all released in 2008.
''Soma Bringer'' was the company's first portable title to be developed entirely in-house, it was designed as an experience driven by gameplay rather than narrative. Multiple returning staff from the ''Xenosaga'' series including Takahashi and Tanaka contributed to the game.
''Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier'', a crossover RPG, was co-developed with
Banpresto
(formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Banpresto was a partly-own ...
and featured cameo appearances from Monolith Soft's ''Xenosaga'' series.
''Disaster: Day of Crisis'', Monolith Soft's first and to-date only non-RPG game, was intended as a showcase for the capabilities of the Wii. Due to quality concerns and Monolith Soft's unfamiliarity with the Wii hardware, it was delayed from its planned 2006 release by two years.
Monolith Soft was also chosen to develop ''
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans'' due to their pedigree at developing RPGs.
During this period they assisted in the development of ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 List of crossovers in video games, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the Super Smash Bros., ''Super Smash ...
''.
From mid 2006, Takahashi was working on a separate project; struck by an idea of rival civilizations emerging on the frozen bodies of two warring gods, he and Honne constructed a model of the two gods to better visualize the idea. After bringing their idea to Nintendo producer Hitoshi Yamagami, the team began development in 2007. Takahashi later stated that the game's development acted as a means of boosting company morale after the failure of the ''Xenosaga'' series. The director, Koh Kojima, started his directorial debut with this game, having previously written the scenario for ''Baten Kaitos Origins''. This game also saw a shift away from the narrative-heavy approach of Monolith Soft
''s earlier work, which Takahashi stated had been called out as old-fashioned.
In contrast to many earlier Monolith Soft projects, the game was designed with an international release in mind.
The intended scale of the game caused problems, and Takahashi reluctantly went to Yamagami with a list of proposals to cut down the game to a suitable size as he was accustomed to doing for previous projects. Yamagami rejected all of Takahashi's suggestions, instead persuading Nintendo to keep supporting the project and allow the team to complete their work as envisioned.
Originally titled ''Monado: Beginning of the World'', Iwata had the title changed to honor Takahashi's previous work on ''Xenogears'' and the ''Xenosaga'' franchise. The new title was ''
Xenoblade Chronicles
is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is a part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries created by Tetsuya Takahashi, but was formed after Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft in 2007. The se ...
''.
2010s
''Xenoblade Chronicles'' released in 2010 in Japan, and after multiple delays, also released worldwide to unexpected critical and commercial success.
Also released that year was ''
Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed'', a sequel to the original game co-developed with Banpresto that expanded upon the mechanics of the original and featured further ''Xenosaga'' cameos.
In 2011, Monolith Soft founded a new studio in Kyoto, closer to Nintendo's home base so the two companies could better interact with each other. Despite some initial reservations, the staff quickly settled into their new offices and the studio became a lauded place of work.
Rather than original projects, the Kyoto branch acts as a supplementary studio, providing support for Monolith Soft and on Nintendo's in-house projects. The Kyoto branch has provided support for ''
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword'' (2011), ''
Animal Crossing: New Leaf'' (2012), ''
Pikmin 3
''Pikmin 3'' is a real-time strategy and puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is the sequel to the GameCube games ''Pikmin'' (2001) and '' Pikmin 2'' (2004), and was released in Japan on July ...
'' (2013), ''
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds'' (2013), ''
Splatoon
is a third-person shooter video game franchise created by Hisashi Nogami, and developed and owned by Nintendo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth inhabited by anthropomorphic marine animals, the series centers around fictional cephalopods known ...
'', (2015), ''
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer'' (2015), ''
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' (2017), ''
Splatoon 2
is a 2017 third-person shooter game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on July 21, 2017, and is a direct sequel to ''Splatoon'', which includes a new story-driven single-player mode and various onl ...
'' (2017), and ''
Animal Crossing: New Horizons'' (2020).
By the beginning of 2012, Namco Bandai had sold its remaining 400 shares in Monolith Soft to Nintendo.
The next game released from Monolith Soft, again in collaboration with Banpresto, was ''
Project X Zone
(pronounced as "Project Cross Zone") is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft with assistance from Capcom and Red Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game is a follow up to the ...
'' for the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
. A successor to ''Namco × Capcom'', the game received development support from and featured characters from franchises owned by Namco Bandai, Capcom and
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
.
Following the release of ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', Monolith Soft was also working on a follow-up titled ''
Xenoblade Chronicles X
''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' forms part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries, being a spiritual successor to '' Xeno ...
'' for the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
. A spiritual successor to the first game, and the company's first high-definition video game title, ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' shifted from a story-driven to an open world gameplay-driven structure.
The incorporation of an extensive multiplayer element resulted in its release being delayed and the narrative being substantially altered.
Monolith Soft also developed a sequel to ''Project X Zone'', ''
Project X Zone 2
''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to '' Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the eve ...
''. In addition to changing the character roster selected from Sega, Capcom and Bandai Namco, the game introduced characters from the Nintendo franchise ''
Fire Emblem
is a fantasy tactical role-playing game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. First produced and published for the Famicom in 1990, the series currently consists of sixteen core entries and five spinoffs. Game ...
'' in addition to characters from ''Xenoblade Chronicles''.
During the last development stages of ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'', Monolith Soft began work on a new ''Xenoblade'' title for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
. Titled ''
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on December 1, it is the third installment in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and the seventh main en ...
'', the game returned to the story-driven structure of ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' while building upon the gameplay and technology of ''Xenoblade Chronicles X''.
One of the game's story prototypes was later turned into an expansion titled ''
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country'', released in 2018.
In addition to this, Monolith Soft also began development of a fantasy action game, hiring new staff for the project.
The company opened new studios in
Nakameguro
is a residential district of Meguro, Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo. It is popular for its unique boutique cafes and stores, and the area near the Meguro River is a popular ''hanami'' (cherry blossom viewing) destination in mid-spring. The district is sit ...
and
Iidabashi
is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was in the former ward of Kōjimachi, which existed in Tokyo until 1947.
Etymology
Iidabashi is named after a nearby bridge called Iida Bridge (, ''Iidabashi''), itself named after an Edo-period fa ...
during 2017 and 2018.
The 1st Production team, known for their work on the ''
Xenoblade Chronicles
is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is a part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries created by Tetsuya Takahashi, but was formed after Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft in 2007. The se ...
'' series, started hiring staff for development of a new RPG project in October 2018.
In March 2019, the 2nd Production team started hiring staff for a new project in ''
The Legend of Zelda
''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...
'' franchise.
Between 2018 and 2019, the Iidabashi studio closed.
In April 2019, in the wake of high revenue during the 2018–2019 fiscal period, the company opened a new studio in
Ōsaki, Tokyo
is a primarily commercial district in the northern part of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. The district has completed several urban renewal projects centered around the Yamanote Line's Ōsaki Station, which include Ōsaki New City in 1987, Gate City ...
.
Games
Lead development
''This list is for games to which Monolith Soft contributed substantially, being either a major co-developer or the main developer.''
Support development
''This list is for titles where a studio of Monolith Soft acted in a lesser supporting role to the main developer. Monolith Soft Tokyo, the development branch who lead development on their
Xenoblade franchise and other of their franchises, is one of the companies responsible for support in game design for Breath of the Wild titles in
The Legend of Zelda
''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...
franchise, while the other games have Monolith Soft Kyoto, which is only a support studio, acting as one of the support studios for art and graphics.''
Philosophy
From the company's inception, Takahashi and Sugiura wanted to give creative freedom to pursue projects outside genre standards, in addition to hiring young staff.
An early aim was to encourage younger developers to make their mark in the industry, which at the time was dominated by people in the late 30s and up. This outlook was the reason why younger staff were given charge of the ''Xenosaga'' series.
Kojima stated that younger developers were preferred as they could bring interesting ideas to a project.
According to Sugiura, a major element during the period in which Monolith Soft was under Namco was the focus on creativity. They wanted to balance this with the financial logistics of game design rather than having budgetary concerns stifle the creative flare of the staff.
When talking about their Wii U projects in 2012, Monolith Soft staff member Michihiko Inaba stated that the company wanted to show that Japan could keep up with the Western market in terms of ambitious games that pushed the industry forward, comparing Monolith Soft to
Bethesda Softworks in this desire.
Speaking about the move from Namco Bandai to Nintendo, Sugiura commented that it was a challenge to only be developing games for a single group of consoles. Nintendo endorsed the challenge to Monolith Soft with incentives such as making a particular game within given hardware specifications, providing the company time and resources to accomplish that. Another factor that changed within Monolith Soft's development process was Nintendo's increased quality control, which would moot any project that did not have the desired quality for their systems.
This sense of challenge was also echoed by Takahashi, who described both ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and ''Xenoblade Chronicles X'' as being defined by self-imposed challenges to the development team when creating the environments on limited gaming hardware.
Monolith Soft's scope and goals are often attributed to Takahashi's drive and ambition.
While commonly associated with
Japanese role-playing game
While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia come Video games in Japan, from Japan, many have also been Video games in South Korea, developed in South Korea and Video games in China, in China. ...
s (JRPGs), Monolith Soft focuses more on making role-playing games for a worldwide audience.
Rather than a fixed development structure, Monolith Soft chooses to freely assign staff based on the direction a project takes, in addition to believing in collaborations with other companies on projects rather than developing entirely in-house.
According to a 2012 interview with Takahashi, a prerequisite for working at Monolith Soft is a deep passion for games in addition to general knowledge outside the field.
As opposed to many other Japanese and Western studios which have come under criticism for excessive overtime and poor working conditions, Monolith Soft strives for a friendly working environment and reasonable hours for its staff. Overtime is also negotiated with the management and receives payment, a rarity in Japanese business. Speaking in relation to this approach, Honne recited the company's motto; "Zero overtime and creative work allowed".
Despite the gaming industry's workforce being dominated by men, Monolith Soft has a notably high proportion of female developers working at the company, with around a quarter of its workforce in total.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Video game companies established in 1999
Entertainment companies of Japan
Nintendo divisions and subsidiaries
Former Bandai Namco Holdings subsidiaries
First-party video game developers
Software companies based in Tokyo
Video game companies of Japan
Video game development companies
Japanese companies established in 1999
2007 mergers and acquisitions