Working Designs was an American
video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that have been developed either internally by the publisher or externally by a video game developer.
They often finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer ( ...
that specialized in the localization of
Japanese
role-playing video games,
strategy video game
Strategy is a major video game genre that emphasizes thinking and planning over direct instant action in order to achieve victory. Although many types of video games can contain strategic elements, as a genre, strategy games are most commonly defi ...
s and
top-down shooter
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
s for various platforms. Though the company had published many cult hits, it was known best to fans as the long-time exclusive North American publisher of the ''
Lunar
Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon".
Lunar may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games
* "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta
* "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...
'' series. The company was one of the few game publishers that attempted to bridge the cultural gap between the Japanese and American video game industries during the 1990s with an eclectic selection of releases from various genres, and was also one of the earliest American publishers to make use of the
CD-ROM format for full, spoken English dialogue in their titles at a time when
voice acting
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
was not a common feature in most mainstream games.
On December 12, 2005, Victor Ireland, President of Working Designs, announced via the company's
message board
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
that it was closing its doors. He later started a new company called
Gaijinworks.
History
Working Designs was initially founded as a software company focusing on logging management software for the IBM PC. After lead programmer Todd Mark's death in 1988, Victor Ireland was hired to complete Mark's unfinished work before transitioning the company to a game publisher in 1990.
Working Designs published games for the
Sega CD
The Sega CD, released as the in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan ...
and
TurboGrafx-CD
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thou ...
due to the appeal of the CD medium, instead of the more popular
cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname), a ...
-based
Super Nintendo Entertainment System and
Sega Genesis. The company released some of their games with premium packaging for higher prices. They applied foil stamps and extensive artwork to their packaging and supplied games with full color manuals with anime artwork and concept art at a time when many game manuals for Western releases were in
greyscale
In digital photography, computer-generated imagery, and colorimetry, a grayscale image is one in which the value of each pixel is a single sample representing only an ''amount'' of light; that is, it carries only intensity information. Gray ...
. Also, every manual came with notes describing the translation process and procedure of their games, usually found on the last page of the manual. Every edition of these notes closed with the signature phrase, "We're nothing without you!"
Working Designs became known for their incorporating quirky, distinctively American humor in their translations. President Victor Ireland maintained that the company has always adhered as closely to the original Japanese text as they could while making it understandable to U.S. audiences, and said the addition of American-style humor was necessary to replace Japanese jokes which most Americans would not be able to understand.
When the
Sony PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divi ...
and
Sega Saturn were released, Working Designs met with
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
(SCEA, whose president at the time was
Bernie Stolar). SCEA said they had no interest in seeing non-action games released for the PlayStation, and as Working Designs published mainly strategy games and RPGs, this led them to begin publishing exclusively for the Sega Saturn. Working Designs had also built a strong working relationship with Sega by this time.
Working Designs often postponed releases for upwards of a year. The final Sega Saturn game released in the US, ''
Magic Knight Rayearth
is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp. Appearing as a serial in the manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from the November 1993 issue to the February 1995 issue, the chapters of ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' were collected into three bound volum ...
'', was delayed for over two years. Following Stolar's departure from Sony, Working Designs began working on games for the PlayStation, for which they released the most single titles on a console (10 titles) in their history, and continued to branch out by introducing their "Spaz" label of arcade-style
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charac ...
s. Following
E3 1997
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publisher ...
, where Ireland complained that Sega of America assigned them an out-of-the-way booth and was giving away information about the upcoming
Dreamcast
The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nint ...
console to the detriment of the Saturn market, Working Designs announced they would publish no more Saturn games beyond the four that were then in progress.
The company finally managed to get the rights to ''
Arc the Lad
is a series of tactical role-playing games created by Toshiro Tsuchida and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Each ''Arc the Lad'' game often features recurring characters and locations, as well as a consistent timeline. Most of the ...
'' and its sequels, which Sony's new management insisted that they bundle together as one game. Ireland's feud with Sega led them to ignore Sega's Dreamcast in favor of the
PlayStation 2, but friction with Sony's approval process was starting to cost Working Designs money.
Working Designs did not publish for the
Nintendo 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 ...
or
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
's
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
system. Ireland had been pursuing the rights to titles on both consoles, but kept finding himself outbid on the few titles that matched his company's skills. When asked why he passed on ''
Lunar Legend'' for the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
, a title he already owned the right of first-refusal on, he said it was because the game was mediocre and because he still disliked the expense of publishing cartridges. He initially dismissed the
Nintendo DS, saying that although production costs had come down significantly, the high wait times were still costly, and endorsed Sony's
PlayStation Portable (PSP) and may have been pursuing titles for that handheld. Upon his company's demise, Ireland quietly withdrew his support of the PSP, and voiced his support for the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
.
Due to a series of delays, approval snags, and sagging sales, Working Designs announced on December 12, 2005 that all existing staff had been laid off and the company was effectively defunct. In a public statement posted on the message board hosted at Working Designs' official site, President Victor Ireland, though expressing much gratitude for strong core fan support over the years, stated that a series of complications related to the approval of upcoming games for the PlayStation 2 had created a loss of revenue from which the company would not be able to recover. Ireland however went on to express optimism that a possible publishing deal may occur in the future with the support of remaining WD staff, likely for the Xbox 360.
Games published (in alphabetical order)
TurboGrafx-16
*''
Cadash''
*''
Cosmic Fantasy 2''
*''
Exile''
*''
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon''
*''
Parasol Stars''
*''
Vasteel''
Sega CD
*''
Lunar: The Silver Star''
*''
Lunar: Eternal Blue''
*''
Popful Mail: Magical Fantasy Adventure''
*''
Vay''
Sega Saturn
*''
Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean''
*''
Dragon Force
''Dragon Force'' is a real-time strategy and tactical role-playing game from Sega created for the Sega Saturn. It was created in Japan and translated for North American release by Working Designs in 1996, a translation that was also used by Sega ...
''
*''
Iron Storm''
*''
Magic Knight Rayearth
is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp. Appearing as a serial in the manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from the November 1993 issue to the February 1995 issue, the chapters of ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' were collected into three bound volum ...
''
*''
Sega Ages
is a series of video game ports, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. The series was launched on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Ent ...
''
*''
Shining Wisdom''
PlayStation
*''
Alundra''
*''
Arc the Lad Collection''
*''
Elemental Gearbolt
''Elemental Gearbolt'', full title , is a light gun shooter for the Sony PlayStation. Originally developed by Alfa System, the game was published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released in Japan during Holiday season of 1997. Working Designs l ...
''
*''
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete''
*''
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete''
*''
RayStorm''
*''
RayCrisis''
*''
Silhouette Mirage
''Silhouette Mirage'' is a 2D action side-scrolling video game developed by Treasure and released in 1997. The game's primary mechanic is the two opposing attributes, "Silhouette" and "Mirage" and the way they are able to cause damage to each othe ...
''
*''
Thunder Force V
is a 1997 Japanese side-scrolling shooter video game developed by Technosoft for the Sega Saturn. It is the fifth game in the '' Thunder Force'' series. Unlike previous games in the series, ''Thunder Force V'' uses polygons to model the larger e ...
''
*''
Vanguard Bandits
''Vanguard Bandits'', known in Japan as is a tactical role-playing game (RPG) for the PlayStation. The game was developed by Human Entertainment and originally released in Japan on July 30, 1998. It was published in North America by Working Desig ...
''
PlayStation 2
*''
Growlanser Generations''
*''
Gungriffon Blaze''
*''
Silpheed: The Lost Planet''
References
External links
Working Designs Officially DeadMoby Games profile* https://web.archive.org/web/20060207094525/http://www.workingdesigns.com/
{{Authority control
Defunct video game companies of the United States
Video game companies based in California
Video game publishers
Companies based in Shasta County, California
Redding, California
Video game companies established in 1986
Video game companies disestablished in 2005
1986 establishments in California
2005 disestablishments in California
Defunct companies based in California