Marvelous (company)
(Redirected from Marvelous First Studio)
 | It has been suggested that Marvelous Entertainment be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2025. |
 Current logo used since 2014 | |
 Headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo | |
Native name | 株式会社マーベラス |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki-gaisha Māberasu |
| Formerly | Marvelous Entertainment, Inc. (1997–2011) Marvelous AQL Inc. (2011–2014) |
| Company type | Public (K.K.) |
| TYO: 7844 | |
| Industry | Video games Anime industry |
| Predecessor | |
| Founded | June 25, 1997[1] |
| Headquarters | Higashishinagawa, , |
Key people |
|
| Products | Anime Video games |
| Revenue | ¥20,330,000,000 (2014)[2] |
| ¥1,882,000,000 (2014)[2] | |
Number of employees | 605 As of September 30, 2021 (consolidated basis)[1] |
| Subsidiaries | Artland Marvelous USA Link Think Delfisound Marvelous First Studio Marvelous Europe G-Mode Honey∞Parade Games[3] Hakama[4] |
| Website | www |
Marvelous Inc. (株式会社マーベラス, Kabushiki-gaisha Māberasu; previously known as Marvelous AQL, stylized as MARVELOUS!) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher, and anime producer. The company was founded in 1997 but formed in its current state in October 2011 by the merger of the original Marvelous Entertainment with AQ Interactive, and Liveware.[1][5]
History
[edit]
The announcement of merging Marvelous Entertainment Inc., AQ Interactive, Inc., Liveware Inc. in to Marvelous AQL Inc. on October 1, 2011 was originally proposed by Marvelous Entertainment Inc., and went effective on May 10, 2011.[6] The plan would make Marvelous Entertainment Inc. the sole surviving entity after the merger, with Marvelous Entertainment Inc. renamed to Marvelous AQL Inc. on merger day.[7][8]
On December 22, 2011, MarvelousAQL Inc. announced the establishment of the overseas business department, with investment from Checkpoint Studios Inc., replacing the global strategy room, which dissolved on January 1, 2012.[9]
On October 25, 2012, MarvelousAQL Inc. announced its stock listing on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, effective on November 1, 2012.[10]
On January 1, 2013, MarvelousAQL Inc. established the amusement business division. The company's digital contents business division and amusement contents development division were moved into amusement business division, and was renamed as amusement development division.[11]
On February 1, 2013, MarvelousAQL Inc. established the digital contents business division.[12]
On July 1, 2014, MarvelousAQL Inc. was renamed as Marvelous Inc.[13]
On March 13, 2015, it was announced that Marvelous would acquire mobile gaming company G-Mode. This includes Data East IPs that G-Mode bought in 2004.[14]
Tencent acquired a 20% stake of Marvelous via new shares, approximately US$65 million on May 26, 2020.[15]
On May 25, 2023, the company livestreamed its first ever digital showcase which featured the syn Sophia-developed Fashion Dreamer and several newly announced upcoming games including a couple of new IPs tentatively titled PROJECT MAGIA and PROJECT LIFE is RPG, several new entries in the flagship Story of Seasons and Rune Factory series, and Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, a sequel to the original Daemon X Machina.[16]
On August 22, 2024, Established Marvelous APAC Pte. Ltd. in Singapore.[17]
Subsidiaries
[edit]Development
[edit]Current
[edit]| Name | Location | Founded | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakama Inc. | Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan | 2018 | A studio led by Story of Seasons and Rune Factory producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto. |
| Honey Parade Games | Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan | 2017 | Styled as "Honey∞Parade Games", they were formed by Marvelous as an internal studio for the Senran Kagura franchise.[18] Kenichiro Takaki leads the studio. |
| Marvelous First Studio | Japan | 2017 | An internal development studio that has worked on titles such as Fate/Extella Link, God Eater 3, and Daemon X Machina. It is made up of former employees of Cavia, Artoon, and Feelplus which were all folded by AQ Interactive in 2010. |
Former
[edit]| Name | Location | Founded | Acquired | Sold/Closed | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entersphere Inc. | Shinagawa, Tokyo[19] | May 2008 | December 2012 | May 2015 | Marvelous AQL Inc. announced the acquisition of the studio on December 21, 2012[20] with the purchase being completed on January 11, 2013.[21] Marvelous sold off all their shares in the studio in 2015. They were renamed Techno Maria in October 2017 and filed for bankruptcy on January 9, 2018.[22] |
Publication and Distribution
[edit]Current
[edit]| Name | Location | Founded | Acquired | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvelous Europe Limited | London, United Kingdom[23] (previously Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom) | April 2012 | N/A | Publishing and distribution arm for Marvelous' titles in Europe. They were originally formed as MAQL Europe Limited[24] and were renamed in June 2014.[25] |
| Marvelous USA Inc. | Torrance, California, United States | 2004 | October 2011 | Publishing and distribution arm for Marvelous' titles in North America who as of August 2024 publish under the Marvelous (in-house titles) and Xseed Games (third-party titles) banners. They were a carryover from AQ Interactive during the merger. Initially known as Xseed JKS, Inc., the company was renamed Marvelous USA Inc. on May 7, 2013.[26] after purchasing the Index Digital Media, Inc.'s online business unit, which had transferred to Xseed JKS, Inc. on March 31.[27] |
Former
[edit]| Name | Location | Founded | Acquired | Sold/Closed | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artland Co, Ltd. | Musashino, Tokyo, Japan | September 1978 | April 2006 | April 2015 | A Japanese animation studio that was acquired by Marvelous Entertainment Inc. in April 2006 as Artland LLC, and renamed shortly after the purchase. The animation studio portion of the company was split off independently in December 2010 and the rest of the company was absorbed by Marvelous in April 2015.[28] |
| LINKTHINK Inc. | Japan | July 2006[29] | October 2011 | April 2017 | The company was previously acquired by AQ Interactive in April 2009. Marvelous absorbed the company in April 2017. |
Video games
[edit] | This list (which may have dates, numbers, etc.) may be better in a sortable table format. (July 2024) |
 | This section needs to be updated. (July 2024) |
Developed
[edit]Note: The below tables are limited to games developed or published by Marvelous in Japan after the merger with AQ Interactive to form Marvelous (AQL); May 2011; see here for games released prior to this date.
[edit]| Name | Platform | Release Date | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Moon: A New Beginning | Nintendo 3DS | Published by Natsume Inc. in North America; final Story of Seasons game to be localized and published in North America by Natsume. | |
| Story of Seasons | Published by Nintendo in Europe. | ||
| Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns | |||
| Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town | Nintendo Switch | Remake of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town; first game in the main series playable on PC. | |
| Microsoft Windows | WW: July 10, 2020 | ||
| Xbox One & Playstation 4 | |||
| Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town | Nintendo Switch | ||
| Microsoft Windows | WW: September 15, 2021 | ||
| PlayStation 4 | |||
| Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life | WW: June 27, 2023 | Remake of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life. | |
| Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar | WW: August 27, 2025 | Remake of Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar. | |
| Doraemon Story of Seasons |
|
Co-developed by Brownies and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. | |
| PlayStation 4 |
| ||
| Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom | WW: November 2, 2022 |
| Name | Platform | Release Date | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rune Factory 4 | Nintendo 3DS | Developed by Neverland | |
| Rune Factory 4 Special | Nintendo Switch | Remaster of Rune Factory 4. | |
| WW: December 7, 2021 | |||
| Rune Factory 5 | Nintendo Switch | ||
| Microsoft Windows | WW: July 13, 2022 | ||
| Rune Factory 3 Special | Nintendo Switch |
|
Remaster of Rune Factory 3. |
| Microsoft Windows | WW: September 5, 2023 | ||
| Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma | WW: June 5, 2025 |
| Name | Platform | Release Date | Other Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Hunter Stories | Nintendo 3DS | ||
|
|
||
| WW: June 14, 2024 | Remastered version. | ||
| Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin | WW: July 9, 2021 | ||
| PlayStation 4 | WW: June 14, 2024 | ||
| Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection | WW: 2026 | First game in the Stories spin-off series playable on Xbox Series X/S and first game in the spin-off series not playable on the originalNintendo Switch. |
Canceled
[edit]- Kaio: King of Pirates (developed by Comcept)
Arcade
[edit]- Pokémon Battario
- Pokémon Tretta
- Pokémon Ga-Olé
- Pokémon Mezastar
- Pokémon Frienda
- Tatakae! Dragon Quest Scan Battlers
- Wacca
Mobile
[edit]- RunBot (developed by Bravo Game Studios)[33]
- Puzzle Coaster (developed by Bravo Game Studios)[34]
- Eyes Attack (developed by Alexander Murzanaev)[35]
- Osomatsu-san NEET Island[36]
- Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link (developed by Honey ∞ Parade Games)[37]
- Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star
- Fate/Extella Link
Browser game
[edit]- Logres of Swords and Sorcery
Published
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2024) |
- Freedom Planet 2
- Cuisineer (published under XSeed Games banner)
- Moonlight Peaks (published under XSeed Games banner)
Anime
[edit]- Aura: Maryūinkōga Saigo no Tatakai
- Cat God
- Gunslinger Girl
- Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-
- Suite PreCure: Take it back! The Miraculous Melody that Connects Hearts!
- HHH Triple Ecchi
- Humanity Has Declined
- (The) Prince of Tennis II
- Princess Tutu
- Prism Ark
- Ring ni Kakero 1: Shadow
- Saint Beast: Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan
- Senran Kagura
- Senran Kagura: Shinovi Master -Tokyo Yōma-hen-
- Tokyo Majin
- Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho: Tou 2nd Act
- Tokyo Ghoul[38]
- We Without Wings: Under the Innocent Sky
- Sengoku Night Blood
- Seven Deadly Sins
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Company Profile". Marvelous AQL Inc. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "Financial Highlights". Marvelous. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ "Senran Kagura producer Kenichiro Takaki opens new studio Honey ∞ Parade Games". 7 March 2017.
- ^ "Story of Seasons producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto opens new studio Hakama under Marvelous". 25 July 2018.
- ^ "History". Marvelous AQL Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- ^ 商号変更及び定款一部変更に関するお知らせ
- ^ 株式会社マーベラスエンターテイメント、株式会社AQインタラクティブ及び株式会社ライブウェアの合併契約締結に関するお知らせ
- ^ マーベラスエンターテイメントとAQインタラクティブ、ライブウェアが合併 新会社「マーベラスAQL」に
- ^ 海外事業部設立のお知らせ
- ^ 東京証券取引所市場第一部銘柄指定承認に関するお知らせ
- ^ アミューズメント事業部設立のお知らせ
- ^ 組織変更のお知らせ
- ^ Romano, Sal (20 March 2014). "Marvelous AQL changing company name to Marvelous". Gematsu. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ "Marvelous Acquires Joe & Mac and Data East Library Through G-Mode Acquisition - Siliconera". www.siliconera.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15.
- ^ Kerr, Chris (May 26, 2020). "Tencent acquires 20 percent stake in Story of Seasons dev for $65 million". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ "Marvelous Game Showcase 2023". YouTube. May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "Marvelous Inc. Company Information". corp.marv.jp. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Marvelous Establishes Company With Focus on Senran Kagura". Anime News Network. April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ "本社移転のお知らせ". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ 株式会社エンタースフィアの株式取得（子会社化）に関するお知らせ
- ^ "株式会社マーベラスAQLへの子会社化について". Archived from the original on 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ https://gamebiz.jp/news/201514
- ^ "MARVELOUS EUROPE LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ 海外子会社設立に関するお知らせ
- ^ https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08013642
- ^ 米国子会社の社名変更のお知らせ
- ^ 当社子会社によるIndex Digital Media, Inc.（米国）のオンラインゲーム事業取得に関するお知らせ
- ^ https://pdf.irpocket.com/C7844/nKx5/rh45/XL9T.pdf
- ^ https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF
- ^ "Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson coming west this summer - Gematsu". gematsu.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ "Update On the PC Version of Skullgirls!". Marvelous AQL Inc. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "Bullet Witch". Steam. Valve. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
- ^ "Marvelous Games RunBot". MAQL Europe Limited. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ "Marvelous Games Puzzle Coaster". MAQL Europe Limited. Archived from the original on 2014-04-06. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
- ^ "Marvelous Games Eyes Attack". MAQL Europe Limited. Archived from the original on 2014-04-06. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
- ^ "おそ松さん よくばり！ニートアイランド(しま松)公式サイト". おそ松さん よくばり！ニートアイランド(しま松)公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-13.
- ^ "Official Website, Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link".
- ^ "Marvelous Product Search".
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marvelous.
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Official website (in English)
- LINKTHINK Inc. page
- Marvelous at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
Categories:
- Video game companies established in 1997
- Mass media companies established in 1997
- Anime companies
- Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
- Japanese companies established in 1997
- Marvelous (company)
- Tencent
- Mass media companies based in Tokyo
- Software companies based in Tokyo
- Video game companies of Japan
- Video game development companies
- Video game publishers
- Japanese brands
- 2011 mergers and acquisitions
- 2002 initial public offerings
- Shinagawa