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.jpg) Headquarters | |
Native name | 株式会社コーエーテクモホールディングス |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushikigaisha Kōē Tekumo Hōrudingusu |
| Formerly | Tecmo Koei Holdings (2009-2014) |
| Company type | Public |
| TYO:3635 | |
| Industry | Video games,anime,amusement |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | April 1, 2009; 16 years ago (2009-04-01)(as Tecmo Koei Holdings) |
| Headquarters | Minatomirai,Yokohama, Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Hisashi Koinuma(CEO & President) Yōichi Erikawa (Chairman) Keiko Erikawa(Chairman Emeretus) |
| Products | List of Koei Tecmo games |
| Revenue |  ¥84.5 billion (2023)[citation needed] |
 ¥28.4 billion (2023)[citation needed] | |
| ¥33.7 billion (2023)[citation needed] | |
Number of employees | 2,684 (2025)[1] |
| Divisions | AAA Games Studio CWS Brains Koei Tecmo Pictures Kou Shibusawa [ja] Koei Tecmo Books Midas Omega Force Ruby Party Team Ninja Gust |
| Subsidiaries | Koei Tecmo Games [ja] Koei Tecmo Wave [ja] Koei Tecmo American Corporation Koei Tecmo Europe Koei Tecmo Taiwan Koei Tecmo Singapore Koei Tecmo Tianjin Software Koei Tecmo Beijing Software Koei Tecmo Software Vietnam Koei Tecmo Shanghai Entertainment co.، ltd Koei Tecmo Net Koei Tecmo Quality Assurance Koei Tecmo Liv Koei Tecmo Music Koei Tecmo Capital |
| Website | www.koeitecmo.co.jp |
Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd.[a][2] is a Japanese video game, amusement and animeholding company created in2009 by the merger ofKoei andTecmo.[3] The holding company itself, as well as its subsdiaries and divisions, were known as Tecmo Koei until the names were reversed to Koei Tecmo in 2014 without any change to the logo.
Koei Tecmo Holdings owns many companies, the biggest one of them being is its flagshipvideo game developer andpublisher Koei Tecmo Games that was founded in 1978 asKoei. Since 2010, Koei Tecmo Games has been the owner of the previous Koei and Tecmo franchises, and occasionally used both brand names on new video games for marketing purposes until 2016.
The company is best known for theirAtelier,Dead or Alive,Dynasty Warriors,Samurai Warriors,Fatal Frame,Monster Rancher,Ninja Gaiden,Nioh,Nobunaga's Ambition andRomance of the Three Kingdoms franchises. They are also known for their work on external video game franchises, namely onSquare Enix'sFinal Fantasy andNintendo'sFire Emblem.
Koei Co., Ltd. (株式会社コーエーKabushiki gaisha Kōē, formerly 光栄 (Kōei)) was founded in July 1978 by husband-and-wife duoYōichi [ja] andKeiko Erikawa. Yōichi was a student atKeio University, and when his family's ruraldyestuffs business failed he decided to pursue his interest in programming. The company was (and, as Koei Tecmo, still is) located in theHiyoshi area ofYokohama along with Yoichi's alma mater, and the company's name is simply aspoonerism of the school's.
The company initially focused onpersonal computer sales and made-to-order businesssoftware. In 1983 it releasedNobunaga's Ambition (信長の野望Nobunaga no Yabō), a historicalstrategy game set during theSengoku period ofJapanese history. The game went on to receive numerous awards, and Koei produced several more such games set against the backdrop of world history, includingRomance of the Three Kingdoms, set during theThree Kingdoms period ofChinese history, andUncharted Waters (大航海時代Dai Kōkai Jidai; lit.Great Navigation Era), set inPortugal during theAge of Exploration.
In 1988, Koei established aNorth Americansubsidiary,Koei Corporation, inCalifornia. This subsidiary localized Koei games for export to all territories outside Japan, as well as producing original games and concepts with the leadership of designerStieg Hedlund, likeLiberty or Death,Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye, andGemfire. After Hedlund's departure, this subsidiary ceased game development in 1995, focusing instead on localization, sales and marketing.
ACanadian subsidiary,Koei Canada, Inc. was established in early 2001, and aEuropean subsidiary,Koei Limited was established in early 2003 inHertfordshire,United Kingdom. In 2004, aLithuanian subsidiary was formed.[4]
Tecmo, Ltd.,[b] formerly known asTehkan Ltd.,[c] was founded by Yoshihito Kakihara on July 31, 1967,[5] as a supplier of cleaning equipment.[6] Two years later, in 1969, it started to sellamusement equipment. Tecmo had its headquarters inKudankita,Chiyoda,Tokyo.[7] Tecmo's United States offices were located inTorrance, California.[8]
In March 1981, a U.S. division was inaugurated asU.S. Tehkan, Inc.. A month later, in April 1981, Tehkan released in Japan its first arcade video game titledPleiades (which was distributed in America byCenturi). When it was still called Tehkan, the company also released such classic games asBomb Jack andTehkan World Cup. On January 8, 1986, Tehkan officially changed its name to Tecmo. In 1989 Tecmo was named as co-defendant in a lawsuit, whenIndianapolis Coltsrunning backEric Dickerson sued theNFLPA over use of his likeness in the gameTecmo Bowl.[9]
In January 2006, Tecmo president, Junji Nakamura, resigns from the company while Yoshimi Yasuda was named his successor.[10]
In 2006, Founder Yoshihito Kakihara died ofinterstitial pneumonia.[11]
On June 3, 2008, Team Ninja headTomonobu Itagaki resigned from the company and filed a 145 million yen ($1.3 million) lawsuit against Yoshimi Yasuda for "unpaid completion bonuses" and "emotional distress".[12] This was followed by another lawsuit filed on June 16, 2008, by two plaintiffs on behalf of Tecmo's 300 employees for unpaid wages amounting to ¥8.3 million.[13]
On August 20, 2008, Tecmo announced the resignation of president Yoshimi Yasuda, to be replaced by current chairman of the board Yasuharu Kakihara as of September 1. On August 28,Square Enix announced plans for a friendly takeover of Tecmo by purchasing shares at a 30 percent premium with a total bid of¥22.3 billion. They gave Tecmo until September 4 to either accept or reject the proposal.[14][15] Upon hearing this news on August 31, Kenji Matsubara, President and COO of Koei, called a board meeting for the next day, September 1.[16] The board discussed the possibility of a merger with Tecmo, and began discussions with Tecmo that same day. On September 4, 2008, Tecmo officially declined Square Enix's proposal,[17] and later that same day announced plans to merge with Koei.[16][18][19]
To survive and compete in this market, we need to have some sort of scale - it's critical. And that's the trigger of this consolidation. Square Enix had made an offer, and we had started a discussion with Tecmo as well. But Tecmo's founding family and Koei's founders' family have actually had a good relationship for many years, which is why we were able to make a deal in such a short time! We started the discussion on September 1st, and it was agreed two days after! Tecmo's founders and management team understands that while it is nice to stand alone, it is risky, and scale is critical.
— Kenji Matsubara[20]
In November, the companies announced their specific plan of action, to complete the merger on April 1, 2009, forming Tecmo Koei Holdings.[21] Koei stock was to be exchanged for Tecmo Koei stock at a rate of 1:1, and Tecmo stock exchanged at .9:1, giving Koei shareholders, in total, a three-quarter stake in the new company. Though the combined profits in 2007 were 8.5 billion yen, they anticipated that the merged company would net over 16 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2012.[22] Effissimo Capital Management Pte, Tecmo's second-largest shareholder at 17.6%, openly opposed the merger.[23] On January 26, 2009, the shareholders for both Koei and Tecmo reached separate agreements in favor of the merger. Effissimo raised some dissent during the meeting, and implied they may seek to sell their shares.[24] Effissimo's director Takashi Kosaka stated "We have not had sufficient information from the company to make a judgment on the merger, such as the feasibility of their plan to raise shareholder value."[25] On February 12, Kenji Matsubara liquidated KOEI FranceSAS.[26] On February 13, Tecmo announced it had received a repurchase claim (a request for the company to buy stock back) from a major shareholder, 15.64% of the stock (3,890,700 shares) from a shareholder that stood in opposition to the firm's upcoming merger with Koei. While the requesting shareholder was not mentioned,Reuters stated that it was likely Effissimo.[27]
Despite these misgivings, the holding company formed on April 1, 2009, as planned.[28] Kenji Matsubara became CEO of the new company, and former Tecmo CEO Yasuharu Kakihara became board chairman.[29] As of May 26, Tecmo Koei had still not reached an agreement with Effissimo, prompting the investment fund to seek mediation with the Tokyo District Court. While Tecmo Koei favored a stock value in the mid-600 yen range, Effissimo was expected to ask for at least 900, in part due to the rejected Square Enix offer of 920 per share.[30]
On June 23, 2009, Tecmo Koei announced a planned restructure of its international subsidiaries.[31][32] Koei Europe was renamedTecmo Koei Europe in 2009 and became the first subsidiary to publish games under the new moniker,[33] starting withNinja Gaiden Sigma 2.[34] In August 2009 Tecmo Koei announced that it was setting up a subsidiary in Hanoi, Vietnam.[35] In January 2010, Tecmo's sole subsidiary, the American Tecmo Inc., and Koei's American branch, Koei Corporation, were moved under a newly formedTecmo Koei America Corporation, itself a direct subsidiary to Tecmo Koei Holdings. Koei's Canadian, Korean, and Taiwanese subsidiaries were re-branded Tecmo Koei, and also moved to direct subsidiaries of the holding company. Later that month theEntertainment Software Association (ESA) announced that Tecmo Koei was now a member.[36]
On April 1, 2010, Tecmo was declared disbanded in Japan.[37][38] Koei absorbed Tecmo the same day to becomeTecmo Koei Games.[39][40] The development divisions of both companies were spun-out into separate subsidiaries of Tecmo Koei Games, created specifically for the planning and development of software.[41][40] Koei Singapore was also re-branded as Tecmo Koei.[42]
The continued operating loss prompted Kenji Matsubara, the former president and CEO of both Tecmo Koei Holdings and Tecmo Koei Games label, to render his resignation in November 2010. Yoichi Erikawa, co-founder of Koei, took over the four positions vacated by Matsubara.[43]
On February 8, 2011, Tecmo Koei Holdings announced that the new individual developers Tecmo and Koei that were formed in March 2010 would be merged into Tecmo Koei Games in April 2011, though the company would continue to create games in the future under the Tecmo and Koei brands.[41][40]
On July 1, 2014, the company and its related subsidiaries were renamed from Tecmo Koei toKoei Tecmo.[44][45]
On February 18, 2016, Koei Tecmo announced a second reorganization of the company, to support the expansion of the company. Brand names Team Tachyon, Koei and Tecmo, amongst others, were dropped.[46]
On February 10, 2025, Koei Tecmo announced that Hisashi Koinuma, who currently serves as the representative director and executive vice president of Koei Tecmo Holdings, will replace Yoichi Erikawa as company president and CEO, effective April 1, 2025. Yoichi Erikawa, co-founder of Koei and more commonly known as Kou Shibusawa, will transition to representative director and chairman of Koei Tecmo Holdings. His wife Keiko Erikawa, also a co-founder, will transition from representative director and chairman to director and chairman emeritus, as well as representative director and president of Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance, which will be established on April 1. Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance will take over the investment functions of Koei Tecmo Games through an absorption-type company split. The move aims to strengthen governance related to investments and improve cash management across the company.[47]
AAA Games Studio was founded under Koei Tecmo in 2024, with Yosuke Hayashi announced to lead the company.[48] Its first title wasHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a collaboration between Koei Tecmo's ownWarriors series andNintendo'sThe Legend of Zelda series. It released on November 6, 2025, for theNintendo Switch 2.[49]
Gust Co. Ltd. was founded in 1993 and is known for developing RPGs like its long-runningAtelier series, and other series includingSurge Concerto,Nights of Azure, andBLUE REFLECTION. Koei Tecmo bought Gust Co. Ltd. in 2011 and absorbed it in 2014.[50]
On February 18, 2016, as part of the companies reconstruction, Koei Tecmo announced the establishment ofKou Shibusawa [ja], named after thestage name of Koei's founder.[46] It has handled the historically based titles such asNobunaga's Ambition series,Romance of the Three Kingdoms series,Uncharted Waters series andNioh series,[51][52] as well as horse racing simulationWinning Post series.[53] The division also worked withIntelligent Systems andNintendo onFire Emblem: Three Houses.[54]
midas is a new division aiming to produce titles for smartphones and to create new IPs. Its only product as of 2025 isShin Hokuto Musou, a Japan-only installment in theWarriors series based on theFist of the North Star manga series forAndroid andiOS.[55]
Omega Force (ω-Force) is a division of Koei known for developinghack and slash games, monster-hunting action games, among other genres. Omega Force are most well known for itsDynasty Warriors series, including spin-offs such asSamurai Warriors,Warriors Orochi, amongst others. As well as non-Warriors titles such asDragon Quest Heroes,WinBack,Attack on Titan andToukiden.
Ruby Party specializes in games labeled as Neoromance:otome gamevisual novels anddating sims, usually with extra side-quests. Out of the three Neoromance series, the best known isAngelique series, which has been in production since 1994. The first game ofAngelique series was the firstotome game (visual novel and dating sims for women) in the world.[56]
Team Ninja (stylised as Team NINJA) is a video game development studio of Tecmo founded in 1995 who developsmasocore games, fast-pacedaction games,fighting games, among other genres. It was formerly led byTomonobu Itagaki and is best known for theDead or Alive,Ninja Gaiden, andNioh series.
Koei Tecmo also operates various international branches and offices, such as Koei Tecmo Europe inHertfordshire,England, Koei Tecmo America inBurlingame, California, Koei Tecmo Taiwan inTaipei, Koei Tecmo Vietnam inHanoi, Koei Tecmo Singapore, as well was two offices inChina, located inTianjin andBeijing.
Team Tachyon is a Japanesevideo game development department of Koei Tecmo founded in 2007. Similar to Team Ninja, the group was formed to develop high-profile games, some of which relate to Tecmo Koei's classic franchises. The company says that they chose the name, "Team Tachyon", because atachyon is a particle that exceeds the speed of light.[57] Key members include Tecmo producers Keisuke Kikuchi (Rygar,Fatal Frame) and Kohei Shibata.[58]
So far, Team Tachyon has aided in the development of the 2008Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse game for theWii, 2008Wii gameRygar: The Battle of Argus,[59] has releasedUndead Knights for thePlayStation Portable, andQuantum Theory for thePlayStation 3 and theXbox 360, released in 2010.
As of February 18, 2016, Team Tachyon was absorbed intoTeam Ninja, with some staff now moved to Gust.[46]
Founded in 2001 asKoei Canada, Koei Tecmo Canada was the North American development arm of the company based inToronto. It started out as a CG studio for Koei games but expanded into video game development in 2005, developingFatal Inertia,Prey the Stars, andWarriors: Legends of Troy. The studio was closed at the end of March 2013.
本社 東京都千代田区九段北４丁目１番３４号 03-3222-7645
Tecmo, Inc. 21213-B Hawthorne Boulevard Torrance, CA 90503
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