Japanese video game developer
FromSoftware, Inc. Native name
株式会社フロム・ソフトウェア Kabushiki gaisha furomu sofutowea Company type Subsidiary (kabushiki gaisha )Industry Video games Founded November 1, 1986; 38 years ago (1986-11-01 ) Founder Naotoshi Zin Headquarters ,Japan
Key people
Products Owner Number of employees
423 (June 2024) Website FromSoftware
FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanesevideo game developer andpublisher . Founded by Naotoshi Zin on November 1, 1986 as abusiness software developer, the company released their first video game,King's Field PlayStation in 1994. Its success shifted FromSoftware to focus fully on games, with them producing two moreKing's Field mecha shooter seriesArmored Core
By the 2000s, FromSoftware's releases included theEcho Night Shadow Tower Lost Kingdoms Otogi Another Century's Episode Demon's Souls Dark Souls action role-playing games . Often cited among thegreatest video games ever made , their emphasis onhigh difficulty and environmental storytelling led to the creation of theSoulslike subgenre, which also includes other later FromSoftware titles such asBloodborne Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Elden Ring
Hidetaka Miyazaki , creator and director ofDark Souls , has served as FromSoftware'srepresentative director and president since 2014, with Zin remaining as an advisor. Miyazaki directs and designs the majority of the company's games in addition to his executive duties. FromSoftware is primarily owned byKadokawa Corporation (70%), with minority stakes by Sixjoy Hong Kong (16%), a subsidiary ofTencent , andSony Interactive Entertainment (14%). FromSoftware usually self-publishes in Japan, and has partnered with international publishers, includingAgetec ,Sony ,Bandai Namco Entertainment ,Sega ,Capcom ,Nintendo , andKoch Media .
Hidetaka Miyazaki , company president and director of several of their gamesFounded in Tokyo on November 1, 1986, by Naotoshi Zin, FromSoftware originally began as a developer ofbusiness applications before shifting focus to video games.[ 1] King's Field King's Field II [ 2] King's Field III Echo Night Shadow Tower Armored Core Armored Core series of mecha combat games.[ 3]
With the launch of thePlayStation 2 in 2000, FromSoftware released the role-playing gamesEternal Ring Evergrace [ 3] Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven stealth game that combines action and adventure elements.[ 4] Activision .[ 5] [ 6] King's Field IV Shadow Tower Abyss Lost Kingdoms GameCube .[ 3] Xbox around this time, such asMurakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit Otogi: Myth of Demons Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors Metal Wolf Chaos Chromehounds anime properties under the bannerAnother Century's Episode .[ 3] Adventure Player , for thePlayStation Portable .[ 4] [ 4]
FromSoftware achieved breakout success in the 2010s,[ 4] Demon's Souls (2009) andDark Souls (2011), the latter being the first entry in a trilogy whose success led to the creation of a subgenre of action role-playing games known asSoulslike games.[ 7] Dark Souls II [ 8] Bloodborne [ 9] [ 10] Dark Souls III [ 11] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice [ 12] [ 13] Elden Ring [ 14] [ 15] [ 16] greatest video games of all time .[ 17] [ 18] [ 19] [ 20] [ 21] Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki would be promoted to company president the following month and later given the title of representative director.[ 22] Fukuoka that focuses on creatingcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) assets for their games.[ 23] [ 24]
In August 2022, Sixjoy Hong Kong (a subsidiary ofTencent ) andSony Interactive Entertainment respectively acquired 16.25% and 14.09% of FromSoftware, leaving 69.66% to Kadokawa.[ 25] GamesIndustry.biz claimed that FromSoftware was paying their employees at sub-standard rates.[ 26] [update] [ 27] [ 28] The Duskbloods soulslike game directed by Miyazaki for theNintendo Switch 2 .[ 29]
List of games developed by FromSoftware Year Title System International publisher 1994 King's Field PlayStation — 1995 King's Field II PlayStation 1996 King's Field III PlayStation ASCII Entertainment 1997 Armored Core PlayStation Sony Computer Entertainment Armored Core: Project Phantasma PlayStation ASCII Entertainment 1998 Shadow Tower PlayStation Agetec Echo Night PlayStation Agetec 1999 Armored Core: Master of Arena PlayStation Agetec Spriggan: Lunar Verse PlayStation — Frame Gride Dreamcast — Echo Night 2: The Lord of Nightmares PlayStation — 2000 Eternal Ring PlayStation 2 Evergrace PlayStation 2 Armored Core 2 PlayStation 2 The Adventures of Cookie & Cream PlayStation 2 2001 Armored Core 2: Another Age PlayStation 2 Forever Kingdom PlayStation 2 Agetec King's Field IV PlayStation 2 2002 Armored Core 3 PlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable Lost Kingdoms GameCube Activision Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit Xbox Ubisoft Otogi: Myth of Demons Xbox Sega 2003 Silent Line: Armored Core PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable Agetec Thousand Land Xbox — Lost Kingdoms II GameCube Activision Shadow Tower Abyss PlayStation 2 — Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors Xbox Sega 2004 Echo Night: Beyond PlayStation 2 NA :EU :Armored Core: Nexus PlayStation 2 Agetec Kuon PlayStation 2 NA :EU :Armored Core: Nine Breaker PlayStation 2 Armored Core: Formula Front PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 Metal Wolf Chaos Xbox,PlayStation 4 ,Windows ,Xbox One Devolver Digital 2005 Yoshitsune Eiyūden: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune PlayStation 2 — Another Century's Episode PlayStation 2 Banpresto Armored Core: Last Raven PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable 2006 Enchanted Arms Xbox 360 ,PlayStation 3 Ubisoft Another Century's Episode 2 PlayStation 2 Banpresto Chromehounds Xbox 360 Sega King's Field: Additional I PlayStation Portable — King's Field: Additional II PlayStation Portable — Armored Core 4 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2007 Nanpure VOW Nintendo DS — Iraroji VOW Nintendo DS — Another Century's Episode 3: The Final PlayStation 2 Banpresto 2008 Armored Core: For Answer PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Ubisoft Shadow Assault: Tenchu Xbox 360 — 2009 Inugami-ke no Ichizoku Nintendo DS Nintendo Ninja Blade Xbox 360,Windows Microsoft Game Studios Demon's Souls PlayStation 3 Yatsuhaka-mura Nintendo DS — 2010 Another Century's Episode: R PlayStation 3 Banpresto Monster Hunter Diary PlayStation Portable Capcom 2011 Another Century's Episode Portable Namco Bandai Games Dark Souls PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Namco Bandai Games 2012 Armored Core V PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Namco Bandai Games Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn PlayStation 3 Namco Bandai Games Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Xbox 360 Capcom 2013 Armored Core: Verdict Day PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Namco Bandai Games 2014 Dark Souls II PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows Bandai Namco Games 2015 Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4 , Windows, Xbox 360,Xbox One Bandai Namco Games Bloodborne PlayStation 4 Sony Computer Entertainment 2016 Dark Souls III PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows Bandai Namco Entertainment 2018 Déraciné PlayStation 4 (PlayStation VR ) Sony Interactive Entertainment 2019 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One,Stadia Activision 2022 Elden Ring PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5 , Windows, Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S ,Nintendo Switch 2 Bandai Namco Entertainment 2023 Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Bandai Namco Entertainment 2025 Elden Ring Nightreign PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Bandai Namco Entertainment 2026 The Duskbloods Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo
^ "角川ゲームスとフロム・ソフトウェア「MEDIA BRIEFING 2014 AUTUMN」を開催" .GAME Watch . November 25, 2014. Archived fromthe original on June 6, 2021. RetrievedDecember 21, 2021 .^ Ciolek, Todd (March 16, 2015)."The History of From Software" .ign.com .Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. RetrievedApril 7, 2018 . ^a b c d Ciolek, Todd (March 16, 2015)."The History of From Software" .IGN . p. 1.Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. RetrievedMay 20, 2017 . ^a b c d "History | FromSoftware" .www.fromsoftware.jp . RetrievedApril 8, 2020 .^ Fahey, Rob (July 7, 2004)."From Software buys Tenchu rights" .GamesIndustry.biz . RetrievedNovember 23, 2024 . ^ Hirohiko Niizumi (July 6, 2004)."From Software acquires Tenchu brand" .GameSpot Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. RetrievedNovember 23, 2024 . ^ Wildgoose, David (March 7, 2022)."Painfully Difficult: From Software's 30+ Year Journey From PS1 to Elden Ring" .IGN . RetrievedMarch 8, 2022 . ^ Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (October 24, 2014)."Dark Souls 2 wins Game of the Year at Golden Joystick Awards" .VG247 . RetrievedDecember 21, 2022 . ^ "Eurogamer's Game of the Year 2015" .Eurogamer.net . January 2016. RetrievedDecember 20, 2022 .^ "Edge Presents: The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time".Edge ^ "Overwatch and Dark Souls 3 win big at this year's Golden Joystick Awards" .PC Gamer . RetrievedFebruary 13, 2017 .^ Makuch, Eddie (December 13, 2019)."The Game Awards 2019 Winners: Sekiro Takes Game Of The Year" .GameSpot . RetrievedDecember 13, 2019 . ^ Hussain, Tamoor (December 17, 2019)."Game Of The Year 2019 – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice" .GameSpot . RetrievedDecember 17, 2019 . ^ "Elden Ring takes top honors at the Japan Game Awards" .Japan Times ^ Loveridge, Sam (November 22, 2022)."Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 winners" .GamesRadar+ . RetrievedNovember 24, 2022 . ^ Plant, Logan (December 8, 2022)."The Game Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List" .IGN the original on December 9, 2022. RetrievedDecember 9, 2022 . ^ Kain, Erik (November 22, 2013)." .Forbes Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. RetrievedOctober 5, 2018 . ^ Polygon Staff (November 27, 2017)."The 500 Best Video Games of All Time" .Polygon.com Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. RetrievedDecember 1, 2017 . ^ Hussain, Tamoor (May 14, 2019)."The Most Influential Games Of The 21st Century:Dark Souls " .GameSpot Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. RetrievedMay 21, 2019 . ^ Donnelly, Joe (November 23, 2021)."Why Dark Souls has been crowned the best video game of all time" .GamesRadar+ . RetrievedDecember 20, 2022 . ^ "From Software acquired by Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corporation" . Archived fromthe original on April 29, 2014. RetrievedApril 28, 2014 .^ Duwell, Ron (May 23, 2014)."Dark Souls' Hidetaka Miyazaki Promoted to President of From Software" . Techno Buffalo.Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. RetrievedMarch 25, 2015 . ^ "From Software to open new studio in Fukuoka" .Gematsu . September 12, 2015.Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 15, 2015 .^ "FromSoftware to Establish New Studio in Fukuoka in October 2015" . FromSoftware.Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. RetrievedJune 25, 2016 .^ "Tencent and Sony Interactive Entertainment collectively acquire 30.34 percent of FromSoftware" .Gematsu . August 31, 2022. RetrievedAugust 31, 2022 .^ "How much does From Software crunch?" .GamesIndustry.biz . November 29, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 27, 2023 .^ "About" .fromsoftware.jp . RetrievedJuly 24, 2024 .^ "Elden Ring developer FromSoftware announces salary increase of 12%" .Eurogamer.net . October 4, 2024. RetrievedOctober 4, 2024 .^ "From Software Announces The Duskbloods, A New RPG Exclusive To Switch 2" .GameSpot . RetrievedApril 3, 2025 .
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