ASCII Media Works
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese publishing company
in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger
between ASCII
and MediaWorks
where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company specializes in publishing of books, entertainment and computer magazines, manga
, and video games. ASCII Media Works is known for their brand magazines and book imprints which include such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh
, and Dengeki G's Magazine
, along with the company's main light novel
publishing imprint
Dengeki Bunko
.
Most of the company caters to the Japanese male otaku
crowd, covering such topics as anime
, light novels, manga
, plastic model
ling, and visual novel
s, along with computing
and enterprises related to information technology
(IT). The company also publishes Monthly Business ASCII which is one of the oldest and most prestigious computer-oriented magazines, along with other PC
and IT magazines. ASCII Media Works has also published multiple magazines targeted towards females such as Character Parfait, Dengeki Girl's Style, and Sylph
, though the first two are special edition versions of other magazines. The company runs yearly contests for original novel and manga submissions, such as the light novel Dengeki Novel Prize
contest.
between two Japanese publishing companies—ASCII
and MediaWorks
—on April 1, 2008. The company is a continuation of MediaWorks, but despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company is a member of the Kadokawa Group and is thus affiliated with Kadokawa Shoten
, another Japanese publishing company. According to an official press release by Kadokawa Group Holdings
, a holding company
responsible for the stock
of dozens of other companies affiliated with Kadokawa Shoten, the merger stemmed from a steady outgrowth in the Internet
and mobile parts of society which led publishing companies to branch out in order to encompass the ever increasing needs and demands of the consumers. Due to mutual company interests, the merger went through in order to create a stronger company which has more outreaching possibilities than either company could have done on their own. ASCII brought their expertise with IT
and computing
, while MediaWorks brought their expertise of media pertaining to entertainment, such as with visual or printed media including anime
, manga
, light novel
s, video games, or magazines covering such media products. In addition to making the combined company more diverse, company management is planned to become more efficient, base revenue is meant to increase, and the company may take on new business opportunities in the future. Enterbrain
had been considered for merging with ASCII and MediaWorks, but this was eventually rejected.
prior to the merger. Information technology magazines previously published by ASCII, such as Weekly ASCII, are now published under ASCII Media Works.
Dengeki Bunko
B-Prince Bunko
Sylph Comics
Mahō no Island Bunko
Media Works Bunko
Dengeki Taishō
s, a genre of adventure game
s, but some have also been sound novels, which has less attributes of an adventure game than a normal visual novel. The video games produced are ported to the PlayStation 2
or Nintendo DS
. Since ASCII Media Works is a continuation of MediaWorks
, the company includes the video games previously produced before the merger with ASCII
on their official website for their video games. The video games produced are organized into categories for similarly made games. Aside from the main class of visual and sound novels produced, three games were re-released in the Dengeki SP series at reduced prices from their original release; SP stands for "special price". Another class produced exclusively for the Nintendo DS are under the brand
imprint series DS Dengeki Bunko, and are games based on light novel
s published under ASCII Media Works' male light novel imprint Dengeki Bunko
. Five games have been produced under this brand, and the two games in the series based on Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
were re-released in a single package together. The company lists the titles which have been the most popular among the games they have produced which include releases based on Sister Princess
, DearS
, Kino's Journey
, Futakoi
, and Strawberry Panic!
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese publishing company
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
between ASCII
ASCII (company)
was a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. It became a subsidiary of Kadokawa Group Holdings in 2004, and merged with another Kadokawa subsidiary MediaWorks on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. The company published Monthly ASCII as the main publication...
and MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company specializes in publishing of books, entertainment and computer magazines, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and video games. ASCII Media Works is known for their brand magazines and book imprints which include such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
, and Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...
, along with the company's main light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
publishing imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
.
Most of the company caters to the Japanese male otaku
Otaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
crowd, covering such topics as anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, light novels, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, plastic model
Plastic model
thumb|300px||4-year-old boy starts painting a plastic model he has assembled of the South Goodwin LightshipPlastic models, often called scale models, are models manufactured as kits which are assembled by hobbyists, and intended for static display....
ling, and visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s, along with computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
and enterprises related to information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
(IT). The company also publishes Monthly Business ASCII which is one of the oldest and most prestigious computer-oriented magazines, along with other PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and IT magazines. ASCII Media Works has also published multiple magazines targeted towards females such as Character Parfait, Dengeki Girl's Style, and Sylph
Sylph (magazine)
is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works and is sold monthly. The magazine was originally published on December 9, 2006 as a special edition version of MediaWorks' now-defunct Dengeki Comic Gao! under the title as a quarterly publication...
, though the first two are special edition versions of other magazines. The company runs yearly contests for original novel and manga submissions, such as the light novel Dengeki Novel Prize
Dengeki Novel Prize
The is a literary award handed out annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel...
contest.
History
ASCII Media Works is the result of a mergerMergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
between two Japanese publishing companies—ASCII
ASCII (company)
was a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. It became a subsidiary of Kadokawa Group Holdings in 2004, and merged with another Kadokawa subsidiary MediaWorks on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. The company published Monthly ASCII as the main publication...
and MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
—on April 1, 2008. The company is a continuation of MediaWorks, but despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company is a member of the Kadokawa Group and is thus affiliated with Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
, another Japanese publishing company. According to an official press release by Kadokawa Group Holdings
Kadokawa Group Holdings
is a Japanese holding company of the Kadokawa Group under Kadokawa Shoten. The company was founded on April 2, 1954 and is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan...
, a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
responsible for the stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
of dozens of other companies affiliated with Kadokawa Shoten, the merger stemmed from a steady outgrowth in the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and mobile parts of society which led publishing companies to branch out in order to encompass the ever increasing needs and demands of the consumers. Due to mutual company interests, the merger went through in order to create a stronger company which has more outreaching possibilities than either company could have done on their own. ASCII brought their expertise with IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, while MediaWorks brought their expertise of media pertaining to entertainment, such as with visual or printed media including anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s, video games, or magazines covering such media products. In addition to making the combined company more diverse, company management is planned to become more efficient, base revenue is meant to increase, and the company may take on new business opportunities in the future. Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
had been considered for merging with ASCII and MediaWorks, but this was eventually rejected.
Magazines published
ASCII Media Works publishes magazines under the Dengeki imprint which feature video games, anime, manga, hobby and special interests; these magazines were previously published by MediaWorksMediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
prior to the merger. Information technology magazines previously published by ASCII, such as Weekly ASCII, are now published under ASCII Media Works.
|
Dengeki Nintendo DS is a Japanese gaming magazine published by ASCII Media Works . The magazine mainly covers information pertaining to the Nintendo DS, but also carries information on the Wii as well. The magazine was originally named Dengeki Super Nintendo and first went on sale on December 26, 1992... Dengeki PlayStation is a Japanese gaming magazine published by ASCII Media Works . The magazine originally featured information pertaining to PlayStation video games, but since then has also incorporated information from PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable games... Sylph (magazine) is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works and is sold monthly. The magazine was originally published on December 9, 2006 as a special edition version of MediaWorks' now-defunct Dengeki Comic Gao! under the title as a quarterly publication... |
Light novels
Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
- is a light novelLight novelA is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
imprintImprintIn the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
aimed at a male audience established in June 1993. The editors in charge of this imprint have a reputation for welcoming new authors, and hold a yearly contest, the Dengeki Novel PrizeDengeki Novel PrizeThe is a literary award handed out annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel...
, to discover new talent. The eighth volume of Kino's JourneyKino's Journey, shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000...
, originally published in October 2006, was Dengeki Bunko's 1000th published novel. In April 2007, three movies based on separate light novel series published by Dengeki Bunko were produced; the three titles were Kino's JourneyKino's Journey, shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000...
, Shakugan no ShanaShakugan no Shana, also known simply as Shana, is a Japanese light novel series written by Yashichiro Takahashi, with illustrations by Noizi Ito. The series includes 25 novels released between November 2002 and October 2011 published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint...
, and Inukami!Inukami!is a Japanese light novel series written by Mamizu Arisawa, with illustrations by Kanna Wakatsuki. The series originally started serialization in volume seventeen of ASCII Media Works' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on April 18, 2002...
.
- Aside from the main Dengeki Bunko imprint, there is the sub-imprint established in 1994 when it was originally related with tabletop role-playing gamesRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The imprint stopped production in September 1997 but was later restarted in December 1999 as a computer game and light novel publisher. The imprint succeeded the previous publishing imprint Dengeki G's Bunko.
B-Prince Bunko
- is a yaoiYaoiIn careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
light novel imprint established in 2008. The imprint held a contest in 2010 to give amateur authors a chance to make a professional debut.
Manga
Dengeki ComicsDengeki Comics
is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...
- is a mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
publishing imprint aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics imprint, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX imprint which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes. A large amount of the manga published under Dengeki Comics was originally serialized in the manga magazine Dengeki DaiohDengeki Daiohis a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
.
Sylph Comics
- is a manga publishing imprint aimed at a female audience. The manga that are published under this imprint were originally serialized in the shōjo manga magazine SylphSylph (magazine)is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works and is sold monthly. The magazine was originally published on December 9, 2006 as a special edition version of MediaWorks' now-defunct Dengeki Comic Gao! under the title as a quarterly publication...
. The first bound volumesTankobon, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
were published under this imprint starting on March 21, 2008.
Novels
Mahō no Island Bunko
- is a novel imprint established on October 25, 2007, which publishes new works on the mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
-accessible service Mahō no Island operated by the company of the same name, which is a subsidiary of ASCII Media Works. Mahō no Island Bunko publishes general novels.
Media Works Bunko
Media Works Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works. It was established on December 16, 2009 with the publication of eight novels, and is a mainstream novel imprint aimed at a general audience. The imprint is an extension of ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Bunko...
- is a publishing imprint established on December 16, 2009 aimed at a general audience for mainstream novels. Winners of the Media Works Bunko Prize in the Dengeki Novel PrizeDengeki Novel PrizeThe is a literary award handed out annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel...
are published on this imprint, along with winning 500,000 yenJapanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
.
Contests
Dengeki Comic Grand PrixDengeki Comic Grand Prix
The is an award handed out semiannually and annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for original one-shot manga. Between the first and fifth contests held, there were two divisions: original and anthology...
- The is an award handed out semiannually (since 2004) and annually (since 2010) by ASCII Media Works for original one-shot mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
in two divisions: shōnen and shōjo manga. There are three types of prizes given out each contest: the Grand Prix Prize (2 million yenJapanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
), the Semi-Grand Prix Prize (500,000 yen), and the Excellence Prize (300,000 yen). The Grand Prix Prize has only been handed out twice in the contest's history, with the first round in 2004 and the third round in 2005. There was also once a Dengeki Moeoh Grand Prize division which was held twice with a Grand Prize and Honorable Mentions.
Dengeki Taishō
- The is an award handed out annually (since 1994) by ASCII Media Works with two divisions: the Dengeki Novel PrizeDengeki Novel PrizeThe is a literary award handed out annually by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint. The contest has discovered many popular and successful light novelists, like Kouhei Kadono and Yashichiro Takahashi. Originally called the Dengeki Game Novel...
for light novelLight novelA is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s under Dengeki BunkoDengeki Bunkois a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
, and the for illustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
s. Each division consists of the Grand Prize (1 million yen), Gold Prize (500,000 yen), Silver Prize (300,000 yen), and Honorable Mention (50,000 yen). The first two rounds also had a game designGame designGame design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
division called , and between the third and eleventh rounds there was a mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
division called .
Video games
ASCII Media Works has been in the business of developing and producing video games of series that have light novels or manga published by the company. These games are typically visual novelVisual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s, a genre of adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s, but some have also been sound novels, which has less attributes of an adventure game than a normal visual novel. The video games produced are ported to the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
or Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. Since ASCII Media Works is a continuation of MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
, the company includes the video games previously produced before the merger with ASCII
ASCII (company)
was a publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. It became a subsidiary of Kadokawa Group Holdings in 2004, and merged with another Kadokawa subsidiary MediaWorks on April 1, 2008, and became ASCII Media Works. The company published Monthly ASCII as the main publication...
on their official website for their video games. The video games produced are organized into categories for similarly made games. Aside from the main class of visual and sound novels produced, three games were re-released in the Dengeki SP series at reduced prices from their original release; SP stands for "special price". Another class produced exclusively for the Nintendo DS are under the brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
imprint series DS Dengeki Bunko, and are games based on light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s published under ASCII Media Works' male light novel imprint Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
. Five games have been produced under this brand, and the two games in the series based on Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
is a Japanese sci-fi light novel series written by Mizuhito Akiyama with illustrations by Eeji Komatsu that centers on the relationship between Kana Iriya, a high school girl who has to fight alien invaders, and Naoyuki Asaba, a member of the school newspaper club and one of her few friends...
were re-released in a single package together. The company lists the titles which have been the most popular among the games they have produced which include releases based on Sister Princess
Sister Princess
is a popular Japanese seinen series written by Sakurako Kimino and illustrated by Naoto Tenhiro. It began as a serialized light novel series in 1999. In 2001, a manga series and a bishōjo game for the Sony PlayStation were released. Sequels to the game were released for the PlayStation and Game Boy...
, DearS
DearS
is a manga series co-written and illustrated by Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara, credited under their pen name Peach-Pit. It was serialized monthly by MediaWorks in their magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from March 2002 to December 17, 2005 and was later published into a ten volume set by the company. The...
, Kino's Journey
Kino's Journey
, shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000...
, Futakoi
Futakoi
is a light novel, visual novel and anime series created by Hina Futaba and Mutsumi Sasaki. The anime series aired in Japan in 2004. It replaced Sister Princess as Dengeki G's Magazine premier flagship title.-Story:...
, and Strawberry Panic!
Strawberry Panic!
is a series of Japanese fictional illustrated short stories written by Sakurako Kimino, which focus on a group of teenage girls attending three affiliated all-girl schools on Astraea Hill. A common theme throughout the stories is the intimate lesbian relationships between the characters...
.