Gaijinworks
Encyclopedia
Gaijinworks is a United States video game publishing
company founded by Victor Ireland in July 2006. The company was established shortly after the dissolution of Working Designs
in December 2005 of which Ireland was president. Containing the Japanese word gaijin
, or "foreigner", Gaijinworks would carry on the former company's legacy of localizing "niche" Japanese games for American audiences while working closely with the original developers. Although the company was initially inactive for the first three years of its existence, the first localization project was announced in March 2009 as Hudson Soft
's Miami Law
for the Nintendo DS
.
announced via the company's website that they would be closing their doors due to internal conflicts with Sony Computer Entertainment
and an inability to secure the approval rights to release games on Sony's PlayStation 2
console such as Goemon: Bouken Jidai Katsugeki
. The announcement was made one year since the company released their last game in North America, Growlanser Generations
, in December 2004, which Ireland claimed "wounded [us]" after the company was forced by Sony to package two previously separate projects together, which doubled production costs and halved profit for the title. Ireland stated that he was not ready to leave the game industry, however, and began negotiations with Microsoft
to work with other former members of his staff to localize role-playing games for their Xbox 360
console.
Seven months later in July 2006, Ireland announced that he had begun a new company called "Gaijinworks", that would carry on the legacy of Working Designs and would once again have himself as head translator. Although he had announced that "game related news" would follow the following summer, with the official website going live the following late summer or fall, information on the company's activities remained elusive along with a three-year period of inactivity. The silence was broken in January 2009, when Ireland told 1UP.com
that "game related news" would be coming from the company in the following months, though it would not be one of the "main" games they were known for. In March 2009, Gaijinworks had announced their first localization project since the company began, Hudson Soft
's crime-based adventure game Miami Law
for the Nintendo DS
. Ireland worked closely with Hudson's design team on the project, including taking them on a tour of an American city to aid in development.. Gaijinworks has since partnered to MonkeyPaw Games to translate Vanguard Bandits
for the PSone classics line .
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
company founded by Victor Ireland in July 2006. The company was established shortly after the dissolution of Working Designs
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
in December 2005 of which Ireland was president. Containing the Japanese word gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
, or "foreigner", Gaijinworks would carry on the former company's legacy of localizing "niche" Japanese games for American audiences while working closely with the original developers. Although the company was initially inactive for the first three years of its existence, the first localization project was announced in March 2009 as Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
's Miami Law
Miami Law
Miami Law, known in Japan and Europe as , is an adventure video game developed by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Though produced by a Japanese company, the title was initially released in North America on June 9, 2009 and it will be released in Europe the following September, with...
for the 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...
.
Company history
In December 2005, Victor Ireland, president of video game publisher Working DesignsWorking Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
announced via the company's website that they would be closing their doors due to internal conflicts with Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
and an inability to secure the approval rights to release games on Sony's 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...
console such as Goemon: Bouken Jidai Katsugeki
Goemon: Bouken Jidai Katsugeki
is a Ganbare Goemon game released for the PlayStation 2 on December 21, 2000. This is the third game game in the series with 3D gaming, following Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and Ganbare Goemon: Kuru Nara Koi! Ayashige Ikka no Kuroi Kage...
. The announcement was made one year since the company released their last game in North America, Growlanser Generations
Growlanser Generations
Growlanser Generations is both a collection of Growlanser II and Growlanser III and the sole American release of both games. The American localizations of both games were produced by Working Designs...
, in December 2004, which Ireland claimed "wounded [us]" after the company was forced by Sony to package two previously separate projects together, which doubled production costs and halved profit for the title. Ireland stated that he was not ready to leave the game industry, however, and began negotiations with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
to work with other former members of his staff to localize role-playing games for their Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console.
Seven months later in July 2006, Ireland announced that he had begun a new company called "Gaijinworks", that would carry on the legacy of Working Designs and would once again have himself as head translator. Although he had announced that "game related news" would follow the following summer, with the official website going live the following late summer or fall, information on the company's activities remained elusive along with a three-year period of inactivity. The silence was broken in January 2009, when Ireland told 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
that "game related news" would be coming from the company in the following months, though it would not be one of the "main" games they were known for. In March 2009, Gaijinworks had announced their first localization project since the company began, Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
's crime-based adventure game Miami Law
Miami Law
Miami Law, known in Japan and Europe as , is an adventure video game developed by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Though produced by a Japanese company, the title was initially released in North America on June 9, 2009 and it will be released in Europe the following September, with...
for the 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...
. Ireland worked closely with Hudson's design team on the project, including taking them on a tour of an American city to aid in development.. Gaijinworks has since partnered to MonkeyPaw Games to translate Vanguard Bandits
Vanguard Bandits
Vanguard Bandits, known in Japan as , is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation. The game was developed by Human Entertainment and originally released in Japan on July 30, 1998...
for the PSone classics line .
Works published
| Title | Date | Developer | Platform(s) | Region(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Law Miami Law Miami Law, known in Japan and Europe as , is an adventure video game developed by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Though produced by a Japanese company, the title was initially released in North America on June 9, 2009 and it will be released in Europe the following September, with... |
June 9, 2009 | Hudson Soft Hudson Soft , formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973... |
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... |
NA North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |
| Blaster Master Blaster Master Blaster Master is a platforming and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled , which was released on . The game was released in North America in November 1988 and in Europe on... |
December 14, 2009 | SunSoft | Virtual Console Virtual console A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between... |
NA North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |
| Blaster Master: Overdrive Blaster Master: Overdrive Blaster Master: Overdrive is a platforming and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft and Gaijinworks as a WiiWare title for the Wii game console... |
February 8, 2010 | SunSoft | WiiWare WiiWare WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section... |
NA North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |