Mistwalker
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese video game development studio founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi
(the creator of the popular Final Fantasy
series) in 2004, with the financial backing of Microsoft
. The logo and name were trademark
ed in 2001. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii
, Mistwalker is a co-developer similar to Red Entertainment
and Armor Project
, outsourcing
development duties to other companies (including Artoon
and feelplus), preferring to focus primarily on the story and music portions of game development, as well as generally overseeing the process. Nobuo Uematsu
, known for his work in the Final Fantasy
series, has written music for all (excluding one) games developed by Mistwalker.
Sakaguchi is the president of the new studio, and Kensuke Tanaka, the producer of the PlayOnline
system, is the vice president.
Nintendo DS
Xbox 360
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 video game development studio founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, game director and game producer. He is world famous as the creator of the Final Fantasy series, and has had a long career in gaming with over 100 million units of video games sold worldwide...
(the creator of the popular Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series) in 2004, with the financial backing of 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...
. The logo and name were trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
ed in 2001. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Mistwalker is a co-developer similar to Red Entertainment
Red Entertainment
is a video game developer based in Japan. Formerly known as since is foundation in 1976 , it was reorganized under its current moniker on December 4, 2000...
and Armor Project
Yūji Horii
is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, as well as the visual novel adventure game Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken.-History:Dragon Quest is recognized as the first role-playing game to posit the idea...
, outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
development duties to other companies (including Artoon
Artoon
Artoon is a computer and video game third-party developer established in 1999. The team was primarily affiliated in the United States with recent and current Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 projects, although they had also worked with Hudson Soft and Nintendo on other platforms...
and feelplus), preferring to focus primarily on the story and music portions of game development, as well as generally overseeing the process. Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
, known for his work in the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, has written music for all (excluding one) games developed by Mistwalker.
Sakaguchi is the president of the new studio, and Kensuke Tanaka, the producer of the PlayOnline
PlayOnline
PlayOnline is an online gaming service created by Square Co. , and is used as a hub for many of the online PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 games the company publishes. Currently, the only game supported by the service is Final Fantasy XI...
system, is the vice president.
Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe 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...
- ASH: Archaic Sealed HeatASH: Archaic Sealed HeatASH: Archaic Sealed Heat is a tactical role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and Racjin and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released on October 4, 2007 in Japan...
(2007) co-developed with RacjinRacjinRacjin, formerly known as , is a Japanese video game developer established in 1995. Its name was changed in 2000 to make it more easily pronounced to the Japanese.-Games developed:*ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat... - Blue Dragon PlusBlue Dragon PlusBlue Dragon Plus received mixed or average reviews, earning a Metacritic aggregate score of 69.The game received a positive review from IGN Australia, citing beautiful FMVs comparable to the Xbox 360's as well as fast paced action and good camera control. Nintendo Power gave it a rating of 8 of 10...
(2008) co-developed with Brownie BrownBrownie Brownis a Japanese Nintendo-funded and owned video game development studio opened on June 30, 2000 and based in Tokyo, Japan.- History :The company consists of many ex-Square Co., Ltd. 2D artists. At least two of its founders had previously worked on the award-winning Mana series on the Game Boy and...
and feelplus - Away: Shuffle DungeonAway: Shuffle Dungeonis an action role-playing game developed by Artoon and Mistwalker for the Nintendo DS. The story involves a curse called "Away", which causes a person to mysteriously vanish from a village each year...
(2008) co-developed with ArtoonArtoonArtoon is a computer and video game third-party developer established in 1999. The team was primarily affiliated in the United States with recent and current Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 projects, although they had also worked with Hudson Soft and Nintendo on other platforms... - Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow (2009/2010) co-developed with tri-CrescendoTri-CrescendoTri-Crescendo is a video game developer from Japan. It was founded in February 1999 by Hiroya Hatsushiba, who still runs the company. Hatsushiba, originally being a sound programmer, carried his experience into Tri-Crescendo; the company was initially responsible for the sound in all games by...
and Bird Studio
Xbox 360Xbox 360The 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...
- Blue Dragon (2006) co-developed with ArtoonArtoonArtoon is a computer and video game third-party developer established in 1999. The team was primarily affiliated in the United States with recent and current Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 projects, although they had also worked with Hudson Soft and Nintendo on other platforms...
- Lost OdysseyLost Odysseyis a console role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and feelplus and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The player takes control of Kaim, a man who has lived for a thousand years and who has no memory of his past...
(2007) co-developed with feelplus